a journey to-第6节

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ornamental　knowledge；　and　to　have　wanted　not　only　the　elegancies；
but　the　conveniences　of　common　life。　　Literature　soon　after　its
revival　found　its　way　to　Scotland；　and　from　the　middle　of　the
sixteenth　century；　almost　to　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth；　the
politer　studies　were　very　diligently　pursued。　　The　Latin　poetry　of
Deliciae　Poetarum　Scotorum　would　have　done　honour　to　any　nation；　at
least　till　the　publication　of　May's　Supplement　the　English　had　very
little　to　oppose。

Yet　men　thus　ingenious　and　inquisitive　were　content　to　live　in
total　ignorance　of　the　trades　by　which　human　wants　are　supplied；
and　to　supply　them　by　the　grossest　means。　　Till　the　Union　made　them
acquainted　with　English　manners；　the　culture　of　their　lands　was
unskilful；　and　their　domestick　life　unformed；　their　tables　were
coarse　as　the　feasts　of　Eskimeaux；　and　their　houses　filthy　as　the
cottages　of　Hottentots。

Since　they　have　known　that　their　condition　was　capable　of
improvement；　their　progress　in　useful　knowledge　has　been　rapid　and
uniform。　　What　remains　to　be　done　they　will　quickly　do；　and　then
wonder；　like　me；　why　that　which　was　so　necessary　and　so　easy　was　so
long　delayed。　　But　they　must　be　for　ever　content　to　owe　to　the
English　that　elegance　and　culture；　which；　if　they　had　been　vigilant
and　active；　perhaps　the　English　might　have　owed　to　them。

Here　the　appearance　of　life　began　to　alter。　　I　had　seen　a　few　women
with　plaids　at　Aberdeen；　but　at　Inverness　the　Highland　manners　are
common。　　There　is　I　think　a　kirk；　in　which　only　the　Erse　language
is　used。　　There　is　likewise　an　English　chapel；　but　meanly　built；
where　on　Sunday　we　saw　a　very　decent　congregation。

We　were　now　to　bid　farewel　to　the　luxury　of　travelling；　and　to
enter　a　country　upon　which　perhaps　no　wheel　has　ever　rolled。　　We
could　indeed　have　used　our　post…chaise　one　day　longer；　along　the
military　road　to　Fort　Augustus；　but　we　could　have　hired　no　horses
beyond　Inverness；　and　we　were　not　so　sparing　of　ourselves；　as　to
lead　them；　merely　that　we　might　have　one　day　longer　the　indulgence
of　a　carriage。

At　Inverness　therefore　we　procured　three　horses　for　ourselves　and　a
servant；　and　one　more　for　our　baggage；　which　was　no　very　heavy
load。　　We　found　in　the　course　of　our　journey　the　convenience　of
having　disencumbered　ourselves；　by　laying　aside　whatever　we　could
spare；　for　it　is　not　to　be　imagined　without　experience；　how　in
climbing　crags；　and　treading　bogs；　and　winding　through　narrow　and
obstructed　passages；　a　little　bulk　will　hinder；　and　a　little　weight
will　burthen；　or　how　often　a　man　that　has　pleased　himself　at　home
with　his　own　resolution；　will；　in　the　hour　of　darkness　and　fatigue；
be　content　to　leave　behind　him　every　thing　but　himself。



LOUGH　NESS



We　took　two　Highlanders　to　run　beside　us；　partly　to　shew　us　the
way；　and　partly　to　take　back　from　the　sea…side　the　horses；　of　which
they　were　the　owners。　　One　of　them　was　a　man　of　great　liveliness
and　activity；　of　whom　his　companion　said；　that　he　would　tire　any
horse　in　Inverness。　　Both　of　them　were　civil　and　ready…handed。
Civility　seems　part　of　the　national　character　of　Highlanders。
Every　chieftain　is　a　monarch；　and　politeness；　the　natural　product
of　royal　government；　is　diffused　from　the　laird　through　the　whole
clan。　　But　they　are　not　commonly　dexterous：　　their　narrowness　of
life　confines　them　to　a　few　operations；　and　they　are　accustomed　to
endure　little　wants　more　than　to　remove　them。

We　mounted　our　steeds　on　the　thirtieth　of　August；　and　directed　our
guides　to　conduct　us　to　Fort　Augustus。　　It　is　built　at　the　head　of
Lough　Ness；　of　which　Inverness　stands　at　the　outlet。　　The　way
between　them　has　been　cut　by　the　soldiers；　and　the　greater　part　of
it　runs　along　a　rock；　levelled　with　great　labour　and　exactness；
near　the　water…side。

Most　of　this　day's　journey　was　very　pleasant。　　The　day；　though
bright；　was　not　hot；　and　the　appearance　of　the　country；　if　I　had
not　seen　the　Peak；　would　have　been　wholly　new。　　We　went　upon　a
surface　so　hard　and　level；　that　we　had　little　care　to　hold　the
bridle；　and　were　therefore　at　full　leisure　for　contemplation。　　On
the　left　were　high　and　steep　rocks　shaded　with　birch；　the　hardy
native　of　the　North；　and　covered　with　fern　or　heath。　　On　the　right
the　limpid　waters　of　Lough　Ness　were　beating　their　bank；　and　waving
their　surface　by　a　gentle　agitation。　　Beyond　them　were　rocks
sometimes　covered　with　verdure；　and　sometimes　towering　in　horrid
nakedness。　　Now　and　then　we　espied　a　little　cornfield；　which　served
to　impress　more　strongly　the　general　barrenness。

Lough　Ness　is　about　twenty…four　miles　long；　and　from　one　mile　to
two　miles　broad。　　It　is　remarkable　that　Boethius；　in　his
description　of　Scotland；　gives　it　twelve　miles　of　breadth。　　When
historians　or　geographers　exhibit　false　accounts　of　places　far
distant；　they　may　be　forgiven；　because　they　can　tell　but　what　they
are　told；　and　that　their　accounts　exceed　the　truth　may　be　justly
supposed；　because　most　men　exaggerate　to　others；　if　not　to
themselves：　　but　Boethius　lived　at　no　great　distance；　if　he　never
saw　the　lake；　he　must　have　been　very　incurious；　and　if　he　had　seen
it；　his　veracity　yielded　to　very　slight　temptations。

Lough　Ness；　though　not　twelve　miles　broad；　is　a　very　remarkable
diffusion　of　water　without　islands。　　It　fills　a　large　hollow
between　two　ridges　of　high　rocks；　being　supplied　partly　by　the
torrents　which　fall　into　it　on　either　side；　and　partly；　as　is
supposed；　by　springs　at　the　bottom。　　Its　water　is　remarkably　clear
and　pleasant；　and　is　imagined　by　the　natives　to　be　medicinal。　　We
were　told；　that　it　is　in　some　places　a　hundred　and　forty　fathoms
deep；　a　profundity　scarcely　credible；　and　which　probably　those　that
relate　it　have　never　sounded。　　Its　fish　are　salmon；　trout；　and
pike。

It　was　said　at　fort　Augustus；　that　Lough　Ness　is　open　in　the
hardest　winters；　though　a　lake　not　far　from　it　is　covered　with　ice。
In　discussing　these　exceptions　from　the　course　of　nature；　the　first
question　is；　whether　the　fact　be　justly　stated。　　That　which　is
strange　is　delightful；　and　a　pleasing　error　is　not　willingly
detected。　　Accuracy　of　narration　is　not　very　common；　and　there　are
few　so　rigidly　philosophical；　as　not　to　represent　as　perpetual；
what　is　only　frequent；　or　as　constant；　what　is　really　casual。　　If
it　be　true　that　Lough　Ness　never　freezes；　it　is　either　sheltered　by
its　high　banks　from　the　cold　blasts；　and　exposed　only　to　those
winds　which　have　more　power　to　agitate　than　congeal；　or　it　is　kept
in　perpetual　motion　by　the　rush　of　streams　from　the　rocks　that
inclose　it。　　Its　profundity　though　it　should　be　such　as　is
represented　can　have　little　part　in　this　exemption；　for　though　deep
wells　are　not　frozen；　because　their　water　is　secluded　from　the
external　air；　yet　where　a　wide　surface　is　exposed　to　the　full
influence　of　a　freezing　atmosphere；　I　know　not　why　the　depth　should
keep　it　open。　　Natural　philosophy　is　now　one　of　the　favourite
studies　of　the　Scottish　nation；　and　Lough　Ness　well　deserves　to　be
diligently　examined。

The　road　on　which　we　travelled；　and　which　was　itself　a　source　of
entertainment；　is　made　along　the　rock；　in　the　direction　of　the
lough；　sometimes　by　breaking　off　protuberances；　and　sometimes　by
cutting　the　great　mass　of　stone　to　a　considerable　depth。　　The
fragments　are　piled　in　a　loose　wall　on　either　side；　with　apertures
left　at　very　short　spaces；　to　give　a　passage　to　the　wintry
currents。　　Part　of　it　is　bordered　with　low　trees；　from　which　our
guides　gathered　nuts；　and　would　have　had　the　appearance　of　an
English　lane；　except　that　an　English　lane　is　almost　always　dirty。
It　has　been　made　with　great　labour；　but　has　this　advantage；　that　it
cannot；　without　equal　labour；　be　broken　up。

Within　our　sight　there　were　goats　feeding　or　playing。　　The
mountains　have　red　deer；　but　they　came　not　within　view；　and　if　what
is　said　of　their　vigilance　and　subtlety　be　true；　they　have　some
claim　to　that　palm　of　wisdom；　which　the　eastern　philosopher；　whom
Alexander　interrogated；　gave　to　those　beasts　which　live　furthest
from　men。

Near　the　way；　by　the　water　side；　we　espied　a　cottage。　　This　was　the
first　Highland　Hut　that　I　had　seen；　and　as　our　business　was　with
life　and　manners；　we　were　willing　to　visit　it。　　To　enter　a
habitation　without　leave；　seems　to　be　not　considered　here　as
rudeness　or　intrusion。　　The　old　laws　of　hospitality　still　give　this
licence　to　a　stranger。

A　hut　is　constructed　with　loose　stones；　ranged　for　the　most　part
with　some　tendency　to　circularity。　　It　must　be　placed　where　the
wind　cannot　act　upon　it　with　violence；　because　it　has　no　cement；
and　where　the　water　will　run　easily　away；　because　it　has　no　floor
but　the　naked　ground。　　The　wall；　which　is　commonly　about　six　feet
high；　declines　from　the　perpendicular　a　little　inward。　　Such
rafters　as　can　be　procured　are　then　raised　for　a　roof；　and　covered
with　heath；　which　makes　a　strong　and　warm　thatch；　kept　from　flying
off　by　ropes　of　twisted　heath；　of　which　the　ends；　reaching　from　the
center　of　the　thatch　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　are　held　firm　by　the
weight　of　a　large　stone。　　No　light　is　admitted　but　at　the　entrance；
and　through　a　hole　in　the　thatch；　which　gives　vent　to　th