GAELIC AND ENGLISH.

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miscuously spoken here, but the ear of a stranger is almost immediately sensible of the pleasing softness with which the English language is here pronounced: it has neither the accent of the Highland nor the Lowland English language, but possesses a sweetness and purity peculiarly its own. It has been well compared to very pure English spoken with a soft foreign tone. The reasons assigned for the purity with which English is here spoken, both with respect to pronunciation and grammar, are, that not being the mother tongue it is learnt more by book, as Greek and Latin are learnt, than by conversation, that there have been garrisons of English soldiers in the neighbourhood ever since the time of Cromwell, and that, in consequence of there being little comparative communication between these counties and the Lowlands, the corrupt phrases and pronunciation of the latter are but little heard. It is very whimsical to find, in this as well as other Highland towns on the western coast, that frequently the inhabitants speak Gaelic on one side of the street and English on the other. There is a great appearance of industry and opulence, urbanity and refinement, amongst the inhabitants. The females are remarked for their beauty. There is an elegant suite of assembly-rooms; and in the winter, I am informed, the town is extremely gay.

The houses are lofty, and the streets are tolerably clean. One of the principal buildings is the court-house; and the

tolbooth, which is a very handsome modern building, surmounted by an elegant spire. The prison, which I inspected, is airy and strong, but destitute of a court-yard. I was surprised to see one prisoner, and only one, whose legs were fastened close together with irons, such as are used to bolt the hands of a deserter, so that he could not move without great difficulty: upon inquiring of the gaoler if he had attempted to escape, I was answered in the negative; and there was another prisoner, (but he was a rich rogue,) committed for more serious charges, who was not fettered at all. The gaoler informed me that the former had been thus severely ironed for some months. This was the only prisoner I saw in irons in Scotland. The room for the debtors is airy, and the prison allowance liberal. The court-room, to which there is a passage from the grated gallery of the prison, is spacious and handsome.

I ascended the hill where the Castle of Macbeth stood, the walls of which were standing when Dr. Johnson visited Inverness, but of which, to my disappointment, there were now no traces; I was rewarded, however, for my trouble, by a beautiful prospect of the town, rich corn-fields, the Frith, and many a cloud-capp'd mountain. In this castle it is believed that Macbeth murdered Duncan: the bed on which this foul deed was perpetrated is, I was informed, to be seen at Calder-castle.

The academy established here in 1790 may be considered as partaking very much of the character and consequence of an university, and is much and justly celebrated. The building containing the schools is more extensive than ornamental. Latin, Greek, French, mathematics, writing, arithmetic, drawing, and geography, are taught here with great success, under the tuition of nine masters, who have small salaries, and chiefly depend on the fees of their dif ferent classes, by which, as before, upon a somewhat similar occasion, has been observed, their interest is placed on the side of their duty. The number of youths at this academy was two hundred. The academy spring sessions or terms commence the 2d of January, and close the 28th of May. The autumnal sessions commence the 15th of July, and close the 20th of December. Besides this school for boys, there is a seminary, as I was informed, for young ladies, who are sent to it from remote parts of the Highlands.

Misfortune has always strong claims upon the feelings of a Highlander, and I could not help being highly gratified by a little rebuke which I received in this town from one whose loyalty and devotion to the august family now upon the throne are exemplary: upon designating the royal exile by the usual name of the Pretender-“ Do not call him the Pretender," said he," he was the Prince Charles."