The journal of a tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson

168

September 11. Heritable jurisdictions, Insular life. The
Laird of M'Cleod
September 12. Sail to Portree. Dr. Johnson's discourse on
death. Letters from Lord Elibank to Dr. Johnson and

170

206

210

the authour. Dr. Johnson's answer. Ride to Kings-
burgh. Flora M'Donald
September 13. Distresses and escape of the grandson of
King James II. Arrive at Dunvegan
.... 178
September 14. Importance of the chastity of women. Dr.
Cadogan. Whether the Practice of authours is neces-
sary to enforce their Doctrines. Good humour ac-
quirable
September 15. Sir George M'Kenzie. Mr. Burke's wit,
knowledge and eloquence
September 16. Dr. Johnson's hereditary melancholy. His
minute knowledge in various arts. Apology for the
authour's ardour in his pursuits. Dr. Johnson's imagi-
nary seraglio. Polygamy
September 17. Cunning. Whether great abilities are
necessary to be wicked. Temple of the Goddess
Anaitis. Family portraits. Records not consulted
by old English historians. Mr. Pennant's Tours
criticised ....
September 18. Ancient residence of a Highland Chief.
Languages the pedigree of nations. Laird of the
Isle of Muck

September 19. Choice of a wife.

Choice of a wife. Women an over-match
for men. Lady Grange in St. Kilda. Poetry of
savages. French Literati. Prize-fighting.
and English soldiers. Duelling..

September 20. Change of London manners.

censured. Landed and traded interest

September 21. Description of Dunvegan, Lord Lovat's

Pyramid. Ride to Ulinish. Phipps's Voyage to the

North Pole

234

September 22. Subterraneous house and vast cave in

238

Ulinish. Swift's Lord Orrery. Defects as well as

virtues the proper subject of biography, though the

life was written by a friend. Studied conclusions of

letters. Whether allowable in dying men to main-

tain resentment to the last. Instructions for writing

the lives of literary men. Fingal denied to be genuine,

and pleasantly ridiculed

September 23. Further disquisition concerning Fingal.
Eminent men discovered by a new mode of publick
appearance. Garrick. Mrs. Montague's Essay on
Shakspeare. Persons of consequence watched in
London. Learning of the Scots from 1550 to
1650. The arts of civil life little known in Scot-

land till the Union. Life of a sailor. The folly of

Peter the Great in working in a dock-yard. Ar-

rive at Talisker. Presbyterian clergy deficient in

learning

September 24. French hunting. Young Col. Dr. Birch,

Dr. Percy. Lord Hailes. Historical impartiality.

Whiggism unbecoming in a clergyman..

September 25. Every island a prison. A Sky cottage.

Return to Corrichatachin. Good fellowship carried

September 26. Morning review of last night's intempe-

rance. Old Kingsburgh's Jacobite song. Lady

Margaret Macdonald adored in Sky. Different

views of the same subjects at different times. Self-

deception...

September 27. Dr. Johnson's popularity in the Isle of

Sky. His good-humoured gaiety with a Highland

lady

... 263

... 266

September 28. Ancient Irish pride of family. Dr. Johnson
on threshing and thatching. Dangerous to increase
the Price of labour. Arrive at Ostig. Dr. M'Pher-
son's Latin poetry
.... 268
September 29. Reverend Mr. McPherson. Shenstone.
Hammond. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams.... 273

September 30. Mr. Burke the first man every where.

Very moderate talents requisite to make a figure in

the House of Commons. Dr. Young. Dr. Dod-

dridge. Increase of the infidel writings since the ac-

cession of the Hanover family. Gradual impression,

made by Dr. Johnson. Particular minutes to be

kept of our studies..
... 275

October 1. Dr. Johnson not answerable for all the words

in his Dictionary. Attacks on authours useful to them.

Return to Armidale....

....279

October 2. Old manners of great families in Wales.

German courts. Goldsmith's love of talk. Emi-

gration. Curious story of the people of Saint

Kilda

... 281

285

October 3. Epictetus on the voyage of death. Sail for

Mull. A storm. Driven into Col....

October 4. Dr. Johnson's mode of living in the Tem-

ple. His curious appearance on a sheltie. Nature

of sea-sickness. Burnet's History of his own Times.

Difference between dedications and histories...... 291

October 5. People may come to do any thing by talking

of it. The Reverend Mr. Hector Maclean. Bayle.

Leibnitz and Clarke. Survey of Col. Insular

life. Arrive at Breacacha. Dr. Johnson's power of

ridicule....

October 6. Heritable jurisdictions. The opinion of phi-

losophers concerning happiness in a cottage, considered.

Advice to landlords....

....293

.... 299

October 7. Books the best solace in a state of confine-

ment

302

October 8. Pretended brother of Dr. Johnson. No re-
dress for a man's name being affixed to a foolish
work. Lady Sidney Beauclerk. Carte's Life of the Duke
of Ormond. Col's cabinet. Letters of the great
Montrose. Present state of the island of Col.... ib.

October 9. Dr. Johnson's avidity for a variety of books.

Improbability of a Highland tradition. Dr. Johnson's

delicacy of feeling

310

314

October 10. Dependence of tenants on landlords... 313

October 11. London and Pekin compared. Dr. Johnson's

high opinion of the former..

October 12. Return to Mr. M'Sweyn's. Other supersti-
tions beside those connected with religion. Dr. John-
son disgusted with coarse manners. His peculiar

....

..ib.

317

318

habits....

October 13. Bustle not necessary to dispatch. Qats the

food not of the Scotch alone

October 14. Arrive in Mull. Addison's Remarks on

Italy. Addison not much conversant with Ita-

lian literature. The French masters of the art of

accommodating literature. Their Ana. Racine,

Corneille. Moliere. Fenelon. Voltaire. Bossuet.

Massillon. Bourdaloue. Virgil's description of

the entrance into hell, compared to a printing-

house

October 15. Erse poetry. Danger of a knowledge of musick.

The propriety of settling our affairs so as to be always

prepared for death. Religion and literary attainments not

to be described to young persons as too hard. Recep-

tion of the travellers in their progress. Spence....324

October 16. Miss Maclean. Account of Mull. The

value of an oak walking-stick in the Hebrides.

Arrive at Mr. M'Quarrie's in Ulva.
in Ulva. Captain

Macleod. Second Sight. Mercheta Mulierum, and

Borough-English. The grounds on which the

sale of an estate may be set aside in a court of

equity..
329

October 17. Arrive at Inchkenneth. Sir Allan Maclean

and his daughters. None but theological books

should be read on Sunday. Dr. Campbell. Dr.

Johnson exhibited as a Highlander. Thoughts

on drinking. Dr. Johnson's Latin verses on Inch-

kenneth

October 18. Young Col's various good qualities. No
extraordinary talents requisite to success in trade. Dr.
Selander. Mr. Burke. Dr. Johnson's intrepidity and

334

presence of mind. Singular custom in the islands

of Col and Otaheité. Further elogium on young

Col. Credulity of a Frenchman in foreign coun-

tries

...338

October 19. Death of young Col. Dr. Johnson slow

of belief without strong evidence.

La Credulité

des Incredules. Coast of Mull. Nun's Island. Past

scenes pleasing in recollection.