ON THE PARALLEL ROADS 



General Appearance and Character of the Shelves. 



The shelves run in a series of horizontal lines, along the- 

 sides or faces of the mountains of Lochaber *, bounding the 

 valleys of Glen Gluoy, Glen Roy, Glen Spean, and several of 

 their smaller tributary glens. One range of these is to be ob- 

 served on each side of Glen Gluoy, running at a level some- 

 what higher than that of any of the linear appearances in the 

 other glens, with none of which it has the least connection. 

 In Glen Roy there are three corresponding ranges, the upper- 

 most being at a level about 12 feet under that of the shelf in 

 Glen Gluoy. The next is about 80 feet below the level of the 

 one immediately over it ; and the lowest line of all, is about 200 

 feet underneath that to which it succeeds in elevation. These 

 two last measurements, however, are merely such as could be 

 accomplished by an ascertainment of the distance of each range 

 from that above it, at different parts of the glen, corrected by 

 a calculation of the intensity of the various slopes, producing 

 an approximation to the truth. The two uppermost shelves 

 of Glen Roy are entirely confined to that valley, and those 

 immediately tributary to it ; but the lowest of all, is seen to 



sweep 



* The Gaelic word Lochaber, signifies the influx of a lake into a river, or the 

 sea. The district so called, comprehends Glens Gluoy, Roy, and Spean, Lochs 

 Laggan and Treig ; and the country stretching in the direction of Fort William, 

 and as far to the westward as the Ferry of Balachulish. 



