y extraordinary
appearance which it now presents to view. Besides the hills within the
town, there are some very large and high ones just beyond the limits of
it. One of these is called Arthur's Seat, and is quite a little
mountain. The path leading to the top of it runs along upon the crest of
a remarkable range of precipices, called Salisbury Crags. These
precipices face towards the town, and together with the lofty summit of
Arthur's Seat, which rises immediately behind them, form a very
conspicuous object from a great many points of view in and around the
town.

Unfortunately, however, none of this exceedingly picturesque scenery
could be seen to advantage by our party, on the day that they arrived in
Edinburgh, on account of the rain. All that they knew was, that they
came into the town by a tunnel, and when they left the train at the
station they were at the bottom of so deep a valley that they had to
ascend to the third story before they could get out, and then they had
to go up a hill to get to the street in which the hotel was situated.

The name of this street was Prince's Street. It lay along the margin of
one of the Edinburgh hills, overlooking a long valley, which extended
between it and Castle Hill, on which the town was first built. There
were no houses in this street on the side towards the valley, but there
were several bridges leading across the valley, as if it had been a
river. Beyond the valley were to be seen the backs of the houses in
High Street, which looked like a range of cliffs, divided by vertical
chasms and seams, and blackened by time. At one end of the hill was the
castle rock, crowned with the towers, and bastions, and battlemented
walls of the ancient fortress.

The boys went directly to their rooms when they arrived at the hotel,
and while Mr. George was unstrapping and opening his valise, Waldron and
Rollo went to look out at the window, to see what they could see.

"Well, boys," said Mr. George, "how does it look?"

"It looks rainy," said Rollo. "But we can see something."

"What can you see?" asked Mr. George.

"We can see the castle on the hill," said Rollo. "At least, I suppose it
is the castle. It is right before us, across the valley, with a
precipice of rocks all around it, on every side but one. There is a
zigzag wall running round on the top of the precipices, close to the
brink of them. If a man could climb up the rocks he could not get in,
after all."

"And what i