a journey to-第7部分

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soldiers　from　the　fort；　working　on　the　road；　under　the
superintendence　of　a　serjeant。　　We　told　them　how　kindly　we　had　been
treated　at　the　garrison；　and　as　we　were　enjoying　the　benefit　of
their　labours；　begged　leave　to　shew　our　gratitude　by　a　small
present。



ANOCH



Early　in　the　afternoon　we　came　to　Anoch；　a　village　in　Glenmollison
of　three　huts；　one　of　which　is　distinguished　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　small　glass　window。
The　landlord　attended　us　with　great　civility；　and　told　us　what　he
could　give　us　to　eat　and　drink。　　I　found　some　books　on　a　shelf；
among　which　were　a　volume　or　more　of　Prideaux's　Connection。

This　I　mentioned　as　something　unexpected；　and　perceived　that　I　did
not　please　him。　　I　praised　the　propriety　of　his　language；　and　was
answered　that　I　need　not　wonder；　for　he　had　learned　it　by　grammar。

By　subsequent　opportunities　of　observation；　I　found　that　my　host's
diction　had　nothing　peculiar。　　Those　Highlanders　that　can　speak
English；　commonly　speak　it　well；　with　few　of　the　words；　and　little
of　the　tone　by　which　a　Scotchman　is　distinguished。　　Their　language
seems　to　have　been　learned　in　the　army　or　the　navy；　or　by　some
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　considered　them　as　a
mean　and　degenerate　race。　　These　prejudices　are　wearing　fast　away；
but　so　much　of　them　still　remains；　that　when　I　asked　a　very　learned
minister　in　the　islands；　which　they　considered　as　their　most　savage
clans：　　'Those；'　said　he；　'that　live　next　the　Lowlands。'

As　we　came　hither　early　in　the　day；　we　had　time　sufficient　to
survey　the　place。　　The　house　was　built　like　other　huts　of　loose
stones；　but　the　part　in　which　we　dined　and　slept　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
naturalist；　is　of　no　great　advantage　to　its　owners。　　Our　landlord
told　us　of　a　gentleman；　who　possesses　lands；　eighteen　Scotch　miles
in　length；　and　three　in　breadth；　a　space　containing　at　least　a
hundred　square　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　square　miles　is　three
halfpence　an　acre。

Some　time　after　dinner　we　were　surprised　by　the　entrance　of　a　young
woman；　not　inelegant　either　in　mien　or　dress；　who　asked　us　whether
we　would　have　tea。　　We　found　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　our　host；
and　desired　her　to　make　it。　　Her　conversation；　like　her　appearance；
was　gentle　and　pleasing。　　We　knew　that　the　girls　of　the　Highlands
are　all　gentlewomen；　and　treated　her　with　great　respect；　which　she
received　as　customary　and　due；　and　was　neither　elated　by　it；　nor
confused；　but　repaid　my　civilities　without　embarassment；　and　told
me　how　much　I　honoured　her　country　by　coming　to　survey　it。

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

In　the　evening　the　soldiers；　whom　we　had　passed　on　the　road；　came
to　spend　at　our　inn　the　little　money　that　we　had　given　them。　　They
had　the　true　military　impatience　of　coin　in　their　pockets；　and　had
marched　at　least　six　miles　to　find　the　first　place　where　liquor
could　be　bought。　　Having　never　been　before　in　a　place　so　wild　and
unfrequented；　I　was　glad　of　their　arrival；　because　I　knew　that　we
had　made　them　friends；　and　to　gain　still　more　of　their　good　will；
we　went　to　them；　where　they　were　carousing　in　the　barn；　and　added
something　to　our　former　gift。　　All　that　we　gave　was　not　much；　but
it　detained　them　in　the　barn；　either　merry　or　quarrelling；　the
whole　night；　and　in　the　morning　they　went　back　to　their　work；　with
great　indignation　at　the　bad　qualities　of　whisky。

We　had　gained　so　much　the　favour　of　our　host；　that；　when　we　left
his　house　in　the　morning；　he　walked　by　us　a　great　way；　and
entertained　us　with　conversation　both　on　his　own　condition；　and
that　of　the　country。　　His　life　seemed　to　be　merely　pastoral；　except
that　he　differed　from　some　of　the　ancient　Nomades　in　having　a
settled　dwelling。　　His　wealth　consists　of　one　hundred　sheep；　as
many　goats；　twelve　milk…cows；　and　twenty…eight　beeves　ready　for　the
drover。

From　him　we　first　heard　of　the　general　dissatisfaction；　which　is
now　driving　the　Highlanders　into　the　other　hemisphere；　and　when　I
asked　him　whether　they　would　stay　at　home；　if　they　were　well
treated；　he　answered　with　indignation；　that　no　man　willingly　left
his　native　country。　　Of　the　farm；　which　he　himself　occupied；　the
rent　had；　in　twenty…five　years；　been　advanced　from　five　to　twenty
pounds；　which　he　found　himself　so　little　able　to　pay；　that　he　would
be　glad　to　try　his　fortune　in　some　other　place。　　Yet　he　owned　the
reasonableness　of　raising　the　Highland　rents　in　a　certain　degree；
and　declared　himself　willing　to　pay　ten　pounds　for　the　ground　which
he　had　formerly　had　for　five。

Our　host　having　amused　us　for　a　time；　resigned　us　to　our　guides。
The　journey　of　this　day　was　long；　not　that　the　distance　was　great；
but　that　the　way　was　difficult。　　We　were　now　in　the　bosom　of　the
Highlands；　with　full　leisure　to　contemplate　the　appearance　and
properties　of　mountainous　regions；　such　as　have　been；　in　many
countries；　the　last　shelters　of　national　distress；　and　are　every
where　the　scenes　of　adventures；　stratagems；　surprises　and　escapes。

Mountainous　countries　are　not　passed　but　with　difficulty；　not
merely　from　the　labour　of　climbing；　for　to　climb　is　not　always
necessary：　　but　because　that　which　is　not　mountain　is　commonly　bog；
through　which　the　way　must　be　picked　with　caution。　　Where　there　are
hills；　there　is　much　rain；　and　the　torrents　pouring　down　into　the
intermediate　spaces；　seldom　find　so　ready　an　outlet；　as　not　to
stagnate；　till　they　have　broken　the　texture　of　the　ground。

Of　the　hills；　which　our　journey　offered　to　the　view　on　either　side；
we　did　not　take　the　height；　nor　did　we　see　any　that　astonished　us
with　their　loftiness。　　Towards　the　summit　of　one；　there　was　a　white
spot；　which　I　should　have　called　a　naked　rock；　but　the　guides；　who
had　better　eyes；　and　were　acquainted　with　the　phenomena　of　the
country；　declared　it　to　be　snow。　　It　had　already　lasted　to　the　end
of　August；　and　was　likely　to　maintain　its　contest　with　the　sun；
till　it　should　be　reinforced　by　winter。

The　height　of　mountains　philosophically　considered　is　properly
computed　from　the　surface　of　the　next　sea；　but　as　it　affects　the
eye　or　imagination　of　the　passenger；　as　it　makes　either　a　spectacle
or　an　obstruction；　it　must　be　reckoned　from　the　place　where　the
rise　begins　to　make　a　considerable　angle　with　the　plain。　　In
extensive　continents　the　land　may；　by　gradual　elevation；　attain
great　height；　without　any　other　appearance　than　that　of　a　plane
gently　inclined；　and　if　a　hill　placed　upon　such　raised　ground　be
described；　as　having　its　altitude　equal　to　the　whole　space　above
the　sea；　the　representation　will　be　fallacious。

These　mountains　may　be　properly　enough　measured　from　the　inland
base；　for　it　is　not　much　above　the　sea。　　As　we　advanced　at　evening
towards　the　western　coast；　I　did　not　observe　the　declivity　to　be
greater　than　is　necessary　for　the　discharge　of　the　inland　waters。

We　passed　many　rivers　and　rivulets；　which　commonly　ran　with　a　clear
shallow　stream　over　a　hard　pebbly　bottom。　　These　channels；　which
seem　so　much　wider　than　the　water　that　they　convey　would　naturally
require；　are　formed　by　the　violence　of　wintry　floods；　produced　by
the　accumulation　of　innumerable　streams　that　fall　in　rainy　weather
from　the　hills；　and　bursting　away　with　resistless　impetuosity；　make
themselves　a　passage　proportionate　to　their　mass。

Such　capricious　and　temporary　waters　cannot　be　expected　to　produce
many　fish。　　The　rapidity　of　the　wintry　deluge　sweeps　them　away；　and
the　scantiness　of　the　summer　stream　would　hardly　sustain　them　above
the　ground。　　This　is　the　reason　why　in　fording　the　northern　rivers；
no　fishes　are　seen；　as　in　England；　wandering　in　the　water。

Of　the　hills　many　may　be　called　with　Homer's　Ida　'abundant　in
springs'；　but　few　can　deserve　the　epithet　which　he　bestows　upon
Pelion　by　'waving　their　leaves。'　　They　exhibit　very　little　variety；
being　almost　wholly　covered　with　dark　heath；　and　even　that　seems　to
be　checked　in　its　growth。　　What　is　not　heath　is　nakedness；　a　little
diversified　by　now　and　then　a　stream　rushing　down　the　steep。　　An
eye　accustomed　to　flowery　pastures　and　waving　harvests　is
astonished　and　repelled　by　this　wide　extent　of　hopeless　sterility。
The　appearance　is　that　of　matter　incapable　of　form　or　usefulness；
dismissed　by　nature　from　her　care　and　disinherited　of　her　favours；
left　in　its　original　elemental　state；　or　quickened　only　with　one
sullen　power　of　useless　vegetation。

It　will　very　readily　occur；　that　this　uniformity　of　barrenness　can
afford　very　little　amusement　to　the　traveller；　that　it　is　easy　to
sit　at　home　and　conceive　rocks　and　heath；　and　waterfalls；　and　that
these　journeys　are　useless　labours；　which　neither　impregnate　the
imagination；　nor　enlarge　the　understanding。　　It　is　true　that　of　far
the　greater　part　of　things；　we　must　content　ourselves　with　such
knowledge　as　description　may　exhibit；　or　analogy　supply；　but　it　is
true　likewise；　that　these　ideas　are　always　incomplete；　and　that　at
least；　till　we　have　compared　them　with　realities；　we　do　not　know
them　to　be　just。　　As　we　see　more；　we　become　possessed　of　more
certainties；　and　consequently　gain　more　principles　of　reasoning；
and　found　a　wider　basis　of　analogy。

Regions　mountainous　and　wild；　thinly　inhabited；　and　little
cultivated；　make　a　great　part　of　the　earth；　and　he　that　has　never
seen　them；　must　live　unacquainted