The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-09-26
Qua EuRoPEAN CORREsPONDNEOB.
EDINBURGH.


is, perhaps, no place, except London,
which contains so much Of interest as
Edinbnrgh. As Glasgow il the CON-
mercial metropolis of Scotland, so Edin-
burgh is its artistic and literary eeuter.
She can refer with pride to such list
Of men distinguished in the intellect
ual world as few cities can equal. Sir
Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Dugald
Stewart, Hume, Playfair, Professor Will
son, DIR. Chalmers, John Knox, and a
long list Of others who are associated
with the city, have given it a place in
the worlds regard which il can never
lose.
Like most cities Of tae cid world, Elin-
burgh dates far into the past for its
origin, and owes its location to its fa-
cilities as a stronghold. The high rock
in the center of the city, upon which the
castle is built, is so eonspicuOusly a
suitable place for fortifieation that We
are not surprised to find that it was so
used even before the Roman occupation
OF the island. For the last 500 years,
there has been a castle on the rock with
a town or city at its base.
The present city is located on both
sides of what was, originally, deep
gorge, but which, in the course Of time,
has been partly filed in, until now il Is
largely pleasure ground, known as
Princes Garden. The old city is on the
castle side, while the new, which has
mostly been built within the past hund-
red years, is on the opposite side of the
garden. The three central points of in-
terest in the city are the castle, Calton
Hill, and Holyrood Palace aud Cathe-
ural.
Probably a majority Of travellers visit
the old castle first, both because Of its
own attractions and for the sake of a
fine view Of the city which is obtained
from IL. The castle, which is reached
by a long carriage way, has been added
10 by successful sOvereigns until it now
consists Of a large number OF rooms, the
most Of which are without attraction TO
the traveller. We notice with inter-
est the apartments occupied by Queen
Mary, aud the small, irregularly-shaped
bedroom, scarcely nine feet long, in
which her son, James vi, was born, and
from a narrow window OF which he was
let down in a basket by a rope to the
base Of the rock nearly 800 feet below,
aud taken secretly to Sterling to be bap-
tized into the Catholic faith. Queen
Margarets chapel, which is said TO be
the oldest edifice IN the city, is a small
building OF the purely Norman style.
aud is perfectly preserved. IL remains
just as IN her times, with the exception
Of the oak floor, which has been renewed
The crOwn-rOOm contains the jewels aud
regalia Of the former Kings Of Scot.
laud, which, while II has been worn 10y
many famous in history, has brought
disaster upon them all. The armory
like the museum in this city and otheI
cities OF Scotland, contains relics
associated with nearly all her historic
heroes. For instance, the number oI
two-handed swords which the brave
Robert Bruce had is astonishing to the
modern man, who has not one small
one, II We are to accept as true the rec.
ords Of the various museums. The pal
aces, parliament-houses and Other
splendid buildings which have been
built upon the rock at various times
have either been destroyed or despoiled
OF their ornaments and changed into sol.
diers' barracks. On the walls of the
castle are many curious but obsolete anC
useless pieces of artillery, among them
the huge "Mons Meg" twenty-lnch can,
non, with an out covering made of hoop:
driven on. IL was made more than 4OC
years ago, and burst firing a salute, 20l
years ago. The fortress was once takeI
by few men, who, with their heavy
iron armor on, climbed up the steel
side OF the rock in the night and sur
prised the garrison. OF the crimes
romances and sieges of the famous OLE
place, which have extended over ;
period Of several hundred years, W,
have no time to speak, and indeed, o
themselves, they would fill many vol
umes. From the different parts of tn,
walls Of the castle the whole Of th,
city and surrounding country for mile
around can be plainly seen.
At the foot of Canongate street, oI
the opposite side of the old city from
the castle, is Holyrood Palace. II
many rooms are divided i'm much tn,
usual way into picture galleries, state
rooms, and private apartments, whicl
in general are without special interes
except those which are associated will
the tragic life Of the beautiful Queel
Mary. We were shown Lord Darnley'
rooms, fitted up with great eleganc
for the time in which he lived, and con
tanning his richly inlaid suit Of armo
and other relics. Adjoining, are tn
apartments Of Queen Mary. We ar
surprised at the small size Of the suppe
room from which the luckless favOrit
Rizzio was dragged from the very fee
of the Queen and murdered in the ad
Joining audience chamber. The guild
attempted to show US the blood stain
upon the floor in front of the littl
stairs down which the eouspirators es
caped, but after striking a light and ex
aiming the floor on our knees, we CAV
IL up and suggested to him that
would save travellers great deal @
trouble and disappointment if som
fresh blood were placed on the spot oc