Then succeeds a long and dreary moor, a tedious ascent up the mountain See-chuimin or Cummin's seat, whose summit is of a great height and very craggy. Descend a steep road, leave on the right Loch-Taarf, a small irregular piece of water, decked with little woody isles, and abounding with Char. After a second steep descent, reach Fort Augustus *, a small fortress, seated on a plain at the head of Loch-Ness, between the rivers Taarf and Oich; the last is considerable, and has over it a bridge of three arches. The fort consists of four bastions; within is the governor's house, and barracks for 400 men: it was taken by the rebels in 1746, who immediately deserted it, after demolishing what they could.

Lock-Ness is twenty-two miles in length; the breadth from one to two miles, except near Castle Urquhart, where it swells out to three. The depth is very great; opposite to the rock called the Horseshoe, near the west end, it has been found to be 140 fathoms. From an eminence near the fort is a full view of its whole extent, for it is perfectly strait, running from east to west, with a point to the south. The boundary from the fall of Fyres is very steep and rocky, which obliged General Wade to make that detour from its banks, part on account of the expense in cutting through so much solid rock, partly through an apprehension that in case of a rebellion the troops might be destroyed in their march, by the tumbling down of stones by the enemy from above: besides this, a prodigious arch must have been flung over the Glen of Fyers.

This lake, by reason of its great depth, never freezes, and during cold weather a violent steam rises from it as from a furnace. Ice brought from other parts, and put into Loch-Ness, instantly thaws; but no water freezes sooner than that of the lake when

brought into a house. Its water is esteemed very salubrious; so that people come or send thirty miles for it: old Lord Lovat in particular made constant use of it. But it is certain, whether it be owing to the water, or to the air of that neighbourhood, that for seven years the garrison of Fort Augustus had not lost a single man,

The fish of this lake are salmon, which are in season from Christmas to Midsummer, trouts of about 2lb. weight, pikes and eels. During winter it is frequented by swans and other wild fowls.

* Its Erse name is Kil-chuimin, or the burial-place of the Cummins. It lies on the road to the isle of Skie, which is about 52 miles off; but on the whole way there is not a place fit for the reception of man or horse.

FALL OF THE STAUB - BACH

in the Valley of Lauterbrunnen: computed at 900. f. perpendicular height.

London. Published by R.Milks.89.Chancery Lane Mar.1.1824

The

The greatest rise of water in Loch-Ness is fourteen feet. lakes from whence it receives its supplies are Loch-Oich, LochGarrie, and Loch-Quich. There is but very little navigation on it; the only vessel is a gally belonging to the fort, to bring the stores from the east end, the river Ness being too shallow for navigation.

It is violently agitated by the winds, and at times the waves are quite mountainous. November 1, 1755, at the same time as the earthquake at Lisbon, these waters were affected in a very extraor dinary manner: they rose and flowed up the lake from east to west with vast impetuosity, and were carried above 200 yards up the river Oich, breaking on its banks in a wave near three feet high; then continued ebbing and flowing for the space of an hour: but at eleven o'clock a wave greater than any of the rest came up the river, broke on the north side, and overflowed the bank for the extent of 30 feet. A boat near the General's Hut, loaden with brush-wood, was thrice driven ashore, and twice carried back again; but the last time, the rudder was broken, the wood forced out, and the boat filled with water and left on shore. At the same time, a little isle, in a small loch in Badenoch, was totally reversed and flung on the beach. tion was felt on land.

But at both these places no agita

[Pennant's Tour in Scotland.]

4. Brief Survey of other remarkable Cataracts.

THE bold and precipitous country of the Alps offers us a variety of waterfalls and perpendicular torrents that are well worthy of notice; and especially those about Mount Rosa, a northern boundary of Piedmont, and probably the Mons Sylvius of the ancients. Thus the river Oreo, fed by numerous streams from St. Gothard, Mount Cenis, and some branches of the Appennines, forms at Ce. resoli a vertical cascade computed at 400 fathoms, or 2,400 feet: while the torrent Evanson, descending from another part of Mount Rosa, exhibits, about half a mile from Vernez, a fall of more than 200 fathoms, and rolls down pebbles of quartz, veined with the gold that is occasionally traced in the mountains of Challand.

The Cascata del Marmore, or Marble Cascade, so denomi nated from the mountain down which the Velcino falls, being almost wholly of marble, lies about three miles from Terni, and the road to it, part of which is cut in the rock in the side of the mountain,

1

is without rails, and very slippery, and consequently very dangerous to men and horses. The traveller is struck with terror on viewing the precipices, which are of romantic height; but is sufficiently rewarded, when, on reaching the top of the mountain, he views the stupendous cataract formed by the Velcino as it rushes from the mountain.

The river, after running some miles with a gentle course, reaches the declivity of its channel, which is shaded with many massy trees, covered with perpetual verdure, as are the mountains by which it is surrounded The waters afterward descend with a rapid course for a short space, and then fall from a perpendicular height of three hundred feet, breaking against lateral rocks, which cause vapours to ascend much higher than the summit of the cataract, by which the neighbouring valley receives a perpetual fall of rain. After this descent, the waters rush into the cavities of the rocks, and then bursting through several openings, at length arrive at the bed of the river.

In Savoy, the Arvo runs for many miles between high, craggy, and inaccessible rocks, which seem as if split on purpose to give its rapid waters a free passage. The surprising echoes and continual sounds occasioned by its streams, the trampling of the horses and mules, the hallowing of passengers, &c. in those places, are reverberated three, four, and even in some parts six or seven times, with a noise so deep and wild, as to strike the traveller, unaccustomed to them, with terror; and the firing of a gun or pistol, is here more terrible than the loudest, claps of thunder. The roads which are cut along the sides of the steep, and in many places are not above five or six feet wide, afford, both above and below, the dreadful prospect of a steep precipice, with impending, monstrous rocks, that seem just ready to fall; which, joined to the roaring of the river, adds largely to the general sublimity. The cataracts of this river in several places are more or less loud and terrible, according as the waters are more or less swelled by the melting snows, with which the tops of the mountains are covered. One in particular, called by the inhabitants the Nun of Arpena, falls from a prodigious high rock with great noise and violence; and its fall is said to be above eleven hundred feet. Over this river, trasellers are obliged to pass seven or eight times by bridges, some of