A FAITHFUL DOG. 355 



the moment as among those who compared notes with 

 him as a scientific peer and fellow-worker. But it 

 is evident that, how distinguished soever these and others 

 may be, and apt and seasonable as were Miller's brief 

 scientific replies, these last were of an occasional na- 

 ture, and, the rather that they touch almost invariably 

 on matters treated of in his printed works, are not 

 generally suited for publication. The course I have 

 adopted is to glean from the memorials of those years 

 such letters and jottings by Miller as illustrate his 

 manner of life and bring into view the several occur- 

 rences by which it was diversified, adding, as formerly, 

 such notes or letters from his correspondents as tend to 

 elucidate the narrative or otherwise interest the reader. 



We shall begin with a batch of letters addressed to 

 Mrs Miller during a tour undertaken by him in the 

 North of Scotland Sutherland, Cromarty, Inverness, 

 the Caledonian Canal in the summer of 1843. 



' Port Gower, Sutherlandshire, 8th July, 1843. 



' The boat anchored off Aberdeen for about an hour, 

 and I went ashore. As I had to restrict myself to 

 sauntering about the harbour, I saw only tide-waiters, 

 sailors, and boatmen. I picked up, however, a little 

 story for Harriet, which you may read to her as from 

 papa. Just as we had gone out from the pier on our 

 return, a small white dog came down, whining and paw- 

 ing to be taken on board, but the boatmen rowed on. 

 The mole runs a long way out, and as we were scudding 

 alongside of it below, the dog was keeping pace with us 

 above, and stopping every moment to make the most 

 pitiful appeals to our compassion. The poor animal 

 had, it would seem, lost his master, and expected to find 

 him in the steamboat. At length the mole terminated, 



