304

KILLIN COTTAGES.

piece of board, on which oat-cakes are prepared; a dresser, with some little earthen-ware; an old press; a pickling-tub for mutton; some pieces of mutton hung in the smoke, which winds round them on its way to the roof; a shelf with many cheeses, and among the cheeses a few books. The title of one of them was, "Searmona le Mr Eobhanu Mac Diarmud, ministeir ann in Glascho, agus na Dheigh sin an cornu. Duneidin du Bhuaiste le Islenau. 1804." Another was a catechism, also in the Erse or Gaelic, and a Bible in English. The beds were a filthy mattrass, and a filthy blanket,—no sheets; no floor,-only the ground trodden hard; a window of four small panes, not one entire. Such is the interior; and to finish the picture of these hovels, each has its ladder against the roof; either to stop the progress of fire, when the thatch happens to catch, or a leak, which they do by means of a few sods. Some of the roofs bore a luxuriant crop of grass. This is abject poverty, or at least appears so; yet these people feel no want, and enjoy health, which is more than many do who are rich. Their poverty does not seem to extend to food, for they have plenty of fish from their lakes and rivers; and one acre of potatoes can feed a family. They have also a small field of oats; meat is not probably very scarce near such flocks of sheep, and I saw hogs to-day. Fuel is at their door. Labour is paid 2s. 6d. or 3s. a-day. With such means of subsistence, I do not understand what the Highlanders gain by migrating to America. With some labour, they can procure here, what is not to be had there without labour. There are schools here everywhere; children learn to read in English and Erse; but the last language alone is in common use.

KILLIN-TAYMOUTH.

305

As we approached Killin, the scene changed all at once, without any perceivable difference in soil or situation; the glen became cultivated, and covered with luxuriant crops of grain, hay, potatoes, &c. substantially inclosed with stone fences. A good house, with fine plantations round it, and an appearance of wealth, indicated sufficiently the source of these improvements,-capital had stimulated industry. Other gentlemen's houses, and more cultivated fields appeared in succession ;then Loch Tay in the distance, and the fertile valley of Killin, decorated with groves of fine trees. The Tay, and another small river uniting in front of this valley, form the lake, which recedes before the eye, between two screens of mountains. These rivers separated formerly the lands of two great families, the Breadalbanes and the Macnabs, and their respective cemeteries are shown on two islands formed by these rivers. That of the Macnabs is very picturesquely situated, in the middle of foaming cascades, and all overshadowed with tall pines. The last chief of this feudal race died but a few years ago, and the people of the country tell strange stories about him. He seems to have had the bodily strength, with the intemperate habits and rude manners of the heroes of Homer. Unfortunately for him, this age is not epic, and he will not be sung. The heroes of our days are essentially des heros de cabinet. This one has left a posterity of thirty or forty little Macnabs, without having ever been married. The tomb of Fingal is, we understand, in this neighbourhood, and give here a very good drawing of it, which I received from an eminent artist, Mr Williams of Edinburgh.

September 2.-Taymouth, 16 miles to-day in

VOL I.

306

TAYMOUTH MOUNTAINS.

Ben

five hours, the road ascending and descending continually along the banks, without any apparent use. The lake, which was always in sight, is from one to three miles broad. The opposite shore is an amphitheatre of mountains. lawers in the fore-ground, and in the distance Benmore, 4000 feet high, the highest, but one, of the British mountains. The mere snowy cap on the head of Mont Blanc-that part only of the summit upon which snow never melts, has precisely that dimension, and it is only about the fifth part of the height of Mont Blanc. The British mountains are only a miniature of the Alps; seen near, the effect is the same, for the eye cannot embrace more than the base; but, from a distance, the appearance is totally different. Nothing here is comparable to the greatness and boldness of the Alps. Independently of the snow and the glaciers, those granitic needles of the Alps, shooting up to the skies, without being, properly speaking, very picturesque, are the most striking objects it is possible to conceive.

*

To-day being Sunday, the road was full of country people going to church, in their best clothes. They were all clean and decent. About half the men wore the kilt, and tartan hose, and plaid over their shoulders, and they looked best. The women by no means handsome, nor indeed the men, but healthy and active. The men generally touched their hats or highland bonnet, as they passed by us. We were rather ashamed of

our Sunday travelling.

*The plaid is three yards long and one and a half broad, with

out seam.