Attic dialect. The young people of Athens were fent first to learn grammar, under mafters who taught them regularly their own language; by which they attained a knowledge of its whole beauty, energy, number, and cadence. In short, to fpeak English well, a person should speak in such a manner that no one fould difcover whether he be a native of London, Edinburgh, or Dublin. Sheridan's Dictionary appears to me to be the moft ufeful work on this fubject, and preferable to Walker's Dictionary." P.213.

A PLAN FOR THE STUDY OF GEO

RIOUS MODEL OF THE FOREST
CANTONS.

" GEOGRAPHY is a fcience fo very eafy and entertaining, and its advantages fo numerous and extenfive, that it cannot fail to attract the attention, and to make a permanent impreffion on the minds of children. When the divifion is about to enter upon this ftudy, the tutor fhould explain by lecture, that is, verbally, the nature and ufc of the fcience; the ftructure of the earth, its divifion, and the evidences of its rotundity. For, the first conceptions of a boy respect ing the formation of the earth, are much the fame as thofe of the favage becoming civilized. We find from the reports of voyagers and travellers, that uninftructed nations generally fuppofe the earth to be a flat extended furface, furrounded by water. This was my own idea of it during infancy; and from the narrative of Lord Macartney's embafly, by Sir George Staunton, it appears, that this is ftill the opinion even of the enlightened Mandarins of China. As it is impoflible that boys can make a rapid progrefs in any ftudy, if they be deficient in its fundamental parts; this falfe conception fhould be rectified, if poffible, by ocular demonstration; if not, by fuch methods as approach neareft to it. I have not hitherto been fo fortunate as to meet with any fyftem of geography, which treats of thefe fubjects in a demonftrative method; and therefore I fhall fuggeft a plan, which will enable the lecturer to demonftrate to the eye, the inftruction he wishes to convey to the mind.

"I propofe, therefore, that there

object on the machine. Thus, when he defines the nature of an ifland as a body of land, entirely furrounded by water, he fhould point to the island, reprefented on the machine, which will have the appearance of a small spot raifed above the furface, and will exactly describe the object in contemplation. If he want to give an account of any particular ifland, he muft refer to our common geographical globes for a correct defcription of its thape and fize; the object of the machine propofed, being only to give general ideas of the nature of iflands, promontories, &c. &c. not of any particular island or promontory.

"If there be any merit in the invention of fuch a fimple inftrument of knowledge, it belongs not to me; for the idea was first suggested to my mind, by the fight of a fplendid and ingenious geographical alto-relief, in the shape of a parallelogram, invented by Lieutenant General Pfiffer, of Lucerne in Swifferland. This able and venerable geographer, when above seventy years of age, climbed the cloud-capt mountains of his native country, and amidst the roar of cataracts, and of lavanges loofened from their beds, and tumbling down with precipitate deftruction, literally traced the topography of the Foreft Cantons, with fuch correct exactitude, that it may justly challenge the fuperiority over any undertaking of the kind, that has ever been performed in any age or nation of the world. His alto-relief represents every lake, mountain, cataract, and rivulet. Whenever he had reached the fummit of a mountain, he picked up a stone, and on his return to Lucerne modelled

it

preffed to know why they had taken us out on fo fruitlefs an errand, he replied, that it was merely in compliance with our wifh to fet fail.

"As we rowed along the southern shore of Ulva, our attention was ftrong ly arrefted by the fingular rocks which form its natural rampart. They are black, rugged, and horrific; fometimes wildly irregular, broken into caverns and chafms; fometimes piled into huge maffes, like the narrow lanes of a crowded city; and fometimes moulded ́ into long lines of embattled columns, exhibiting a gradual approach to the regularity of Staffa. Landing near these tremendous cliffs, we explored their gloomy receffes'; which prefented fcenery fo magnificently favage, that we did not regret the delay, which occafioned our examination of them. The rest of the island was alfo interefting. The fouthern and western fides confift of small hills, whofe fummits, for the most part, form regular ranges of bafaltic columns. The little vales, between these, are cultivated in fcanty patches, and have fcarcely any wood; but finding a sheltered fpot furrounded with a few trees, near the farm of Orfmag, we took our dinner there, in the open air. Leaving our boat fafe moored, on the farther fide of the ifland, we returned across the mountain, from the top of which we were firft gratified with a view of Staffa, and had a noble profpect all around. On the eastern fide of the island, it proprietor, - Macdonald, Efq. of Boyfdale, has built a houfe, which, from the barenefs of every thing about it, has a moft dreary look. The view this way, however, is very fine, comprehending the opening of Loch na Gall, with the bold fhores and lofty mountains of Mull. More to the fouth appear feveral fmall iflands, many of them fcarcely iflands, rocky points: amongst them is Inch Kenneth, celebrated by a week's refidence of Dr. Johnfon, in the fimple hut of Sir Allan Maclean. In the open fea, are scattered a vaft number of islands, from Icolmkill, on the fouth-west, to Staffa, on the weft, and Coll and Tiree, on the north-weft. Among the pheno/mena which we obferved in this profpect, none was more novel and furprifing to us, than the torrents, which we faw, at feven or eight miles diftance, on the fides of the mountains in

Mull, blown upward in spray, by the violence of the wind, and appearing like a thick smoke.

"In the evening we croffed the narrow ferry, to Laggan Ulva; and the next morning, recroffing it, returned to our boat. The weather was fomewhat more favourable, and we being no lefs anxious to profecute our voyage, again fet fail. Our course was expeditious; and though the day was tolerably calm, the waves of the Atlantic ran very high, affording a grand and majeftic fpectacle. Ulva, which we had juft quitted, is nearly three miles in length, and is divided by a very narrow found from Gometra, another confiderable island: about two miles to the weft is Colonfa; and eight miles beyond this is Staffa.

"The most commodious time for vifiting the island, is a little before low water, as it is impoffible to land at high water, if the fea be at all rough. We reached it at this precife period, and in the lowest tide of the whole year. On our approach, it prefented a mafs of rock about half a mile in length, and of no very remarkable appearance, until we were near enough to difcern the columns, caverns, &c. in its bare fides, and the scanty verdure fprinkled on the top. Toward the north, the rock feems more rude and unformed; but the fouthern extremity is enriched with all the diverfities of a ftrange, and surprising, natural architecture. On a very calm day, with the wind to the eastward, it may be worth while to row round the island, and enter the caves, in a boat; but if the wind is in the leaft degree wefterly, a boat would be dashed to pieces in making fuch an experiment.

"Landing, therefore, on the eaft, we directed our fteps towards the fouthern fide: but first climbed a small eminence, on which is built the herds man's hut. In this folitary abode, remains the herdsman, with his wife and family, during half the year, to attend twenty fmall cattle, whose pasture is all that the island produces: and in this hut, uninhabited during the other, half year, muft the unfortunate ftormftaid traveller take refuge, without hope of any provifion but what he brings with him. This danger is not imaginary; for I have known persons who have been kept so long in this terrible fituation, as to be apprehenfive

of

of famine; exifting all the while in a Thelter, fcarcely better than that of the diftracted Lear.

"The foil, which in all parts of the inland is very thin, is worn off in feveral places, and shows the general tendency of the rock to affume a columnar form, difpofed in different directions, perpendicular, oblique, or horizontal, as well curved as ftraight., To defcribe all the whimsical appearances, which it affumes, is impoffible: some of them feem to be Gothic arches and doors, others vaulted roofs, others colonades, causeways, &c. The moft remarkable are the caves: all of them open to the fea, which at the lowest ebb washes their base, and at high water almoft fills their interior. The firft is the Clamshell Cave, fo called from the refemblance of its upper part to that fhell, on a large fcale: the top is open at the entrance, and, confifting of columns bent like reversed parts of an arch, has impreffed the country people with the notion of that fimilitude, from which its name is taken.

"Immediately beyond this is a remarkable pyramidal aggregation of pillars, all of them truncated, fhort, and pointing in different directions to the top. This heap being divided by a narrow channel from the main ifland, has been called Buachaille, the herdfman, a name very frequently given in the Highlands to detached rocks, or mountains, ftanding before others, like a herdfman before his herd. This is corruptly called by many writers Bootha-la. As every ftrange phenomenon, in these regions, is connected traditionally with the Fions; the Buachaille is faid to confift of 8000 diftin&t ftones, on each of which stood one of those warriors; how they found a firm footing, or fufficient room, it is not eafy to difcover.

"Turning toward the fouth-weft, is a causeway of regular truncated columns, bordered by a wall of pillars, which inftead of cornice, architrave, &c. have a ftratum of irregular, and, as it were, half-formed bafalt. The general colour of the rock is a deep purplish black, except where it is tinged by lichens, fea-weed, &c. The texture of the pillars is fine, but their furface rather rough, refembling dried mortar; and they are mostly cracked in a direction at right angles to their elevation. They are of different forms, all regular

polygons, moftly pentagonal or hexagonal, but fome quadrilateral, or even trilateral. They have at times fallen down, and perhaps the whole caufeway has been thus formed; but few of the entire columns are known to have fallen within living memory. In the fiffures of the bafalt are fmall veins of whitish fpar, but not abundant. Every ftep we take here excites new admiration; and a most singular sensation is produced, by the evident confusion of natural operations, and the no lefs evident resemblance which they bear to thofe of art. It may be imagined, that the formality, which renders this scene unmanageable by the pencil, would detract much from the fublimity of the feeling produced; but it has, perhaps, a contrary effect. The greatnefs of the fcale forcibly impreffes the idea of greatness in the operating caufe; and the regularity of difpofition, approaching fo near to human intelligence, invefts that cause with a folemn mysterious character. Much as this spot is celebrated, I have never known a perfon, whofe expectations were not more than gratified in seeing it. This rare excellence is owing probably to its perfect novelty: we have none, or very inaccurate ftandards, by which to form our previous judgments, and are agreeably furprised, to find them fo much furpaffed by the reality.

The moft ftriking feene of the whole ifland, that in which Nature feems to have ftriven with, and vanquifhed Art, in her own province, is the great cave fronting the fouth-weft, called Uaimh na Fion, the cave of Fingal. Mr. St. Fond, by arbitrarily changing the word Fion into Fonn, a tune, deduces its name from a musical found, produced here, as he says, by the sea. For my part, I heard nothing more mufical in the waves, which fill the bottom of this cavern, than in those which wash any other part of the ifland; but the predilection of the Highlanders for their favourite chief is not ill fhown, in affigning to him fo magnificent a hall, which feems formed by nature for the assemblage of great and venerable characters. The entrance is an irregular arch, fifty-three feet broad, and one hundred and seventeen high; the interior is two hundred and fifty feet in length, and appears longer from its diminishing perspective. The fides, which are ftraight, are d

3 D 2

vided

vided into pillars; fome of thofe on the eaft, having been broken off near the bafe, form a paffage along that fide, by which, with fome difficulty, I reached the very fartheft end, and feated myself in a kind of natural throne, formed in the rock. It feemed that few perfons had gone fo far; as a great number of names were infcribed on a column not easy to pafs, but very few beyond it. From this feat, the general effect of the cave appears truly magnificent, and well calculated to form the eye and the taste of a picturefque architect. The broken, irregular, bafaltic roof, resembled the rich ornaments of fome grand Gothic buildings; the truncated columns on the fides, thofe ranged feats, on which, it might be supposed, the Fingalian heroes,

In clofe recefs, and fecret conclave fat,

Frequent and full.'

Being lighted only from without, the gradual deepening of the gloom gives folemnity to the fcene; and a beautiful fingularity is added by the fea dafhing below, and the island of Icolmkill, with its ruined cathedral, appearing,

exactly in front, on the horizon.

"The knowledge of this extraordinary spot is one of the many benefits which have been conferred on public tafte and science, by the prefent learned Prefident of the Royal Society. Sir Jofeph Banks, who vifited it in the year 1772, drew up the first correct and interefting account of it, inferted in Mr. Pennant's Tour. Its parallel is no where to be found, unlefs, perhaps, in the Giant's Causeway in Ireland; but it seems to be generally agreed by those persons who have feen both, that Staffa is much the more magnificent." Vol. i. p. 298.

A HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN.

"IN returning merrily to Ulva, we learnt that an old Highland chieftain, Mac Quarry of Mac Quarry, refided on the small island of Colonfa. His fortune, indeed, was decayed; he had parted with Ulva, Staffa, and a very extenfive property, and was reduced to this little domain; but still he re

tained the old Highland spirit of hofpitality, and would have been hurt at our paffing his thore without a vifit. The welcome which he gave us to his little hut, was of the warmeft kind. Whis key, his own recipe for long life, he recommended without limitation to his friends, and would not fuffer us to depart without going through all the ceremonies of the parting cup."Vol. i. p. 309.

HIGHLAND SUPERSTITIONS. "IT is not surprising that a country like this fhould be marked by fuperftitions; but, in general, I found that they were wearing faft away. Every peasant spoke of the belief in them, as originating in times of darkness, and contrafted it with the clear and accurate knowledge of the prefent day. Yet fome part of this belief ftill exifts. Among the peculiar fuperftitions of this country is the River Horfe, a fupernatural being, fuppofed to feed, in the fhape of a horse, on the banks of Loch Lochy, and, when disturbed, to plunge inte its waters. He is lord of the lake, and with his motion shakes the whole expanfe. His power is not always used for good purposes: he fometimes overturns boats; fometimes entices mares from the pafture—in fhort, he is a complete Water-King! Akin to this, but not fupernatural, is the River Bull, a harmlefs creature, who is fuppofed to emerge from the lake into the pasture of cows. The Highland herdimen pretend, that they can diftinguith the calves, which spring from this union.

"I know not whether these notions

have any other than a local prevalence; but there are fome fuch beliefs, which are common to the whole Highlands. These are traceable to different religions, the Druidical, the Scandinavian, and the Roman Catholic; and they may be illuftrated by many proverbial expreffions, popular tales, fongs, and fingular customs connected with them. Some of them regard particular times, as Beltane, Hallow Een, Sheachanna na bleanagh, or the unlucky day, New Year's day, &c. Some relate to places,

fuch