Scotland/Scots > Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland

WESTERN ISLANDS, &c. r8j
again very wet, before it is houfed, that it
becomes a colledfion of withered ftahcs,
without tafte or fragrance; it muft be
eaten by cattle that have nothing elfe, but
by moft Englifh faimers would be thrown
away.
In the Ifhnds I have not heard that any
fubterraneous treafures have been difco1
vered, though where there are mountains,
there are commonly minerals. One of the
rocks in Col has a black vein, imagined to’
confift of the ore of lead ; but it was never
yet opened or eHayed.. In Sky a black mafs
was accidentally picked up, and brought
into the houfe of the owner of the land,
who found himfelf ftrongly inclined to
think it a coal, but unhappily it did not
burn in the chimney. Common ores would
be here of no great value ; for what requires
to be feparated by fire, muft, if it were
found, be carried away in its mineral Hate,
here being no fewel for the fmelting-houfe
forge. Perhaps by diligent fearch in
this
or