an island of Scotland, in the Frith of Clyde, between Kintyre and Cunningham. Of this island the best description we have is that given by Mr Pennant, in his Tour through Scotland, Vol. II. 172—184, which we shall therefore transcribe.

"Arran, or properly Arr-ann, or the island of mountains, seems not to have been noticed by the ancients, notwithstanding it must have been known to the Romans, whose navy, from the time of Agricola, had its station in the Glota Estuarium, or the Frith of Clyde: Camden indeed makes this island the Glota of Antonine, but no such name occurs in his itinerary; it therefore was bestowed on Arran by some of his commentators.

By the immense cairns, the vast monumental stones, bally fass and many relics of druidism, this island must have been ancient times." been considerable in very ancient times. Here are still traditions of the hero Fingal, or Fin-mac-cul, who is supposed here to have enjoyed the pleasures of the chase; and many places retain his name: but I can discover nothing but oral history that relates to the island, till the time of Magnus the barefooted, the Norwegian victor, who probably included Arran in his conquests of Kintyre. If he did not conquer that island, it was certainly included among those that Donald-bane was to cede; for it appears that Acho, one of the successors of Magnus, in 1263, laid claim to Arran, Bute, and the Cumnays, in consequence of that promise: the two first he subdued, but the defeat he met with at Largs foiled him to give up his conquests.

"Arran was the property of the crown. Robert Bruce retired thither during his difficulties, and met with protection from his faithful vassals: numbers of them followed his fortunes; and after the battle of Bannockburn he rewarded several, such as the Mac-cooks, Macintoshes, Mac-brides, and Mac-louis, or Fullertons, with different charters of lands in their native country. All these are now absorbed by this great family, except the Fullertons, and a Stewart, descended from a son of Robert III. who gave him a settlement here. In the time of the Dean of the Isles, his descendant possessed cattle Downan; and he and his bluid, says the dean, are the best men in that country."

"About the year 1334, this island appears to have formed part of the estate of Robert Stewart, great steward of Scotland, afterwards Robert II. At that period, they took arms to support the cause of their master; who afterwards, in reward, not only granted at their request an immunity from their annual tribute of corn, but added several new privileges, and a donative to all the inhabitants that were present.

"In 1456, the whole island was ravaged by Donald earl of Rothes and lord of the isles. At that period, it was still the property of James II. but in the reign of his successor James III. when that monarch matched his sister to Thomas lord Boyd, he created him earl of Arran, and gave him the island as a portion: soon after, on the disgrace of that family, he caused the countess to be divorced from her unfortunate husband; and bestowed both the lady and island on Sir James Hamilton, in whose family it continues to this time, a very few farms excepted.

"Arran is of great extent, being 23 miles from Spreydon point north to Beinn-an-south; and the number of inhabitants are about 7000, who chiefly inhabit the coasts; the far greater part of the country being uninhabited by reason of the vast and barren mountains. Here are only two parishes, Kilbride and Killmore; with a fort of chapel of ease to each, founded in the last century, in the golden age of this island, when it was blessed with Anne Dutchess of Hamilton, whose amiable disposition and humane attention to the welfare of Arran render at this distant time her memory dear to every inhabitant.

"The principal mountains of Arran are, Gontfield, or Gaoilbhinn, or the mountain of the winds, of a height equal to most of the Scottish Alps, composed of immense piles of moor-stone, in form of wool-packs, clothed only with lichens and mosses, inhabited by eagles and ptarmigans; Bein-bharrain, or the sharp-pointed; Ceum-na-caillich, the step of the carline or old hag; and Grianan-Athol, that yields to none in ruggedness.

"The lakes are Loch-jorsa, where salmon come to spawn; Lochtana; Loch-nah-jura, on the top of a high hill; Loch-machairai, and Loch-knoe a charnel, full of large eels. The chief rivers are Abhanmor, Moina-mhor, Slondrair-machrei, and Jorsa; the two last remarkable for the abundance of salmon.

"The quadrupeds are very few; only otters, wild cats, shrew-mice, rabbits, and bats: the flags, which used to abound, are now reduced to about a dozen. The birds are eagles, hooded crows, wild pigeons, flares, black game, grouse, ptarmigans, daws, green plovers, and curlews. Mr Stuart, in ascending Gontfield, found the secondary feather of an eagle, white, with a brown spot at the base, which seemed to belong to some unknown species. It may be remarked, that the partridge at present inhabits this island, a proof of the advancement of agriculture.

"The climate is very severe; for besides the violence of wind, the cold is very rigorous; and snow lay here in the valleys for 13 weeks of the last winter. In summer, the air is remarkably salubrious; and many invalids resort here on that account, and to drink the whey of goats milk.

"The principal disease here is the pleurisy: smallpox, measles, and chin-cough, visit the island once in seven or eight years. The practice of bleeding twice every year seems to have been intended as a preventative against the pleurisy: but it is now performed with the utmost regularity at spring and fall. The duke of Hamilton keeps a surgeon in pay; who, at those seasons, makes a tour of the island. On notice of his approach, the inhabitants of each farm assemble in the open air; extend their arms; and are bled into a hole made in the ground, the common receptacle of the vital fluid.

"In burning fevers, a tea of wood-forest is used with success, to allay the heat.

"An infusion of ransoms, or allium urinum, in brandy is deemed here a good remedy for the gravel.

"The men are strong, tall, and well made; all speak the Erse language, but the ancient habit is entirely laid aside. Their diet is chiefly potatoes and meal; and during winter, some dried mutton or goat is added to their hard fare. A deep dejection appears in general thro' the countenances of all; no time can be spared for amusement of any kind; the whole being given for procuring the means of paying their rent, of laying in their fuel, or getting a scanty pittance of meat and clothing.

"The leases of farms are 19 years. The succeeding tenants generally find the ground a little better than a caput mortuum: and for this reason; Should they at the expiration of the lease leave the lands in a good state, some avaricious neighbours would have the preference in the next setting, by offering a price more than the person who had expended part of his substance in enriching the farm could possibly do. This induces them to leave it in the original state.

"The method of setting a farm is very singular: each method of setting is commonly possessed by a number of small tenants; thus a farm of 40/- a-year is occupied by 18 different people, who by their leases are bound, conjunctly and severally, for the payment of the rent to the propri- These live in the farm houses clustered together, so that each farm appears like a little village. The tenants annually divide the arable land by lot; each has his ridge of land, to which he puts his mark, such as he would do to any writing; and this species of farm is called run-rig, i.e., ridge. They join in ploughing; every one keeps a horse or more; and the number of those animals consume much corn as often to occasion a scarcity; the corn and peas raised being (much of it) designed for their subsistence, and that of the cattle, during the long winter. The pasture and moor-land annexed to the farm is common to all the possessors.

All the farms are open. Inclosures of any form, except in two or three places, are quite unknown; so that there must be a great loss of time in preserving their corn, &c., from trespasses. The usual manure is sea-plants, coral, and shells.

The run-rig farms are now discouraged; but since the tenements are let by roup, or auction, and advanced by an unnatural force to above double the old rent, without any allowance for inclosing, any example set in agriculture, any security of tenure by lengthening the leases, affairs will turn retrograde, and the farms relapse into their old state of rudeness; migration will encroach (for it has begun), and the rents be reduced even below their former value; the late rents were scarce £200 l. a-year; the expected rents £300.

The produce of the island is oats; of which about 5000 bolls, each equal to nine Winchester bushels, are sown; 500 of beans, a few peas, and above 1000 bolls of potatoes, are annually set; notwithstanding this, 500 bolls of oat-meal are annually imported, to satisfy the natives.

The live stock of the island is 5183 milch-cows; 2000 cattle, from one to three years old; 1058 horses; 1500 sheep; and 500 goats; many of the last are killed at Michaelmas, and dried for winter-provision, or sold at Greenock. The cattle are sold from 40 to 50s. per head, which brings into the island about £200 l. per annum; I think that the sale of horses also brings in about £300 l. Hogs were introduced here only two years ago. The herring-fishery round the island brings in £300 l. the sale of herring-nets £100 l., and that of thread about £300 l. for a good deal of flax is sown here. These are the exports of the island; but the money that goes out for mere necessaries is a melancholy drawback.

The women manufacture the wool for the clothing of their families; they fet the potatoes, and dress and spin the flax. They make butter for exportation, and cheese for their own use.

The inhabitants in general are sober, religious, and industrious; great part of the summer is employed in getting peat for fuel, the only kind in use here; or in building or repairing their houses, for the badness of the materials requires annual repairs; before and after harvest, they are busied in the herring-fishery; and during winter, the men make their herring-nets; while the women are employed in spinning their linen and woollen yarn. The light they often use is that of lamps. From the beginning of February to the end of May, if the weather permits, they are engaged in labouring their ground; in autumn they burn a great quantity of fern, to make kelp. So that, excepting at new-years-day, at marriages, or at the two or three fairs in that island, they have no leisure for any amusements: no wonder then at their depression of spirits.

This forms part of the county of Bute, and is subject to the same sort of government; but, besides, justice is administered at the baron's bailiwick-court, who has power to fine as high as 20s.; can decide in matters of property, not exceeding 40s.; can imprison for a month; and put delinquents into the stocks for three hours, but that only during daytime.

Take a ride into the country: descend into the valley, at the head of the bay; fertile in barley, oats, and peas. See two great stones, in form of columns, set erect, but quite rude; these are common to many nations; are frequent in North-Wales, where they are called main birion, i.e., tall stones, main gwir, or menpillars, and lleche; are frequent in Cornwall, and are also found in other parts of our island; their use is of great antiquity; are mentioned in the Mosaic writings as memorials of the dead, as monuments of friendship, as marks to distinguish places of worship, or of solemn assemblies; the northern nations erected them to perpetuate the memory of great actions, such as remarkable duels, of which there are proofs both in Denmark and in Scotland; and the number of stones was proportionate to the number of great men who fell in the fight; but they were besides erected merely as sepulchral for persons of rank, who had deserved well of their country.

Not far from hence is a stone the most singular that I ever remember to have seen, and the only one of the kind that ever fell within my observation: this lies on the ground, is 12 feet long, two broad, one thick; has, at one end, the rude attempt to carve a head and shoulders, and was certainly the first deviation from the former species of monument, the first essay to give to stone a resemblance to the human body. All that the natives say of this is, that it was placed over a giant, and is called Mac Bhrolchin's stone.

Ascend a steep hill, with vast gullies on the side; and, on descending, arrive in a plain inhabited by curlews, resorting there to breed, and which flew round our heads like lapwings. At a place called Moni-quill is a small circle of small stones, placed close to each other: whether a little druidical place of worship, or of assembly; or whether a family place of sepulture, as is usual with the northern nations, is not easy to determine. If an urn is found in the centre of this coronet, as is not uncommon, the doubt will cease.

Pass by the river Machrai, flowing thro' a rocky channel, which in one part has worn thro' a rock, and left so contracted a gap at the top as to form a very easy step a-cross. Yet not long ago a poor woman in the attempt, after getting one foot over, was struck with such horror at the tremendous torrent beneath, that she remained for some hours in that attitude, not daring to bring her other foot over, till some kind passenger luckily came by, and assisted her out of her distress.

Arrive at Turnmore, an extensive plain of good ground, but quite in a state of nature: seems formerly to have been cultivated; for there appear several vestiges of dikes, which might have served as boundaries. There is a tradition, that in old times the shores were covered with woods, and this was the habitable part. "The want of trees in the internal part at present, and the kindly manner in which they grow about Brod- wie, favour this opinion.

"On this plain are the remains of four circles, in a line, extending N. E. by S. W.; very few stones are standing to perfect the inclosure, but those are of a great size, and stand remote from each other. One is 15 feet high, and 11 in circumference. On the outside of these circles are two others; one differs from all I have seen, consisting of a double circle of stones and a mound within the lesser. Near these are the relics of a stone chest, formed of five flat stones, the length of two yards in the inside; the lid or top is lost. In the middle of these repositories were placed the urn filled with the ashes of the dead, to prevent its being broken, or to keep the earth from mixing with the burnt remains. In all probability there had been a cairn or heap of stones above.

"By the number of the circles, and by their sequestered situation, this seems to have been sacred ground. These circles were formed for religious purposes: Boethius relates, that Mainus, son of Fergus I., a retainer and cultivator of religion, after the Egyptian manner (as he calls it) instituted several new and solemn ceremonies, and caused great stones to be placed in form of a circle; the largest was situated towards the south, and served as an altar for the sacrifices to the immortal gods. Boethius is right in part of his account; but the object of the worship was the sun; and what confirms this, is the situation of the altar pointed towards that luminary in his meridian glory. In this place the altar and many of the stones are lost; probably carried to build houses and dikes not very remote from the place.

"At a small distance farther is a cairn of a most stupendous size, formed of great pebbles; which are preserved from being scattered about by a circle of large stones that surround the whole base, a circumstance sometimes usual in these monumental heaps.

"Descend thro' a narrow cleft of a rock to a part of the western shore called Druim-an-dhain, or the ridge of the fort, from a round tower that stands above. The beach is bounded by cliffs of whitish grit stone, hollowed beneath into vast caves. The most remarkable are those of Fin-mac-ell, or Fingal, the son of Comhal the father of Ossian, who, tradition says, resided in this island for the sake of hunting. One of these caverns is 12 feet long, and 30 high, narrowing to the top like a Gothic arch; towards the end it branches into two; within these two recesses, which penetrate far, are on each side several small holes, opposite to each other; in these were placed transverse beams, that held the pots in which the heroes feasted their venison; or probably, according to the mode of the times, the bags formed of the skins of animals slain in the chase, which were filled with flesh, and served as kettles sufficiently strong to warm the contents; for the heroes of old devoured their meat half raw, holding, that the juices contained the best nourishment.

"On the front of the division, between these recesses and on one side, are various very rude figures, cut on the stone, of men, of animals, and of a claymore or two-handed sword; but whether these were the amusements of the Fingallian age, or of after-times, is not easy to be ascertained; for caves were the retreats of pirates as well as heroes. Here are several other hollows adjacent, which are shewn as the stable, cellars, and dog-kennel, of the great Mac-cuil: one cave, which is not honoured with a name, is remarkably fine, of great extent, covered with a beautiful flat roof, and very well lighted by two vaulted arches at each end; through one is a fine perspective of the promontory Cara-bean, or the white heap of stones; whose side exhibits a long range of columnar rocks (not basaltic) of hard grey whin-stone, resting on a horizontal stratum of red-stone: at the extremity, one of the columns is insulated, and forms a fine obelisk.

"After riding some time along the shore, ascend the promontory. On the summit is an ancient retreat, secured on the land side by a great dike of loose stones, that incloses the accessible part: within is a single stone, set erect; perhaps to mark the spot where the chieftain held his council, or from whence he delivered his orders.

"From this shore is a fine view of Kintyre, the western side of Arran being separated from it by a strait about eight miles wide.

"Leave the hills, and see, at Feorling, another stupendous cairn 114 feet over, and of a vast height; and from two of the opposite sides are two vast ridges; the whole formed of rounded stones, or pebbles, brought from the shores. These immense accumulations of stones are the sepulchral protection of the heroes among the ancient natives of our islands: the stone chests, the repository of the urns and ashes, are lodged in the earth beneath; sometimes one, sometimes more, are found thus deposited; and I have one instance of as many as 17 of these stone chests being discovered under the same cairn. The learned have assigned other causes for these heaps of stones: have supposed them to have been, in times of inauguration, the places where the chieftain-elect stood to show himself to best advantage to the people; or the place from whence judgment was pronounced; or to have been erected on the road-side in honour of Mercury; or to have been formed in memory of some solemn compact. These might have been the reasons, in some instances, where the evidences of stone-chests and urns are wanting; but those generally are found to overthrow all other systems.

"These piles may justly be supposed to have been proportioned in size to the rank of the person, or to his popularity: the people of a whole district assembled to show their respect to the deceased; and, by an active honouring of his memory, soon accumulated heaps equal to those that astonish us at this time. But these honours were not merely those of the day; as long as the memory of the deceased endured, not a passer-by went by without adding a stone to the heap; they supposed it would be an honour to the dead, and acceptable to his manes.

Quamquam fellimus, non est mora longa: licet, Ipsaque ter pulvere, curas.

To this moment there is a proverbial expression among the highlanders allusive to the old practice: a supplicant will tell his patron, Curri mi cloch er de charme, "I will add a stone to your cairn;" meaning, When you are no more, I will do all possible honour to your memory.

"There was another species of honour paid to the chieftains, that I believe is still retained in this island, but..." but the reason is quite lost; that of swearing by his name, and paying as great a respect to that as to the most sacred oath: a familiar one in Arras is, "by Nails;" it is at present unintelligible, yet is suspected to have been the name of some ancient hero.

"The cairns are to be found in all parts of our islands, in Cornwall, Wales, and all parts of North Britain; they were in use among the northern nations; Dahlberg, in his 323rd plate, has given the figure of one. In Wales they are called carneddau; but the proverb taken from them, with us, is not of the complimentary kind: Karn ar dyben, or, A cairn on your head, is a token of imprecation."