Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-12-31


;nst uoon the verge of the sea for the
nvr,osa M defence. Recording our
name. and our far-of homes in book
kent at the Lodge, we began to wander
around the walks, running by cliffs ana
under trees-wiih broad view OF the
sea, ao as To make il delightful resi-
dence. The castle is in runs. "A herce
Eagle is kept 10 scream--l don't Know
wby-in the recess Of its walls, nnd 1t IS
the earle whom Wordsworth apostrophl-
ses in one Of his poems. A modern
house il built hore now, in which the
proprietor lives, the descendant OF the
McDougal, ] suppose, Who was engaged
in the rebel wars Of the last century.
Oban is n large village with "A fine
bay, and much trade. Here all the
steamboats, stop, that 60 up to the west
ern islanGs, and up the great Caledon'an
ship canal, across the country, to lnver-
ness, thus making it point between the
business of the west and east OF Scotland.
Three or four, or five STEAMBOATS, touch
here every day. But notwithstanding
all this, il is one of the most difficult pla-
ces in the world to get out Of, after you
get in, for a traveller is such nice goose
to pick, and the season for picking nm
is so short, that the hotel keepers, and
opposition steamboat Managers, will lie
up shower or a storm on the ocean, or
lie all the steam out of steamboat
boiler, without making up even wry
face. They lied us out Of our senses,
and would have kept us more than "a
hours, if our tongues and our legs had
not done their duty in popping questions
at every body, and trottng every where.
We "pottered" (isn't that the word =
with some drunken Gaelic boatman a.
bout taking us to Staffa TO see Fingars
cave-but they were so abomlnably
drunk, that ! at last concluded even u
ban was preferable to their companion
ship upon the sea. We called in bar
ber, who, in attempting to shave us, came
near cutting our throats. We then tool
his scythes, and see-sawed over our owl
faces-groaning inwardly at every jumI
"the razor" made. happened to bre ak
the crystal of my watch. My barber
told me he was a watch maker too!-and
rolled up my eyes thinking had met
Yankee countryman of mine-and ther
] was fool enough to let him put crys-
tai in, and alas! my poor watch has not
ticked since and the Lord knows when
it will. have not doubt that if had
had hole in my shoes, he would have
been shoemaker also-and probably a
tanner besides!
We left Oban in the evening of the
3Oth, in the steamboa, Highnnder-an
old crazy, ricketty concern, that has had
the numb palsy a thousand times, but
now perchance just puiled little to get
a guinea or SO. Soon we approached
the lands and the castles that Scott has
sung Of in the Lord of the Isles. The
fertile island Of Lismore, the only fertile
island here-and from which the proprIe-
tor gets all immense revenue for so small
a place, was OIL our right. The ancient
castle of Ardtornish soon appeared.
eArdtornish on her Gownins steed,
sTwixt cloud and ocean hung
Hewn in the rock, passage there,
Sought the dark fortress by stair,
SO strait, so high, so steep.
With peasants staff, one valiant band,
Might we'll the dizzy pass have mann'd
.Gainst hundreds armed win spear and brand,
And plunged them in the deep
At Aros where we touched on the
coast of Null, there are the ruins OF a
mother castle, which the Lord of the Isles
sometimes dwelt in, and which the clan
M'Donald for long time kept. Along
on our right now was the count Of Nor
ven, so celebrated in the songs Of Ossan,
and on our left the hills and healthy wales
of Null. Wondering fabrics, once the
homes of ancient chieltiaDs, are all along
these shores,-and the traveller must be
dull Of Imagination, where thoug ht will
not rise higher and higher, as he views
the havoc time has wrought, in this so
emphatically the land of song. Tober-
morey was at last in sight as midnight
approac ched, and soon we were wander
ing in its streets, and clambering the
huge hill that overhangs the town.
The twilight was not over long-when
we laid down in the little cabin of the
steamer, upon the benches scattered
there, and snatched sweet though dis
turbed sleep. Is.