Provoft. The honour conferred had all the decorations that politenefs could add, and what I am afraid I thould not have had to fay of any city fouth' of the Tweed, I found no petty officer bowing for a fee.

The parchment containing the record of admiffion is, with the feal appending, faftened to a ribband, and worn for one day by the new citizen in his hat.

"

By a lady who faw us at the chapel, the earl of Errol was informed of our arrival, and we had the honour of an invitation to his feat, called Slanes Castle, as Iam told, improperly, from the castle of that name, which once stood at a place not far diftant.

The road beyond Aberdeen grew more ftony, and continued equally naked of all vegetable decoration. We travelled over a tract of ground near the fea, which, not long ago, fuffered a very uncommon and unexpected calamity. The fand of the fhore was raifed by a tempeft in fuch quantities, and carried to fuch a distance, that an estate was overwhelmed and loft. Such and fo hopeless was the barrennefs fuperinduced, that the owner, when he was required to pay the ufual tax, defired rather to refign the ground,

SLANES CASTLE. THE BULLER OF BUCHAN.

We came in the afternoon to Slanes Caftle, built upon the margin of the fea, fo that the walls of one of the towers feem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves, To walk round the houfe feemed impracti- . Q 2

cable

cable. From the windows the eye wanders over the sea that separates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence, muft enjoy all the terrifick grandeur of the tempeftuous ocean. I would not for my amusement wish for a storm; but as ftorms, whether wished or not, will fometimes happen, I may fay, without violation of humanity, that I fhould willingly look out upon them from Slanes Caftle.

When we were about to take our leave, our departure was prohibited by the countefs till we should have seen two places upon the coast, which she rightly confidered as worthy of curiofity, Dun Buy, and the Buller of Buchan, to which Mr. Boyd very kindly conducted us.

Dun Buy, which in Erfe is faid to fignify the Yellow Rock, is a double protuberance of ftone, open to the main fea on one fide, and parted from the land by a very narrow channel on the other. It has its name and its colour from the dung of innumerable fea-fowls, which in the spring choose this place as convenient for incubation, and have their eggs and their young taken in great abundance. One of the birds that frequent this rock has, as we were told, its body not larger than a duck's, and yet lays eggs as large as thofe of a goofe. This bird is by the inhabitants named a Coot. That which is called Coot in England, is here a Cooter.

Upon these rocks there was nothing that could long detain attention, and we foon turned our eyes to the Buller, or Bouilloir of Buchan, which no man can fee with indifference, who has either fenfe of danger, or delight in rarity. It is a rock perpen

dicularly

dicularly tubulated, united on one fide with a high fhore, and on the other rifing steep to a great height, above the main fea. The top is open, from which may be seen a dark gulf of water which flows into the cavity, through a breach made in the lower part of the inclofing rock. It has the appearance of a vaft well bordered with a wall. The edge of the Buller is not wide, and to those that walk round, appears very narrow. He that ventures to look downward, fees that if his foot should flip, he muft fall from his dreadful elevation upon ftones on one fide, or into the water on the other. We however went round, and were glad when the circuit was completed.

When we came down to the sea, we saw some boats, and rowers, and refolved to explore the Buller, at the bottom. We entered the arch, which the water had made, and found ourselves in a place, which, though we could not think ourselves in danger, we could scarcely furvey without fome recoil of the mind. The bafon in which we floated was nearly circular, perhaps thirty yards in diameter. We were inclofed by a natural wall, rifing steep on every fide to a height which produced the idea of infurmountable confinement. The interception of all lateral light caused a dismal gloom. Round us was a perpendicular rock, above us the distant fky, and below an unknown profundity of water. If I had any malice against a walking spirit, instead of laying him in the Red-fea, I would condemn him to refide in the Buller of Buckan.

But terrour without danger is only one of the sports of fancy, a voluntary agitation of the mind that is permitted

Q 3

permitted no longer than it pleafes. We were foon at leisure to examine the place with minute infpection, and found many cavities which, as the watermen told us, went backward to a depth which they had never explored. Their extent we had not time to try; they are faid to ferve different purposes. Ladies come his ther fometimes in the fummer with collations, and fmugglers make them ftore-houses for clandeftine merchandise, It is hardly to be doubted but the pirates of ancient times often used them as magazines of arms, or repofitories of plunder.

To the little veffels ufed by the northern rowers, the Buller may have ferved as a shelter from ftorms, and perhaps as a retreat from enemies; the entrance might have been stopped, or guarded with little difficulty, and though the veffels that were ftationed within would have been battered with ftones fhowered on them from above, yet the crews would have lain fafe in the caverns.

Next morning we continued our journey, pleafed with our reception at Slanes Caftle, of which we had now leisure to recount the grandeur and the elegance; for our way afforded us few topicks of converfation. The ground was neither uncultivated nor unfruitful; but it was ftill all arable. Of flocks or herds there was no appearance. I had now travelled two hundred miles in Scotland, and feen only one tree not younger than myself.

BAMF F.

We dined this day at the houfe of Mr. Frazer of Streichton, who showed us in his grounds fome ftones

ftones yet ftanding of a Druidical circle, and what I began to think more worthy of notice, fome foreft trees of full growth.

At night we came to Bamff, where I remember nothing that particularly claimed my attention. The ancient towns of Scotland have generally an appearance unusual to Englishmen. The houses, whether great or small, are for the most part built of ftones. Their ends are now and then next the ftreets, and the entrance into them is very often by a flight of steps, which reaches up to the second story; the floor which is level with the ground being entered only by stairs defcending within the house.

The art of joining fquares of glafs with lead is little ufed in Scotland, and in fome places is totally forgotten. The frames of their windows are all of wood. They are more frugal of their glass than the English, and will often, in houfes not otherwife mean, compofe a fquare of two pieces, not joining like cracked glafs, but with one edge laid perhaps half an inch over the other. Their windows do not move upon hinges, but are pufhed up and drawn down in grooves, yet they are seldom accommodated with weights and pullies. He that would have his window open muft hold it with his hand, unless what may be fometimes found among good contrivers, there be a nail which he may ftick into a hole, to keep it from falling.

What cannot be done without fome uncommon trouble or particular expedient, will not often be done at all. The incommodioufnefs of the Scotch windows keeps them very clofely hut. The neceffity

Q4