The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-09-04 00:00:00

MR. GLADSTONE'S VOYAGE.

Writing from Oban on Tuesday, the Correspondent of
The Times gives the following interesting particulars re-
specting Mr. Gladstone's voyage
No better day than yesterday could have been found
for the delightful voyage to Oban. The (h•antully
Castle rounded headland after headland made beauti-
ful by nature and famous by genius. The Mull of
Ca.ntyre was passed close to the rqcky shore, then the
way lay through the narrow sound of Islay, in sight
of the‘great hills called the "Paps of Jura." The
green turf and bright heather of the deer forest
clothed the hills. Occasionally mountain villas and
shooting-boxes would be seen even in this desolate
strait. Mr. Gladstone was received with cheers by the
people in the rare fishing boats which were met with.
The lighthouse at the entrance of the Sound was passed
and Colonsay lay in view beneath the setting sun.
Here anchor was cast for the night. All night reels
and Highland dances were kept up on the deck, and
Highland songs were sung. The Premier himself
joined in the procession which followed the piper
round the ship, arm-in-arm. In the early morning the
ship proceeded to Oban and fired her guns for a pilot,
but none came. She then dropped anchor off Oban
between six and seven o'clock, with the green hills of
the Land of Lorn sleeping in the morning sun and the
mountains of Morvern towering in the distance.

TOBER3fORY, August 31.
Leaving Oban at 9.30 a.m., we passed Ardnamur-
chan Point, 33 miles off, at noon, having gone very
rapidly down the south of Mull, which separates the
large Island of Mull from Morvern, in Argyleshire.
As on the Rhine, every rock has its legend, and the
Highland pilot was called upon to point out the scene
of every story referred to in The Lord of the Isles."
Here was the reef on which the wicked chief left his
wife to perish, and there the island from Which the
fishermen still hear the wail of Lady O'Canna. The
flags were dipped for Mr. Cowgn's seat, and Mr. David
also, who was on board, told the well-known story
of Scour Eigg, as that notched and misshapen rock
came into sight. Captain Webster pointed out to the
Prime Minister the entrance to the cave in which the
Macleods smoked the Macdonalds to death, and Mr.
Cowan recited how he found bones lying there and
how a Macleod to whom he told the story of High-
land vengeance only met it with a "What for no
At last we came in sight of the Wei hills of Coolin,
in Skye, crowned by Scour-na-Gillan, gr. Gladstone
had never landed on the island and much desired to
do so. The Grantully Castle was taken close into land
in Scavafg Loch, and thirty of the party went ashore
in two of the boats. The island is often marked in
the famous histo-ticgi trip to the Hebrides made by
Dr. Johnson and Buswel)..

- •
The Grantully Castle lay to without anchoring
during our two hours' visit on shore. The visitors
walked up to the gloomy Loh Cornisit, flescribed by
Scat as a sable lake fit only for a scene of woe.
There ars islets in it, and the black rocks around are
interspersed with tracts of marshy grass and purple
heaths. Mr. 'Gladstone, who when in his ordinary
health, has often walked thirty miles a day, went as
far and fast up and dow4 tho steep mountain paths
as any of the party. The boats returned laden with
scented heather and small yellow prueiferce, and
raced against each other to the ship, a "geavy sea
rolling into the bay. Mr. Gladstone was rowed to
the ship by the sailors and his son rowed in on.e
of the other boats. An extra boat—a lifeboat had
been sent, as the wind had freshened. The Prime
Minister inspired his crew by leading in "Row,
brothers, row !" and he also sang snatches of Venetian
boat songs, but on arriving at the Grantully Castle he
immediately s...et ti;;) ivark on his despatches. He passes
his time chiefly in reac.4g, but also interesting himself
much in the &tails of the wtorliscing Anil construction of
the ship and her adaptability to purposes of naval war-
fare in accordance with the n 414, pri4ciplesPi cs4*-4Pit-
ing mail and merchant steamers with Ntrong btilkheady
and armour in the shape of coal bunkefs so placed as jf,
protect the engines. The owner (Mr. Donal4i
lf.P.) has read at the United Service Institution
two papers on the system now very generally adopted.
The Pretnieiz recovery progresses very favourably,
and Mrs. Gladstone, who, after her devoted nursing
of her husband, require 4 repose, has also benefited
much by the excursion. At OA Of the island of
Eigg, the Berlin, a steam vessel in wlrlo,bg. Tames
P,iirrie has been cruising for two months, m 44 -4i;
;the Mantully Castle was stopped in order to allow tier
p4rty ,to ,oine on board. I ought to have mentioned,
SA an incident of the day in the desolate cruising
ground of Locl f.:!ca&tig, that a boat with four High-
landers rowed 1.14), their beezda blown by the wind, and
begged to be permitted ,t 9 sec 14[r. olosone.