hot forth from the snow
as like the Aiguilles of Mont Blanc, as one needle is like another. That
was on the whole an adventurous day with us. We had set off from Braemar
very early in the morning, taking a vehicle as far as it would penetrate
through Glen Lui. The day was scarcely promising, but we had so long
been baffled by the weather that we felt inclined at last to put it at
defiance, or at least treat it with no respect. In Glen Lui every thing
was calm and solemn. As we passed through Glen Derrie, the rain began to
fall, and the wind roared among the old trees. The higher we ascended,
the more fierce and relentless became the blast; and when we came within
sight of Loch Avon, the interstices in the tempest-driven clouds only
showed us a dreary, winter, Greenland-like chaos of snow and rocks and
torrents. It taxed our full philosophy, both of the existence of the
_ego_ and the _non-ego_, to preserve the belief that we were still in
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and that it was the
first of August. Our indefinite projects had gradually been contracting
themselves within a narrow compass. To reach the Stone of Shelter was
now our utmost object of ambition, but it was clear that that was
impracticable--so we looked about for some place of refuge, and with
little difficulty discovered a stone about the size of a parish church
lying like a pebble at the foot of a mountain, with a projecting ledge
on the lee side, sufficiently large to protect our party. Some dry furze
happened, by a singular accident, to lie heaped in a corner of this
natural shed. With a little judicious management it was ignited, and
burned so well as to overcome the wetness of a mass of thick heather
roots, which we added to it. We were in the possession of some raw
venison;--do not open your eyes so, reader; it was most unromantically
and honestly come by, being duly entered in the bill at worthy Mrs
Clarke's inn, at Braemar. Having brought certain conjuring utensils with
us, we proceeded to cook our food and make ourselves comfortable. Water
was easily obtained in the neighbourhood, and being in possession of the
other essential elements of conviviality, we resolved that, as the
weather was determined to make it winter outside, we should have the
joys of winter within; the shrieks of the blast were drowned in our
convivial shouts--

"The storm without might rair and rustle,
Tam didna mind the storm a whistle."

Anoth