MEMOIR OF PENNANT. 13 



the 26th of June 1769. The account of this tour 

 was not published till the year following. He set 

 out from Chester, and kept a regular journal of every 

 incident from that place till his return, taking sketches 

 of all that struck him as remarkable in the scenery, 

 buildings, and antiquities. He travelled what is 

 called the east road, and entered Scotland from Ber- 

 wick-upon-Tweed. By the way, he visited the 

 Fern Islands, lying off the Northumbrian coast, a 

 favourite resort, during the breeding-season, of many 

 species of sea-fowl ; and it is interesting now to 

 compare his account with a notice of the birds more 

 recently inhabiting these islands, published a few years 

 ago by the British ornithologist of our own times. 

 In the former, the Little Auk and Black Guille- 

 mot are both mentioned as occurring : while now, 

 the first does not find a place at all among the North- 

 umbrian birds, and the second is only met with oc- 

 casionally. He proceeded onwards by Edinburgh, and 

 made nearly the circuit of the mainland of Scotland, 

 travelling along the east coast by Perth, Aberdeen, 

 Inverness, &c. and returning by Fort- William, Loch 

 Awe, Inverary, and Glasgow, again entered Eng- 

 land by Carlisle. The Tour is written with much 

 clearness, as well as candour. A prejudice against 

 Scotland, regarding its great inferiority of climate, 

 and almost barbarous condition of the northern in- 

 habitants, existed, and to a certain extent influenced 

 the views of the tourist ; but a mind apparently at 

 ease and contented with itself, and alive to the beau- 



