296 PRACTICAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



ground being covered with snow to a moderate height, the 

 wind blowing strongly, and the moon about full, I left Edin- 

 burgh, accompanied by a young friend. It was only three 

 o'clock when we commenced our expedition, but the moon and 

 the snow together rendered it quite light, and we tripped along 

 briskly in the direction of Peebles. Near Greenlaw Barracks, 

 finding ourselves perspiring copiously, we sat down in a sheltered 

 place to cool and rest ourselves. Not a living creature, man 

 or beast, bat or owl, had we seen by the way. All animated 

 nature seemed buried in sleeji or congealed by the frost, the 

 effects of which we very soon experienced, and therefore pro- 

 ceeded on our journey, which aiforded us no other objects of 

 contemplation than the Pentland Hills wrapped in their cold 

 white mantles, walls and hedges nearly overtopped with snow, 

 of which deep wreaths stretched at intervals across the road, 

 and magnificent clouds driven over the sky, and dissolving into 

 thick showers, which at times completely obscured the sur- 

 rounding objects. At Pennicuik we met a man with a lan- 

 tern, wdio informed us that it was half-past five ; but no other 

 other living thing occurred until near seven, when, perspiring 

 profusely, but at the same time having our hands and faces half 

 frozen, w^e arrived, after wading through a long wreath, and in 

 the midst of a bitter blast accompanying a heavy showier, at a 

 large house, wdiich w^e found to be the Wellington Inn, up- 

 w^ards of twelve miles from Edinburgh. Fortunately some of 

 the people were up, and there was a large fire in the kitchen, 

 at which we seated ourselves. In half an hour we were fur- 

 nished with a comfortable breakfast, which we prefaced and 

 concluded with a glass of whisky, a practice which, under simi- 

 lar circumstances, notwithstanding the prohibition of tem- 

 perance societies, I would strongly recommend as a sovereign 

 remedy against fatigue. 



It was now daylight, and the boys of the house were prepar- 

 ing their gins. On resuming our march we found ourselves 

 on an open moor, but with no other birds in view than a few 

 Rooks. Here the road w^as blocked up for about two hundred 

 yards by a deep ^vreath, which afforded us some amusement. 

 A small covey of Partridges flew past us at a distance, and soon 



