NIMROU'S NORTHERN TOUR. 309 



(Not a murmur's on tlie mountain, 



And the vale is mute as death ; 

 And the mirror of the fountain 



Is unbroken by a breath,) 



and the sky, as sunset approached, presented the grandest aereal land- 

 scape, if T may be allowed so to call it, that I ever remember to have 

 witnessed, and drew forth our mutual admiration. But, as Thompson 

 says of the flowers — 



" Who can paint 



Like nature ? Can imagination boast, 

 Amid its gay creation, hues like hers V 



And who can w'onder, thought I within myself, that the untutored Indian 

 should believe he sees God in the clouds, and hears him in the wind. 



We had to-day another trial of the Turriff post-boy ; but wishing to 

 avoid another " kittle place," he was provided with lamps to lighten his 

 darkness. *' We shall eat our Christmas dinner," said Lord Kintore to 

 me on the previous evening-, '' with that honest-hearted Scotch squire, 

 whom you saw the other day day in the field — Mr. Leslie, of Dunlugas, 

 who has a beautiful place on the banks of the Deveron river, between 

 this and Banff;" and at six o'clock we were at our post. The *' honest- 

 hearted Scotch squire" had asked a few good fellows to meet us* ; and 

 although the philosophers will have it there are no happy lives, they 

 admit tliere are happy days, and this with us was one of ihtsm ; and we 

 made the most of it. Lord Kintore gav^e us *' The Swell Drags-man* 

 in his best style, and topping up the evening with a good supper and a 



* Among them were ]Mr. Morison, who has also a beautiful place called Mount 

 Blaines, on Deveron's banks ; Mr. Abercromby Duff, Mr. Nesbitt, brotlier-in-law to 

 that celebrated sportsman the Hon. Martin Hawke, &c. &c. 



