416 Dr. Johnston's Journal of a visit to Jardine Hall. 



mausoleum of Burns, where his mortal remains lie ; and 

 generations yet unborn will visit the spot, led thither by the 

 same feelings that led us, — admiration and gratitude, and 

 love, and pride, and mournful sympathy. I resolve here to 

 re-peruse his everlasting works, and I must some day fulfil 

 my vow. Our curiosity satisfied, we next went to see the 

 house where he lived the latter years of his life, and in 

 which he died. I like the remarks of Chambers on visiting 

 this mausoleum (" Picture of Scotland," p. 104) ; and am 

 well pleased to have seen it. Guide books now a days make 

 a traveller's Journal very short ; and so without mention of 

 what other things we saw there, we leave the town and re- 

 turn to Jardine Hall by the same road which we travelled 

 yesterday. And our long journey made us enjoy with 

 zest our dinner, to which we had the Vendace ; and an epi- 

 cure may esteem the man fortunate, who could thus have 

 the good fortune to eat, two days in succession, fishes he had 

 not tasted before. The Vendace is a very delicate fish.* 



Saturday, Sept. 14th. The rain fell incessantly, and so 

 heavily, that we were confined to the house ; and found not 

 an hour of the day in which it was possible to have a stroll. 

 So we occupied ourselves in examining the library ; which 

 contains some fire and interesting works. Perhaps none of 

 them interested me so much, as some original letters of 

 Wilson, the American ornithologist, and copies of the only 

 two engravings he ever executed. Sir William Jardine is a 

 sincere and hearty admirer of this wonderful man and nat- 

 uralist, and there is something in common between them. 

 Sir William is a man of talent, of quick and original obser- 

 vation, and of considerable acquirements ; but he wants 

 decision, and has had a defective education. Still, there are 

 few naturalists who are equal to him in mental character, and 

 who study their science with the same high views ; which 

 his limited command of language does not allow him to do 

 justice to, or develop in a manner that takes with the public. 

 I like my friend much, and have every reason to be pleased 

 with my visit to him. After the Library we examined the 

 Museum, and his various collections. Perhaps the things 

 that most took my fancy, were two glass beads of the size 

 of marbles, which the common people everywhere call Adder's 

 Eggs ; and which antiquarians seem puzzled to say what 



* Sir William Jardine' s account of this fish may he found, along -with a 

 figure, in the Edinburgh Journal of Nat. and Geog. Science, vol. iii., pp 1-5. 



