70 risii AXD PISHING ix SCOTLAND. 



out her choicest gifts in vain. But we must leave the Hebrides 

 for a while, and return to the Kith. 



The tide influences the river as high, if I rightly recollect, 

 as this mill-dam just below the town, and which, but for it, 

 would naturally affect it still further towards the interior of 

 the country, or until the increasing elevation of the bed of the 

 river renders its disturbance impossible by any tide. The tide 

 in the Nith was beginning to ebb as we gained the opposite or 

 northern bank. On a stiuiiy day these banks must be beautiful 

 Scotland is beautiful ! but how many sunny days have you ? 

 Here lies the difficulty. It is the glorious sunlight, clear, warm, 

 and balmy, fleecy clouds, blue skies, purple heath, and verdant 

 sward, which alone can make Scotland beautiful. Without the 

 sunshine, all is barren, melancholy, dreary, desolate. The valley 

 of the Nith forms no exception to this any more than the valley 

 of the Isis, the Dervvent or the Trent, the Seine or the Loire. 

 Ivaffraria itself, Nature's grand park, have I seen gloomy, cold, 

 and desolate. The period, it is true, was but short : a day or 

 two at most in a year. Winter is always winter, and tells even 

 on the banks of the beauteous Keiskamma and Koonap. As we 

 lay in our laager* on that stormy and rainy night, awaiting day- 

 light and fine weather to enable us to attack with success the 

 residence and chief village of the redoubted Slambie, who, with 

 his bold Kaffirs, was at no great distance, and ere night fell well 

 aware of our presence, the morning came foggy, damp, and 

 miserable. It had rained all night, and for the first time I 

 fancied myself once more in smoky, gloomy, miserable England. 

 But soon the glorious sub, rising in all his splendour from the 

 eastern ocean, chased away these fogs and mists, which rested 

 heavily on hill and plain, revealing to us the snow-clad Anatolo, 

 projected on the azure sky, bathed in light. What a landscape 

 was that. Nature's landscape. But I must not dwell on it 

 here. The valley of the Nith, though infinitely marred by 

 human hands, yet offers a beautiful landscape in its way. A 

 tidal stream; boats, and huts, and fishermen; grassy banks, 

 streams gentle, it is true and long, straight or winding reaches ; 



Dutch word for encampment. 



