II 



OlAWTS ATn) PICMIT!!!. 



63 



"\vny to Stirling ? Our geological map, Mumhison and Geikis's, 

 inform U3 that they belong to division C. They are therefore 

 Upper Old Red Sandstone, or Dure Den Yellow Sandstones, 

 etc., of the Kingdom of Fife. They are therefore our " Native 

 Eocks," and the Trappean correspond with those which 

 furnished the Scotch Pebbks, plowed up iu our fields, which 

 we delighted in collecting in boyhood. It appears then, that 

 the adaptation of Kuwieton to its Fisheries, is deprived largely 

 from its intrusive — igneous — Dolerites. W« are hailed by 

 other members of our party, Dr. Day and otherc, who are 

 collecting plants. After dejeuner, we mount catriagee to visiA 

 Stirling Castle. We come to Bannockburn ; we call a halt to 

 examine a stone called the Bore-stone, which was pointed out 

 to us on the preceding day, as where the Bruce stood on that 

 memorable day, in the year 1314 — 569 years ago, when with 

 30,000 men he overthrew tbe host of Edward II., king of 

 England, numbering 100,000, and sectired Scotland's freedom. 

 We stand on the etone and examine it. The stone is probably 

 a slab of Old Red Sandstone. We did not chip a piece of it 

 with OUT hammer — ^^an act of self-denial. Not many of our 

 party had sympathetic feelings. Amid excitement and cheering 

 of boys, who enjoy and scramble for the largetse of pennies 

 and half-pennies, we drive up the old town and enter Stirling 

 Castle. Entering the square, we enquire for the commandant, 

 Sir James Maitland's companion of the preceding day, who 

 willingly takes U6 in charge. We have no difficulty with 

 door-keepers — all is free. We ai'e taken to the officers' mess 

 room, at the top of the Castle, where the general visitors have 

 no admission — we climb through a narrow way to the roof, and 

 view the glorious panorama, a scene in extent of beauty and 

 grandeur not to be surpassed. Of course, we examined the 

 Palace and rooms ; we have now no distinct recollection, as we 

 were more impressed with the exterior than the interior. The 

 only room which we can bring up before us, is the Douglas 

 'room, where the Douglas was murdered by the King, and 

 where mementoes are sold to visitors, of which we purchased 

 •one. The only object of great interest in it to us, is John 

 IKnox's rude oaken ^pulpit, which we, of coursq, mounted, as we 





