a farm-house a little further
on. He was very ready to talk with us, and was rather an interesting
companion; he spoke after a slow and solemn manner, in book and sermon
language and phrases:

"A stately speech, such as grave livers do in Scotland use."

When we came to the farm-house of which the man had spoken, William and
he landed to make the necessary inquiries. It was a thatched house at
the foot of the high mountain Ben Durinish--a few patches or little beds
of corn belonging to it; but the spot was pastoral, the green grass
growing to the walls of the house. The dwelling-house was distinguished
from the outer buildings, which were numerous, making it look like two or
three houses, as is common in Scotland, by a chimney and one small window
with sash-panes; on one side was a little woody glen, with a precipitous
stream that fell into the bay, which was perfectly still, and bordered
with the rich orange-colour reflected from the sea-weed. Cruachan, on
the other side of the lake, was exceedingly grand, and appeared of an
enormous height, spreading out two large arms that made a cove down which
fell many streams swoln by the rain, and in the hollow of the cove were
some huts which looked like a village. The top of the mountain was
concealed from us by clouds, and the mists floated high and low upon the
sides of it.

William came back to the boat highly pleased with the cheerful
hospitality and kindness of the woman of the house, who would scarcely
permit him and his guide to go away without taking some refreshment. She
was the only person at home, so they could not obtain the desired
information; but William had been well repaid for the trouble of landing;
indeed, rainy as it was, I regretted that I had not landed also, for I
should have wished to bear away in my memory a perfect image of this
place,--the view from the doors, as well as the simple Highland comforts
and contrivances which were near it. I think I never saw a retirement
that would have so completely satisfied me, if I had wanted to be
altogether shut out from the world, and at the same time among the
grandest of the works of God; but it must be remembered that mountains
are often so much dignified by clouds, mists, and other accidents of
weather, that one could not know them again in the full sunshine of a
summer's noon. But, whatever the mountains may be in their own shapes,
the farm-house with its pastoral grounds and corn fields won fr