BIRD LIFE, ETC. 141 



was much shorter than the highway. By it I pro- 

 ceeded until I reached Blair Lodge, where I obtained 

 some refreshment, of which I stood greatly in need. 

 The good woman very benevolently exerted herself 

 to persuade me to remain all night, the hills being, as 

 she said, bleak and dreary, entirely destitute of every- 

 thing that could afford pleasure to a traveller, and even 

 without human habitation, the nearest house being 

 fifteen miles north. It was now six o'clock, and I was 

 certain of being benighted, but I had promised to be 

 at the source of the Dee by noon of next day, and all 

 the dragons of darkness could not have prevented me 

 from at least striving to fulfil my engagement. They 

 had never heard of the spring in question, nor even 

 of the river ; no Cairngorm could be seen, and a 

 woman just arrived from the Spey informed me that 

 I should be under the necessity of going through 

 Badenoch before I could get to it. I placed more 

 confidence in my travelling map. All, however, shook 

 their heads when I disclosed my plan, which was to 

 proceed eastward, cross a stream, get to the summit 

 of a ridge of mountains, and so forth, until I should 

 reach the first burn of the Dee, where I expected 

 to find my friend Craigie. It was sunset when I 

 got to the top of the first hill, whence I struck 

 directly east, judging by the place where the sun 

 disappeared behind the rugged and desolate mountains. 

 After traversing a mile of boggy heath, I found myself 

 put out of my course by a long, deep, rocky valley or 

 ravine which I was obliged to double, and before I 



