eletons, which now stand faithful witnesses of the
triumph of the Reformation.

The want of churches is not the only impediment to piety: there is
likewise a want of Ministers. A parish often contains more Islands than
one; and each Island can have the Minister only in its own turn. At
Raasa they had, I think, a right to service only every third Sunday. All
the provision made by the present ecclesiastical constitution, for the
inhabitants of about a hundred square miles, is a prayer and sermon in a
little room, once in three weeks: and even this parsimonious distribution
is at the mercy of the weather; and in those Islands where the Minister
does not reside, it is impossible to tell how many weeks or months may
pass without any publick exercise of religion.

GRISSIPOL IN COL

After a short conversation with Mr. Maclean, we went on to Grissipol, a
house and farm tenanted by Mr. Macsweyn, where I saw more of the ancient
life of a Highlander, than I had yet found. Mrs. Macsweyn could speak no
English, and had never seen any other places than the Islands of Sky,
Mull, and Col: but she was hospitable and good-humoured, and spread her
table with sufficient liberality. We found tea here, as in every other
place, but our spoons were of horn.

The house of Grissipol stands by a brook very clear and quick; which is,
I suppose, one of the most copious streams in the Island. This place was
the scene of an action, much celebrated in the traditional history of
Col, but which probably no two relaters will tell alike.

Some time, in the obscure ages, Macneil of Barra married the Lady
Maclean, who had the Isle of Col for her jointure. Whether Macneil
detained Col, when the widow was dead, or whether she lived so long as to
make her heirs impatient, is perhaps not now known. The younger son,
called John Gerves, or John the Giant, a man of great strength who was
then in Ireland, either for safety, or for education, dreamed of
recovering his inheritance; and getting some adventurers together, which,
in those unsettled times, was not hard to do, invaded Col. He was driven
away, but was not discouraged, and collecting new followers, in three
years came again with fifty men. In his way he stopped at Artorinish in
Morvern, where his uncle was prisoner to Macleod, and was then with his
enemies in a tent. Maclean took with him only one servant, whom he
ordered to stay at the outside; and where he should see the tent presse