Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-01-07


Gent Scottish records, and its library
10 said to have contained some valuable
treatises Of literature. Truly did DIR.
johnson call il the then luIninary OF these
regions-but how deep is the darkness
ever that luninary now!
Tbs island IL the property Of the Duke
of Argyle. II is about three miles long,
and one broad, and there are upon II a.
bout $50 or 200 inhabitants. The part
near the coast, where we landed, ex-
hibited most unpromising appearance;
but presume that there must be some
good land upon il, as the Duke Of Argyle
contrives, or his agents do for him, to
wiring rental Of 1900 dollars per annum
out Of the people, some way or other.--
Thanks be to sonebody--l don't know
10 whom they are due,-a school is now
kept there, and church has been lately
erected, which will do some good 10 the
poor & ignorant inhabitants The school
master gets a trife, and but trife Tor
his ay,-but as he acts as guide some
times, and he is very good one too,
strangers commonly add something to
his annual pay.
Soon We were off again on board OF
our Highlander, and slowly creeping
back the very same way we came, to-
ward Tobermorey, and through the sound
Of Null. killed time as well rs ! could
halfsic from the agitation Of the water,
and half frozen by the cold. Toward
night, we were at Tobermorey again
l did not tell you before, that this now
the principal place in Null, was the ve-
ry place where man-oi-war ship Of the
famous Spanish Invincible Armada, put
in, after tho dispersion Of the feet, and
that here he was blown up by one Of
queen Elizabeth's agents, thus produc-
ing terrible slaughter. Here there is
. Post Office and Custom House now,
and it is quite modern fishing and trad
ing village. We did not stop here long
and then only to take the Sheriff and
some other Of the principal men Of the
place Oh board. This high dignitary Of
the island Of Null found out that l was
IN Americ an, and we therefore had some
very pleasant conversation on board
He was very civilized and well-behav-
ed man: say this because he seemed
surprised to find Americans so civilized
as we fattered ourselves we were, in
this far distant part Of the world. Indeed
if either OF us was to be savage Think
his locality would give him the better
claim, for though there are no Indians a
bout him, ye, there are people not far off
in a much sadder condition Of life
While we were chatting, the boiler Of
the steamboat began to hiss or sizzle,
(if there is such word,-and have no,
dictionary to look and see) when all at
once saw our Sheriff in the greatest
CONSERVATION, running about, and crying
"let down the boat, ,"-"make signal"
--''run her ashore" when 10, ! found
that he actually believed we were to be
blown UP in the most approved Mississip-
pi fashion. knew that If the boiler in
tended to blow up, It would never have
given us such a long warning, and as
for the boiler itself Of such a boat did
not believe it had the power to do us
much mischief. l therefore told him
pretending to sit down with great uncoD-
cern, "that this wns nothing, ,-oniy a
specimen Of what we had in our country
every other day" never shall forget
the look Of horror he shot at me. He
shyed of, and got ashore as quick as
possible. Half Of the British people be-
lieve, | am inclined to think, that the
blowing up Of steam boat with US, is
only teu de joie.
Here, we were in pretty condition.
Oban, where we were bound to take a
mother boat, was yet some twenty or
thirty miles of. The boiler, an old rus
ty concern, had given away gradually,
and was now in no condition to be mend
ed. After long debate, and much
grave consideration; though it was near
midnight now, we resolved TO walk down
the whole length Of Null from Aros to
the ferry, and there take boat over to
Oban. On we started when it was near
ly one o'clock, but it was not dark long,
for at two o'clock daylight appeared a
gain and the streamers Of the morning
soon overspread the east. On we went,
over hill and over valley, two English
men joined our party, and our number
was therefore five. Null had seldom
seen such n number on her out-of-the
way heaths before. No fields, or but
very few for cattle whatever were to be
seen. Indeed these people have to i'm
port the bread they eat, for which, how
ever they have the cattle raised on these
heaths, to pay. But poverty was visible
on every side. There was no wood-no
coal. Nothing but peat is burnt in their
huts,-and the odour Of this, where there
Is no chimney, is almost uncomfortable.
Even at night, the doors were broadly o.
pen. A dog perhaps kept watch, and
that was often all the guard. The road,
and what is remarkable 10 all Great