a journey to-第9章

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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　with　much　of　the　face　of　nature；
and　with　one　of　the　great　scenes　of　human　existence。

As　the　day　advanced　towards　noon；　we　entered　a　narrow　valley　not
very　flowery；　but　sufficiently　verdant。　　Our　guides　told　us；　that
the　horses　could　not　travel　all　day　without　rest　or　meat；　and
intreated　us　to　stop　here；　because　no　grass　would　be　found　in　any
other　place。　　The　request　was　reasonable　and　the　argument　cogent。
We　therefore　willingly　dismounted　and　diverted　ourselves　as　the
place　gave　us　opportunity。

I　sat　down　on　a　bank；　such　as　a　writer　of　Romance　might　have
delighted　to　feign。　　I　had　indeed　no　trees　to　whisper　over　my　head；
but　a　clear　rivulet　streamed　at　my　feet。　　The　day　was　calm；　the　air
soft；　and　all　was　rudeness；　silence；　and　solitude。　　Before　me；　and
on　either　side；　were　high　hills；　which　by　hindering　the　eye　from
ranging；　forced　the　mind　to　find　entertainment　for　itself。　　Whether
I　spent　the　hour　well　I　know　not；　for　here　I　first　conceived　the
thought　of　this　narration。

We　were　in　this　place　at　ease　and　by　choice；　and　had　no　evils　to
suffer　or　to　fear；　yet　the　imaginations　excited　by　the　view　of　an
unknown　and　untravelled　wilderness　are　not　such　as　arise　in　the
artificial　solitude　of　parks　and　gardens；　a　flattering　notion　of
self…sufficiency；　a　placid　indulgence　of　voluntary　delusions；　a
secure　expansion　of　the　fancy；　or　a　cool　concentration　of　the
mental　powers。　　The　phantoms　which　haunt　a　desert　are　want；　and
misery；　and　danger；　the　evils　of　dereliction　rush　upon　the
thoughts；　man　is　made　unwillingly　acquainted　with　his　own　weakness；
and　meditation　shows　him　only　how　little　he　can　sustain；　and　how
little　he　can　perform。　　There　were　no　traces　of　inhabitants；　except
perhaps　a　rude　pile　of　clods　called　a　summer　hut；　in　which　a
herdsman　had　rested　in　the　favourable　seasons。　　Whoever　had　been　in
the　place　where　I　then　sat；　unprovided　with　provisions　and　ignorant
of　the　country；　might；　at　least　before　the　roads　were　made；　have
wandered　among　the　rocks；　till　he　had　perished　with　hardship；
before　he　could　have　found　either　f