Islay is fertile, and a large portion has
been brought under a state of cultivation.

A fair breeze, with the tide in our favour, carried us through the sound
between the islands of Islay and Jura, the broadest part of which is
about a mile in width, and is lined by abrupt but not very high cliffs.
More than a century ago, Islay received a visit from the French Admiral
Thurot; and a few years later Paul Jones made a descent on the island,
and captured a packet which had on board a Major Campbell, a native
gentleman, who had just returned with an independence from India, the
larger portion of which he unfortunately had with him in gold and
jewels, of which, as may be supposed, the American privateer relieved
him. In later years another American privateer, "the true-blooded
Yankee," captured a considerable number of merchant vessels at anchor in
Port Charlotte.

We anchored at nightfall in a deep bay at the southern end of Colonsay,
called Toulgoram. A narrow strait divides that little island from the
still smaller one of Oronsay.

Next morning, before sailing, we pulled across the strait, which is dry
at low water, and visited a ruined priory of considerable extent and
tolerably entire. We saw also many other ruins of abbeys or
monasteries; indeed, the monks must have been almost as numerous as the
rabbits, which we saw running about in all directions. The wind still
favouring us, we steered for the western end of Mull, and in a short
time came in sight of its lofty cliffs; while we could see in the
distance astern the peaked mountains of Jura and the island of Scarba,
between which lies the whirlpool of Corryvrechan, a place we had no
desire to visit. In stormy weather, when the tides rush through the
passage, a regular whirlpool is formed, which would prove the
destruction of any vessels attempting to pass that way. Standing on a
height above it, the waters are seen to leap, and bound, and tumble,
then whirling along as over a precipice, then dashed together with
inconceivable impetuosity, sometimes rising in a foaming mass to a
prodigious height, and then opening and forming a vast abyss, while the
roar of troubled waters as they strike against the rocky shore is heard
far and wide.

We reached Iona in ample time to take a walk around the island. This
was the island on which the so called Saint Columba lived. It is about
three miles long, and one wide, and the most lofty hill is not more than
four hundred