[19] Date of the
battle is A.D. 1263.
To this day, on a little plain to the south of the village, now town,
of Largs, in Ayrshire, there are seen stone cairns and monumental
heaps, and, until within a century ago, one huge, solitary, upright
stone; still mutely testifying to a battle there,--altogether clearly,
to this battle of King Hakon's; who by the Norse records, too, was in
these neighborhoods at that same date, and evidently in an aggressive,
high kind of humor. For "while his ships and army were doubling the
Mull of Cantire, he had his own boat set on wheels, and therein,
splendidly enough, had himself drawn across the Promontory at a
flatter part," no doubt with horns sounding, banners waving. "All to
the left of me is mine and Norway's," exclaimed Hakon in his
triumphant boat progress, which such disasters soon followed.
Hakon gathered his wrecks together, and sorrowfully made for Orkney.
It is possible enough, as our Guide Books now say, he may have gone by
Iona, Mull, and the narrow seas inside of Skye; and that the
_Kyle-Akin_, favorably known to sea-bathers in that region, may
actually mean the Kyle (narrow strait) of Hakon, where Hakon may have
dropped anchor, and rested for a little while in smooth water and
beautiful environment, safe from equinoctial storms.
Pages:
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179