you look between two parallel ranges of similar mountains, succeeding each other with the greatest regularity, in a prolonged vista. The whole reminded me very much of the series of images reflected from two parallel looking-glasses. The first part of the line consists of a canal, from which Ben Nevis is seen to great advantage; but this morning he had put on his nebular diadem. There are some fine ruins of Glengarry Castle on Loch Oich, and of Castle Urquhart on Loch Ness, particularly the latter; and the fall of Fyers is well worth visiting. But all these things are known to every body, and I think their beauty has been greatly over-rated. I was very sorry to learn, that the canal does not answer the commercial expectations, that were anticipated from its construction; this appears to be chiefly owing to their having made the depth of the canals much less than was originally intended, so that vessels of considerable burden are prevented from entering.

Sept. 10.—I have nothing to record this day, but that it rained without ceasing from morning to night.

Sept. 11.-Craig Phadrick is a vitrified fort within two miles of Inverness, and being con

sidered as a good specimen of these singular structures, I made a point of examining it as soon as possible. It is placed on a commanding eminence, and consists of a parallelogram, eighty feet by thirty feet, enclosed by a low wall. This wall is generally concealed by the encroaching turf, but here and there its component materials are exposed to the eye of the observer. They appear to be cinders or scoriæ, agglutinated by the action of fire, so as in this case to give great compactness to the wall; and those stones, which have not been thus far transmuted from their original state, still bear evident tokens of having been subject to an intense heat. There are traces of a similar wall, or fence, surrounding the one I have described, at a short distance below it on the slope of the hill. Within the interior parallelogram there is a well-spring. Fir trees are now growing all around the fort, and some stand upon the wall itself.

Such is the appearance of this vitrified fort. In other cases the vitrification is more partial; and sometimes strings of the slag or melted stone may be seen penetrating the interstices of the inferior blocks. There are forts also, resembling these in every other respect, which present no

trace whatever of the vitrifying process. The common belief is, that the forts were places of strength, constructed by piling up the walls of loose stone, and then by some process, now lost, fusing the whole into a solid and durable mass. That the vulgar should adopt such an opinion is not surprising; for they are fond of exaggerating the mental and bodily capacities of their ancestors. They love to think, that other men are as ignorant as themselves, in comparison with those, who have passed away. But who can believe that the Picts or Scandinavians, or whatever other barbarous tribe may have erected these singular forts-who can believe that they were in possession of chemical power beyond the research of the moderns? It is true, that some valuable arts have been lost to mankind, but these arts have been invented and practised, not by piratical or pastoral hordes, but by nations the most civilized and refined. Besides, it is expressly stated, that the vitrification is frequently partial, which is a conclusive argument against the skill and science of the constructors.

The most plausible theory seems to be that, which represents these remains as so many beacon-stations, where vast fires were lighted to give

notice of the approach of some incursion of the Danes or Northmen. A regular chain of them seems to be traced across the country.

In the evening, after having walked to the islands in the Ness, which are prettily wooded, and seen the castellated building now being erected for gaol and other county business, I drove over in a gig with another gentleman to Nairn. When we arrived, we understood that Dr. Wardlaw, the celebrated Independent minister of Glasgow, was preaching, and we immediately went to hear him. His sermon was written, and very long, though we only came in time for the half of it. Many parts were highly eloquent, and upon the whole the diction was simple; but the ideas and connections were far too complicated for his audience, several of whom very naturally fell asleep. The singing, as usual, was abominable; I do wonder at their wretched

taste.

.

Sept. 12.-A coach conveyed me, through torrents of rain, to Elgin. One of the young Brodies, of Brodie, was my fellow traveller, a fine spirited little fellow. He is now at Harrow, and is destined for Cambridge, about which he made many inquiries. In return for this information,

and for the protection, which my umbrella afforded him, he told me the names of all the houses and places of note. He said, that his family were still in possession of an ancient charter, whereby Robert Bruce granted to his ancestors certain lands in that neighbourhood.

Arrived at Elgin, I set off immediately for the cathedral, in spite of rain and wind. It is a magnificent ruin, seen to great advantage in consequence of the labours of Johnny Shanks. This old man has had the merit of clearing away thousands of loads of rubbish with his own hands, and rescuing some of the finest portions of the edifice from concealment. Many fragments and beautiful specimens of carving and sculpture he has "howket up," and arranged along the sides of the choir, or round the chapter house. Two of these were so curious, that I have brought away sketches of them; one represents the serpent emerging from the tree of knowledge; the other a witch riding on the moon. There are many others of the same grotesque character. The old man himself is one of the greatest curiosities about the place; he is indefatigable in his researches, and is justly proud of his labours. On some one's remarking to him, that he was