]7<3 LAGOPUS SCOTICUS. 



in need. The good-woman very benevolently exerted herself 

 to persuade me to remain all night, the hills being, as she said, 

 bleak and dreary, entirely destitute of every thing that could 

 aftbrd pleasure to a traveller, and even without human habita- 

 tion, the nearest house being fifteen miles north. It was now 

 six o'clock, and I was certain of being benighted ; but 1 had 

 promised to be at the source of the Dee by noon of next day, 

 and all the dragons of darkness could not have prevented me 

 from at least striving to fulfil my engagement. They had never 

 heard of the spring in question, nor even of the river ; no Cairn- 

 gorm could be seen ; and a woman just arrived from the Spey in- 

 formed me that I should be under the necessity of going through 

 Badenoch before I could get to it. I placed more confidence 

 in my travelling map. All however shook their heads when 

 I disclosed my plan, which was to proceed eastward, cross a 

 stream, get to the summit of a ridge of mountains, and so forth, 

 until I should reach the first burn of the Dee, where I expect- 

 ed to meet my friend Craigie. It was sunset when I got to 

 the top of the first hill, whence I struck directly east, judging 

 by the place where the sun disappeared behind the rugged and 

 desolate mountains. After traversing a mile of boggy heath, 

 I found myself put out of my course by a long deep rocky val- 

 ley or ravine, which I was obliged to double ; and before I had 

 accomplished this night fell. I travelled on however about 

 two miles farther, and coming upon another but smaller val- 

 ley, in which I was apprehensive of breaking my neck if I 

 should venture through it, I sat down by a rock, w^eary, and 

 covered with perspiration. Rest is pleasant, even in such 

 a place as this ; and w^hen I had experienced a little of its 

 sweets, I resolved to take up my abode there for the night. 

 So, thrusting my stick into the peat between me and the ravine 

 below, I extended myself on the ground, and presently fell into 

 a reverie, reviewed my life, gave vent to the sorrow of my soul 

 in a thousand reflections on the folly of my conduct, and ended 

 w^ith resolving to amend ! Around me were the black masses 

 of the granite hills rising to heaven like the giant barriers of an 

 enchanted land ; above, the cloudless sky, spangled with stars ; 

 beneath, a cold bed of wet turf; within, a human spirit tor- 



