Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
General
Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)
Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
Authors, Scottish -- 19th century -- Biography; Scott, Walter, 1771-1832
which the winds and waves safely conducted to Skye. To avenge the
offence given, Macleod sailed with such a body of men as rendered
resistance hopeless. The natives, fearing his vengeance, concealed
themselves in this cavern, and after strict search, the Macleods
went on board their galleys, after doing what mischief they could,
concluding the inhabitants had left the isle. But next morning they
espied from their vessel a man upon the island, and, immediately
landing again, they traced his retreat, by means of a light snow on
the ground, to this cavern. Macleod then summoned the subterraneous
garrison, and demanded that the individuals who had offended him
should be delivered up. This was peremptorily refused. The chieftain
thereupon caused his people to divert the course of a rill of water,
which, falling over the mouth of the cave, would have prevented his
purposed vengeance. He then kindled at the entrance of the cavern a
huge fire, and maintained it until all within were destroyed by
suffocation. The date of this dreadful deed must have been recent,
if one can judge from the fresh appearance of those relics. I
brought off, in spite of the prejudices of our sailors, a skull,
which seems that of a young woman.
"Before reëmbarking, we visit another cave opening to the sea, but
of a character widely different, being a large open vault as high as
that of a cathedral, and running back a great way into the rock at
the same height; the height and width of the opening give light to
the whole. Here, after 1745, when the Catholic priests were scarcely
tolerated, the priest of Egg used to perform the Romish service. A
huge ledge of rock, almost halfway up one side of the vault, served
for altar and pulpit; and the appearance of a priest and Highland
congregation in such an extraordinary place of worship might have
engaged the pencil of Salvator. Most of the inhabitants of Egg are
still Catholics, and laugh at their neighbors of Rum, who, having
been converted by the cane of their chieftain, are called
_Protestants of the yellow stick_. The Presbyterian minister and
Catholic priest live upon this little island on very good terms.
The people here were much irritated against the men of a revenue
vessel who had seized all the stills, etc., in the neighboring Isle
of Muck, with so much severity as to take even the people's bedding.
We had been mistaken for some time for this obnoxious vessel. Got on
board about two o'clock, and agreed to stand over for Coll, and to
be ruled by the wind as to what was next to be done. Bring up my
journal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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