The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-09-18
Among the Highlands,
NAIRN, SCOTLAND, Aug. 80, 1874


Our trip up north was delightful one.
Going up we had several hours at Inverness,
which gave us plenty of time to see that very
pretty town of fifteen thousand people.
The river Ness runs through the town and
the two parts are connected by suspension
bridge. On the banks of the river, above the
bridge, are some elegant residences and beau
tifully ornamented grounds. Nearly all the
towns on the right bank of the river. A
ligLt-colored sandstone is the common build
ing material, which gives the place, when the
sun or moon shines, a cheerful look. Inyer-
ness has easy communication with Glasgow
via the Caledonia canal and the lakes, and as
the capital city Of the Northern Highlands
will always be prominent and important
place. .ai sf..a,se9li eot ae
Our ride by rail from Inverness to Ding
wall was most of the way in sight of water.
First we skirted along Moray Firth and as
soon as we lost sight of that we came to
Beauty Loeb and finally to Cromarty Firth on
which DiDgwall is situated. From Dngwall
to Strath, some four or five miles, we
took coach. That is wonderful ride. The
strath (valley) is five or six miles wide,
measuring from the brows of the lofty hills
which enclose it; it goes northwardly sweep
ing around right and lett, till it is lost in the
distant mountains. What gives a charm to
the scenery here is the great smoothness of
the valley sides which look as if they were
the combined work of civil engineer and
skillful gardener. Nearly all these broad hill
sides are devoted to cereal or root crops, and
just now the yellow grain, contrasts hand
somely with .he turnip fields, which show
two shades of green. In this country the
farmer depends largely on turnips to feed his
stock. Those portions of the hillsides and
tops which are devoted to woods, have as
smooth a surface as the land under cultiva-
tion, so that the tall pines as they come over
the brows of the hill and down the valley
sides, look as we may imagine Birnam wood
did when it came to Dunsinane. To get true
conception of the great beauty of this locality.
you must remember that all this north coun-
try is made up of ranges Of mountains of
from three to four thousand feet high, and
that when we lift our eyes from these nicely
cultivated farms, we see on nearly every side
range beyond range of mountains, showing
against the blue sky the greatest variety of
outline. In the valleys formed by these
mountain ranges are lakes and rapid rivers,
where the disciples of Walton are just now en-
joying their favorite pastime, and this reminds
me to say that at Strath we visited the
fall Of Rogie, and while there, salmon made
an attempt to jump the fall, performance
very much like what it would be to jump up
the falls at West Waterville. At the fall of
Rogie saw what had never seen before,
viz: forest of white birch trees, acres of
them and not tree of any other kind among
them. Each tree stood distinct by itself, and
all with dropping boughs, presented re-
markably fine appearance. From the dark
and deeply scanned bark on the trunks of
these trees one would take them to be hem
lock, such has been the effect Of a rough eli
mate.
Indeed, we find it difficult to realize that we
are nearly 800 miles north,.of our birth place
in Maine, till we consult the almanac, land then
look at the fields and gardens. In two days
from this it will be September and here are
strawberries yet to ripen. The blossoms on
blackberry bushes are as much behind time as
the trains on these railroads usually are. We
are just in the midst of wheat and barley
harvests; oats not everywhere fully ripe. OPP
posite my window, large field of barley was
harvested last week, and witnessed the op-
Grafton. The team consisted of two men
with scythes, two women to make bands and
lay the punches of barley on them, two more
men to bind the sheaves and stock them, and
boy to rake the scatterings. These seven
hands harvested nearly two and half acres
in day. Such scythe snath I never saw
before! Cut off down east snath at the left
handle and make it straight, then about halt
way down the snath fasten brace at an angle
of about 45 degrees and put handle on that
turning this "V" arrangement into an "A'' by
cross piece, and you have the scythe sna.h,
everybody uses hereabouts.
When scythe is held by snath of this
eoustruction,th arns of tho oquai
ly extended and the stroke is made with
greater ease. And what shall say of the
wages these harvesters get? About one dol
lar day and that in a country where the
necessaries of life are dearer than they are in
New York city.
1t is only when we get close to these great
ly oppressed and hard-working people Of the
Old World, that we can realize the great con-
trast between them and the humblest classes
in the New. Among the rural population of
the northern states of America, we see no
such cases of deep poverty and squalor and
dirt, as we see all through Britain. When
Taine, the French author, was visiting co un
try gentleman in England, his host showed
him how nicely sheltered his horses were. AT
ter they had gone through the stables, Taine
asked his host why he did not do as much
for his work people. The beasts were better
off than the humans.
In this country large farm is run very
much as cotton plantation in Alabama was
in the palmy days of slavery, with this excep-
ton, that the hands are hired. The farmer
lives in large house and enjoys all the CON-
forts OF life. Near by his dwelling, you will
see long row of one story houses, usually OF
stone succeed, all under one roof and that OF
thatch. The roof will probably be green with
moss and perhaps grass will be growing on it,
here and there. Maybe vines, such as the
honeysuckle or morning glory, will climb
about the single window or door of some one
of the tenements. If the building is in pretty
good repair, the passer-by will think of it as
picturesque affair in the landscape. But just
enter one of these places and all the romance
of the vine-clad cottage vanshes. You will
find that single room, with the bare earth
for a floor, is all the space given the entire