The Portland daily press., 1869-08-17
Notes by the Way
Richmond, Prouince of Quebec, !
August 0, 1869.

August 0, 1869. So
TO the Editor of the Press sgs's al
Being detained here waiting for the train
on the G. I. r., for Portland, have the time
and opportunity to close up the series Of
Notes by the Way" being sketches of Eu-
ropean travel which have furnished for your
columns for the nine months past. My last |
was from Edinburg. Leaving there went |
fifty miles north 10 Kinrass crossing the Firth |
of Forth by steamer and landing on the Fife |
shire shore where l took the train. This part |
Of Scotland is memorable in history as the
scene ofremarkabe events from the times Of
Macduf-Thane Of Fiie-to the attempts Of
the Earl of Mar to restore the Stuarts in IT'S.
In the cars passed by tie precipice where
the Scottish King Alexander Sd, was killed
by an accident in 1886. Kinrass is a small
town situated near the shores of Loehleyen.
A rtsaistanes-froM the shore isthe small
island, and on it are the ruins of the tower in
which Queen Mary was confined by the Re-
gent Murray in 1867, her remarkable escape
from this prison forming the foundation Of
Scott's beautiful romance OF the Abbot"
Walking along the waters edge, looking on
the smooth surface Of the Loeb, came across
an artist seated on the rocks taking sketch
Of the old tower and surrounding scenery. 1t
was an appropriate place for contemplation
and sat down with him. We were ON the
point opposite the island near where the
| Queen landed, and il gave delightful sensa-
| tions 10 let the mind revert back 301 years to
the scene which took place on this spot and
which forms 30 interesting an episode in the
history of the unfortunate Queen. After
| spending two hours there, with my
| artist acquaintance took the train for Dun
| ferine, his residence. Having an hour there
1 visited the old church and abbey in which
is the sepulchre containing the body of Rob
| ert Bruce. Bis heart was buried at Melrose
| Abbey. Proceeding on arrived at Sterling
| that evening. Having about two hours of
| daylight, soon found myself on the ramparts
| Of the old castle, and with the aid of an in
telligent soldier guide was enabled to obtain
i comprehensive view of the magnificent
scenery and historic places which surround
Sterling Heights. On one side you see the
4 Grampian Hills, while on the other the hori-
zon is shut in by the Highland mountains
| The many windings of the Firth are wonder
/ full and you canno. believe that it is the same
river which you see appearing so often among
| the green fields. In clear day Edinburg
Castle and Arthur's Seat, fifty miles distant,
/ are seen. Surrounding Sterling there are no
less than IL battle fields within radius of a
/ few miles, ON which contending armies have
fought, the Important ones pointed out being
| at the bridge of Sterling where Wallace defeat
ed the English in 1897, and the fieli of Ban
| nochburn, ever memorable as the scene of the
battle fought June "a; 1914, in which Robert
Bruce with 10000 men defeated the English
army of 100000 and secured the indepen-
dence of Scotland. W
Iremained on the ramparts as long as day
light and the guard permitted. then descen-
ded into the town, passing through the church
/ yard of Old Grey Friars church. The finest
monument there is one of white marble, erect
ed to the memory of Margaret Wilson and her
sister who were drowned in the Solway in 1886,
in the religious prosecutions of those times.
The next morning took the train for CaIlen-
der. Arriving there the excursionists filed
three coaches that started from the Hotel for
Loeb Katrine ten miles distant. The road passes
through some of the wild picturesque scenery
of the Highland region-along the shores oil
noch Venacher and Loch Achray, and in full
view OF Ben Ledi- This region is the scene
of the" Lady Of the Lake." and our driver
who was quite communicative made the ride
very interesting by his familiarity with the
ballad, pointing out the places there describ-
ed land his apt quotations from it. rpl
At Loeb Katrine we went aboard a small
steamer and we're soon passing over this love
ly sheet Of water with "promontory creek and
bay" At the west end ofthe Loeb we land
ed at pier and from thence road through
bleak valley miles 5 brought us to ,Inyers-
maid on Loch Lomond, where we had dinner
while waiting for the steamer. The traveller
in the Highlands is the victim OF extortionate
charges and impositions. The regular charges
are exorbitant enough and in addition there
are extras which are great annoyance.
You pay your fare on the coach and then you
are called upon to pay shilling extra to the
driver. You are charged for handling your
baggage. You pay wharfage fees on going on
to, or landing from steamer. After din
ner the waiter expects a fee. The season
there is short and the most is made of it..
After an hours waiting we went aboard the
steamer and sailed down Loeb Lomond. This
| if the finest of the Scottish lakes and its
scenery is exceedinglJ beautiful and pictur-
esque. Its length is about % miles. Its
northern extremity narrows till it is lost
among the dusky mountains. 1t widens as
you go south till it is at that end miles wide.
1t has many beautiful islands Of various forms
and outlines For portion ofthe trip Ben
Lomond the highest OF the highlands was in
sight. We had many tourists aboard. Some
| Highlanders in their tartans and kits. The
sail was enlivened by the music of blind
| piper for whese benefit a collection was taken
by little girl accompanying him. b
At Baloch at the foot of the lake / took
the cars for Glasgow, twenty miles along the
valley of the Clyde. Glasgow is city Of
100000 Inhabitants. In population and COM
rnerce it is the third city of the kingdom. 1t
is the headquarters of iron ship building,
| and in a sail up and down the Clyde are seen
hundreds of vessels in all stages Of progress.
| / visited a number of the yards, and there
saw some reasons to account for the decay Of
American commerce. Iron ships must event
ually supercede wooden ones, and the ring of
the axe give way to the hammering of the
bolt. The proprietors of one of the large
yards informed me that first-class iron ship
built and equipped ready for sea could be fur
nished for fifteen pounds ton. The princi
| pal works there are those of the 'Napiers,"
who have lately built two iron clads for the
English Navy 5000 tons each. had an OPP
| portunity TO visit them. During the time
| was at Glasgow occurred what are called the
"fair holidays" when all the ship yards, col
lieries and manufactures suspend work for
week and 10000 to $4,000 operatives with
their families are let loose for pleasure and
recreation. They are of the lower classes OF
the community, and the railroad carriages
and steamers are crowded with them. VI all
the rougher classes that l have seen, there
ara NONE, e<, 1,<,orieh in their manners as thp