III.
NOTIC BEEHIVF EO E HOUSE HARRIN SI LEWISD SAN ; WITH TRA- DITION"E EACH-UISGE,TH F SO WATER-HORSER "O , CONNECTED THEREWITH. BY COMMANDE . THOMASL . W . F R , R.N. (PAR) I. T
e studenTh f Iriso t h antiquitie s awarei s , that unde name rth beef eo - hive houses, cloghauns, oratories, &c., the ancient habitations of the Irish people exis considerabln i t e number goon i d d an spreservation I ; do not learn that this class of dwellings is now inhabited in any part of Ireland, but in Lewis and Harris we have buildings identical in form and size, where they are the summer abodes of the people at the present day, so that we witness in the Long Island the expiring modes and habits of the Celtic race as they have been practised for two thousand years. stationes wa I d last summe border e Forese th th n f f Harris,o r o so t — a mountainous region bar f treeso e t witbu ,h abundanc f excelleneo t pasture ,wholl w whicno s yhi abandone o sheedt d deerpan . Alonl al g the shores, the ruins of the cottages and the deep furrows of the "feannag"—most inappropriately called "lazy-beds, e inventoth s a " r of that term would find, if he had to carry the seaware that serves for manure on his back from the shore up the steep and rugged brae—are seen, and the green sward still springs where the cattle have pastured and tros rud a tortuoud ha d: en an ma fooe sf th o tdike , followin e coasth g t at the distance of perhaps a quarter of a mile, enclosed what was the farm fromooe mth r hill o r . Loch Meabha narroa s gi w creek running five- sixth mila f seo inte lands stiloi th t i l; green upon both shores from the labours of a former peasantry, but a solitary gamekeeper's lodge is now the only sign of human life. I was informed that on the moor, about hal mila f e fro e heam th f thido s loch, circulaa ther s ewa r house,' roofed entirely with stone and without a bit of wood in its construction. 8 12 PROCEEDING SOCIETE TH F F SO YO
On visitin place gth e indicated, .I foun beehive-houseso tw d thef o e m on ; (Plate X. quits ,i fig) 1 e. complet othee walle entired th th ean f t r so bu , (fig ) alon2 . eyardw remaife e sa situate ar t apart n; bu d the e an d,yar most romantically unde sheltee th rlaud-cliffa f ro , and, aalways si e sth e neighbourhoocaseth n i , f gooo d d pasture e grounTh . s heri d s a e rugged as usual, the (so-called) boulder clay is scraped up into a thousand little hills, and huge transported blocks of gneiss are scattered far and near. These " bothan," as they are called in Lewis, are from a short distance hardly to be distinguished from the granite blocks around, and in fact I was unsuccessful in rinding them on my first search. I lay before the Society plans and drawings of these interesting objects: No. 1 is entire—it is 18 feet in diameter on the outside, and 9 feet in height; ground-plae th irregulan a n s i (fig ) 3 . r circle e bas walle e th ear th ;t a s fee6 r to thick5 e thicknesth , s being fille witn di hjumbla f stoneeo s and turf. Abov heighe singla feeeth 3 e stone n i f th t o e t ar courses , and approximate in a conical or beehive form, to the apex, where the top is covered by a single stone (fig. 4). The doorway is rudely square, fee3 broadt2 higd n amorphouhan a : s sla f gneissbo n ,ma suca s ha could easily lift, serve e interiodoora r Th dfo . r chambe s sub-circulari r plane n shorteslongesti e th feeth 7 fee 8 n ,i d n t i t an t, diametersn I . sectio e chambeth n s sub-conicali r , rising almost perpendicularlr fo y feet3 , then quickly closing int centree oth , feewher6 heightn s i ti t ei . whole Th buils ei f rougo t h untrimrned block f gneisso s e debrith , f o s the glacial period. A very little utove ihu floor are four recesses or rude cupboards, frohala fooa md fooa f o an squaret tt . No, 2 is about four yards from No. 1, and the roof has fallen in, but the wall e stil ar sfee5 l n heighi t t I differt (fig. , 5) firsts1 . . fro, No m thachambee walle th th tf o s r begi o closnt fron ei base-linee mth d an ; secondly havinn i , gprolongatioa n (fig , probabl6) . ysleeping-placea n o , one side. The chamber of No. 2 is circular in plan (fig. 6), and 6 fee n diameteri e west th t n a celsidO .s l i e 4| feet long, from 1£ to 2 feet broad, and 2 feet 4 inches in height: an elevation of this cell is shown on the drawing marked 5. The sides of the cell are forme placey db d rooe stonessingly th b f d ean , stones laid acrosse Th . e roug e th cel en r heath s ho i d l f larga faco d f eo e (naturally placed) transported bloc f gneissko t I migh. doubtee b t d whether anythino s g BEKU1VK HOUSES (BOTHAN) MKAUBAQ, FOREST OF HAKRIS
Projr.ed'Lpr. <>i the i'-cci(jty ANTIQUARIE9 12 SCOTLANDF SO .
rude could be a bed-place, yet the man is supposed to be still alive who r otheo e f thes o rlighe on th e n i tfirsw bothan,sa t s mothehi 1 r being the wife of the tenant of Meabhag. Besides, the following information, which I had from an eye-witness, throws considerable light on the domestic arrangement dormitoriad san l requirement e lasth t f raco s f eo modern Highlanders, andI believe s a , f tho ,e ancient Pict Scotsd an s . districe Th Barvaf o tLewie th Lewin sy i sb , peoplsis e themselves, con- sidered to be inhabited by a race distinct from those in the rest of the island—that is, they are dark, short, square, ugly, large-bellied, and with much cunning tinder a'foolish exterior; themore saib e yar o edt back- ward than the rest, so that the " Taobh s'iar" (Taobh n'iar), " west side," which does not include Uig, is proverbially connected with dirt and slovenliness n thiI .s par f Lewio t s alone remain custoe sth leavinf mo g a hole in the thickness of the wall for a dormitory: it is flagged of course, about 3 feet broad, and a foot and a half high, and long or deep . Intin e oli thio t sn strangma enoug a r e fo hhole e persoth o , wh n would sleep gets in " feet foremost," sometimes by the help of a rope from above s heahi , d e e moutholelyinth th t f a ;go h tho holr o e fee5 r to frodormitory4 e floor mth e I presumb . y ma e this custom must hav verea y remote origint enablei d fore o t an ide,n on s m a su f ao of the domestic arrangements that took place in the most ancient stone dwellings in our island. 'nod di t y morfinI an d e bothae vicinitth n i nf Loc o y h Meabhag, thret bu e westwardmilee th o st , nea lakra e from whence runs Avon Suidh, is the ruin of a both, remarkable for a combination of the circular or beehive house with the oblong square or ordinary form. e squarTh dwelline parth f o t g containe dchambea f rfee 5 9- x Jt with small cupboards on three sides; it was roofed with timber; the walls are fee8 thicknesn froi o tt m5 verd san y rudel side yf thi on eo built o s T . square a" circular and stone-roofed building has been attached, and it contains a sleeping-place like that described in No. 2. A. doorway but inche2 1 s wide allows communication wit e squarth h e chambers i t I . difficult to conceive a ruder dwelling, yet it must have been inhabited to a late period, for the remains of the thatch and rafters are still there.
1 Both, pi. Bothan. I VOL . . III. PAR . T 130 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF
I learn froassistanty m r MorrisonM , , himsel a nativf f Lewiso e , that in summer the people, usually women, leave their permanent cottages by the shore, and come with their cattle to grassy spots, called in Gaelic gearraidhean, n Norsi 1 e setters. Thes usualle ear y beside burea th t na bottom of some glen or valley, and here they remain making butter and cheese from July till August, during which time they dwell in these circular stone-roofed houses, called boths, bothan n timber-roofei r o , d ones, called airidh, aridhean bothe consideree Th .sar muco ds h superior airdhsthe to ,tenant thathe thi tto Bernera sday s(in ) cast lotthemsfor . bothe seldoe Th sar m larger tha n fee n diameterte i t coveree ar d dan , entirely on the outside with green turf, except at the top, where a stone is placed or removed at pleasure. A row of stones covered with turf is placed acros e middle e boothth sbencon th a r n f o o er seatfo , ho d an , side is the fire, on the other the sleeping-place. There are commonly two doors at opposite sides, by which a better draught is caused for the smok wher e windwar fo th e doo en; th n o r d sid closeds ei draughe th , t enters from the leeward one, and passes up through the hole in the roof.z Two women usually occupy one of these boths, and their time is em- ploye lookinn di g afte cattlemakine n i th rd an , g butte cheesed ran r fo ; which purpose, besides the hut that serves for a dwelling, there is most generally anothe whicn ri mile hth k utensils, milk, butter,
manA 21 standinn o , hole g th upright ef s heao (fartos) t hi d often t dou an ca , pu n look around. ANTIQUARIE1 13 SCOTLANDF SO .
resting floorthegentle e d th an Sh ,n n . ystarteo laim dhi d hom fass ea t as possible, -where the hole in her gown attested the truth of her story. At another time a lassie was boiling water for the purpose of cleaning her milk-pails, when a proper young man made his appearance, and re- queste e allowes verb wa o y t d e night e o remaitiredt dh th s r a ,.fo n This migh consideree b t n extravagana d t requese southth t n bu i ,t custom e girs th e differstayedlh t begao s e Bu , b .o suspec t no t m hi t an Each-uisge I understan f i , d correctly, fro peculiarite mth haie th rf yo e meantim breasts th on hi n doubo I n e youn. th en t e -triegma b o dt agreeable asked lassie'an e , dth sgave namesh feigne ea t bu , d named an , called herself " Mi fein," equivalent in English to " myself." Becoming more suspicious tha r love uncannys he t wa r watchee sh , opportunityr dhe , and thre e kettlwth f scaldino e g water over him whicn o ; rushee hh d howling from the both towards the neighbouring lake, from whence a large and fierce water-horse came out and inquired of her son what was the matter, and who had hurt him. But the young Each-uisge could only answer " Mi fein," " Mi fein," that is, " myself," " myself," which led mothee th supposo himselt rs wa t ei f thud gire thad donan sth l ha , t eit escape wrate dth vengeancd han greae th f teo Each-uisge. t alwaysNo , however e lonth ee dwellerar , e heatth fortunatef s hsa o ; for the Each-uisge came to two girls, and as usual to stay the night, in womand girle likenese ol th th e sn d a th jeere an ,f f smado d o dn an efu old crone, but in the night one of the girls awoke, and saw the Each- uisge in the act of killing her partner; the survivor ran for her life, and althoug e Each-uisgehth d agaiha n transformed himself int watera o - horse, and gave chase, the girl succeeded in reaching her home alive. From these stories we learn that the Each-uisge is of an amatory dis- position, and, though vindictive, is not regularly malicious ; and that his human sweethearts are by no means inclined to favour his pretensions when awarreas hi lf echaractero contrarye , th hut n o , , they e deserth n o t first occasion. I have as yet only succeeded in recovering the chorus of a Gaelic song, which seem pathetie b o st c enough t woulI . d appear from sone th g tha Each-uisgn a t daughtere th d take f ha e o o wift ne f so eon men, but she, as usual out of suspicion of his not being what he pretended, had not only gone home, but left him to look after the baby. In these melancholy circumstances e pooth , r Each-uisg representes ei tryins da g i2 132 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OK
to still the child, and promising it all manner .of good things—a salmon1 among other things—i eacf o ht d wili f vers en l e onleth quiete t ya b d ;an exclaimse h , Eis bhobaida neis! bhobaida n! A Mhor! a'Mhor! till ri d'machan ; which means Hush, baby! hush, baby!• 0 Marian, Marian, return to thy son. Another verse is • .A Mhor! a Mhor! till ri d' machan, gue nS ' teine tuarn gu ,i bruaic r , h lochaiu; - that is, 0 Marian, Marian, return to thy young son, And he without fire, without nurture, by the bank of a small lake. Twenty-four I wrotyear o ag es dow e sam nsona th f eg o character , froShetland dictatioe ol mth n a f dno lady thin I .s case, howevere th , young mothe lamentins ri g thaknowe sh t s neithe name natior rth eno n bairnr fathee ohe th f gruesom f A o .r e person then appear proclaimd san s himself that individuale sone th th gs i f tha o t I s 9 printei t8 . . p t da Proceeding Societe th f 1851r so yfo I ;nee refet t fartheri do no t r . e venerablTh ' e Archdeaco f Morayno , John Bellenden, appear havo st e ha intimatn da e knowledg e Each-uisgeth f o e d unde an e nam, th r f eo Trow describee h wit m e accuracshi hth n eye-witnessa f yo s .wa e "H covered all over with seaweed, and had the likeness of a young horse in every respect."2 ' ' From a collation of these stories, I am inclined to believe that the walru typifies si Each-uisgee th y db tha d unfrequene an ,th t t appearance of this animal upo shorer origie nou th thesf s si no e romantic traditions. e followine babe th e th salmo n o Th i ,1t t s gpromisei n no e lady th d an o ,t d words:— Mhor"A Mhora ! ! til i dlr ' machan S' gheibh thu goidean brie o' n' lochaii 0' Loch Nidir, s' o' Loch JYaidir S' o' chean Loch Eit nam bradan: i. e., Mariaii, return to thy sou, and tbou shalt get a string (or withe) of trouts from -lakes';e th ' from Loch Nidir frod an m, Loch Naidir frod e an th m, f o Loc t hEi Salmon. 2 Barry's Histor Orkneyf yo ) ANTIQUARIE3 13 SCOTLANDF SO .
To return to beehive-houses—I cannot learn that any of these are now- generae th built d an l, opinio thas ni t the vere yar y ancient. Martinn i , his accoun Skyef to , mentions the s m"a Tig Druineach,n hna Druidsr "o ' houses-: As he was a native of Skye, it is to be supposed, if they had been people th y t thaeb a e t us time n i , tha woule h t d have know. nit I conside relatioe rth n betwee Plotse bothth e nd th ' housesan e th f so Orkneys (and elsewhere evident,—the b o t ) e same metho f formindo e gth narrod an w archlo door e passagesd th , san enormoue th , s thicknesf so the walls, when compared with the interior accommodation, exist in both. When a both is covered by green turf it becomes a chambered tumulus, and when buried by drifting sand it is a subterranean Picts' house. A compariso e drawingth f o n voln si . xxxive Archaelogith f o . a with those now before the Society will render this evident. But the Picts' houses of the Orkneys were made a thousand years ago; and at that early period e aristocracyth , whose n cattlei wealt s wa h, would shif o summet t r quarter havd san e dwelling proportion i s theio t n r power. Henc- re eI gard the comparatively large Picts' houses of the Orkneys as the pastoral residenc Pictise th f eo h lor r ' "darna,o ti " fitte contaio dt numerous nhi s famil d dependentsan y e Hole .existth f on mPapSucn o o sn a ha Westray, which, according to the Highland method of stowage, would certainly contai wholna e clan. When writin descriptiod e gth ha I , it f no not made acquaintance wit peoplha woulo ewh d clos dooe eth keeo rt n pi the smoke, or thai nested in holes in a wall like sand-martins. I have therefore only stated the idea of its being the temporary habitation of a nomade people as a reasonable supposition ;' but I have no longer any doubt, and, on the contrary, regard the Picts' house on the Holm of Papa as a princely dwelling. But the both of the Long Island is only the lodging of the common ma r "no Tuathanach, consequentls i d "an smalf yo l dimensiont no d san remarkable for comfort. If the modern Highland proprietor or large farmer should ever be induced to lead a pastoral life, and adopt a Pictish archi- tecture in his residence, we might again see a tumulus of twenty feet in height, with its long low passage leading into a large hall with beehive cells on both sides; but at present those who form the chivalry of the country have a preference for " stone and lime." In conclusion, I have only to remark how a fading custom or a fairy 4 13 PROCEEDING SSOCJETE OJTH ? Y OF
legend, inductivn aidea y db e reason becomy ma , torca e brighteo ht p nu the regione mistth f yo s past dreadfua : l e "stor Odhar-chu,"th f yo 1 ma tima yforgottef o telw e s wheno u l e nth n wolf lurke murks hi dn i y den; n amatory a e tal of th reo "Each-uisge conjury "ma e bac e heavkth y whale-horse baskin s surf-beatehi n go n nomade rockth r o ; e customf o a Hebridean peasant may help to throw a flickering halo on the manners of our forefathers, where the steady light afforded by written documents is altogether wanting.
DESCRIPTION OF BEEHIVE HOUSES IN TJIG, LEWIS, AND OF A PIOT'S HOUS OEOMLECHD EAN , &c., HARRIS COMMANDEY B . . WF E . L. THOMAS, R.N. (PAST II.)
[Tlie following communication, being a continuation of the author's preceding paper, was read at a subsequent meeting of the Society, but it was thought advisable, for the sake of connection, to deviate from the usual practice of arrangement, and introduce it in this place.]
In a paper read before this Society in the spring of last year, it was mentioned that stone-roofed or beehive houses had been found in the Forest of Harris. They were in a ruinous condition, and had been deserted for many years; but I had been informed that in some parts of Lewis these singular structures were still used for dwellings in summer, and I then stated additionay , thaan f i t l informatio acquires nwa course th dn i e e ensuinoth f g season t shouli , communicatee db e Societyth o t dn I . fulfilment of this promise, I lay before the Society plans and drawings of a great variety of these dwellings; and having visited about forty differ- ent examples I ,procee describo dt e their usual positio normad nan l form, and the variatione nth s that occu n theii r r plan, unti t las a shalle tw l find a great resemblance to the Picts' houses of the Orkneys, in which country it must be remembered the Gaelic element of population has never been introduced. beed I wisha n hI abl havo et e give topographicae nth l are f thesao e
1 Dun Dog. ANTIQUARIE5 13 SCOTLANDF SO .
beehive house n Scotlandi s inquirie y m t bu ,s hav enegativo t onl d yle e results. I have been informed that they do not exist in Eoss-shire, in MullSkyen i r ,no ; from infet whicno ro thad hI t they have never existed there e sucus , hbuw dwellingst no ruine tha t people th th tno s d o ean d , of them have been overlooked. I entertain no doubt that some perfect specimens existe Skyn di centurea hala d f yago an t the alreadd bu , yha y become archaic, and a love of the marvellous had converted them into abode f Druids.so e stone-roofeTh 1 dt houseme naturalle e b sar o t t yno with where enough timber was standing to form the roof of a house, and safely wma ey predic tbranca tha t f sufficienno t ho t siz supporo et a t turf roof near greo t rw a thos e places wher e stone-roofeeth d dwellings are found. From all I can learn, then, these dwellings only now exist in t KildaS , Borrera Flannae th , n Isles parise th , f Uih o Lewis n gi a d an , t Macr Kildafe S Harris.n M w i n i -y b , e copdrawinA a on 2 f ye o th f go donald e ministeth , f Harriso r r zealous upoi , ou e tabled th nd an s an , active antiquary Mureaboul r telal , M n s ltu ,ca this " House Heroine e ofth " femalr (o e warrior) house Th Borrern .e o welas i l describe Macaulay'dn i s History of St Kilda, and I have named the Flannan Isles on the authorit r MureM f yo . along Ui en i tha beehive s Bui tth t ti e housepresene th e sar t dwellings (in summer) of the people; even here I do not believe that there are twent inhabitedver a yearw w yn yno i fe s d thean , y will have ceaseo dt be used altogether. But the ruins exist in great numbers, commonly by the side of some stream where the grass grows luxuriantly in summer,2 land-clifa fooe oftef th o tt na f wher huge eth e fallen blocks have been adopted to form one side of the house, and occasionally at the mouth of a glen by the sea-shore. Wherever placed, all the natives agree that no one know builo swh t them, and that they were father t madth eno y b es nor grandfathers of persons now living.4 1 Martin, West Isles, p. 154. communicatioe Th r HSi . Drydey nb n (page 124) shows that these bee-hive 2 house alsd soha existe Soutn di h Uist.—ED. 3 A garry (Gearraidh, Gael.) 4 This remark must he qualified, for it is asserted that one was built by a person •wh s stiloi l alive therd an ,s anotheei t Garra r hina yn echimnea thas ha t itn yi , which must at any rate he comparatively modern; hut the general (almost universal) answer is, that no one knows who built them. 136 PROCEED[NGS OF THE SOCIETY OF
normale Th , and ,presumeI mose ,th t modern forbeehiva f mo e house, of whic plae hth n draw Platn no e considere e XI.b y , figma typee , .d4 th , irregulan a s i r sever circleo x nsi , fee diametern i t walle th , s rising per- pendicularly for three feet; each successive course of stone then overlaps or project sthu d beloe beyonrooe an son th , fw e it graduall dth y closen si and take beehivsa e eviden s i form t I . t tha thin ti s styl architecturf eo e th roome sizth f limites esi o nature stonee th th althoug y d f db eo an ; h tolerabla y saf made b e thiy roon ei sma f manner with rough moor-stones to covefeetx si n aret wouli a r,f ao d hav ea mos t uncomfortabld an e suspicious appearanc f extendeei d over twice those dimensions. Even ni the Orkneys, where there is abundance of flagstone, although there are chambers there 45 feet long, the breadth was only 5 feet. A hole, called the Farlos,1 is left in the apex of the roof for the escape of the smoke, closes i d dan wit turh a flar o ft ston s requisiteea . dooro Thertw se ear (a,a,) 2J- feet high, and 2 feet broad, and they are placed so that a line joining them cuts ofi "side oon en about two-third enclosee th f so d area. The two doors are a decided improvement, for that one upon the side on whic wine hth d blows—that is,'the weather door—is closed wit hstona e s lefi o re t turfopena gentlon d e , le whilan ,e e draughth e t carriee th s smoke serenely above the head of the inhabitant and through the Farlos. From door to door a row of flat stones, a few inches in height, forms the " Being,"2 benc seatr behind ho an , d thiaree sth filles a i witp y u d hha nativoa r d rushe ha bedea r I estimat.sfo capacitys it f eo foun d ,an t di calculated to hold three people. In front of the bench, and midway between the two doors, is the fire—of peat of course,- and not much needed excep cookingr fo t . Abov firee e th longis a , hf o ston t ou e d drawan n si the wall for the purpose of hanging a pot on, and in nearly every ruin findie dw d this primitive instrumen s placeit n i t, shoved back inte oth wall. There are usually two or four square holes in the wall to serve for cupboard presses.r so furniture Th 3 e will vary wit wealte e hth th f ho occupant—a blanket iron ,a n pot basin,a , a spoon, an dbaa mealf go , would impl ywell-to-da o establishment jarso tw , r tin, o kegsr wii o se o t hon , hold milk and carry it to the farm. In the good old times no other articl f furnituro e r domestio e c economy might have been found than 1 Farleus, a skylight. (Gael.) 3 Being (Gael.), pronounced " Baink.' 3 Cuil (Gaol.) nooka , niclia , e; pi. Ouiltean. ANTIQUARIE7 13 SCOTLANDP O S .
some pan jard san s made fro nativs mhi e clay extremele byth y indepen- dent individual who fattened upon sweet and sour milk, with an occasional relish of limpets and buckies. . - On. the outside of these houses, the chinks of the stones are stuffed with gras thic a moss d s ovei d san k l an ,layeral turff ro , which grows into one mass, and, besides being perfectly win wated dan r tight, gives great stabilit e roofth .o yt I lay before the Society a very careful drawing (Plate XII.), done by my assistant Mr Sharbau, of one of the few inhabited groups of these beehive houses. At first sight it may he taken for a picture of a Hot- tentot village, rather tha hamlen a e Britisth dara n i ts hk Isleswa t I . and cheerless day in August, when the wet was splashing from the moor t evera y step, tb,a made w t n expeditioa e o thit n e roas th place dn O . beed weha n restin oe f theson n gi e archaic home s; seate d upo bence nth h cole th beford f answe windo n little t ca th e eou I , rfired thaan , I tfoun d it very comfortable. To a tired man, or to a very stout one, the size of doubo dooe n th inconveniences n ri a t . e BushPassinth o t y n gLakeo , we strolle e burth f Fidigidhnp o d u excellene th , t Ordnanc beinp ema g our guide r ,searche objece tilcamou th w lf o o t et . About twentf yo these dwellings were scattered alon e e burbank th th gn abou i nf o s t half a mile ; groups of cows, with their attendants, were spread around ; remnants of baskets, of what we should disdainfully call weeds, were frequent, while the baskets that contained them were carefully placed on huts e roofe th preventh o f t ,so t them being cattl e eateth y en; b for e ,b e Outeth f o rt known i Hebride w meano n co long-endurine y a , b th s s si g animal that the well-fed brute of more southern lands has become. Although so small in body, they are supposed by their possessors to have an indomitable spirit thed e constantlan ,y ar y hobbled befor procese th e f o s milking commence oved an n s ; then efforte e dairymaid, th vaith f e o snar , unless her vaccine friend is kept in good humour and amused. Accord- ingly, although at this season there is an abundance of excellent grass upo e hills nth e mai th , d must bring frofarme mth , often eight weary miles away, creels of grass and weeds pulled from the growing corn and potatoes. Without this, or a still greater treat, tho backbones of fish that are split for salting, the cow refuses to yield her milk. We selected a good position for sketching, and very soon a boy—probably the only one 138 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF e settlementh n i coulo wh td speak English—wa ss witu sene th o ht t offe f milks o stocr Hi t f Englise largecoul.o k h no s s da , hwa onl y groue spea th city.e hutf f th pko o s sa Shortl ydamsela , ful healtf o l h and intelligence, having what in the vernacular is called " made herself tidy," brought us a howl of milk, and seemed to think we should partake s freel a a youthfu o t i fs ya t dowl sa quadrupedo n tw besid e , Th eus . and wit politenese hth s tha bors ti n wit Celtie hth t looc raceno k d ovedi , r the drawing till desired, when the note of admiration, " Gu siorruidh," " Gu siorruidh," and some good-natured pats on the back, were the re- ward of my companion. describeI havw no e d e normawhath s i t l styl arrangementd ean n si these Bothan s the a ,e calle yar n Lewii d n contradistinctio(i s e th o nt Aridhean, which are timber-roofed and oblong in plan) ; I have now to notic principae eth l variation thein si r figur dimensionsd an e . n BothaI n Aird—of which ther a plad perspectivs ei nan e drawing• (Plate XIII., figs. 1, 2, and 3),—one side is formed by native rock; the pla squares i n , with door t alternatsa e sides f thembeford o an e ; a ,on e short passag t righea t angles break swinde force oitb th ff o e. In the rest of the plans there is but one door, and I am inclined to think tha secone th t comparativels di ymodera degeneratd an n e inven- tion for the purpose of getting rid of the smoke; where there is but one door fire vers ei th , y . closit o et Platen I s XI., XII. XIII.d an hav,e simplese w , eth t forms, thaa f o t common beehive fig n , i Plat;7 . e XIII. e prolongatioe tb th , f o e on f no side walls in a horse-shoe form makes a "fosgarlan"1 or porch, and shelter innee sth r door. Platn I porce th e , doorsenteres hXIV.i o 5 d d tw an an ,y , d , b figs 3 , 2 . is almos mai e largs a th t ns ea dwelling, thus presentin e appearancgth e of a double house. In Plate XIV., figs. 1 and 2, representing the plan of a ruin at Gearraidh na h-Airde Moire,2 there is a single arrangement, which, when perfect, would have presente e appearancdth fouf eo r dome linen si . In Plate XIII., figs. 4, 5, and 6, the differentiation (as the naturalists term it) is carried still further: we have, first, a main chamber; secondly, 1 This word is pure Norse should an , writtee db n For-skali. 2 GarrGreae th f yo t Headland. • ANTIQUARIE9 13 F SCOTLANDSO .
n innea r chamber d thirdlyan ; ascendiny b , stepso gtw e come w , into •what might have been the nursery. n PlatI e XIV. have ,highest w e fig e, th 3 . stat f luxureo y tha have w t e t seen,—therye fosgarlane th s ei dwellinge th , chure rooa ,th d r nan m fo other treasures dairya d l attachedan al , . But by far the most singular of all these structures, and probably unique in the Long Island, is at G-earraidh na h-Airde Moire, on the shore of Loch Eesor XVI.td (Platean . )I canno sXV t describ .bettet ei r thay nb biddin supposu gyo e twelve individual beehive hut buill sal t touching each other, with door passaged san othere diametee th sTh o t .fro e thimf on ro s gigantic booth is 46 feet, and is nearly circular in plan. The height of the doors and passages about 2\ feet; and under the smokehole (farlos), in two of the chambers, the height was 6|~ feet. There are three distinct suites of chambers, perhaps the dwellings, originally, of three separate families. The chambers are scarcely larger than any of the other bothan,1 the size of the stones employed limiting the area they will safely cover. chambere Twth f o s were stil lver a roofedn yi t ruinoubu , s condition, and both feln jusi l t beed aftepeopley ha nm r o digginwh , g inte oth floor of the chambers, had left. We found no other relics than the red ash which marks wher greas beena a fire d ha e tan , many e shellth f o s edible mollusc e almosar a t constantly scattered about these dwellings. A very accurate plan and section of this complex building accompanies this paperrestoratioa d an ,soute th f hno side show s appear it wha s twa - ance complets whewa t nroofei d ean d with turf. I am informed that lato 1823s s , ea , this bots inhabitehwa fouy db r families, and that the now tenant of Aird-Bheag, an old man, lived in it eighr fo whey t successivbo na e summers. This bot garrd han y belonged e tenant townlanth e th o t f so f Garnishdo . beehivA e hous Lewin i s ei s called Both (pronounced lo, pi. lothan)? n Iris a d Gaelihan c wor f whico d meanine hth vers gi y well expressed bye Englisth . h "bothy," i.e. a temporary dwelling e namTh s i .e frequent in Ireland, and " Both-chonais, i. e. Conas booth, tent, or hut," s mentionei . earlas d s A.D ya .Annale 850e Fouth th n f ,ri o s Masters. Icelandicn I same th , e ide expresses ai lud.y db As the plans are all dra-wn to scale, I have not thought it necessary to give 1 measuremente th texte th .n si 2 Welch, .Bod, dwellinga . 140 PROCEEDINGS OF TUB SOCIETY OF
. From O'Flaherty's description of West Connaughr, written in 1684, it appears that this style of dwelling had already become archaic; for he says, " They have cloghans kina , f buildingo d f stoneo s upolaie don n another, whic broughe har a roo o ft t withou manney an t f mortao r o rt cement them,—some of which cabins will hold forty men on their floor,— so ancient that nobod f the o s made ymy wa knowan . lonw o gho ag s Scarcity of wood and store of tit stones without peradventure found out the first invention . 68) "(p . r thiSofa s pape s bee ha ra simpl n e descriptio I f factswil o nd l an , now succinctly state the conclusions I have arrived at from their con- sideration. I conceive, then, these beehive-houses to be the Scottic or Iris hearliese th typ f o e t domestic artificial dwelling havo t d e an bee, n introduced inte Outeoth r Hebrides afte e conquesth r f theso t e islands by the Northmen, at the end of the eighth century. It is probable that, Orkneyse th n i e Pictiss a th , h inhabitant Scottid an s o priests were com- pletely extirpated; in proof of this is the fact that scarcely an island or a farm of any importance in the Hebrides bears a Scottic name. A very few places have retained their Pictish greae namesth t t bu majorit, y are Norse. In all Harris, two places alone indicate (by their names) the presence of a race anterior to the Northmen,—Luskentyre, Lis-ceann-tir, and Bath. But, fro cessioe mth f theso n e island Scotlano st 1098n di Norse ,th e language would rapidly decline, and the people, by communication and intermarriage, becom distinguishee eb mixeo t t last witha p du no td an , d from, the Scots. How much of the old language is retained in the G-aelic vernacular I do not know, but I observe that a large proportion of topographical term presenn si t use—suc s skerrya h , bo', ness, &o.— are Norse. I have stated tha I tconside beehive-housee th r Scottia e b o cst intro- duction, but in- the Outer Hebrides are those remains which in the Orkneys are called Picts' houses, and which I believe to be anterior to the invasioe Northmenth f o n I hav. e informatioe f somth o n n i e south-wes f Harris o topportunito n t hav d bu , t evisitinha ye f yo g them, Budiscoveree w t t Nisibosa e don n Harris i tusuae th n li , situationd an , wit usuae hth l characteristics e ruis burieTh nwa .n sani d d excepn o t one side, where, on being shown the stones that made the doorway, I ANTIQUARIliS OF SCOTLAND. 141 immediately surmised it to be a Pict's house. My people turned to with a will to excavate it, a work of great labour to any but a professed navigator e surfac e e r sandhilruifroth th th e fo floo ; o nm f t f th o o er l wa n somi s e places twelve feet deep. .By referenc plane th ,o t ePlat e XVII. ,t wil i fig see, e 2 b l. ndoorway w thalo a t , apparently wit porcha h in front, opens into an irregular pear-shaped chamber, having on one side a beehive chamber. A short passage leads to another low doorway, and another beehive chamber walle Th s. wer n somi e e places stil feex si lt high, and at the spot marked with a cross was found the upper stone of quer a hornblendia f no c slat beao t yt rottero s rockno liftin d s na an , g without falling to pieces. We also found pieces of three different craggans panr o , nativf so , sheepeox potterye bonee , th th deer f d so an , seal, and dog.1 A comparison of the plan of this ruin with those in the Orkneys, figured in the 34th vol. of the Archasologia, will show that both belong to the same eVa aricPpeople I hav. eto'whad littlad bee s o t eha t n staten di that volumtraditiony an e Picte e th t see th eb : ther n f no si o mso t o ed Long Island e nameth ; wels a ,s tha a lCruithnef o t , appears unknown. The Island of the Pigmies may indeed point towards them, for the Earl of Orkney's chaplain, writing about 1460, says, that the "Pepi" (Peti) were only a little exceeding pigmies in stature, and worked wonderfully in the construction of their cities, evening and morning, but in mid-day, bcins- quite destitute of sti-pno-th. tbev hid themselves through fear m O "•I***-"" u.whJUJ.V - __ __~ .- tj J l> I-t " " little houses under ground. This notion of the small stature of the Picts would have had more weight, did we not meet, at the same time, with their goodly castles, their gigantic monoliths monumentad an , l circles. Eve smale nth l size of their (temporary) dwellings will not seem to be so very inconvenient when it is known how many bipeds, quadrupeds, and multipeds, are still stowed away in a single black hut. same Onth e poin Pict'e lanf th o ts sda hous eI hav e been describing, stand simplsa e massive pillar 1 fee1 , t high, e memorsacreth o t df yo some unknown sain r warrioro t t I neve. r enter e e mindth th s f o s
1 These bones have undergon a criticae l investigatio frieny M'Bain'm r dD y n b , with the result that no osteological difference appears to have taken place in the domestic animals of the Outer Hebrides for the last thousand years. 2 14 PROCEEDING SOCIETE TH F F SO YO
degenerate islanders that ordinary head d handan s s could carry and upraise such stupendous blocksheae w ro s tha; t this Ore stonth d s i e Barnach or Limpet Hammer, which a witch who was going to the shore for bait threw at some person with whom she was enraged. . Another Pictish monument is also near to the Pict's house at " Hauga- bost," Norsa e compound, provin e existencgth e hauth r tom o f g o e h whe e s occupiestath n t wa d a farmthi r Bu sfo d . monumena s i t veritable cromlech : seven stone f abouo s fee4 theigh n i t t e stanth n do circumferenc circla f eo e whose diamete feet8 s i r: upon these upright stones originally reste a dlarg e cap-ston r flago e , rudely coverine th g entire circle. The plan and drawing of my accomplished assistant, Mr Sharbau, who has prepared most of the plans1 at present upon the table, will describe sufficiently its present appearance. In scraping away the e purposth san r df fo measurin o e e heighe stonesgth th f foune o t w , d the entire bones of a human skeleton all lying together in a heap. I carefully removed the skull, and it is now in the Antiquarian Museum. I account for finding the bones in this position, by supposing that some former excavator, after finishing his explorations, had with pious care covered up the exhumed human remains.2 One thing is certain, that they werboney dr e s before their last interment thad an , t they were orderly placed.3 The imaginative temperament exists largely amon e Hebrideansgth ,
These plan drawingd san s were much admire minute th r dfo e accurac theif yo r 1 details welartistias , the l asfor c styl theieof r execution.—ED: 2 " Captain Thomas seems to infer a previous excavator having heen there from arrangee th dhonese statth f eo . This I believe, necessaryt no s i ,e somn th I f . eo Derbyshire barrow e boneth s s appear clearl havo yt e been cleane d arrangedan d primarily; at all events that is Mr Bateman's conclusion. At times the skeleton - alon s foundei t timea , e skula separatth s n i l e spot."— (LetteStuartr M o t r from Mr J. Barnard Dams.) cromlece Th 3 bees hha n again explored this summer e loweth d r an jaw, , which search'r objece ou th s foun f s o twa , wa d wit e othehth r bones. Beneat e caphth - stone centre ,circlee anth originae th side o t f th da eo f tw , so l grave (kistvaen) were standing; I have little doubt that the other two sides were removed by former ex- cavators (as they would not be able to lift away the capstone), when digging side- ways toward e surfac e groundr closth o graveth e , , e gravf sth to e at o e Th s ,.i e would an d be left quite expose whicr fo d; h reaso e excavatornth s have placee th d circlee boneside th holf a th e o t . n sei a ANTIQUARIE3 14 SCOTLANDF SO .
and ther stile ear l many bards among them unfortunate!}: ' their audience t few ibu t sonl ,no y fro e nature case t mth th fro bu n insanf ,ma o e e Pharisaism that pervades the whole country. If Ossian the Blind, of whom so much is said and so little known, were to make his appearance, har bandn pi woule meeh , w dno t wit a hcold reception. Howevere th , diligent inquirer may yet hear of the • exploits and adventures of the Fingalians, &c., wit r morhfa e poin d interesan t t tha displayee nar n di Macpherson's inventions e cromlechth f O r instance. fo , , tha I thav e just been describing sai s i Fingaliane t dth i , s place stonee dcirclth a n si e to boil their kettle on. And a native bard, hearing the skull had been taken fro cromleche mth , compose poeda mwhichn i , impersonatine gth Pictish chief grievee h , d tha lons bi t g beeresd ha tn disturbed thad an ,t had he been alive he would have made us show him more respect; and evet wasi s na e woul ,h d lik o meeet thud t ha sthos o robbewh e m dhi alon dara n eki night, whe thoughe nh woule h t d stilhimo able d b l- o et self justice—I suppose by taking the head from his opponent.
Description of Plates.
Plate X.—Figs . Beehiv2 d an e1 . houses fbothan), Meabhag, Fores Harrisf o t . Figg. 3, 4, 5, and 6, plans and elevations of ditto. Plate XI.—Figs . Perspectiv2 d an 1 . e drawin ground-plad an g e th bota n f o ho n south side of Loch an Ath Ruaidh, Aird Mhor, Uig, Lewis. This bo' is entire, but ruinous; and the outer casing of turf having nearly weathered away structure th , interioe th f eo r wal visibles i l . Fig . Aridh3 . , near Looh Slinaithebhall, Uig, Lewis; approachine th g rectangular form, and perhaps partly roofed with wood. Fig . Bot4 . wesn ho t h sidEuaidh f LocAt o e n ha , havin doorso gtw a , bence firee e placth th , th seatr c ;f ho s e o rui;wa , b,e n ; whe n filled with hay, would be the bed. Plate XII.—Fidigidh loehdrach, Uig, Lewis. This view shows the appearance of the beehive-houses when inhabited and cased with turf. Plate XIII.—Fig . Vie.1 Botf wo Airdn ha , northmost, near Loc Cailleacha hn , Aird Mhor, Uig, Lewis, entir t desertedebu , elevatio. 3 Figsd an plad .2 nf an n o sidedittoe formes i On . nativy b d e rock anothen i ; foue ar r r milk-presses; firesteae th betwees doorso e pla dwa f tw thi Th o ne .s n th bot peculiars hi , the doors being at right angles to each other. Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Plan and elevations of Both an Aird, southmost, near last. This bo s stili ' l entire cased an , d with turf t e steestandI th . pt a s 14-t PROCEEDING TUF SO B SOCIETF YO
smalfaca f eo e bac le hill th braeformes kth sidee i d f th : o an , thery db s ei firs maia t n chamber, 6J- feet high unde farloe th r ; snex smallea t r chamber, flat.roofed, 4J feet high at the centre; next, a small irregular chamber, 3J- feet high, entere a ste y pb d 2J feet abov e e grounde levelth th eth f n o I . main chamber, a gap between two naturally-placed rocks is filled in behind to for mcuilteaa r cupboardo n spindle-shapea ; d stonet , ou drawin d an n gi ochine a wallf th n k,i showed wher beed e fireha - nth . Fig. 7. Eastmost both, Ura, near Loch Thealasbhaidh, Uig, Lewis; a ruin, but the walls in some parts still 6 feet high ; a porch, which was probably • roofed e sid th formes i e extensio,ef o th walls e y db on .f no Plate XIV.—Figs . Pla elevatio2 d groua d n.an f 1 an .botho a thref pe f o n o t on ,ea the garry of Aird Mlior, close to the shore and near the mouth of Loch Resort, Uig, Lewis. This compound both has evidently been intended for two related families bees t eithe ha a roofea n ; d en r d porch witdoorso tw h , leading into a main chamber, containing cupboards; but there is no interior communi- cation between the dwellings. Fig. 3. Both, near last. This both, which is now a ruin, has been one of the most complet t noticedeye roofeA . d porch was entere dooro tw sthi; y db s leads int comparativeloa y large main chamber, from whenc smala s i e l irregular stor r churn-roomo e , still entire; attache s anothedi r good sized both that serve dairya r dfo . Fig . Both4 . , near last. Plate XV.—Ground-pla compouna f no d both, nea e rshor th last f Locn o e- o , hRe sort. This remarkable structure is the only specimen of its class that is know existo nt . Plate XVI.—Section of the above on the line AB—and restoration, ditto, on the line , showinCD s appearancgit e when cased with turf. Plate XVII.—Ground plaelevatiod nan n of both sids Pict'a f so s hous t Nisibosea i Harris. This structure was buried in sand, but il is probable that originally the floor was not more than three or four feet below the surface. BOTH. LOC N ATA HM RUADH.
PLA ELEVATIOD NAN BOTHA F NO . at (rEasrazdh , Atrd Mfaor,O?g, Zetvi* A H Ztrif or',? f'-J). Tf'f4! riA- rf
—\ 1 •Is RS