The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-04
EURo,rEANC CoRREsroNDENCE
Interesting Letter lrom the Rev.
DIV. Fisher. OF wheeling. j
His RanibIes through Scotland
nnd His Observations and
Opinions Touching the
Country and People.
MELaosE, soorLASD, Jnne l8I0.

MELRosE, SCOTLAND, June 1876.
Eilturs Of the Intsllgenecf:
Any person who Is familiar with the
life Of Sir Walter Scott and With his
works will know why ], like thousands Of
people, have halted here In my Journey.
In this neighborhood Sir Waller lived
and now is buried. Near at hand are
many OF the scenes made famous by his
pen. But It ia not my purpose 70 write
concerning this place. | date my letter
from Melrose merely because here ! make
the last stop in my wanderings through
Scotland.
i will first tell you what pact Of this
country I have trAyersed. And your rea-
ders will do we'll perhaps to glance at the
map Of Scotland. While they are
80 doing | may say a word about
the value Of an acquaintance
with geography. Without this no one
can travel with satisfaction or with
profit. And without il no one can under.
stand what travellers relate concerning
the various parts Of Iheyorld which they
visit.
TrihERAkf.I
We came from Belfast to Glasgow by
the Clyde steamers, all the way to the lat
ter city, We made an excursion to Ayr,
the home Of Burns, . distance of forty
miles to the southwest. Returning again
10 Glasgow, we went down the Clyde TO
the ,Kyles Of Butte, and then TUNED north.
ward, By water, through the lochs ot the
west coast to Oban. Thence We went TO
The northeast, 10 Fort William, at the
foot OF Ben Nevis; and onward 70
Inverness, on the eastern coast. Thts was
the most porthern point at which We
stopped. II cannot be more than seven
ty.tiye miles south Of Thurso and John
OGroatslrthe most northern extremity
Of Scotland. Our oourse next was south
ward TO Edinboro', and In due time to
Melrose, We Will.enter England near
Carlisle. may be permitted to add that
the above Is q more extended journey
than Americans usually makein Scotland
NATURAL DISADVANTAGES.
And the first thing which | wish to exx: \
press Is my surprise that this land
Should have exerted 10 large an in
Huence AZ Il has done upon the
destinies Of the world, considering
how far north it Is situated. The
latitude Of Scotland IS not that Of the
United States. II il nearer TO The Arctic
Circle than Il Is the Equator. One needs
to bea Inverness in order to appreciate
what this means. Ihave read books and
letters there 6y he light 6f day, as late as
IOlP.M Evenin Edlnboro, In the latter
part Of June, thereis scarcely any night
Ben Nevis and its companions, and the
Grampians, we're capped with snoNwheu
We came by them. Do not imagine that
the cold Of winter Is extreme. The cii'
mate Is comparatively mild-far more g
than that Of PennsylvaniA. But there Il
nothing here which we would call sum
mar In America. II Il colder thar
usual this season, but l go dressed
with heavy underclolhing, an eYercoal
ana shawl, and am not Internationally
warm. And thisis the middle Of June
There Is no really ysultty weather in Scot
land. However, the latitude Is not the
main thing which excites my surprise .,
the influence which Scotland has exerted
on the destinies Of the world. A great
portion Of the territory consists OF wha'
Ne in America would be apt to consider
barren mountains. It is true that in the
southest part Il iSa beautiful agricultural
region. But the north and west are ex
tfemely rugged. The brown heather
causes the rocky hills to look even more
desola,e than they are. And indeed you
are never out Of sight Of mountains, such
AZ the Highlands, the Grampians, the
Peniland. Or the Cheyiot hills.