6 Transactions of the [Sess. 



ascend to the top of the mountain we must be on our way ; so turn- 

 ing our backs upon the corrie we face westwards, and proceed for 

 about half a mile over ground that gradually ascends, leading to- 

 wards the Sappers' Cairn, that crowns the highest elevation. The 

 whole heath was blackened by the frosts, while the snow that had 

 lain all winter was still to be foimd in patches ; and to the north 

 side of the ridge was a great drift that rested on the upper part of 

 a small glacier, whose face, exposed to the sun, had been melted 

 out into small grottos that might have been the vestibules to a 

 fairy palace. But we had no time for examining those strange 

 sights, worthy of hyperborean regions ; the cry is, '' First to the 

 top ! " and we push panting on, and, notwithstanding our effort, 

 fail to make up on one of our companions, who had got a consider- 

 able start ; but, with a final rush, we touch the cairn, and out of 

 breath gladly sink down upon one of the large stones that compose 

 its base. It took us a few moments to recover from our exertion ; 

 but when we were able to look around us, the view that met our 

 gaze from the position, 3700 feet above sea-level, was magnificent 

 and impressive. The sun, sinking towards the west, was casting 

 across the glens the dark shadows of the mountain outlines, that 

 ever seemed to be ascending as the orb of day went lower in the 

 firmament. But at various points the oblique rays struck the waters 

 of some Highland loch or small mountain tarn, transforming its 

 dark surface into the appearance of a sheet of burnished gold ; while 

 the lower hills were irradiated with the beautiful hue of blue that 

 told of the bursting bloom of the Heather [Calluna vulgaris). In 

 every direction the mountains rose up from glens in all the glory 

 of their ruggedness, displaying upon their sides variegated colours 

 that were the shadow of the corrie or the tints of Heath, Moss, or 

 Heather ; while here and there the white streak that looked like a 

 line of white quartz-rock defined the course, and marked the 

 cascades, of the foaming torrent. Away to the south, from east to 

 west, could be seen the mountains of the southern Highlands, with 

 Ben Cruachan raising its mighty peak like a hoary sentinel. To 

 the north, almost beneath our feet, under the precipitous cliif 

 crowned by the summit of Creag Meaghaidh, lay the Lochan 

 Uaine ; and beyond were the wilds of Kilmonivaig and bleak 

 Corryarrick, where Prince Charlie and the clans fortified them- 

 selves in 1745. The background to this view was the snow- 

 crowned head of Mealfourvounie ; and in the far distance we 

 thought we could distinguish the top of Ben Wyvis. To east 

 or west we could almost see across Scotland. In the one direc- 

 tion were the mountains that line either side of Strathdee, while 

 in the opposite was the massive brow of Ben Nevis, and far down 

 in the hollow at its foot the glittering waters of Loch Eil — the bold 

 outlines of the mountains of Ardnamurchan and Ardgour, standing 



