STRATH DHU CA VULLICH. 219 



night) brought Gillespie to the fresh air in a state of 

 deshabille ; which, however, he very soon changed for 

 his ordinary dress on learning what he was wanted for. 

 The last time I had been at the river, two days before, 

 I had seen an eagle feasting on a wedder that had got 

 jambed between two rocks. I expected that he would 

 be in the same place again, so Gillespie got his gun 

 down, took out a couple of bullets that he had had in 

 it, and put in two charges of heavy shot, and away we 

 went just as things were beginning to be recognisable 

 at a hundred yards. I think you know my favourite 

 pass across the hill to Strath Dhu Ca Vullich the 

 top is about 2000 feet above the sea; the ascent is, 

 however, very gradual, extending over four miles, the 

 highest three miles being about the roughest to get 

 over imaginable nothing but sharp quartz gravel. 

 An hour and a half brought us to the top (Jemmy had 

 a good load on his back), when a breeze of wind suddenly 

 met us that almost stunned me. No one who has not 

 experienced could have an idea that the wind could 

 blow so hard. You would think me exaggerating if I 

 told you half the ideas I had and have of its power. I 

 do not believe one could have heard the report of a 

 12-pounder at a distance of 20 yards against that breeze. 

 The first 300 yards of the descent is nearly perpen- 

 dicular, and entirely formed of great loose quartz rocks 

 of all shapes and sizes, and great caution is required 

 on ordinary occasions in getting down this via mala : 

 this time, however, the wind was blowing right up, and 

 I went down at a run, and felt then that I could not 

 have fallen against it. We were now in sight of the 

 river, winding like a "harmless serpent" far below; 

 and my vis-d-vis, Ben Fionan, was looking, if possible, 

 blacker and more awful than usual. Now is the time, 



