Ossian Collection > Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland > Volume 4

368 LISMORK.
scene. But I could oniy take a g-lance of these arrano^e-
ments. Before the boat %vas well in sight, an universal
scream was set up; away ran the girl to some cottages
which were perched on the cliff, and down came men,
women, and children, hallooing, scolding, swearing, and
squalling, in all the unappreciable intonations of a Gaelic
gamut. One snatched up a tub, another a cask ; the still-
head was whipt up by a sturdy virago, the malt was
thrown out, the wash emptied ; but, in the mean time,
my men had jumped out into the water and were mixed
pell-mell with the operators ; scrambling over the rocks,
and dashing about among the waves like ducks at the
sound of a gun. A chase took place on one side after the j
Still-head, and as the exciseman was the most swift
footed, the chemist dropt his burden and betook himself
to his heels. The women stuck fast to their casks and
tubs, kneeling, praying, scolding, and screaming; and
here the battle raged, as battles are wont to rage when
the fair sex is armed against the ruder one, with the
three-fold weapons of nails and tongue and tears. But
the chief brunt of the war took place at the Still. Though
the head had been carried off at the first brush, and the
fire kicked out, the cauldron was so hot that the combat-
ants who on each side contested for it, could not hold it
long; and as the first possessor of the scalding prize
burned his fingers, it fell to the ground, to be again
snatched up by some one of the opposed party. At
length one of the Chemists seized it effectually ; and,
flinging it out with a vigorous arm, it fell into the sea.
It should have perished in the waters; but, unfortunately
the liquor had run out in the contest, and falling with its
mouth downwards, it floated, to the great horror of the
smugglers, and the delight of the opposed exciseman ;
who, dashing at it over head and ears, like a Newfound-
land dog, rescued it from drowning, and brought it ashore
in triumph. In two short minutes the battle was won,
and the spoils secured ; much sooner indeed than you
will read this account of it. But there was little value