127 



the building of barns and houses, but even of tem- 

 ples and palaces. Here might be raised, in quick 

 time, Saint Peter's of Home ; and the immense 

 blocks of granite, scattered with such profusion and 

 picturesque negligence, might, with a feeble aid of 

 the chisel, be raised to rival the pyramids of Mem- 

 phis or Palmyra. How deeply, too, does the saun- 

 tering angler feel the stillness and solitude of the 

 whole scene ! Here Zimmerman or La Fontaine 

 might in reality have painted solitude, with less 

 speculative refinement, but with more truth. Per- 

 haps, however, these distinguished authors would 

 not have been so generally read and esteemed ; for, 

 in everything connected with human affections and 

 emotions, fashionable caricature and simpering affec- 

 tation, will, to some extent, always claim the pre- 

 eminence over nature and simplicity. 



The City of Aberdeen, now easily and speedily 

 accessible by railway, is an excellent fishing station 

 for the tourist, because it places him in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of the two chief rivers of the county 

 the Dee and the Don. There are good turnpike 

 roads, which run often parallel with these rivers for 

 considerable distances, in various sections of their 

 course ; so that he can have every facility for trans- 

 porting himself to any particular part where he 

 wishes to commence his sport. 



But should the angler be in the western districts 

 of Perthshire, he has an easy access to the higher 

 waters of the Dee, by travelling a few miles over 

 the mountain country in the direction of Glen Curry 



