390 NETHER LOCHABER. 



but the very antipodes of a Scotchman — he was an Englishman, 

 proud and prejudiced, and deaf and dead as a stone to the charms 

 of music, whether vocal or instrumental. When at Sleat, in Skye, 

 many years afterwards, he made the confession that " he knew a 

 drum from a trumpet, and a bagpipe from a guitar, which was 

 about the extent of his knowledge of music." We parted with 

 our friends of the Highland Association on the best terms ; they . 

 were good-natured enough to say that they were pleased with us ; 

 we certainly had every reason to be pleased with them. 



We were astir betimes next morning, in order to fulfil an 

 engagement undertaken at the request of some naturalist friends 

 in London — a visit, namely, to the Aquarium at Eothesay, an 

 admirably conducted institution, one of the best in the kingdom. 

 We expected to see a great deal that could not well fail to interest 

 us, and we did see a great deal that pleased us very much indeed ; 

 the best proof of which is that after several hours' wandering from 

 tank to tank, it was with a sigh of regret that our attention 

 was called to the fact that it was already time for us to put up ovx 

 note-book and find our way as quickly as possible to the pier, 

 if we would overtake the Mountaineer for Greenock, in order to 

 reach Glasgow again that evening. Of all the tanks, that which 

 we lingered longest before, perhaps, was that set apart for sea 

 anemones, of which the collection is exceedingly curious and 

 interesting. All the specimens seemed perfectly healthy and well- 

 to-do, though, owing to the fact that the afternoon had now 

 become wet and dull, they were disinclined to display their beauties 

 in fuU. In another of the tanks, of which the most distinguished 

 inhabitant is a conger eel of a large size, we were much amused 

 with the conduct of a seven or eight pound cod, that seemed as 

 if he would willingly have spoken to us if he could. As soon as 

 he became aware of our presence, he came sailing out of a dark 

 recess behind a rocky promontory — a sort of MuU of Kintyre in 



