Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

316 XORIH RONA.
of the produce which is reserved, is thus taken away;
and in this manner is maintained all the communication
which North Rona has with the external world.
The return for all these services, in addition to his food
and that of his family, was the large sum of two pounds
a year. But this was paid in clothes, not in money ; and
as there were six individuals to clothe, it is easy to appre-
hend that they did not abound in covering-. I must add
to this, however, the use of a cow, which was brought
from Lewis when in milk, and exchanged when unser-
viceable. From the milk of his sheep he contrived to
make cheeses, resembling those for which St. Kilda is
so celebrated. Those who have eaten of them will be
warrants for their goodness. We might have expected
that the use of money would almost have been forgotten
here, where there was nothing which it could purchase.
But after all, it speaks a language which all understand ;
nor did we find but that Kenneth Mac Cagie was fully
as well aware of the value of his commodities as if he
had been an inhabitant of Stornoway itself. He seemed
thoroughly to understand " Del no, per li denar, vi si fa
ita."
His extra civilities we repaid with all the tobacco
in our possession : a present far more gratifying, we
doubted not, than a few additional shillings, which he
could have converted to no immediate use.
Whatever might be judged of this cottar's bargain,
that of his superior was undoubtedly a good one; as the
rent which he paid for the island was but two pounds a
year: his other farms were not so profitable by a great deal.
No boat was allowed ; properly enough ; since it could
only offer the poor man a temptation to drown himself;
but, by means of his fishing rod, he could both add to
his food and vary it, chiefly with coal fish, which were
easily caught from the rocks. We discovered that he