ion to his Majesty's service. I acknowledge
to you, and thank you heartily for it, assuring, that in what lies in my
power, you shall find the good. Meanwhile, I shall expect that you will
continue your loyal endeavours, in wishing those slack people that are
about you, to appear more obedient than they do, and loyal in their
prince's service; whereby I assure you, you shall find me ever

'Your faithful friend,
'MONTROSE[810].'

'Petty, 17 April, 1646.'

I found some uncouth lines on the death of the present laird's father,
intituled 'Nature's Elegy upon the death of Donald Maclean of Col.' They
are not worth insertion. I shall only give what is called his Epitaph,
which Dr. Johnson said, 'was not so very bad.'

'Nature's minion, Virtue's wonder,
Art's corrective here lyes under.'

I asked, what 'Art's corrective' meant. 'Why, Sir, (said he,) that the
laird was so exquisite, that he set art right, when she was wrong.'

I found several letters to the late Col, from my father's old companion
at Paris, Sir Hector M'Lean, one of which was written at the time of
settling the colony in Georgia[811]. It dissuades Col from letting
people go there, and assures him there will soon be an opportunity of
employing them better at home. Hence it appears that emigration from
the Highlands, though not in such numbers at a time as of late, has
always been practised. Dr. Johnson observed that 'the Lairds, instead of
improving their country, diminished their people.'

There are several districts of sandy desart in Col. There are
forty-eight lochs of fresh water; but many of them are very small,--meer
pools. About one half of them, however, have trout and eel. There is a
great number of horses in the island, mostly of a small size. Being
over-stocked, they sell some in Tir-yi, and on the main land. Their
black cattle, which are chiefly rough-haired, are reckoned remarkably
good. The climate being very mild in winter, they never put their beasts
in any house. The lakes are never frozen so as to bear a man; and snow
never lies above a few hours. They have a good many sheep, which they
eat mostly themselves, and sell but a few. They have goats in several
places. There are no foxes; no serpents, toads, or frogs, nor any
venomous creature. They have otters and mice here; but had no rats till
lately that an American vessel brought them. There is a rabbit-warren on
the north-east of the island, belonging to the Duke of