IRELAND SCOTLAND. 179 



country, both in arts and agriculture, where premiums obtained 

 long before they were heard of with us. The manners of the 

 wild natives, their superstitions, their prejudices, their sordid 

 way of life, will extort from him many useful reflections. He 

 should also take with him an able draughtsman : for he must> 

 by no means, pass over the noble castles and seats, the exten- 

 sive and picturesque lakes and waterfalls, and the lofty, 

 stupendous mountains, so little known, and so engaging to the 

 imagination, when described and exhibited in a lively manner. 

 Such a work would be well received. 



As I have seen no modern map of Scotland, I cannot pretend 

 to say how accurate or particular any such may be : but this 

 I know, that the best old maps of that kingdom are very 

 defective. 



The great obvious defect that I have remarked in all maps 

 of Scotland that have fallen in my way is, a want of a coloured 

 line, or stroke, that shall exactly define the just limits of that 

 district called the Highlands.* Moreover, all the great avenues 



* The Highlands of Scotland are separated from that portion of North 

 Britain termed the Lowlands, by a lofty range of granitic mountains, 

 called the Grampians, which is the only line of demarkation between 

 these distinct divisions of the kingdom. The physical structure of this 

 chain is as remarkable as the general direction is striking, regular, and 

 continuous, forming a grand natural boundary of sublime and romantic 

 peaks, commencing north of the river Don, in the county of Aberdeen, 

 and intersecting the kingdom in a diagonal direction, till it terminates in 

 the south-west, beyond Ardmore, in the county of Dunbarton. This 

 barrier presents a bold, rocky, and precipitous aspect. Many places of the 

 south front consist of a species of breccia. In the centre, and following 

 the range, is a bed of limestone, of vast extent, which contains many 

 strata of slate, and a marble which takes a fine polish, the prevailing 

 colours of which are blue, green, and brown, intermixed with streaks of 

 pure white. A very valuable quarry of green marble has been recently 

 wrought in Glentilt. In the districts of Fortingall, Strathfillan, and 

 Glenlyon, quantities of lead and silver ore have been found. Over the 

 whole of this great range of mountains are numerous detached masses 

 of red and blue granite, containing garnets, amethysts, aqua-marines, 

 rock-crystals, and pebbles of great beauty and variety. 



In this fine chain, there are many summits of considerable altitude, 

 as Benlomond, Schiehallion, and Benlawers. From these, the views are 

 extensive, wild, and magnificent : 



There the boundless eye might sail, 

 O'er a sea of mountains borne. 



Here you have a wide fertile valley, and there the rugged and preci- 

 pitous fastness of some sublime cliffs, on whose tops the golden eagle 

 holds undisputed sway, with nought to disturb the repose of the solitude 

 but the notes of the ptarmigan ; while the white hare may be noticed 

 stealing slowly along the bottom of the cliff. ED. 



