THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 



149 



the Museum until Professor Jameson had sent me a gen* 

 eral ticket of admission. I went then to the Port of Leith, 

 distant not quite three miles, but missing my way, reached 

 the Frith of Forth at Trinity, a small village on the bay, 

 from whence I could see the waters of the German Ocean ; 

 the shore opposite was distant about seven miles, and 

 looked naked and hilly. During my walk I frequently 

 turned to view the beautiful city behind me, rising in grad- 

 ual amphitheatre, most sublimely backed by mountainous 

 clouds that greatly improved the whole. The wind was 

 high, the waters beat the shore violently, the vessels at an- 

 chor pitched, — all was grand. On inquiry I found this 

 was no longer an admiral's station, and that in a few more 

 weeks the steamboats that ply between this and London, 

 and other parts of the north of this island, would stop 

 their voyages, the ocean being too rough during the winter 

 season. I followed along the shores, and reached Leith in 

 about twenty minutes. I saw a very pretty iron jetty with 

 three arches, at the extremity of which vessels land pas- 

 sengers and freight. Leith is a large village apparently, 

 mostly connected with Hamburg and the seaports of 

 Holland. Much business is going on I saw here great 

 numbers of herring-boats and the nets for capturing these 

 fishes; also some curious drags for oysters, clams, and 

 other shellfish. The docks are small, and contain mostly 

 Dutch vessels, none of them large. An old one is fitted 

 up as a chapel for mariners. I waited till after sunset be- 

 fore returning to my lodgings, when I told my landlady T 

 was going to the theatre, that I might not be locked out, 

 and went off to see " Rob Roy." The theatre not opening 

 till half-past six, I spent some little time in a bookseller's 

 shop, reading an account of the Palace and Chapel of 

 Holyrood. The pit, where I sat, was crowded with gen- 

 tlemen and ladies ; for ladies of the second class go to 

 the pit, the superior classes to the boxes, and those of 

 neither class way above. The house is small but well 



