MRS. MURRAY’S GUIDE TO THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS, &c. 
a simple guide or directory to Edinburgh, 
to the beauties in the western highlands, 
to the isles of Staffa, I-Columbkill or 
T-Ona, Mull, Ulvs, Tirii, Coll, Eigg, 
Rum, Canna, Skye, Raza, and Scalpa; 
and in the main land, through glen Elg 
to fort Augustus; also, to a part of the 
eastern coast of Scotland, Braemar and 
-Rothiemurchus. In the second part 
‘these places are described, and various 
intermediate objects and circumstances 
descanted on. Some of the relations are 
extremely interesting, and our sympathy 
and curiosity are held in continued sus- 
pense. We feel for the situation of the 
tourist; and contemplate, in imagina- 
tion, the various incidents of her journey, 
‘and also the wild scenery of the country 
‘she passed through. As many of the 
Narratives are peculiarly interesting, we 
‘imtend to make two or three long ex- 
tracts, for the gratification of our rea- 
ders. 
The first we select will be an account 
of her excursion through the sland of 
Mull. ‘This will at once characterise the 
‘style of descriptive writing, and the 
‘ardor of mind displayed in our female 
- tourist. 
wet 
« On the 3ist of July, 1800, I set off from 
_Ach-nacraig, for a ride of forty miles, from 
one extremity of Mnill to the other, through 
he heart of the island. 
© The reverend minister's house, for which 
was bound, is about thirty-four miles from 
*"Ach-nacraig, and six or seven miles short of 
‘the point of Ross, the land’s-end of Mull. 
ie «1 was informed that there was a gentle- 
“man’s house in the way, at abouttwenty-four 
“miles from Ach-nacraig; so that, if I could 
hot reach my friend’s habitation, I flattered 
ysl from the well known hospitality of 
the country, that J should not be in any great 
distress. Fortunately for me, the day conti- 
‘nued wonderfully fine to the end of it. 
_ «The cavalcade set forward exactly in the 
“same style it left Aros for Torloisk*, and I 
‘immediately began to mounta very steep hill, 
Wm 2 terrible rough track. Over the summit, 
and down its precipitous side, to one of the 
heads of Loch Spelibh (sounded Spelive,) 
there is no track at all, and I was continually 
Mancying I should be thrown over the head of 
th orse, down a rocky high bank, bound- 
7 roaring stony bedded burn, close over 
% 
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e 
a 
; iehich the guide was leadingme. Before me 
g 
__ * This she describes in the following terms: 
403 
were lofty mountains, and deep glens between 
them, which attracted my notice; and my 
fears were lessened by my admiration of the 
sublime scenery towards one of those moun- 
tains, the name of which Dugall, my leader, 
told me was Ben Buy ; and he continued in 
his broken English to relate the legendary 
history of other days, concerning that and its 
neighbouring hills.” 
Some of these legends relate, that the 
mountains and glens of this district were 
inhabited by a race of giants, whose bat- 
tles and wonderful exploits are the theme 
of “many a gossip’s tale;”? and Mrs, 
Murray’s guide, Dugall, informs her. of 
the extent and character of these tradi- 
tions. With the relation of these super- 
stitious stories, the time is beguiled till 
they arrive at Loch Spelibh, where the 
ground is bogey, dreary, and wild, 
though the sides of the lake are covered 
with woods. 
‘©On leaving Loch Spelibh,” continues 
Mrs. Murray, ‘* I followed a river running to 
it out of Glenmore, and soon’ entered that 
glen, and a wilder and_more Alpine region 
cannot be imagined. Some hills are rough 
and rocky, others green to the very summits 
of them; particularly one, a higher hill than 
any in Mull, except Benmore, which stands 
insulated by narrow glens, and from the bot- 
tom to the top of it i never saw finer sheep 
pasture. 
«« I journeyed on for many miles through 
this Alpine scenery, till I came to a diminu- 
live plain, with three tracks from different 
glens leading toit. I was then riding on the 
brink ofa river, and about two miles before us 
I observed a terrible steep zig zag track, up an 
almost perpendicular face of a mountain. 
That, said Dugall, is our road; and when we 
came within halfa mile of it, we steered our 
course over a boggy piece of moor, the remem- 
brance of which almost makes me tremble. 
«¢ When we arrived at the foot of the zie 
zag ascent, I got off the horse; had I not 
done so, I verily believeI and the horse should 
have failen back down the precipice, dragging 
Dugall, the leader, after us. It was one of 
the hottest days ! ever felt, and the labour of 
scrambling up the steep road amongst loose 
stones, for two miles, was dreadful. Dugall 
said it was oly one Mull mile, which is fally 
two measured miles. The people in Mull 
jocosely say of their miles, that they make up 
measure for what their roads want in qua- 
ity. 
** Mrs. Murray appears dressed in a red 
Teather cap, trimmed with brown fur, and a habit of tartan, such as is worn by the 4¢d regi- 
“ment of highlanders. She mounts a waite horse, with a Fingallian stick In her hand, cut 
ot of the woods in Morven: her horse led by an honest highlander. Then comes a shel- 
tie, with creels (panniers) on his back, containing the baggave, on which sata highland lad. 
Thus moved Mrs. Murray's first cavalry expedition in the island of Mull, and laughable 
“enough it was.” 
Dd #2 
