Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

RON A. 383
overlooks churches and chapels every where. Martin
notices a far greater number. It is much to be regretted
that he was so shallow a Dean ; as he lived at a time
when information on the condition of the Islands would
have been really valuable.
Rona is about five miles long and one broad, forming
a sort of high irregular ridge, and separated from Rasay,
to which it belongs, by a strait just passable for vessels,
in which are situated the small island Maltey and some
islets of less note. The surface is a continued succession
of projecting grey rocks, interspersed with heath and
pasture. It is difficult to imagine any thing more cheer-
less than the aspect of the islands of this character at a
little distance ;
yet, among the rifts and intervals, scarcely
worthy the name of valleys, there are found patches of
beautiful green pasture, greener from the contrast, and,
now and then, the black hut of some small tenant. The
little arable ground which occurs in Rona, surrounds the
scattered village that lies at the bottom of this bay, which
contains all the population of the island. We were for-
tunate enough to purchase two fat cows ; so that, on the
following morning, our deck presented the unamiable
spectacle of raw beef under all its forms. Our men,
doubtless, thought this a much more entertaining sight
than a cargo of minerals ; a day to be marked with a
white stone. Indeed we had no reason ourselves to be of a
different opinion when the roast beef came smoking down
the companion ladder, day after day, together with the
several occasional interludes of beef steaks and boiled
beef, and all the other good things in which a dead bul-
lock abounds. You gentlemen of Scotland, who live at
home at ease, must not imagine, however, that you are to
cruise round the Western Islands upon beef steaks; no,
nor on fresh mutton neither. There are no " Siculae
dapes" to repent of here. We must have sought for