^T. 28.] JOURNAL. 97 



morning, and by which, if I am so fortunate as to 

 obtain a seat, I may expect to reach Edinburgh be- 

 fore daybreak. 



Watekloo Hotel, Edineukgh, 

 Thursday evening, January 3, 1839. 



This is my first day in Auld Reekie ; and my first 

 business, on sitting down by my quiet and comfortable 

 fireside, shall be to give you a brief account of this 

 day's work. After taking a reasonable modicum of 

 tea I spent the whole of last evening at Kinross in 

 writing, until two o'clock, at which hour the mail- 

 coach punctually made its appearance ; and there was 

 fortunately room inside. We drew up at the post 

 office at Edinburgh at half past six in the morning 

 (raining as usual). I took possession of a very com- 

 fortable, even elegant room, very different from the 

 six feet by nine bedrooms of most hotels. This is the 

 finest hotel I have yet seen ; the Adelphi at Liverpool 

 is not to be mentioned in comparison. I threw myself 

 on the bed and slept for an hour or two. On waking 

 I drew up the curtains of my windows, and had all at 

 once a magnificent view of this picturesque city, which 

 stai-tled me. From descriptions and a few prints I 

 have somewhere seen I find I had formed a very cor- 

 rect view of this city, as far as it went. It is the finest 

 town I have seen or expect soon to see. It owes much 

 of its beauty to its peculiar site, and to the manner in 

 which the old town acts as a foil to the new. Imme- 

 diately after breakfast I sallied forth, walked down the 

 street, uncertain which of my letters of introduction I 

 should first attempt to deliver ; decided for Greville ; ^ 



1 Robert K. Greville, M. D., 1794-1806; author of Scottish Cryp- 

 togamic Flora, Flora Fdinensis, and Algai Britannicm. 



