22 MOUNTAIN AND MOORLAND 



case like this boulder of pink granite, there had been 

 (i) some chemical action on the part of the rain and 

 mist bathing the surface for hundreds of thousands 

 of years; (2) here and there lichens had been eating 

 into the rock and making almost microscopic tunnels ; 

 (3) into the little cracks and crevices and passages the 

 water had penetrated, and when this water froze small 

 pieces of granite were burst off. Lying on the ground 

 these became smaller still. 



We got a good view from the top mountains and 

 valleys, lochs large and small, forests and farmland, 

 the streams joining the river, and in the distance the 

 sea. The exercise is its own reward ; there is a pleasur- 

 able excitement; it is all very beautiful; and there is 

 something like discovery in getting a sort of bird's- 

 eye view of the district, in seeing the connectedness 

 and relatedness of the different parts of the scenery in 

 a way altogether different from what is possible by 

 any amount of walking on low ground. We wonder, 

 however, if the biggest reward is not that we get back 

 to one of the primal impressions of our forefathers, 

 which we are a little apt for lack of adventurousness to 

 lose, the feeling of spaciousness and immensity a feel- 

 ing akin to that which we get in observing the star- 

 strewn sky. But it is evidently time that we were 

 getting down the hill. 



But let us be patient for a little. This is a central 

 and commanding height, though very accessible else 

 we should not be here. On such mountain-tops it is 

 always useful to look about for traces indicating that 

 man has used it for some purpose. Some hills we 

 know have a vitrified fort on the top, where intense 

 heat has been used to melt some parts of the stones; 



