90 THE VOYAGE : PASSING IMPKESSIONS 



The whole scene very much reminded me of a view among 

 the Grampians of Forfarshire, where you come suddenly' 

 upon the Glen of the Dale ; Glen Dhu stretches away on 

 one hand, and on the other you look down into the broad 

 valley of Clova ; the present, however, was infinitely grander, 

 and the numerous laurel trees gave it a different aspect. 

 The river dashing at the bottom, which looked like a mere 

 burn, brought Scotland forcibly to my mind ; it foamed 

 away with a murmur which from the distance we could 

 scarcely catch. 



The ragged Highlanders, for I can call them by no other 

 name, were most troublesome, begging and offering us 

 their climbing poles. ... On seeing me scrambhng among 

 the rocks they paid me particular attention. 



. . . On reascending I found my companions seated among 

 some rocks, surrounded by a brood of the most extraordinary 

 ragged urchins I ever beheld, of all ages from five to twelve, 

 dressed in tatters with high peaked carabooshes, their long 

 hair streaming over their faces, which were of a most deter- 

 mined Portuguese cast. They excited our compassion by 

 kneeling round us and begging by holding up their hands 

 with the palms together like Catholics invoking the Virgin. 

 Some of them were really pretty, though [with] very coarse 

 features ; among them was a very old woman whose husband 

 had been lost among the cliffs or rather killed. They had 

 large black eyes and seemed remarkably healthy, though 

 they live in the most wretched holes and feed upon chest- 

 nuts, scarcely ever touching other foods. Even the little 

 babies were sucking chestnuts. A few dogs were spectral 

 animals. 



... On a grass bank, where we had left our horses, 

 there was spread for us a famous cold luncheon prepared 

 for us by Mr. Muir. Dr. Lippold ^ had joined us just before 

 reaching the Jardine, and he certainly amused us not a 

 little during dinner. The young half savages clustered 

 around us whilst eating, forming a ring, which gradually 

 approached and hemmed us in. Now the little German 

 abhors the Portuguese beyond any other nation, and he 

 could not brook these unfortunate urchins drawing near 



' Dr. Lippold had been sent to Madeira to collect plants and seeds, partly 

 for Kew, partly for the Duke of Bedford. 



