Gazetteer of Scotland

II A R
H AR
rents ; the furface is flat, and the foil
partly fertile, and partly barren ; it
contained in 1793, 663 inhabitants.
HARRIES, or HARRIS ; a &M&
of the Hebrides, comprehending the
fouthern part of Lewis, and the fmall
iflands which Surround it, of which
Berne ray, Calllgray, Enfay,Pabbav, Ta-
ranfay, Scalpay, and Scarp, only are
inhabited ; befides a vaft number of
pafture and kelp ifles, holms and high
rocks, which are alfo diftinguifhed by
particular names. The mainland of
Harris is Separated from Lewis by a
narrow ifthmus of about 6 miles, form-
ed by approximation of the two great
harbours, Loch Refort and Loch Sea-
fort h. The whole length, from the
iflhmus to the fouthern end of Harris,
where the fea feparates it from North
lit/?, may be eftimated at 25 or 26
miles; its breadth is extremely various,
interfered by feveral arms of" the fea,
but it generally extends from 6 to 8
miles. Karris is ' again naturally di-
vided into two districts, by two arms
of the fea, called Eaft and Weft Loch
Tarbert, which approach to one ano-
ther, leaving an ifthmus of not moi-e
than a quarter of a mile in breadth.
The northern district, between Tarbert
and Lewis, is termed the Foreft, though
without a tree or fhurb, becaufe it is
the rtfort of the deer, and is alleged
to have been a royal foreft ; its furface
is exceedingly mountainous, the tops
rifing in the rougheft and moft broken
appearance, into the forms of peaks,
protuberances, and craggy rocks : the
valleys contain fome pafturage ; and
fome coarfe grafs is found growing in
the interftices of the mountains. A-
long the eaftern and weftern Shores,
there are a number of creeks or inlets
of the fea, moft of them commodious
harbours, at each of which a colony of
tenants contrive, by a wonderful ex-
ertion of induftry, to raife crops from
a foil of the moft forbidding afpect.
The furface of the ground S. of Tar-
bert is much of the fame appearance
as the northern diftrict, but the hills
are not fo elevated, and the coaits are
better adapted for culture, and confe-
quently better peopled. Upon the
whole, the country of Harris fupplies
itfelf abundantly with grain. Kelp is
the ftaple, and, excepting the few cows
fold to the drovers, the only valuable
article of exportation which the coun-
try produces : in confequence of the
high prices fome years ago, and the en-
couragement held out to convert all
the fea ware into kelp, the manufac-
ture has been carried to great length,
to the detriment of the corns and pas-
tures, which have degenerated much,
through want of the manure formerly
afforded by the fhores ; all that is ufed
for that p'tirpofe, being what is caij
afhore after the kelp-making feafon is
paft. On the mainland of Harris there
are many monuments of druidifm, anci
feveral religious edifices, erected about
the time of the introduction of Chrift-
ianity into the Scottilh and Pictifli na-
tions. The churches, together with
the fmaller chapels, all feera to have
depended immediately on the monas-
tery at Rowdill, dedicated to St. Cle-
I ment, which, though its foundation be
[ attributed unto King David I. is ge-
nerally fuppofed to be of more ancient
date. The different branches of the
family of M'Cleod of M'Cleod, and of
Harris, are proprietors of the ifland.
The mountains, without doubt, con-
tain many valuable foffils ; but no mi-
neral of value, except fome iron and
copper ore, has been difcovered: gra-
nite and freeftone abound in every
part. In 1793, the number of the in-
habitants of the whole district amount-
ed to 2536, of which about 1000 may
be fuppofed to have inhabited the ifles.
Harris (Sound of) ; a navigable
channel between the iflands of Harris
and North Uift, 9 miles in length, and
9 in breadth. It is the only paffage
for veffels of burden, pafiing from the
E. to the W. fide of that long clufter
of iflands called the Long Ifland. It
is much encumbered with rocks and
fmall iflets ; but, with a fkilful pilot,
can be paffed in Safety. The fifh in this
ftrait are of a greater fize, and more
numerous, than other parts of the
iflands, and on this account it was made
one of the fifhing ftations, begun in the
reign of Charles I. A remarkable va-
riation of the currents happens in this
found, as ftated by Mr. M'Cleod, the
miniller of Harris, in his Statiftical
report. " From the autumnal to the
vernal equinox," fays he, " the cur-
rent in neap tides paffes all day from
E. to W. and all night in a contrary
direction : after the vernal equinox, it
changes this courfe, going all day from
W. to E. and the contrary at night;