Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-26

| SIDE OF the river Glass, and finally branch into
uriuie-pa ms among the western glens. Passing
| pthe strath from Beauty one gentleman's seat
| IS found. little farther on, avenue OF syc-
amores leads to Erchess castle. the great hall
| OF the Chisholms Of Chisholm. who fought to
the death at Culloten for 'sbornie Prince
been called, an old chief of the clan
once saying there were but three persons in
rRe woFf entitled to the distinction of this
THE CHISHOLM.
early IN the century the male line became
extinct and the attorneys of the estate, which
covers vast Strathgsss and more, for forty
years searched the whole earth for an heir,
hnally discovering one in the person OF a
struggling, half starved clerk in New York.
He also died without male issue few years
since. and the wife and daughters. living in
regal Sp endor, are not deeply saddened be-
cause another the Chisholm is difficult to
discover.
Besides Erchless castle there are the little
hamlet OF Struy, containing less than a half
dozen houses; not over a score of crofters'
houses, little 5pecks of white down there in the
depths of the valley; tiny Catholic chapel--for
late the old religion in these Highland Businesses
aud near 1t the yastest and most curious cross
on earth, hundreds of feet in height. cut
into the eScarpmsnt OF the southern mount ain
wall; the nanse where am living and the little
Free Church at Fasnakyle bridge; and finally,
the hamlet of Tomich, whose inhabitants are
wholly dependents of Lord Tweeimouth, whose
estate of q, 900 acres, Geusachan Gaelic "place
of the trs'') stretches away to the southwest be-
M the mountain walls which shut in Glen
Afric to its north.
In the British National gallery, or somewhere
IN London, IS wondrous painting of Stath
glass. Nc nirter, painter of the Three
Graces.' found the marvellous strath, lived in
this manse for the many, many months he was
at work, and though he produced undoubtedly
the most magnificent landscape ever placed
upon canvas. his own desperate encouragement
at being unable to convey to others what he
himself saw and felt was pitiful commentary
upon the occasional utter I7adeouacy
ptafi ~ art Lard
upon this lutting crag he stood. 1t is where ths
strath breaks to the northwest into the highera
gloomler, grander reach of Glen Affric. Strath-
glass itself sweeps to the east and west with un-
obs tructed views for half score of miles in
eli her direction If your fancy be a glowing
one, put it to it's most fervent test in picturing
the widest, sweetest weirdest and most glori-
ously beautiful spot within its powers of crea-
ton. and you have not then got even a glimpse
of the magical facinations Of Strathglsss.
The entire southern horizon for a range of
twenty miles is a serrated edge of rock and FIR
crowned mountain heights, above escarpments
OF steel-grey stone; OF hchened masses of rock
and dead trees uprooted by bowling TEN pests; of
alder, oak and birch with folisge so luxuriant
that in the distance they seemed like hanging
banks OF moss; OF hrs SO dark in their green as
to almost stand there like upright beds of pur-
pie heather, and of countless misty indeptatious
and depths, here and there sinuously lined by
the feathery course OF some foaming waterfall.
The bed OF the strath. for all this distance while
1900 feet below where you are standing appears
to your eye as smooth and level as the hushe6
waters of
soNE DREAMFUL LoCH.
Only for that one thread of silver gray, the
Glass river winding from side to side in match
less curves and lines, and the white specks Of
crofters's huts which in your fancy, are trans
formed into far, faint sails, would the Illusion
remain complete. While TO your left mountain
masses in gigantic swaths, or like emerald head
lands in endless succession above some peace
full shore, burst into view, advancing retreat
ing. with int rstices of opaline hue, where the
burns and mighty chasms are, as If color in ma
ture throbbed and ebbed until fading away into
dangerous death in blue and purple and mist
To the west more glorious still are strath and
mountain views. From the north Q wild torrent
comes pouring down from weird Glen Canuieh
through gorge SO deep and vast that even the
roaring of the cataracts is mnffisd and still.
High above this for 1000 feet leaps grand
Knockin or "Fingaps Fort'' its summit
girdled by two enormously thick walls of stone.
Past this to the south and west uplards rise
and roll IN matchless valley ascents to the wilds
and mysteries of lone Glen Afric. Behind, to
the north, FIR Ben Wyvis, giant monarch of the
north, thrusts its peak above dark and stately
mountain piles. Nam Suil, chill of the eye''
in the west; while the whole far horizon
pierced by hundreds of grim old peaks,
wreathed in endless bands and wings OF mist
seems Ike some @Tast archipelago of
massive crsgs endlessly beaten by the
ghostly spume of laundering seas.
If tbs mere outlining of this enchanted
spot so inadequately fails all power of descrip-
ton, what inspired pen or brush could htly linn
its ever-changing fornings. scenes sud huess
precipice busrt through the heather and sea-
green copse- Away among the heights the
eagle wheels above the gozgss. or calls to the