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its ancient mountain clans) soft and balmy 

 waters; through the lake she dashed, breast 

 high — a strait ahead — steaming by Bala- 

 lister at seven knots by the log, soundings the 

 deep nine, "Fair Helen" entered the gorge, 

 and now rushing down an inclined plain, to 

 the fear of the timid, and delight of the stout- 

 hearted, double quick did run the " fair one," 

 making up for lost time experienced in the 

 " meeting of the waters" — through lock gates, 

 up hills, &c., now through an embankment, 

 nearing Fort Augustus, and the head of Loch- 

 ness, down she settled between two stupendous 

 lock gates. " What aw-fu' gates ! " What work 

 bestowed on them — what an enormous depth 

 are they — the wet and muddy sides of which 

 beat chilly. Down, " down below," went the 

 *' fair one," till she levelled the golden waters 

 of — " 0, that lovely lake," — into which she 

 slipped like a fairy elf. After her cold incarce- 

 ration, " Helen the Fair" tripped merrily down 

 the centre of the "fathomless Lochness," the 

 sun breaking, beamed out upon us cheeringly 

 after the chill and hazy morning. Like looking- 

 glass did that sun-lit lake appear, stretching 

 m away before us, losing itself in the distance, 



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