Dr. Johnston's Journal of a visit to Jar dine Hall. 413 



give ; but you feel the scene, and that feeling would be even 

 oppressive — fearful perhaps — were one alone to traverse 

 their weary and watery level. After walking a short way 

 over this flat surface, we reached a coast bounded by a rocky 

 precipitous bank of great height and rugged beauty. The 

 rocks were hard and sharp as flint, of a reddish colour, broken 

 into acute angles and masses, and caverned with many caves 

 that lead sometimes far inwards. Often an enormous mass 

 of rock had fallen down and concealed the front of these 

 dark recesses ; and more than one might have been the type 

 of the cave that sheltered Dick Hatterig and his ruffian 

 smugglers. As this fine and bold piece of coast was wooded 

 too to the very ledge, there were other places whence Ken- 

 nedy might have been precipitated ; — indeed the scenery 

 seemed to be exact to that described by Sir Walter Scott, in 

 his " Guy Mannering." It is of these very rocks that Cham- 

 bers says : — " It has been supposed, with no inconsiderable 

 degree of probability, that they furnished materials for the 

 scenery of Ellangowan." — I enjoyed this scenery greatly, 

 and it was rich also in a botanical view. First in interest, 

 there was the Samphire, growing in places whence to have 

 gathered it would be indeed a * dreadful trade." — "Half-way 

 down hangs one that gathers Samphire, — dreadful trade !" 

 Sir William told me, that within his memory a man living 

 at Douglas Hall, was wont thus annually to collect Samphire 

 from these rocks. I succeeded in reaching one tuft, which 

 supplied me with specimens as memorials of the Colvend 

 rocks ; which, I ween, are somewhat grander than those of 

 Dover, and not less immortal in man's memory were they ; 

 in fact, the objects the great Northern Novelist had in his 

 eye, when he drew the coast scenery of " Guy Mannering." 

 The Pyrethrum maritimum grew here abundantly, also in 

 inaccessible spots ; but it was truly ornamental, as its large 

 white flowers showed bravely with the dark rock behind. 

 The rock was studded everywhere with these and other 

 sweet flowers. The Arenaria marina, Silene maritima, 

 Statice armeria, Sedum telephium, Gochlearia officinalis, 

 Aspleniurn marinum, commingled themselves on the rugged 

 front, with wiry grasses, the Ivy, the Holly, the Whin, and 

 several fine arching briars and roses ; while on more exposed 

 abutments, several yellow and green lichens found space to 

 spread their circular patches. Sir William pointed out one 

 or two specimens of the Yew, which would seem to be 



