Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-12-10


re<ber out of the savage state, for even
one of these expressed his surprise that
an American gentleman and lady whom
he carried to the Highlands some days
before, was so much of genteman-so
like other folks! However, we shall
soon get their ideas Of the Trollopes and
the Hamiltons out of therr heads, for our
countrymen are crowding here in swarms
and in Il few years ] believe, there
will be as many Americans drawn 4" the
Highlands by alter Scott, as there are
English in the Hotel where ] stopt
nj Edinburgh, theie were twenty two I'm
the same house, )-and We numbered
thirty whom we knew To be in the town,
all touring too. thoue 1T before ] came
10 Europe il would be curiosity In meet
an American, and the very meeting
would he an introduction, but now l
should as soon think Of speaking to one
without an introduction in New York
streets. Ii is impossible 10 go, / be-
lieve, upon any part of this globe, IN any
nook or corner, whore an American is,
days before. My next tour shall be to,
the Arctic regions, so as to see something
new.
MY Scotchman so led me away in one
Of these rambling fits Of mine, that ] for
got nv self till was near Doune Castle,
three miles from Sterling, where "old
McGregor of Glengyle," known also as
Walter Scott's "Gblun Dhu," planted
his swivels as rebel chief in the re-
bellion of l745. There still remains of
the castle, one huge square building, the
walls of which seem about forty feet
high, and ten feet thick, together with a.
tower which rises above the rest to the
height of at least eighty feet. At the
village oc DouDe near by, we (our party
now man ing three Americans, one hav-
ing joined us at Edinburghl took post
chaise for variety's sake, and in short
time were at the village Of Callander,
eight miles from Doune, and at the en-
trance Of the Highlands too, having pas
sed some seats of the NcGregors, the
Buchanans, all lairds in their day, i
have not doubt. About here is the
main part Of the scenery of the Lady of
the Lakeland about here Scott was
wont TO rass many Of his summers in his
youthful days, amid country that is ro-
mantle in the full sense of the word, rid
ing or walking to Loeb katrine and the
Trosacks ten or twelve miles off, with
the lofty hills Of Ben Led and Venue
about him, and the river of Doune, and
the towers Of Stirling beyo The seen
cry itself is enough to inspire a man
and then the associations! Tor on Ben
Ledi, which signifies ;he hill Of God
three thousand feet above the oceans
level, the Druid once kindled his fires
in honor OF the sun-and even here, a:
the foot OF the Grampians, the Roman
standard had been planted (then far from
Rome, and what an idea does it give of
the Roman power penetrating such fast
nesses as these! so that the heart must
be indeed cold that could feel no inspir-
alton from such scene. Above him on
the mountain, was another people speak
ing another language, the wild race of
GaeIs, and below and beyond the Low
land Scotch among whom he was born
Never man lived in filter place for ro-
nance or for song.
After brief look at Calender, and
the scenery here, remarking the High
land dress of the children-ihe leg with
partly overhangs it,-and remarLing the
use Of the Gaelic tongue too for the first
time, we bade adieu to carriage and to
post, and started for the heart of the
Highlands. Never was there a pleas
anter walk for the road is good, even
amid the mountains, and we begmiled the
way by chatting with Highlander when
ever we met one whom we could under
stand, or by reading the vivid descrip-
tions of the Lady of the Lake, as we
passed "Coilantogle Ford" where the
terrible Rhoderc Dhu was overcome nv
the brave Fhz Jamcs. The loft, Ben
Led was on our right, (and here il may
not be useless to say that Ben merely
means hill or mountain OF the higher
class, and the family is indeed hume erous
ere)--and the little Lakes of VennacharI
and Achray on our lett. The feeling of
the traveller, as he leaves the LowlandI
and reaches these hills of the Highlands.
is, that he has quit world Of one lorma-
tion and of one people, and is now among
others. Another language is spoken
The fertile wales are gone. No fields
of cultivation cheer the eye. The dwell
hngs are far apart, poor and mean. Ma
ture has changed her robe of beauty for
rough and rugged garb, but with now
and then, as a lake is seen, beauty will
peer out, and the more beautiful il is by
the very contrast ofthe scene. do not
wonder that here superstition made its
last lodges-knowing that till within a
few years this country was inaccessible,
no roads having been made-and it is