broken the perfeverance of a Roman legion.

The country is totally denuded of its wood, but the ftumps both of oaks and firs which are still found, fhew that it has been once a forest of large timber. I do not remember that we faw any animals, but we were told that, in the mountains, there are ftags, roebucks, goats and rabbits.

We did not perceive that this tract was poffeffed by human beings, except that once we saw a corn field, in which a lady was walking with fome gentlemen. Their house was certainly at no great distance, but so fituated that we could not descry it.

Paffing on through the dreariness of folitude, we found a party of foldiers from the fort, working on the road, fuperintendence of a ferjeant.

E

under the

We told

them

them how kindly we had been treated at the garrison, and as we were enjoying the benefit of their labours, begged leave to fhew our gratitude by a fmall present.

ANOC H.

Early in the afternoon we came to Anoch, a village in Glenmollifon of three huts, one of which is diftinguished by a chimney. Here we were to dine and lodge, and were conducted through the first room, that had the chimney, into another lighted by a fmall glass window. The landlord attended us with great civility, and told us what he could give us to eat and drink. I found fome books on a fhelf, among which were a volume or more of Prideaux's Connection.

This I mentioned as fomething unexpected, and perceived that I did not please him. I praised the propriety of his language,

guage, and was answered that I need not wonder, for he had learned it by grammar.

By fubfequent opportunities of obfervation, I found that my hoft's diction had nothing peculiar. Thofe Highlanders that can fpeak English, commonly speak it well, with few of the words, and little of the tone by which a Scotchman is diftinguifhed. Their language feems to have been learned in the army or the navy, or by fome communication with those who could give them good examples of accent and pronunciation. By their Lowland neighbours they would not willingly be taught; for they have long confidered them as a mean and degenerate race. These prejudices are wearing faft away; but fo much of them ftill remains, that when I afked a very learned minifter in the islands, which they confidered as their most savage clans: "Thofe, faid he, that live next the "Lowlands."

1

As we came hither early in the day, we had time fufficient to furvey the place. The houfe was built like other huts of loofe ftones, but the part in which we dined and flept was lined with turf and wattled with twigs, which kept the earth from falling. Near it was a garden of turnips and a field of potatoes. It stands in a glen, or valley, pleasantly watered by a winding river. But this country, however it may delight the gazer or amuse the naturalift, is of no great advantage to its owners. Our landlord told us of a gentleman, who poffeffes lands, eighteen Scotch miles in length, and three in breadth; a space containing at leaft a hundred fquare English miles. He has raised his rents, to the danger of depopulating his farms, and he fells his timber, and by exerting every art of augmentation, has obtained an yearly revenue of four hundred pounds, which for a hundred fquare miles is three halfpence an

acre.

Some

Some time after dinner we were furprifed by the entrance of a young woman, not inelegant either in mien or drefs, who afked us whether we would have tea. We found that she was the daughter of our hoft, and defired her to make it. Her converfation, like her appearance, was gentle and pleasing. We knew that the girls of the Highlands are all gentlewomen, and treated her with great refpect, which the received as customary and due, and was neither elated by it, nor confufed, but repaid my civilities without embaraffment, and told me how much I honoured her country by coming to furvey.it.

She had been at Inverness to gain the common female qualifications, and had, like her father, the English pronunciation. I prefented her with a book, which I happened to have about me, and should not be pleased to think that the forgets me.,