aE HOT LL AON BD: 
moft amazing caverns ; fome open into the fea with.a narrow entrance, and im- 
ternally inftantly rife into high and fpacious vaults, and fo extenfively meandring, 
that no one as yet has had the courage to explore the end. The entrance of 
others fhame the work of art in the nobleft of the Gothic cathedrals, A mag- 
nificent portal appears divided in the middle by a-great column, the bafis of 
which finks deep in the water. Thus the voyager may pafs on one fide in his 
“boat, furvey the wonders within, and return by the oppoflite fide. 
. The cavern called the Gey/it-pot, almoft realifes in form a fable in the Perfian 
Tales. The hardy adventurer may make a long fubterraneous voyage, with a 
picturefque fcenery of rock above and on every fide. He may be rowed in this 
folemn fcene till he finds himfelf fuddenly reftored to the fight of the heavens: 
he finds himfelf in a circular chafm, open to the day, with a narrow bottom and 
-extenfive top, widening at the margin to the diameter of two hundred feet. On 
attaining the fummit, he finds himfelf at a diftance from the fea, amidft corn- 
fields.or verdant paftures, with a fine view of the country, and a gentleman’s feat 
near to the place from which hehad emerged. Such may be the amufement of the 
curious in fummer calms !- but when the ftorms are dire&ted from the eaft, the 
view from the edge of this hollow istremendous ; for, from the height of above 
‘three hundred feet, they may look down on the furious waves, whitened with 
foam, and fwelling from their confined paflage. 
_ Peninfulated rocks often jut from the face of the cliffs, precipitous on their fides, 
and wafhed by a great depth of water. ‘The ifthmus which joins them to the land, 
is often fo extremely narrow as to render it impaflable for more than two or three 
perfons a-breaft; but the tops fpread into verdant areas, containing veftiges of 
rude fortifications, in antient and barbarous times the retreat of the neighboring 
inhabitants from the rage of a potent invader *. 
' Montrofe, penin{fulated by the fea, and the bafon its beautiful harbour, ftands 
on a bed of fand and gravel. The tide rufhing furioufly through a narrow en- 
4rance twice in twenty-four hours, fills the port with a depth of water fufficient to 
bring in veffels of large burden. Unfortunately, at the ebb they muftlie dry ; for 
mone exceeding fixty tons can at that period float, and thofe only in the chan- 
nel of the South Efk, which, near Montrofe, difcharges itfelf into the fea. 
A fandy coaft is continued for a fmall diftance from Montrofe. Rude rocky 
cliffs re-commence in the county of MMerns, and front the ocean. Among the 
higheft is Fowls-hexgh, noted for the reiort of multitudes of fea-birds. Bervie 
and Stouehive are two {mall ports overhung with rocks; and on the fummit of a 
* Thefe defcriptions borrowed from my own Tours. 
c moft 
XVII 
Montrose. 
