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His vessels being at the fisheries, one at St. Kilda, and the other at Loch Broom, we embarked in the largest boat that remained in the harbour, and were accompanied by a pinnace, well manned, one of whom was equally qualified for managing the sails, or the bagpipes, which he carried with him.

In our way thither we entered every bay or loch, and found them so safe and commodious for shipping of all sizes, and of such easy access, that the old navigator every now and then exclaimed, "What a treasure this would be on the coast of Coromandel!" At other times he lamented the want of such harbours on the coast of England. But none of them are comparable, either in magnitude or safety, to East Loch Tarbat, which, with the bays on the opposite side, called West Loch Tarbat, and the peninsula that divides them, I expressed the desire to explore minutely, and captain Macleod readily ecquiesced.

For this purpose we landed on the island of Scalpay, or as it is sometimes called, Elen Glash, and staid that night with Mr. Campbell, a tacksman under captain Macleod. As this isle lies immediately in the course of ships that pass through the outer channel to and from the Baltic, and being near several clusters of rocks, it is judged a proper station for a light-house, and in 1786, a bill passed for that purpose.

Many persons with whom I conversed on the north coast of Scotland, are of the opinion that vessels are sometimes run upon rocks, or upon the beach, purposely to defraud the underwriters. Mr. Campbell with the utmost difficulty prevailed on the captain of an English ship to permit the people of Scalpay to save the vessel, which he was steering directly upon the rocks of that island. The captain in return desired his cook to give the Scalpay people, who had launched and manned six boats, a piece of beef among them. Mr. Campbell suggested that the people would consider their important services ill repaid by a piece of beef only; upon which the magnanimous captain gave them half a crown instead of the beef. Such behaviour discourages people from offering their services in cases of unavoidable hazards, and where their fatigues would be better rewarded.

From Scalpay we sailed up East Loch Tarbat, accompanied by Mr. Buchanan, a clergyman near that place. The day being fine, we could distinctly perceive oysters at a good depth of water near the head of the bay, and the same on the opposite side.

This noble bay lies twelve miles north from the Sound of Harris; it is four miles in length, perfectly land-locked, and has a number of small branches near the entrance, sheltered by many islands, on one of which we perceived two eagles, who seemed to set us at defiance, and did not move.

We landed at Tarbat, a narrow pass which separates the channel on the east side of Harris, from the Atlantic on the west side. This pass is only 6 or 700 yards across, and the rise in the center is about fifty feet above the high water mark. The soil is most of considerable depth, but having a declivity on both sides, might easily be drained.

When the herrings are in West Loch Tarbat, the fishers on the east side drag their boats across the isthmus, and so vice versa when the herrings are on the opposite side.

Apparently, a navigable canal might be made through it, at no great expence; but at least a good smooth road might be made, by means of which and a number of horses, large empty boats, wherries, and even small decked vessels, might be dragged upon wheels or sliders from one side to the other.

West Loch Tarbat is the only safe harbour on that side of the Long Island, to Bara Head, at its southerly extremity. It is properly a great land-locked bay, containing many small bays, and abounding in salmon, herrings, white fish, and all the other species found in the northern seas, and these both large and rich.

Cod fish are in their prime, between November and June, when the best ling season commences, which continues till September. The dog fish are taken in fine calm weather, in June and July. A few huts, inhabited by fishermen, form a small village at the Tarbat, and these people occupy the whole valley, which is not considerable; but there is good grazing on the hills at each side. These huts are built close upon the beach of West Loch Tarbat, and here we launched a boat, to make the tour of that bay and its branches.

Mr. Buchanan having an appointment to marry a couple at the end of one of the bays, we were willing to be present at the ceremony, and to see the dancing. The bridegroom was a young man of that place; the bride and her friends came from Loch Roag, in the Lewis.

The whole company was decent and orderly. Old and young danced, and among the rest, captain Macleod, who, not withstanding his years, stepped up to the bride with a gallant air, took her by the hand, and acquitted himself nobly on the floor; but he put the poor woman and some others to the blush soon after. I had asked him in a whisper, how he liked the bride; he answered in a voice rather loud, that, "she was too old, and that he liked her maid much better." The bride seemed to be thirty-six, and his own age seventy. His father married at seventy-five, had ten children, who are mostly married, and he died about ninety, when his youngest child was little more than an infant.

We returned to Scalpay in good spirits, and highly pleased at the appearance of these natural harbours, and with the adventures of the day.

The isthmus of Tarbat is generally marked in the maps as the boundary between Harris and Lewis, but this is an error.

The boundary lies farther north, and is formed by two very considerable and finely sheltered lochs, one of which, Loch Seafort, lies on the east side; and the other, called Loch Rhesort, lies on the west side. -- The heads of these lochs thus stretching several miles within land on the opposite sides of the island, approach within four miles of each other, and form another isthmus, which is the land boundary.

Having finished our observations on the Tarbat and its excellent harbours, we set out through the north passage of Scalpay for Stornoway, distant about twenty-four miles."

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