310 
have been made much eafier, if, infead 
of going ovr every {mall protuberance, 
they had veen directed round them, or the 
hilis removed. 
July 24, I proceeded from Melrofe to 
Peebles, in Pceblefhir-, through SeJkirk- 
fhire, twen‘y-two milks. I fon crofs the 
Tweed over a go d {tone bridge, and pre- 
feotly afterwards ener Selkukfhire. I 
clofely purfue the courfe of that river 
along its northern banks about 4 miles, 
‘when, leaving it a little, I reach Gallas 
fhields, a pleafant village on ghe pupody 
banks of the river Galla. This village is 
réma' Kable for carrying on a great wocl- 
Jen manufa€ture. The vale h2s hitherto 
been dry and gravelly, and containing a 
fine turnip foil; and the high hiils on 
each fide partly green pafture, and partly 
cultivated: but ov leaving Gallafhields, 
the foil becomes more cold and fteril, the 
adjacent hills rocky and precipiteus ; and 
the vale contracts to adreary dell. Ihave 
already left the Tweed, and am afcending 
Gaila-water. A. mile or two further 
brings me to a romantic turn of this dell, 
where an elegant feat of Mr. Pringle’s 
fiands on an eminence, and commands a 
full view of «he valley to the eaft. Here 
the vale becomes a mere chafm, leaving 
juft room for the river, which rattles along 
the bottom, confined with rocks, and 
overhung with large impending trees. I 
now leave this river and the Edinburgh 
road, and turn’ to the left along another 
narrow dell towards the Tweed. I ob- 
ferved a wood near Mir. Pringle’s, which 
feems a fort of rendezvous for herons: an 
aftonifhing number of thefe birds were fly- 
ing about, hovering ever and lighting 
upon thetrees. The counry now wears 
_ amore dreary afpeét ; 00s heathy hill ap- 
pears behind another on every fide, and 
cultivation is aloft precluded. The eve 
is not long difguited with this unintereit- 
ing diftrigt 3 I foon arrive again of the 
banks of the tweed, having left Selkiik 
on my lefty and creffed the road from 
thence to Edinburgh. The vale now be- 
comes exceedingly beautiful, but narrow : 
the road winds along by the fide of the ~ 
river, while ranges of mountains rife irre- 
gularly on each hand, whole fides are vari- 
egated with rocks, woods, and green pal- 
ae and occupied with flocks of graz- 
¢ fheep. Sometimes ihe valley expands, 
ae on ove or both fides ot the river 
tracts of fine holm er haugh land; and in 
other parts the hills defcend to the very 
ma‘gin of the water, fo that it is neceflary 
to cuf away, the earth or rock for a road, 
Houfman’s Tour in Scotland. 
{Nov. 1, 
Several old caftles in ruins appear on the 
fides of the adj ininz mountains in places 
very difficult of : cecels. A gravelly tur- 
nip ‘oil chiefly prevails, and many. neatly 
cultivated farms idd beauty to the coun- 
try, which, though confined between two 
ranges of hills, contin-es-‘o exhibit the 
moft pleafing rurai fcenes. Frequently an 
opening among the hills expofes tie bo- 
fom cf another ft] more fecluced retreat, 
than which fancy cavnot pain’ to the 1ma- 
gination a mcre proper place fer the enjoy- 
ment of rural happinefs. I new reach 
the village of Innerleatnan, where a 
woollen manuiadlure is carried on. This 
village is moft plcafantly feated in an ex- 
tenfive vale, firrounded with high moun- 
tains: on the fides of fome of them, large 
and thriving plantations ef fir havea good 
effect in the general view. Towards the 
fouth end of this expanfive valley is icaed 
the noble manfion of the Earl of Tr 
quair, adjoining which his lordfhio has a 
large eftate. The houle is old, but the 
fituation fine ; and, befides ‘he extenfive 
fir. plantations of his lordthip, a great 
-number of old trees of difercnt forts em- 
bellifh this rural fear. Leaving this 
place, the vale again contraéts, but conti- 
nues, plea‘ane and fertile. Good-cxops of 
turnips, clover, oats, and barley are gene- 
rally prevalent; but the ground feems too 
gravelly for the produétisn of wheat. 
The cuftom of females going without 
fhocs and ftockings continues to prevail, 
but the novelty of the appearance now 
wears off, and does not frike me as on my 
firft entry into Scoland. <A Scotch girl 
has no more {cruple in expofing her naked 
legs and feet, than an Englih woman in 
fhewing her hands and arms. I do not 
however conclude, that therefore the for- 
mer do not poffe(s as much real modefty 
as the latter; nor that they are more open 
to feduétion ;: on the contrary, I believe, 
the Scotch country lafies, though lefs de- 
corous in public than thofe of their clas 
in England, have more folid virtue. 
Greater care is generally taken in giving 
them a virtuous education : this, added ta 
their want of opportunity of feeing or 
knowing more of the vices and follies of 
_the world, the refpeét they bear their cler- 
gy, and the fear of their ceniures on mak. 
ing a falfe ftep, is the cauie why we do 
not find a criminal intercourje between the 
fexes as frequent asin England. A ftran- 
ger, however, coming into Scot!and would 
at firlt be apt to form a contra ry opinion, 
from the apparently loote demeanour of, 
the plebeian iemaics, and evea of thofe in 
higher 
