The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-15 00:00:00

Glengreggan or, A Highland Rome in Cantire.
By Cuthbert Bede. Illustrated from the Author's
Drawings. 2 vols. Longmsn.
It would be strange indeed if among the nume-
rous band of travellers who in the present day
delight in exploring new countries or searching the
annals of old ones, in order to give the public the
result of their labours, any part of our own islands
should be left unvisited. There is no doubt, how-
ever, that the locality which forms the subject of the
volumes before us is as little known and visited by
the generality of tourists as though it were in
another hemisphere. It is to be hoped that Mr.
Bede's pleasant volumes will bring it into notice,
and that when the wanderer wishes to step out of
the beaten track of highroad travelling, instead of
climbing mountains or traversing deserts, he will
content himself with a journey in the fresh and
lovely hills and downs of Cantire. The annual
stream of visitors to the Highlands does not even
pass through it. It lies out of the beaten track,
as the writer observes, and in these days of rapid
transit when after breakfasting at Glasgow the
tourist can see Dunbarton, Loch Lomond, Loch
Katrine, the Trossachs and Stirling within the
limits of one summer's day, returning to sleep at
Edinburgh, those who like to do as much as pos-
sible in the shortest space of time and have plenty
to talk of afterwards are likely to avoid a district
which takes three or four days for going and coming
and which is seldom enough a topic of conversation.
Nevertheless Cantire is not without its attractions.
It is a long narrow peninsula on the south-west of
Argylesh ire, and will interest the readers of Scott,
from its associations with the warlike Lords of the
Isles. It has charms too for the lovers of Nature, as
the author's illustrations abundantly prove. "The
view from nearly every heathery moor is panoramic
in its extent, and varied and beautiful in its details.
To the west is the great Atlantic, its broad bosom
studded with the Highland gems of the southern
Hebrides ; to the east is Kilbrannan Sound and the
Firth of Clyde, with the torn peaks of the lovely Isle
of Arran. Further north is Loch Fyne, the Isle of
Bute, and a mass of mountains, among which Ben
Lomond is plainly to be discerned. Due north may
be seen Ben More, and the mountains of misty
Mull ; and to the southward lies like a blue cloud
upon the sea, that portion of the northern coast of
Ireland that extends from Fair Head to the Giant's
Causeway. Every way there is a sea-view, diver-
sified for the most part with islands, and when we
combine this with the varied inland scenery we
might apply the words of Milton to this Highland
ground of Cantire." It is the nearest point to Ireland
and as such was subject to invasions in the olden
daye ; while from its being one of the territories of
the powerful and turbulent Lords of the Isles, and
containing some of their chief strongholds it was the
scene of perpetual feuds. It is, of course, like all
Scottish lands, rich in history, legend, and tradition,
and the frequent citation of these gives life and
interest to the work. Cantire was the original
seat of the Scottish Monarchy, and its chief town
was the capital of the Scottish kingdom centuries
before Edinburgh existed. It was also the first
part of western Scotland where Christianity
flourished, and legends of St. Columba and his com-
panions abound. The Mull of Can tire is the extreme
southernmost point of the Peninsula, and was noted,
it is said, in the time of the Romans for its adverse
tides. " The coast is peculiarly hazardous, and off
the Mull there is a great peculiarity in the tides. At
the distance of three miles from the shore a depth
of twelve fathoms is sometimes found. The spring
tides run at six miles an hour; the neap tides at
about three. Within a mile and a half of the pro-
montory there runs an eddy tide like a whirlpool,
and much stronger than that which runs in the
channel ; as when the tide runs to the westward,
this eddy tide runs to the eastward along shore,
and vessels have often been driven on shore from
ignorance of this pecularity. So powerful is
the tide that rolls round the Mull that it throws
up the sand and gravel at Carskay Bay, so
as to make an embankment which has turned
to the westward the stream that flows
down Glen Breckry." The sea at this spot
is never tranquil owing to the conflicting tides, and,
as may easily be imagined in stormy weather, the
danger is very great. In order to avoid it boats
were frequently dragged across the neck of the
peninsula at Tarbert. The readers of "'The Lord
of the Isles" will remember that Bruce's barque
was dragged across in this manner to avoid tile
enemy, and that the consequent fulfilment of an
old prophecy encouraged his followers. It is not
surprising that at such a spot shipwrecks have
been reckoned by hundreds, and the long needed
lifeboat station has at last been supplied owing to
the liberality of a Scottish lady. The lighthouse,
which stands on the Mall, is the most southern of
those " Northern Lights" to which we are indebted,
says the author, fur a poem and a novel. It was
in his capacity as Commissioner of Northern Lights
that Sir Walter Scott paid those visits' to the He-
brides, the Orkneys, and Shetland that gave him
the materials for " The Pirate" and " The Lord of
the Isles." Frequent allusion is made to his writ-
ings. and the author remarks upon the singular
felicity and justness of his epithets and adjectives,
" Verdant " Jura's rugged coast," &e.
Glengreggan, which gives its name to the
book, is an estate a little beyond Barr.
The house is situated on high ground,
and possesses a magnificent view. The draw-
ing-room windows command an uninterrupted
view from left to right of nearly one hundred miles,
beginning on the left with the Irish coast and
terminating in the misty distance in the island of
Mull." The "collie dews" are of course among
the Scottish wonders, andb tales of their marvellous
sagacity are told. The habits of the people
and the kelp manufacture are described at
length, and, as we have stated, the volumes
are enriched by. copious anecdote. The work
might without injury have been considerably
condensed; but as the author was entering ground
hitherto untrodden in description and narrative, he
found it probably difficult to restrict himself. We
must not forget to mention the valuable contribu-
tions of the author's busy pencil, which add so
much to the attractions of the work, whether he
makes us smile at the contrast presented by a
Highland milkmaid in real life tothe
usHeb amid
e of his
imagination, or whether he refreshes
London smoke' and dust with a peep at the fresh
blue waves and verdant slopes of Cantire.

Manordean. A Novel. By Herbert Steele,
Newby.

This is a romantic little tale that may prove at-
tractive to those who wish for exciting incidents.
The character of Amy is very well drawn, and she
is almost the only pleasing person met with in its
pages. She was placed in very trying circum-
stances by the conduct of her father. He was en-
gaged in a smuggling transaction and was arrested.
Fortunately for her feelings, he escaped and con-
trived to get abroad. Amy was obliged to
work for her living for some time. Her sister
Mary was very selfish, and left Amy to attend to
her father, while she remained with a rich aunt
from whom she expected to get some money. This
expectation was afterwards disappointed, for Mr.
Rochford, the father, had contrived to keep the
money that his sister-in-law had given him to invest.
The poor old lady died of the disappointment, and
thus the misled man had anoher murder on his con-
science to take with him into foreign lands.
Forsythe, to whom Amy was married, was not
worthy of her, he was deceitful and strange in his
conduct. It is, however, satisfactory to find that
this unfortunate maiden has the prospect of lead-
ing a happier life than she had done for so many
years, and that she was removed from the neces-
sity of toiling for her living, for which she was not
fitted, either in strength or spirits. The descrip-
tions of some of " Manordean" is very pleasing, and
a delightful account is given of the early home of
Amy. The river was its chief charm and the
thoughts of it lingered in the memory
of the unhappy outcast when forced to take up her
abode in city dust and smoke. "The Spirit of the
Mountain, the genius of Hendon-hill, a rich and
generous giver, gave to it the flowing Eskill, loved
by old and young. Who did not love the little
Eskill ? By how many cottage chambers did it not
murmur in the evening ? As the poor widow heard
it sing its evening carol unconsciously, it brought
peace to her—it seemed like Isis voice—for long ago
the well-loved tones had mingled with this gentle
music, and to other hearts it came like a pastoral
po, m recited in the dusk by the same voice linger-
ing on the words. And to others—toil-worn and
d
Bu
t
the t-hearted—it came like a promise of a world
where rest is not sin, nor lovingness a curse.
the blessings of that little stream were innumer-
able."

Tilbury IVcgo ; or Passages in the life of an
Unsuccessful 111 an. By the author of ,i Di g b
y
Grand." Chapman and Hall.
This is not the first appearance of Mr. Nogo
before the public, but a republication of his
among adven-
tures, or rather misadventures,
all's standard edition of Messrs.opui
Chapman and H
authors. It requires some tact in an authorp to keep
up the interest of the reader throughout the whole
lenith of his narrative, even when deeds of daring
and romantic adventure are recounted, but it re-
quires far more talent oienrohliss
part to keep up the
fascination when his l
water, yet Mr. Melville has succeeded admirably
character of an ambitious
a muff of the first
the desires distinction, yet who is
in pourtraying the
but weak man, who .
fro from
incapacitated
obtainingbyany
endeavours. Try' satisfactory results from all his
foul SOLE eft_
_.e what he will, he is sure to fail
1.16 or other: and the greatest comPli-