occupied in passing them, affording the passengers ample time to visit Fort Augustus, which stands in a delightful situation at the south-western end of the lake, commanding from its battlements a view towards the north, extending twenty-two miles through the vista of mountains. The shores of the lake become much bolder and loftier as you approach its head, and this circumstance added to the natural effect of distance, produced a perfect perspective reaching along the narrow sheet of water, which had just been traversed. The fortress is strong and well built, but from its position might be easily battered down by cannon planted on the neighbouring hills. It was taken and nearly demolished by the Highlanders in 1746, occasioning a heavy expense to the government for repairs. At present it is dismantled, and has a garrison of only a corporal and seven men to guard the works, which might very easily have been stormed by the multitude of passengers, who rushed to the parapet. A small village has risen round the fort, which seems to be entirely secluded from the rest of the world.

Returning to the boat, and passing an artificial channel of five miles, we entered Loch Oich, which is one of the smallest in the chain, being only two or three miles in length. It constitutes the summit level of the canal, and is fed by the river Garry, which rushes from the bleak summit of the Grampian Hills, where its source was spoken of on our passage from Perth to Inverness. Its shores are wild and solitary, but in character do not differ materially from those of Loch Ness.

From this little lake, an artificial communication, two miles in extent and in some places forty feet deep, leads into Loch Lochy, the waters of which are raised to the height of fifteen feet, by a dam at the outlet, to bring the surface to a level with Loch Oich, and to save the expense of excavation. As what is gained by this contrivance is lost by the necessity of two additional locks in the descent into Loch Linnhe, I was unable to appreciate the ingenuity and wisdom of the engineer. It struck me, that some part of the one million sterling might have been saved by a series of locks, instead of the expensive excavation of forty feet, especially as the summit level has an ample supply of water. But it is no concern of mine, how much money the British government squandered for the benefit of the Highlanders. Other millions might have been expended without making

full reparation for the wrongs and outrages inflicted upon a gallant people, by carrying a war of desolation into their peaceful vales, in the manner already alluded to, after the battle of Culloden:

"Where once they ruled and roamed at will,
Free as their own dark mountain game;
Their sons are slaves, yet keenly feel

A longing for their father's fame."

Loch Lochý is ten miles in length, and about a mile in breadth, with straight, bold shores, giving it the appearance of a large river. The mountains on either side are loftier and more savage in their aspect, than those farther north. They rise nearly perpendicularly from the water, and their projecting fronts are deeply scarred with the beds of torrents. A road winds along close to the south-eastern margin, which is often rendered impassable by the quantities of water and debris tumbling from the hills. On the left are the dreary solitudes of Lochaber; and the opposite shore constituted the sterile domains of Lochiel, the hero of Campbell's exquisite poem. His name was derived from Loch Oiel, an

arm of Loch Linnhe.

To deepen the wild and gloomy scenery of this lake, the charming weather which had continued for several days here deserted us, and a violent gale setting up through the narrow pass from the Irish sea, lashed the waters into foam, deeply as they are embedded between the impending barriers. The hills were soon enveloped in clouds, and the rain poured in torrents, driving as many of the passengers below, as could crowd into the cabin, the others being left to shelter themselves as well as they could by the aid of umbrellas upon deck. Night came on in the midst of the storm, leaving us in this situation to make slow head-way against the winds and waves.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, we arrived at the foot of Loch Lochy, and made a port till morning. It was so dark and rainy, that the dock could scarcely be seen from the side of the boat. There was a general rush of passengers to the Neptune Hotel, the only one at the landing, and which contained but twenty-six beds for the accommodation of one hundred and fifty persons. For some time, the rooms presented a perfect scene of confusion, bordering almost upon a riot. The hostess at length adopted a rigid rule of adjust

ment, and those who first arrived were first served. Although one of the passengers offered her a guinea for a bed, her integrity was such as to lead her to refuse the bribe. The rooms were of course full, before one-third of the multitude had found accommodations. At ten o'clock, a caravan lighted their lanterns, and set off on foot, in the rain, for Fort William. Others returned to the boat. Our party were so fortunate as to obtain a small sitting-room, where temporary beds were made up for five of us, and afforded confined, but comfortable quarters for the night. For an hour or two, the interior of the Neptune Hotel, with the stern land-lady half-way up the stair-case, dispensing justice and distributing favours to the crowd below, would have furnished a novel subject for the pencil of an artist.

On making a sortie the next morning, from the hotel, we found ourselves in the midst of an immense amphitheatre of hills, surrounding the alluvial plain between Loch Lochy and Loch Linnhe. Directly in front of the inn, and at the distance of not more than three quarters of a mile, Ben-Nevis swells from the vale to the altitude of 4370 feet above the sea, being the loftiest mountain in Great-Britain. The scenery in the vicinity is in the highest degree wild and romantic, showing off this stupendous mass of rocks to the best advantage. To the west of the chain of lakes, as far as vision extends in both directions, peak rises after peak, frowning upon the waters below. The basin is skirted with dark and desolate heaths, and sprinkled with a few turf cottages, so rude in construction that grass and wild plants are seen growing from the roofs. A lake opens on either hand, and between them flows the river Lochy, on the banks of which are seated the ruins of two or three old castles. Upon such a scene, this monarch of the Caledonian hills looks down from his throne in gloomy grandeur.

Giving up all idea of ascending Ben-Nevis, as well from the uncertainty of the weather, as from the time required to climb to such a height, and wishing to see as much of the mountain as possible, we left the steam-boat to pursue its course through the remaining part of the canal, where it would be delayed an hour or two in passing eight locks, and walked on, to join it again at Fort William, two or three miles below. A boy ferried us over the Lochy, and a short visit was paid to the ruins of the fortress standing upon its borders. It was once a strong work, with four massive

towers at the corners. Several great battles have been fought under its ramparts, in one of which fifteen hundred of the clan Campbell were killed.

Our walk was directed close along the base of BenNevis, and the clouds breaking away afforded a full view of the summit. The rocks are of a reddish colour, at a distance giving a dark hue to the tremendous precipices. On the south-west side of the mountain, Glen-Nevis opens into Loch Linnhe. A wild torrent hurries down the ravine, on the banks of which there is an extensive cemetery, with its white tomb-stones rising from the green sod. The epitaphs are chiefly in the Gaelic language. Here the forefathers of the vale repose, except kings and heroes, whose dead bodies were transported from a little harbour on the opposite side of the lake, to be interred in the remote island of Iona. So says tradition, and so say the poetical dreams of M'Pherson.

Fort William is situated upon the shore of the lake. It was established in the time of the Commonwealth, and remodeled under William and Mary, whence its name. There is nothing interesting about the fortress, nor in the dirty village of Gordonsburgh, in its vicinity, where the steamboat took us up with a large accession to the number of passengers. The deck was so thronged, that if the multitude chanced to be attracted to either side, the weight was sufficient to make the vessel roll.

At Corran Ferry, eight miles below, five of our party concluded to send on their baggage to Glasgow, pass up Glencoe, one of the most interesting portions of Highland scenery, and thence across the country to Loch Lomond. Our New-England friends continued their voyage, on their way to the Island of Staffa. A crazy boat took the rest of us ashore, and, as a sequel to the adventures of the trip, was nigh capsizing us in the surf.

We immediately chartered a one-horse cart, (the only kind of vehicle to be found in this part of the country,) to take us to Ballahulish, four or five miles up Glencoe. Fortunately the road was excellent, forming a part of the great military route from Fort William to Stirling, and poor Rosinante whirled us briskly forward, though in truth cutting but a sorry figure. The ride along the shore of Loch Leven, which is an arm of Loch Linnhe extending far up the glen, and where the waves are seen rolling in from the sea between lofty mountains rising on either hand, was one of the most

pleasant which this romantic region has afforded. In one direction the traveller surveys, across a wide expanse of waters, Morven and other hills celebrated by Ossian, while towards the east, he looks up the glen which was the birth-place and residence of the poet himself.

Just at evening we arrived at a small, but comfortable inn, standing within a few yards of the lake, and took lodgings for the night. The wind blew in violent gusts, often shaking our little tenement to its foundations, and creating an anxiety for those, who were tossing on the surges of the Irish sea, in a miserable boat crowded with passengers. It was subsequently ascertained, that she was nigh being lost in her passage to Oban. On the very next trip, the Comet went down in the waters of the Clyde, at two o'clock in the morning, with seventy or eighty passengers on board, nearly all of whom perished.

As we were now in the region of song, a musical party consisting of our hostess, of Mary Campbell, and John M'Gregor, great names and born of proud ancestors, contributed to the enjoyments of the evening. They formed themselves into a little circle, and taking hold of the corners of a handkerchief, which was kept swinging to beat time, as the custom of the Highlanders is, chanted half a dozen wild and sweet airs, in the Gaelic language. The landlady, who was leader of the choir, acted as interpreter of the sentiment. One of the songs, descriptive of a chase upon a neighbouring hill, is ascribed to Ossian, with what truth I am unable to say. The voices of the trio were melodious, and the music was soft and melancholy, stealing over the mind like the dying cadence of an Æolian harp.

LETTER XXVI.

LOCH LEVEN-GLENCOE-BIRTH-PLACE OF OSSIAN-LOCH TOLLA-GLENORCHY-LOCH AWE-INVERARY-CASTLE OF THE DUKE OF ARGYLE-LOCH FINE-GLENCROE-LOCH LONG TARBET-LOCH LOMOND-BEN LOMOND-LOCH KATRINEELLEN'S ISLAND-TROSACHS-RIDE TO CALLANDER.

October, 1825.-Early on the morning of the 6th, having entered into another contract for the same horse and cart to