HARRIS, one of the Hebrides or Western Islands
Harris, of Scotland. It is about 25 miles in length, and from 6
Harrison. to 8 in breadth. Upon the east side it is rocky; but
on the west there are some tolerable farms, and the
population in 1801 was estimated at nearly 3000. It
has Lewis on the north, and North Uist on the south,
from which it is separated by a channel of four miles in
width, called the Sound of Harris. This channel is na-
vigable for vessels of burden, but it requires a skilful
pilot. It is the only passage between the Butt of the
Lewis and Barra for vessels of burden passing to and from
the west side of the Long Island. The sound is gene-
rally encumbered with rocks and islands, some of which
are considerable, as Bernera, Pabbay, Ensay, Kille-
gray. These, with Scalpay, Taransay, and Scarp, com-
pose the inhabited islands on the coast of Harris. Some
of them produce good crops of grain, and all of them
good pasture. Harris and its islands sell from 400 to
500 tons of kelp annually; it abounds on the east side
in excellent lochs or bays, and its shores on both sides
form one continued fishery. The fish on this coast,
and along the whole shores of the Long Island, are
more numerous, and of larger dimensions, than those
on the opposite continent; on which account, two
royal fishing stations were begun in the reign of
Charles I. one in Loch Maddie, and the other in the
Sound of Harris.