before our arrival, two boats were driven upon this coast by
the tempest; one of them had a pilot that knew the passage; the second
followed, but a third missed the true course, and was driven forward,
with great danger of being forced into the vast ocean, but, however,
gained, at last, some other island. The crews crept to Talisker, almost
lifeless with wet, cold, fatigue, and terrour, but the lady took care of
them. She is a woman of more than common qualifications; having
travelled with her husband, she speaks four languages.

You find, that all the islanders, even in these recesses of life, are
not barbarous. One of the ministers, who has adhered to us almost all
the time, is an excellent scholar. We have now with us the young laird
of Col, who is heir, perhaps, to two hundred square miles of land. He
has first studied at Aberdeen, and afterwards gone to Hertfordshire, to
learn agriculture, being much impressed with desire of improvement; he,
likewise, has the notions of a chief, and keeps a piper. At Macleod's
the bagpipe always played, while we were dining.

Col has undertaken, by permission of the waves and wind, to carry us
about several of the islands, with which he is acquainted enough to show
us whatever curious is given by nature, or left by antiquity; but we
grew afraid of deviating from our way home, lest we should be shut up
for months upon some little protuberance of rock, that just appears
above the sea, and, perhaps, is scarcely marked upon a map.

You remember the doge of Genoa, who being asked, what struck him most at
the French court, answered, "myself." I cannot think many things here
more likely to affect the fancy, than to see Johnson ending his
sixty-fourth year in the wilderness of the Hebrides. But now I am here, it
will gratify me very little to return without seeing, or doing my best
to see, what those places afford. I have a desire to instruct myself in
the whole system of pastoral life, but I know not whether I shall be
able to perfect the idea. However, I have many pictures in my mind,
which I could not have had without this journey, and should have passed
it with great pleasure, had you, and master, and Queeney, been in the
party. We should have excited the attention, and enlarged the
observation of each other, and obtained many pleasing topicks of future
conversation. As it is, I travel with my mind too much at home, and,
perhaps, miss many things worthy of observation, or pass them w