GEORGE MUNRO. 31 



admitted on their list of teachers, but was fortunately 

 unsuccessful. His next employment, unlike, any of the 

 others, was almost forced upon him, he was nominated 

 superintendent of a bridge erecting over the Forth, and 

 acquitted himself with so much credit, that some of the 

 neighbouring gentlemen urged him to stay in that part 

 of the country. George consented, and became a Civil 

 Engineer. Lord Abercrombie requested him to inspect, 

 if he had courage enough, a copper mine in Airdrie, 

 which had lain un wrought for many years, and which, 

 damp, and dark, and full of water and unwholesome 

 gases, was deemed inaccessible by all the other engineers 

 of the country. George knew very little of copper 

 mines, but he furnished himself with a torch, and with- 

 out assistant or companion, explored the cavern to its 

 inmost extremity, and then drew up a report which has 

 since been successfully acted upon. Some works of an 

 unusual and difficult character were projected last season 

 on the river Dee. George undertook the superintend- 

 ency of them, constructed a theodolite for himself, 

 accomplished several difficult levellings which a recent 

 survey has proved to be correct, departed from the 

 original plan, and executed the whole in a manner which 

 the original designer has pronounced more complete and 

 effective. An eminent lawyer has described his re- 

 ports as at once the plainest and most rational ever pre- 

 sented to him ; but George has become master enough 

 of his new profession to long for another ; and ere I 

 parted from him he told me that he wishes much for 

 some employment such as that of a Gaelic teacher, 

 which would afford him leisure to write a work on 

 etymology. 



' This is a curious portrait, but it is that of the indi- 

 vidual, not that of the Highlander ; . a few strokes more, 



