Surely such notes are much better than the querulous growlings of suspicious Whigs and discontented Republicans.

* * * * *

Kingsburgh conducted us in his boat across one of the lochs, as they call them, or arms of the sea, which flow in upon all the coasts of Sky,—­to a mile beyond a place called Grishinish.  Our horses had been sent round by land to meet us.  By this sail we saved eight miles of bad riding.  Dr. Johnson said, ’When we take into computation what we have saved, and what we have gained, by this agreeable sail, it is a great deal.’  He observed, ’it is very disagreeable riding in Sky.  The way is so narrow, one only at a time can travel, so it is quite unsocial; and you cannot indulge in meditation by yourself, because you must be always attending to the steps which your horse takes.’  This was a just and clear description of its inconveniences.

The topick of emigration being again introduced[573], Dr. Johnson said, that ‘a rapacious chief would make a wilderness of his estate.’  Mr. Donald M’Queen told us, that the oppression, which then made so much noise, was owing to landlords listening to bad advice in the letting of their lands; that interested and designed[574] people flattered them with golden dreams of much higher rents than could reasonably be paid:  and that some of the gentlemen tacksmen[575], or upper tenants, were themselves in part the occasion of the mischief, by over-rating the farms of others.  That many of the tacksmen, rather than comply with exorbitant demands, had gone off to America, and impoverished the country, by draining it of its wealth; and that their places were filled by a number of poor people, who had lived under them, properly speaking, as servants, paid by a certain proportion of the produce of the lands, though called sub-tenants.  I observed, that if the men of substance were once banished from a Highland estate, it might probably be greatly reduced in its value; for one bad year might ruin a set of poor tenants, and men of any property would not settle in such a country, unless from the temptation of getting land extremely cheap; for an inhabitant of any good county in Britain, had better go to America than to the Highlands or the Hebrides.  Here, therefore, was a consideration that ought to induce a Chief to act a more liberal part, from a mere motive of interest, independent of the lofty and honourable principle of keeping a clan together, to be in readiness to serve his king.  I added, that I could not help thinking a little arbitrary power in the sovereign, to control the bad policy and greediness of the Chiefs, might sometimes be of service.  In France a Chief would not be permitted to force a number of the king’s subjects out of the country.  Dr. Johnson concurred with me, observing, that ’were an oppressive chieftain a subject of the French king, he would probably be admonished by a letter.[576]’