England. Of their eels
I can give no account, having never tasted them; for I believe they are
not considered as wholesome food.

It is not very easy to fix the principles upon which mankind have agreed
to eat some animals, and reject others; and as the principle is not
evident, it is not uniform. That which is selected as delicate in one
country, is by its neighbours abhorred as loathsome. The Neapolitans
lately refused to eat potatoes in a famine. An Englishman is not easily
persuaded to dine on snails with an Italian, on frogs with a Frenchman,
or on horseflesh with a Tartar. The vulgar inhabitants of Sky, I know
not whether of the other islands, have not only eels, but pork and bacon
in abhorrence, and accordingly I never saw a hog in the Hebrides, except
one at Dunvegan.

Raasay has wild fowl in abundance, but neither deer, hares, nor rabbits.
Why it has them not, might be asked, but that of such questions there is
no end. Why does any nation want what it might have? Why are not spices
transplanted to America? Why does tea continue to be brought from China?
Life improves but by slow degrees, and much in every place is yet to do.
Attempts have been made to raise roebucks in Raasay, but without effect.
The young ones it is extremely difficult to rear, and the old can very
seldom be taken alive.

Hares and rabbits might be more easily obtained. That they have few or
none of either in Sky, they impute to the ravage of the foxes, and have
therefore set, for some years past, a price upon their heads, which, as
the number was diminished, has been gradually raised, from three
shillings and sixpence to a guinea, a sum so great in this part of the
world, that, in a short time, Sky may be as free from foxes, as England
from wolves. The fund for these rewards is a tax of sixpence in the
pound, imposed by the farmers on themselves, and said to be paid with
great willingness.

The beasts of prey in the Islands are foxes, otters, and weasels. The
foxes are bigger than those of England; but the otters exceed ours in a
far greater proportion. I saw one at Armidel, of a size much beyond that
which I supposed them ever to attain; and Mr. Maclean, the heir of Col, a
man of middle stature, informed me that he once shot an otter, of which
the tail reached the ground, when he held up the head to a level with his
own. I expected the otter to have a foot particularly formed for the art
of swimming; but upon examination, I