SCOTLAND. 



571 



The Fish Market at Edinhursh. 



The castle of Edinburgh is an ancient fortress on a rugged rock, mounting abruptly to the 

 height of 200 feet. It stands at the western extremity of High street, and the view from its 

 summit always excites the admiration of a traveler. Holyrood House, for many centuries 

 the residence of the kings of Scotland, is a quadrangular edifice in tlie eastern part of the city, 



and at present offers a shelter to the 

 -— detluoned king of France, as its 

 neighborhood does to the insolvent 

 debtors of Edinburgli. In the centre 

 of the city, is a vast pile, comprising 

 several edifices aiound Parliament 

 Square, which contain a number of 

 large libraries, one of which, called 

 the Advocate's Library, has 150,000 

 volumes. 



The Fish Afarket occupies a very 

 convenient spot under the arches of 

 a bridge which crosses the ravine be- 

 tween the old and new town. It is 

 surrounded by covered stalls. 



From the plain on the east of the 

 central bridge rise the Calton Hill 

 and Arthur's Seat ; the latter reaches 

 the height of 800 feet, presenting the 

 rocky outlines of Salisbury Crags ; 

 on the summit of the former is a 

 monument to Nelson, a circular col- 

 umn, 108 feet high, and upon both heights public walks have been laid out. The rrnal 

 exchange, the register office, the university building, and some of the churches, are am^. ^ 

 the principal public edifices. There are 48 churclies and meetinghouses, numerous hospitals, 

 &c. in Edinburgh. The manufactuies of the town are chiefly those intended to supply the 

 consumption of the inhabitants ; the trades of bookselling and printing are carried on to a great 

 extent ; the Edinburgh Review and Blackwood's Magazine are the most celebrated journals. 

 The town is chiefly supported by its courts of justice, whose jurisdiction extends over alJ 

 Scotland, and is noted for its literary character, a distinction which has acquired for it the sur- 

 name of the Modern Athens. Leith, the port of Edinburgh, is about 2 miles distant from it, but 



the two places are now connected by 

 continuous ranges of buildings. Loith 

 carries on an active trade with the' Bal- 

 tic and other parts of Europe, and has 

 an extensive coasting trade. The Green- 

 land whale fishery is also prosecuted 

 from Leith. Its docks, pier, and break- 

 water deserve mention. Population of 

 the two places, 162,1.50. In the neigh- 

 borhood of Edinburgh is a rock called 

 Samson^s Ribs, which attracts the curi- 

 osity of strangers, by the singular ap- 

 pearance of one of its faces, which ex- 

 hibits a mass of strata nearly vertical, 

 and bearing some resemblance to the 

 ribs of an enormous giant. 



Glasgow, the principal city of Scot- 

 land in point of population, extent, man- 

 ufactures, and commerce, is situated upon the Clyde. It is well built, with straight, spacious, 

 and neat streets, and contains several pretty squares and handsome public buildings. Its 

 cathedral is the finest Gothic church in Scotland, and its university is much celebrated. 

 There are several handsome bridges over the Clyde, and the quay extends a quarter of a mile 

 down the river, which is navigable for vessels drawing 8 feet of water, to Glasgow. The 



Samson s Ribs. 



