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the great Caledonian glen, Glen-mor-na-albin, stretching from north-east to south-west across the country upwards of fifty miles, and the surface of which is almost entirely occupied by a chain of magnificent lakes. Its average width, at the bottom, may be reckoned about a mile, but toward its summit level, it is in many places scarcely a quarter of that width. The sides of the mountains rise so abruptly on both sides of the glen, and their opposing fronts appear so much adapted one

a hollow on the top of a great ridge, having a heronry on its single island. These are very interesting objects. On turning the shoulder of a hill to the left, about two miles distant, is a pass which, for wood, rock, and water, may be compared to the Pass of Leney. Here the Rasay forms a broken cataract, which is exceedingly interesting; the rocks are rent, and grouped in a peculiarly fascinating manner, and the sound of the water is singularly rich and harmonious; so visually and musically fascinating is the scene, that the eye and ear are alike here deliciously feasted. The proper falls of the Conan are upwards from Craigdarroch about five miles, where the river issues from Loch Luichard, and continues in a series of falls and rapids for about a mile; and although none of these are of a great height, yet the impression produced on the mind is extremely interesting and pleasing.

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Where rose the mountains, these, to him, were friends,
The desert, forest, cavern, breakers' foam,

Were unto him companionship."-BYRON.

The hospitable proprietor of Coul is extremely attentive to strangers, and affords every accommodation and information to the Tourist, with his usual liberal hospitality. Added to his other amiable qualifications, he is fully capable of aiding the geologist, mineralogist, antiquarian, or man of taste in his pursuits. He has pointed out a route through a portion of this interesting county, which, it is thought, far surpasses any other district in Scotland for richness and variety of peculiar Highland scenery. It is through Strathgarve and Strathbran. by numerous lakes and hills to Loch Carron, from thence across to Loch Alsh, at the threshold of Skye, up Loch-Duich, one of the finest sheets of water, surrounded and enclosed by the very finest mountains in Scotland, and through Glen-sheil and Glen-Morriston, to Loch-Ness, Fall of Foyers, &c. &c.

to another, that it is impossible, in travelling through it, to resist the conclusion, that the glen must have been produced by some sudden and tremendous convulsion. Its eastern extremity opens at the passage of the River Ness into the Moray Firth, and on the west it communicates with the ocean by that long inlet of the sea called Linnhe Loch. Tributary to this great valley are eight straths, or smaller glens, four of which, Glen Urquhart, Glen Morriston, Glen Garry, and the glen of Loch Arkeg, run into it from the west north-west; and the remaining four, Stratherick, Glen Gluay, Glen Spean, and Glen Nevis, (the three last in Lochaber,) join it from the east south-east. All these glens are narrow; they are bounded and divided from one another by enormous mountains, which form a great proportion of the surface of the country.

The long chain of lakes which occupy the great glen, suggested the vast scheme of opening a navigation through it, between the two oceans, principally to obviate the dangers and delay of sailing round the entire north of Scotland. It was imagined, from the almost uniform depth of the lakes, that the expence of this great national work, the Caledonian Canal, would be inconsiderable; so that when the work was first determined on by Government, only L. 20,000 was voted; but the whole expence has exceeded a million.

The length of the Canal is 60 miles, of which 37! miles pass through Lochs Ness, Oich, and Lochy, leaving twenty-three miles of artificial cutting and locks; it begins at Clachnaharry, near Inverness, and ends at Corpach, near Fort-William. This great national undertaking, after a labour of twenty years, was opened from sea to sea 23d October 1822.

The Canal, where artificial, is 120 feet wide at the water surface, fifty at the bottom, and twenty feet in depth, and is capable of passing a thirty-two gun frigate,

the largest Baltic ship, or the average of West India vessels, from sea to sea. The locks are forty feet in width, and, in their other dimensions, are proportioned to the scale of the Canal. The first of these is the great sea lock at the opening from the Moray Firth, at Clachnaharry, under the shelter of the point of Kessock ferry, its outermost sill being 400 yards from high water mark. A short way from this lock, the Canal is widened into a commodious floating dock, 1000 yards in length, and 160 in width, having a proper wharf. Above the dock, four locks raise the Canal to the level of Loch Ness, to which, a distance of eight miles, the Canal is continued, including in its course an arm of Loch Dochfour. Loch Ness, one of the largest fresh water lakes in Britain, extends, twenty-four miles in length, and from a mile to two miles in breadth.*

* Loch Ness is of astonishing and nearly uniform depth. Its common soundings are from 116 to 120 fathoms, and its extreme depth 135. Like all the other lakes in the great glen, it is bordered by a narrow shelf, beyond which it suddenly deepens. Close to this shelf it is from fifteen to twenty fathoms deep; and, notwithstanding its rectilinear direction, its shores contain some small anchoring bays. From the circumstance of its great depth affording a continual succession of warmer strata of water to occupy the place of those which, being cooled at the surface, have sunk from their increased specific gravity, the lake is never known to freeze. From this circumstance, and also the smoking of the lake, that takes place during frost, owing to the evaporation of the upper stratum of water, a belief has been entertained by some, that beneath the lake there is a hidden fire in the bowels of the earth. On the day of the great earthquake at Lisbon, 1st November 1755, the water of the lake rose without an apparent cause, and rushing south-westward with violence, continued to ebb and flow for more than an hour. During the earthquake on 13th August 1816, the people on board the dredging barge, moored at the foot of Loch Ness, although not sensible of any motion in the water, were awakened and much alarmed by the rombo, thinking that the vessel had broke from her mooring chains. The water of the lake, as well as of the river issuing from it, produces very obstinate diarrhoea in strangers who drink of it, and horses are affected in a similiar way. This property

The Canal is continued south-west from Fort Augustus, at the head of the lake. It crosses a part of the glacis of the Fort; and, being raised by a number of locks, it enters Loch Oich, which is five miles distant from the Fort. This lake is three miles in length, and a quarter of a mile in average breadth; and here is the highest level of the navigation, at ninety-four feet above tide-mark.

Between Loch Oich and Loch Lochy is a space of nearly two miles; and the ground being twenty feet higher than the former of those lakes, the cut which connects them is of the great depth of 40 feet. Loch Lochy is ten miles and a half long, and a mile and a half in breadth, and in depth 16 fathoms or so; its sides are beautiful, being bounded by high mountains of peculiar formation, the lower parts covered with wood: it affords good anchoring ground, and a well protected road-stead. The level of this lake has been raised 15 feet by the construction of a wear, and the opening of a new channel for the river Lochy into the Spean.

From Loch Lochy the Canal is continued eight miles through a rugged country, to Loch Eil, which communicates with that great arm of the sea called Linnhe Loch, in Argyllshire, opposite to Fort-William and Gordonsburgh. In this section of the Canal there are a number of aqueducts; and in the last mile there are no less than eight connected locks, raising the level of the Canal 64 feet. This stupendous piece of masonry has acquired the appellation of Neptune's Staircase. Near to the opening of the Canal into Loch Eil, there are two con

was supposed to arise from its containing a minute portion of sulphur ; but Dr Nicol of Inverness, who made several experiments upon it, did not observe the slightest indication of sulphur, though faint traces of the existence of muriatic acid presented themselves. He is disposed to attribute the above property of the water to a great portion of putrid vegetable matter mingled with it.

nected locks, which raise the level 15 feet, besides the sea lock, excavated from the rock, to afford a depth of twenty feet at the high water of ordinary neap tides. At this opening there is the excellent road-stead of Corpach, (the plain or haugh of corpses,) where in former times, it is said, the bodies of departed kings and nobles were embarked for interment in the sacred Island of Iona. From Corpach, the lake opens gradually to the width of ten miles into the usual track of the shipping from the Orkneys and Cape Wrath.

Steam-boats have been established for the navigation of the Canal; and the Commissioners have fixed the rate of tonnage at a farthing per ton each mile; and that of steam-boats, carrying only passengers and parcels not exceeding 56 lb. in weight at 10s. each boat for the whole navigation. Already vessels of great burden have sailed through the Canal. A spectacle more gratifying and magnificent can scarcely be imagined than that of stately ships, which a day before had been " breasting the lofty surges" of the ocean, gliding in security over the bosom of placid lakes, under the brow of lofty mountains and the shade of forests, within the hearing of waterfalls, and the gladening sounds of rustic industry on every side.

From Inverness to Fort-Augustus there are two carriage roads, on different sides of Loch Ness. The one upon the north side is by far the most attractive, on account of its general scenery; and, therefore, we shall adopt it. But, upon the other road, is the celebrated Fall of Foyers, which no traveller, who can spare the necessary time, should neglect to visit. This may be easily accomplished by proceeding along the south side of the lake by the military road, a distance of about eighteen miles, to

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