chiefs generally acted right, for their own sakes.
Dr. Johnson was now wishing to move. There was not enough of
intellectual entertainment for him, after he had satisfied his
curiosity, which he did, by asking questions, till he had exhausted the
island; and where there was so numerous a company, mostly young people,
there was such a flow of familiar talk, so much noise, and so much
singing and dancing, that little opportunity was left for his energetick
conversation[522]. He seemed sensible of this; for when I told him how
happy they were at having him there, he said, 'Yet we have not been able
to entertain them much.' I was fretted, from irritability of nerves, by
M'Cruslick's too obstreperous mirth. I complained of it to my friend,
observing we should be better if he was, gone. 'No, Sir (said he). He
puts something into our society, and takes nothing out of it.' Dr.
Johnson, however, had several opportunities of instructing the company;
but I am sorry to say, that I did not pay sufficient attention to what
passed, as his discourse now turned chiefly on mechanicks, agriculture
and such subjects, rather than on science and wit. Last night Lady Rasay
shewed him the operation of _wawking_ cloth, that is, thickening it in
the same manner as is done by a mill. Here it is performed by women, who
kneel upon the ground, and rub it with both their hands, singing an Erse
song all the time. He was asking questions while they were performing
this operation, and, amidst their loud and wild howl, his voice was
heard even in the room above[523].

They dance here every night. The queen of our ball was the eldest Miss
Macleod, of Rasay, an elegant well-bred woman, and celebrated for her
beauty over all those regions, by the name of Miss Flora Rasay[524].
There seemed to be no jealousy, no discontent among them; and the gaiety
of the scene was such, that I for a moment doubted whether unhappiness
had any place in Rasay. But my delusion was soon dispelled, by
recollecting the following lines of my fellow-traveller:--

'Yet hope not life from pain or danger free,
Or think the doom of man revers'd for thee[525]!'

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12.

It was a beautiful day, and although we did not approve of travelling on
Sunday, we resolved to set out, as we were in an island from whence one
must take occasion as it serves. Macleod and Talisker sailed in a boat
of Rasay's for Sconser, to take the shortest way to Dunvegan. M'Cruslic