for to climb is not always neceffary: but because that which is not mountain is commonly bog, through which the way must be picked with caution. Where there are hills, there is much rain, and the torrents pouring down into the intermediate spaces, feldom find fo ready an outlet, as not to ftagnate, till they have broken the texture of the ground.

Of the hills, which our journey offered to the view on either fide, we did not take the height, nor did we fee any that aftonished us with their loftinefs. Towards the fummit of one, there was a white spot, which I fhould have called a naked rock, but the guides, who had better eyes, and were acquainted with the phænomena of the country, declared it to be fnow. It had already lafted to the end of August, and was likely to maintain its conteft with the fun, till it should be reinforced by winter.

The height of mountains philofophically confidered is properly computed from the furface of the next fea; but as it affects the eye or imagination of the paffenger, as it makes either a spectacle or an obstruction, it must be reckoned from the place where the rife be gins to make a confiderable angle with the plain. In extenfive-continents the land may, by gradual elevation, attain great height, without any other appearance than that of a plane gently inclined, and if a hill placed upon fuch raised ground be defcribed, as having its altitude equal to the whole space above the fea, the representation will be fallacious.

These mountains may be properly enough meafured from the inland bafe; for it is not much above the fea. As we advanced at evening towards the

western

western coaft, I did not obferve the declivity to be greater than is neceffary for the discharge of the inland

waters.

We paffed many rivers and rivulets, which commonly ran with a clear fhallow ftream over a hard pebbly bottom. These channels, which feem fot much wider than the water that they convey would naturally require, are formed by the violence of wintry floods, produced by the accumulation of innumerable ftreams that fall in rainy weather from the hills, and bursting away with refiftlefs impetuofity,' make themselves a paffage proportionate to their mafs.

Such capricious and temporary waters cannot be expected to produce many fish. The rapidity of the wintry deluge fweeps them away, and the fcantinefs of the fummer ftream would hardly fuftain them above the ground. This is the reason why in fording thenorthern rivers, no fifhes are feen, as in England, wan dering in the water.

Of the hills many may be called with Homer's Ida, abundant in fprings, but few can deserve the epithet which he bestows upon Pelion, by waving their leaves: They exhibit very little variety; being almost wholly covered with dark heath, and even that seems to be checked in its growth. What is not heath is nakedness, a little diverfified by now and then a stream rufhing down the steep. An eye accustomed to flowery pastures and waving harvefts is aftonifhed and repelled by this wide extent of hopeless fterility. The appearance is that, of matter incapable of form or use fulness, dismissed by nature from her care, and dise

inherited

inherited of her favours, left in its original elemental ftate, or quickened only with one fullen power of uselefs vegetation.

It will very readily occur, that this uniformity of barrennefs can afford very little amusement to the traveller; that it is eafy to fit at home and conceive rocks, and heath, and waterfalls; and that these journies are useless labours, which neither impregnate the imagination, nor enlarge the understanding. It is true, that, of far the greater part of things, we must content ourselves with fuch knowledge as defcription may exhibit, or analogy fupply; but it is true likewife, that these ideas are always incomplete, and that, at leaft, till we have compared them with realities, we do not know them to be just. As we As we fee more, we become poffeffed of more certainties, and consequently gain more principles of reafoning, and found a wider bafis of analogy.

Regions mountainous and wild, thinly inhabited, and little cultivated, make a great part of the earth, and he that has never seen them, muft live unacquainted with much of the face of nature, and with one of the great fcenes of human existence.

As the day advanced towards noon, we entered a narrow valley not very flowery, but fufficiently verdant. Our guides told us, that the horfes could not travel all day without reft or meat, and entreated us to flop here, because no grafs would be found in any other place. The request was reasonable, and the argument cogent. We therefore willingly difmounted, and diverted ourselves as the place gave us opportunity,

I fat down on a bank, fuch as a writer of romance might have delighted to feign. I had indeed no trees to whisper over my head, but a clear rivulet streamed at my feet. The day was calm, the air was foft, and all was rudeness, filence, and folitude. Before me, and on either fide, were high hills, which, by hindering the eye from ranging, forced the mind to find entertainment for itself. Whether I spent the hour well I know not; for here I first conceived the thought of this narration.

We were in this place at ease and by choice, and had no evils to fuffer or to fear; yet the imaginations excited by the view of an unknown and untravelled wilderness are not fuch as arife in the artificial folitude of parks and gardens, a flattering notion of self-sufficiency, a placid indulgence of voluntary delufions, a fecure expansion of the fancy, or a cool concentration of the mental powers. The phantoms which haunt a desert are want, and mifery, and danger; the evils of dereliction rush upon the thoughts; man is made unwillingly acquainted with his own weaknefs, and meditation fhews him only how little he can fuftain, and how little he can perform. There were no traces of inhabitants, except perhaps a rude pile of clods called a fummer hut, in which a herdsman had refted in the favourable feafons. Whoever had been in the place where I then fat, unprovided with provifions, and ignorant of the country, might, at least before the roads were made, have wandered among the rocks, till he had perished with hardfhip, before he could have found either food or fhelter. Yet what are thefe

hillocks

hillocks to the ridges of Taurus, or thefe fpots of wilderness to the deferts of America?

It was not long before we were invited to mount, and continued our journey along the fide of a lough, kept full by many streams, which with more or less rapidity and noife croffed the road from the hills on the other hand. Thefe currents, in their diminished ftate, after feveral dry months, afford, to one who has always lived in level countries, an unusual and delightful fpectacle; but in the rainy season, such as every winter may be expected to bring, must precipitate an impetuous and tremendous flood. I fuppofe the way by which we went, is at this time impaf fable.

GLENSHE ALS.

The lough at laft ended in a river broad and fhallow like the reft, but that it may be paffed when it is deeper, there is a bridge over it.

Beyond it is a valley called Glenfheals, inhabited by the clan of Macrae. Here we found a village called Auknafheals, confifting of many huts, perhaps twenty, built all of dry-fone, that is, ftones piled up without

mortar.

We had, by the direction of the officers at Fort Auguftus, taken bread for ourselves, and tobacco for thofe Highlanders who might fhew us any kindnefs. We were now at a place where we could obtain milk, but must have wanted bread if we had not brought it. The people of this valley did not appear to know any English, and our guides now became doubly neceffary as interpreters. A woman,

whofe