When I waked, the rain was much heavier than yesterday; but the wind had abated.  By breakfast, the day was better, and in a little while it was calm and clear.  I felt my spirits much elated.  The propriety of the expression, ‘the sunshine of the breast[481],’ now struck me with peculiar force; for the brilliant rays penetrated into my very soul.  We were all in better humour than before.  Mrs. M’Kinnon, with unaffected hospitality and politeness, expressed her happiness in having such company in her house, and appeared to understand and relish Dr. Johnson’s conversation, as indeed all the company seemed to do.  When I knew she was old Kingsburgh’s daughter, I did not wonder at the good appearance which she made.

She talked as if her husband and family would emigrate, rather than be oppressed by their landlord; and said, ’how agreeable would it be, if these gentlemen should come in upon us when we are in America.’  Somebody observed that Sir Alexander Macdonald was always frightened at sea.  JOHNSON. ’He is frightened at sea; and his tenants are frightened when he comes to land.’

We resolved to set out directly after breakfast.  We had about two miles to ride to the sea-side, and there we expected to get one of the boats belonging to the fleet of bounty[482] herring-busses then on the coast, or at least a good country fishing-boat.  But while we were preparing to set out, there arrived a man with the following card from the Reverend Mr. Donald M’Queen:—­

’Mr. M’Queen’s compliments to Mr. Boswell, and begs leave to acquaint him that, fearing the want of a proper boat, as much as the rain of yesterday, might have caused a stop, he is now at Skianwden with Macgillichallum’s[483] carriage, to convey him and Dr. Johnson to Rasay, where they will meet with a most hearty welcome, and where.  Macleod, being on a visit, now attends their motions.’  ‘Wednesday afternoon.’

This card was most agreeable; it was a prologue to that hospitable and truly polite reception which we found at Rasay.  In a little while arrived Mr. Donald M’Queen himself; a decent minister, an elderly man with his own black hair, courteous, and rather slow of speech, but candid, sensible, and well informed, nay learned.  Along with him came, as our pilot, a gentleman whom I had a great desire to see, Mr. Malcolm Macleod, one of the Rasay family, celebrated in the year 1745-6.  He was now sixty-two years of age, hale, and well proportioned,—­with a manly countenance, tanned by the weather, yet having a ruddiness in his cheeks, over a great part of which his rough beard extended.  His eye was quick and lively, yet his look was not fierce, but he appeared at once firm and good-humoured.  He wore a pair of brogues[484],—­Tartan hose which came up only near to his knees, and left them bare,—­a purple camblet kilt[485],—­a black waistcoat,—­a short green cloth coat bound with gold cord,—­a yellowish bushy wig,—­a large blue bonnet with a gold thread button.  I never saw a figure that gave a more perfect representation of a Highland gentleman.  I wished much to have a picture of him just as he was.  I found him frank and polite, in the true sense of the word.