He appeared to be near fourscore; but looked as fresh, and was as strong as a man of fifty.  His son Hugh looked older; and, as Dr. Johnson observed, had more the manners of an old man than he.  I had often heard of such instances, but never saw one before.  Mrs. M’Sweyn was a decent old gentlewoman.  She was dressed in tartan, and could speak nothing but Erse.  She said, she taught Sir James M’Donald Erse, and would teach me soon.  I could now sing a verse of the song Hatyin foam’eri[787], made in honour of Allan, the famous Captain of Clanranald, who fell at Sherrif-muir[788]; whose servant, who lay on the field watching his master’s dead body, being asked next day who that was, answered, ’He was a man yesterday.’

We were entertained here with a primitive heartiness.  Whiskey was served round in a shell, according to the ancient Highland custom.  Dr. Johnson would not partake of it; but, being desirous to do honour to the modes ‘of other times,’ drank some water out of the shell.

In the forenoon Dr. Johnson said, ’it would require great resignation to live in one of these islands.’  BOSWELL.  ’I don’t know, Sir; I have felt myself at times in a state of almost mere physical existence, satisfied to eat, drink, and sleep, and walk about, and enjoy my own thoughts; and I can figure a continuation of this.’  JOHNSON.  ’Ay, Sir; but if you were shut up here, your own thoughts would torment you.  You would think of Edinburgh or London, and that you could not be there.’

We set out after dinner for Breacacha, the family seat of the Laird of Col, accompanied by the young laird, who had now got a horse, and by the younger Mr. M’Sweyn, whose wife had gone thither before us, to prepare every thing for our reception, the laird and his family being absent at Aberdeen.  It is called Breacacha, or the Spotted Field, because in summer it is enamelled with clover and daisies, as young Col told me.  We passed by a place where there is a very large stone, I may call it a rock;—­’a vast weight for Ajax[789].’  The tradition is, that a giant threw such another stone at his mistress, up to the top of a hill, at a small distance; and that she in return, threw this mass down to him[790].  It was all in sport.

     ‘Malo me petit lasciva puella[791].’

As we advanced, we came to a large extent of plain ground.  I had not seen such a place for a long time.  Col and I took a gallop upon it by way of race.  It was very refreshing to me, after having been so long taking short steps in hilly countries.  It was like stretching a man’s legs after being cramped in a short bed.  We also passed close by a large extent of sand-hills, near two miles square.  Dr. Johnson said, ’he never had the image before.  It was horrible, if barrenness and danger could be so.’  I heard him, after we were in the house of Breacacha, repeating to himself, as he walked about the room,

     ‘And smother’d in the dusty whirlwind, dies[792].’