quered, because they must be entered by narrow ways, exposed to every power of mifchief from thofe that occupy the heights; and every new ridge is a new fortress, where the defendants have again the fame advantages. If the affailants either force the ftrait, or ftorm the fummit, they gain only fo much ground; their enemies are fled to take poffeffion of the next rock, and the purfuers ftand at gaze, knowing neither where the ways of escape wind among the fteeps, nor where the bog has firmness to fuftain them: befides that, mountaineers have an agility in climbing and defcending diftinct from ftrength or courage, and attainable only by use.

If the war be not foon concluded, the invaders are diflodged by hunger; for in those anxious and toilfome marches, provifions cannot eafily be carried, and are never to be found. The wealth of mountains is cattle, which, while the men ftand

in

in the paffes, the women drive away. Such lands at last cannot repay the expence of conqueft, and therefore perhaps have not been fo often invaded by the mere ambition of dominion; as by refentment of robberies and infults, or the defire of enjoying in fecurity the more fruitful provinces.

As mountains are long before they are conquered, they are likewife long before they are civilized. Men are foftened by intercourfe mutually profitable, and inftructed by comparing their own notions with thofe of others. Thus Cæfar found the maritime parts of Britain made less barbarous by their commerce with the Gauls. Into a barren and rough tract no ftranger is brought either by the hope of gain or of pleasure. The inhabitants having neither commodities for fale, nor money for purchase, feldom vifit more polished places, or if they do vifit them, feldom

return.

It

It fometimes happens that by conqueft, intermixture or gradual refinement, the cultivated parts of a country change their language. The mountaineers then become a distinct nation, cut off by diffimilitude of fpeech from converfation with their neighbours. Thus in Bifcay, the original Cantabrian, and in Dalecarlia, the old Swedish still fubfifts. Thus Wales and the Highlands fpeak the tongue of the first inhabitants of Britain, while the other parts have received first the Saxon, and in fome degree afterwards the French, and then formed a third language between them.

That the primitive manners are continued where the primitive language is fpoken, no nation will defire me to fuppofe, for the manners of mountaineers are commonly favage, but they are rather produced by their fituation than derived from their ancestors.

Such

Such feems to be the difpofition of man, that whatever makes a diftinction produces rivalry. England, before other caufes of enmity were found, was disturbed for fome centuries by the contefts of the northern and fouthern counties; fo that at Oxford, the peace of ftudy could for a long time be preferved only by chufing annually one of the Proctors from each fide of the Trent. A tract interfected by many ridges of mountains, naturally divides its inhabit ants into petty nations, which are made by a thousand caufes enemies to each other. Each will exalt its own chiefs, each will boaft the valour of its men, or the beauty of its women, and every claim of fuperiority irritates competition; injuries will fometimes be done, and be more injuriously defended; retaliation will fometimes be attempted, and the debt exacted with too much intereft.

In the Highlands it was a law, that if a robber was fheltered from juftice, any

man

man of the fame clan might be taken in his place. This was a kind of irregular juftice, which, though neceffary in savage times, could hardly fail to end in a feud, and a feud once kindled among an idle people with no variety of purfuits to divert their thoughts, burnt on for ages either fullenly glowing in fecret mischief, or openly blazing into publick violence. Of the. effects of this violent judicature, there are not wanting memorials. The cave is now to be feen to which one of the Campbells, who had injured the Macdonalds, retired with a body of his own clan. The Macdonalds required the offender, and being refused, made a fire at the mouth of the cave, by which he and his adherents were fuffocated together.

Mountaineers are warlike, because by their feuds and competitions they confider themselves as furrounded with enemies, and are always prepared to repel incurfions, or VOL. I.

F

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