90 THE VOYAGE : PASSING IMPKESSIONS 
The whole scene very much reminded me of a view among 
the Grampians of Forfarshire, where you come suddenly 
upon the Glen of the Dale ; Glen Dhu stretches away on 
one hand, and on the other you look down into the broad 
valley of Clova ; the present, however, was infinitely grander, 
and the numerous laurel trees gave it a different aspect. 
The river dashing at the bottom, which looked hke a mere 
burn, brought Scotland forcibly to my mind ; it foamed 
away with a murmur which from the distance we could 
scarcely catch. 
The ragged Highlanders, for I can call them by no other 
name, were most troublesome, begging and offering us 
their climbing poles. ... On seeing me scrambhng among 
the rocks they paid me particular attention. 
. . . On reascending I found my companions seated among 
some rocks, surrounded by a brood of the most extraordinary 
ragged urchins I ever beheld, of all ages from five to tw^elve, 
dressed in tatters with high peaked carabooshes, their long 
hair streaming over their faces, which were of a most deter- 
mined Portuguese cast. They excited our compassion by 
kneehng round us and begging by holding up their hands 
with the palms together like Catholics invoking the Virgin. 
Some of them were really pretty, though [with] very coarse 
features ; among them was a very old woman whose husband 
had been lost among the cliffs or rather killed. They had 
large black eyes and seemed remarkably healthy, though 
they hve in the most wretched holes and feed upon chest- 
nuts, scarcely ever touching other foods. Even the little 
babies were sucking chestnuts. A few dogs w^re spectral 
animals. 
... On a grass bank, where we had left our horses, 
there was spread for us a famous cold luncheon prepared 
for us by Mr. Muir. Dr. Lippold ^ had joined us just before 
reaching the Jardine, and he certainly amused us not a 
little during dinner. The young half savages clustered 
around us whilst eating, forming a ring, which gradually 
approached and hemmed us in. Now the little German 
abhors the Portuguese beyond any other nation, and he 
could not brook these unfortunate urchins drawin'g near 
1 Dr. Lippold had been sent to Madeira to collect plants and seeds, partly 
for Kew, partly for the Duke of Bedford. 
