bitten at Inverarnan Inn. Oh! but it is a dirty place, and I would rather lie down "among the heather," or trudge on ten long miles, than sleep-or rather watch-there again.

Then, for our sins, it rained all the morrow's morn, and we had no better amusement than looking at the turf-carts coming down the narrow sandy ways, on the hill opposite the inn. Curious things are those turf

carts. They have no wheels, and are fashioned in the form of hammocks. Every thing about us looked very Scotch. Before the door kilted children were sitting on logs of wood, the elder feeding the younger with oatmeal, ladled out of a bowl in horn spoons. Farther off, a strapping Highland lassie was washing clothes after the fashion of the country, that is to say, by trampling the linen with her naked feet. Vigorously did she dance away in the tub, lifting up her kirtle quite as high as Jeannie is said to have done for a bawbee.

LETTER XII.

THE rain ceased at noon. What a happy moment it is when one gets away from disagreeable quarters! Our road, for the first two miles, lay through a beautiful valley, stretching out from the head of Loch Lomond, which gleamed silvery through the mountain-vista. Ben Lomond is seen from hence in a fine point of view, rising in a single cone, far above the adjacent range. The clouds were just drawing off from its rocky peak when we beheld it, and there was just that medium between clearness and illusiveness in the atmosphere which embellishes every object, and seems to impart a dewy freshness to all nature that "clear shining after rain," as it is beautifully called in scripture.

After passing the head of the lake, proceeding along its shores, we came to an immense fragment of rock, resembling a house made with hands. The grass and

heather growing on the top made a perfect representation of a roof. Within the singular stone a small cavity has been wrought out, just capable of containing a wooden pulpit, from which, four times a year, as we were told, a minister of the Scottish kirk delivers consolation and instruction to his flock, who brave the weather upon stone benches before the tabernacle. There is something pretty in their thus providing for his comfort, and neglecting their own; but it is to be hoped that on a pouring day the sermon is not too long.

At

After some refreshments at Tarbet Inn, an excellent place of entertainment, we proceeded, still keeping near the lake, to Inverby Ferry, a distance of five miles. The road sometimes skirts the very waters, upon ledges of rock, sometimes crosses a brawling torrent that rushes down from the hills, and sometimes emerges from thick overhanging woods upon spots of "sunny greenery." The whole scenery was lovely, rich and varied; but its charms would evaporate in particular description. Inverby we were just opposite to Rowardennan, and here, as agreed upon, we left good little Donald, who was to be ferried over in the morning. "That is," said the sonsie dame of the Ferry, "gif he dinna find his way hame jist of his own head, like a cannie beast that ance we had, that wad swim the loch from tither side, and aye come back to its crib again." Poor Donald! We gave him a parting friendly pat. Pleasant rambles have we had with that douce pony.

Crossing the lake, we completed the circle of our wanderings, commenced from Rowardennan. The inn

there was not so pleasant as heretofore; for, as our stars would have it, Mr. R—, the time-killing gentleman, was there, with a party of noisy friends, who were come to have what in Scotland is called "a whiskey night," when every one sits down with the beastly purpose of getting beastly drunk. Whatever excuse there may be for thoughtless hilarity, there is none for this intoxication prepense. The results were, I suppose, perfectly satisfactory to the party assembled; for such a hubbub as they made was never rivalled even by the jovialities of a contested election. Unfortunately for us, our bedroom was just over the scene of action, and you may imagine how impossible it was to sleep to such lullabies of roaring songs, knocking of tables, and three times three. Honce went down stairs to try to find out if any of the revellers were yet under the table, and if there were any chance of a speedy end of the carousal. What he saw convinced him that the poet Thomson drew his drunken scene after a Scotch original :

"Confus'd, above,

"Glasses and bottles, pipes and gazetteers,

66

66

As if the table ev'n itself was drunk,

Lie, a wet broken scene; and wide, below, "Is heap'd the social slaughter."

About three o'clock the party broke up; but two of the worthies were placed so near us, that we were forced to hear their loathsome conversation for two hours, during which they were vainly endeavouring to undress and get to bed. The only interruption to their blasphemies and indecencies was that they were, every now and then, abominably sick.

LETTER XIII.

Arrochar, 20th July,

TRACED on a map, ours appears to be a very snail-like progress; but for the modern tourist-pace I have neither strength nor inclination. I like to enjoy a new country, not to scramble through it; and, whenever I find a quiet spot that hits my fancy, there I love to pitch my tent, fancying myself for a while indigenous to the place, and to explore those leafy nooks and hidden scenes of beauty which escape the eye of the hasty traveller.

Traversing Loch Lomond in the steam-boat, we fell in with a very pleasing personage in all respects the contrast of the time-killer. Indeed. it seemed as if he came across us just at that moment to put us in a better humour with our fellow-mortals. He was a young man, with every token of gentle blood about him, dressed in the