Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

188
ST. KI1.DA.
Ideas, or Ideal, it is the same thing, when they are so
steadily employed in tellins^ the world that such they are.
The only difficulty for the Academy of Hirta, is the
choice of a name. But they may copy from Bologna
and call themselves the Torbidi, or from Florence, and
style themselves the Humidi ; or, as they deal in feathers,
they may borrow the name of Volanti from Naples, or of
the Caliginosi from Ancona, which is more suitable still
or, as it is a foggy land, they may be the Fumosi after
Reggio, or perhaps, which is best of all, belonging to no
region on earth, they may be styled, after Pezzaro, the
Eterocliti.
I cannot give you the dark side of this picture if I
would, because I saw it not. That, it is said, depends
on the state of a man's own stomach ; but whether that
be true or not, all was bright. There is no place without
its miseries, as philosophers say ;
but I have seen enough
of those elsewhere, and am desirous to believe that this
is the seat of optimism, the lost Eldorado, one of the
never-found Fortunate islands, the happy valley on
which there are no gates but those of the inclination.
The balance must be struck hereafter by some Mun-
dungus, who will have the double pleasure of setting up
his own theory and knocking mine down: it shall never
be said that 1 travelled from Barra Head to the Butt of
the Lewis, and found nothing to praise. But I must lead
you back to meaner matters.
This is the only place in which I ever saw the quern
in use, forming a laborious occupation for the females ;
to supply a moderate family with meal by this wretched
mill, is nearly the work of a day. A mill might easily
be erected, as in Shetland, on any of the streams; nor
could the expense be an obstacle, as the horizontal water
mill of the Highlands does not cost many shillings. The
stones vary from eighteen inches to three feet in diame-
;
as,