72 



" shire,) from the source of the Dee* 

 " and many miles down that river, also 

 " along a great part of the length of the 

 " river Spey, there are extensive forests 

 " of the Scotch Fir, which there grows 

 " to a large size, all natm'al wood. The 

 " ground, in the vicinity of these rivers, 

 " is the most elevated of any in Scot- 

 " land. But, it is not thence to be in- 

 " ferred, that the Firs grow on these 

 *' Alpine regions. — It is only in the val- 

 " lies, on the borders of these rivers, and 

 " the smaller dales on the banks of tri* 

 *' butary torrents, consisting of alluvial 

 " soil, formerly brought down from the 

 " mountains ; in the gentle slopes at 

 " the bottoms of hills, or the elevated 

 " recesses of the mountains, that these 

 " trees thrive, and become valuable ; 

 " not only on account of their A^ery 

 " great size, but also for their excel- 

 ** lent quality, which is often not in- 

 " ferior to that imported from the Bal- 

 " tic/' 



