USES OF WILD PLANTS. 161 



the broom, shedding their own delightful perfume, with the sweet blue- 

 bell and the wild thyme ; and the cinquefoil and a thousand others of 

 nature's fairest children, together with the humming bees, and the 

 breezes laden with odours, and the lazy clouds that lie above basking 

 in the sunshine. These have delights such as words cannot express, 

 for those whi have hearts to love and souls fitted to catch the inspira- 

 tions of nature. 



Our five native species of heath {Erica)) are all lovely flowers, and 

 are so characteristic that the veriest tyro would know any of the 

 family at a second sight. The ling [Calluna Vulgaris) is included 

 among the plants which compose the heather. This plant, but little 

 regarded in the southern parts of our island, is made subservient to a 

 variety of purposes in the bleak and barren highlands of Scotland, 

 and it is the plant which gives the peculiar tone to the wild and 

 romantic scenery of the Scottish mountains. The poorer inhabitants 

 make walls for their cottages with alternate layers of heath, and a 

 kind of mortar made of the black heathy mould, and straw ; the 

 woody roots of the heath being placed in the centre, the tops internally 

 and externally. They make their beds of it, by placing the roots 

 downward, and the tops only uppermost, which are sufficiently soft to 

 sleep on. But these are not pampered in the effeminating lap of 

 luxury ; and the hardy and simple life of these mountaineers, and 

 tlieir constant exposure to the free and invigorating breezes of their 

 native hills, render their couch, fragrant and humble as it is, a more 

 ceitain place of repose than is the curtained down of the wealthy, 

 where soft luxuriance is no palliative of withered hopes and blasted 

 prospects, and the painful fruits of vile ambitions, and burning 

 anguish of heart. The toil-worn mountaineer lies down upon the 

 fragrant sprays to be refreshed and invigorated by peaceful sleep. 



" With that he shook the gather'd heath, 

 And spread the plaid upon the wreath, 

 And the brave foenien, side by side, 

 Lay peaceful down, like brothers tried ; 

 And slept until the dawning beam 

 Purpled the mountain and the stream." 



Lady of the Lake. 



In the island of Islay, many cabins are thatched with the " heather," 

 and ale is frequently made by brewing one part of malt, and two 

 parts of the young tops of heath. An old historian relates that the 



M 



