found the foundations of several small huts, built of stone.  Mr. M’Queen, who is always for making every thing as ancient as possible, boasted that it was the dwelling of some of the first inhabitants of the island, and observed, what a curiosity it was to find here a specimen of the houses of the Aborigines, which he believed could be found no where else; and it was plain that they lived without fire.  Dr. Johnson remarked, that they who made this were not in the rudest state; for that it was more difficult to make it than to build a house; therefore certainly those who made it were in possession of houses, and had this only as a hiding-place.  It appeared to me, that the vestiges of houses, just by it, confirmed Dr. Johnson’s opinion.

From an old tower, near this place, is an extensive view of Loch-Braccadil, and, at a distance, of the isles of Barra and South Uist; and on the land-side, the Cuillin, a prodigious range of mountains, capped with rocky pinnacles in a strange variety of shapes.  They resemble the mountains near Corte in Corsica, of which there is a very good print.  They make part of a great range for deer, which, though entirely devoid of trees, is in these countries called a forest.

In the afternoon, Ulinish carried us in his boat to an island possessed by him, where we saw an immense cave, much more deserving the title of antrum immane[648] than that of the Sybil described by Virgil, which I likewise have visited.  It is one hundred and eighty feet long, about thirty feet broad, and at least thirty feet high.  This cave, we were told, had a remarkable echo; but we found none[649].  They said it was owing to the great rains having made it damp.  Such are the excuses by which the exaggeration of Highland narratives is palliated.  There is a plentiful garden at Ulinish, (a great rarity in Sky,) and several trees; and near the house is a hill, which has an Erse name, signifying, ’the hill of strife’, where, Mr. M’Queen informed us, justice was of old administered.  It is like the mons placiti of Scone, or those hills which are called laws[650], such as Kelly law, North Berwick law, and several others.  It is singular that this spot should happen now to be the sheriff’s residence.

We had a very cheerful evening, and Dr. Johnson talked a good deal on the subject of literature.  Speaking of the noble family of Boyle, he said, that all the Lord Orrerys, till the present, had been writers.  The first wrote several plays[651]; the second[652] was Bentley’s antagonist; the third[653] wrote the Life of Swift, and several other things; his son Hamilton wrote some papers in the Adventurer and World.  He told us, he was well acquainted with Swift’s Lord Orrery.  He said, he was a feebleminded man; that, on the publication of Dr. Delany’s Remarks on his book, he was so much alarmed that he was afraid to read them.