We have not been able to perufe the work before us, without forming a comparison between these letters from a Son to a Father, and those from a Father to a Son, which have of late fo much engaged the public attention. The contrast between - the spirit that breathes through each, is ftriking; and we have too good an opinion of human nature, and of the taste and principles of the prefent times, to doubt whether the generality of our Readers will not be better pleased with the young man, declaring to his father in unaffected language, his ftrong and hereditary averfion to vice and folly,' than with the father, prompting his fon to the pursuit of dishonourable and illicit pleafures; and we hope we may venture to prophefy, that the virtues of a LYTTELTON will be remembered with refpect, when the graces of a CHESTERFIELD fhall be forgotten. Our retired fituation affording us few opportunities of becoming acquainted with the characters of the Great, we are particularly happy in being informed by the Editor of thefe mifcellanies, in the dedication, that their noble Author, fo juftly admired and regretted, has left behind him a fon who has ⚫ talents which are certainly equal to thofe which his father poffeffed,' and who makes fuch good ufe of them, that the hopes of his friends are already foreftalled, and their wishes, even at this early period, nearly accomplished.' E.... ART. V. A Tour in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772. 4to. White. 1774. OUR 1 l. 4 S. UR Readers have already feen ample fpecimens of this ingenious Writer's very agreeable manner of journalizing his travels, in our account of his former excursion *. We therefore think it unneceffary to fwell the present article with such copious extracts as those which were given from his preceding volume. Mr. Pennant again + takes his departure from Chester; and gives a fupplemental description of that very remarkable city. From thence he proceeded through the counties of Lancaster, Weftmoreland, and Cumberland; entering Scotland by the way. of Liddesdale, a part of the county of Dumfries.-As he paffed through the abovementioned portions of the North of England, he visited every place that afforded objects of curiofity or entertainment, for the antiquary, the naturalift, or the man of taste, in the general acceptation of the word: describing, en passant, * See Review, vol. xlvi. two articles.-The Author hath now published the third edition of his Tour in 1769, in quarto, with large additions. Thefe additions may be had in a feparate volume, in octavo, with 21 elegant copper-plates. + See his former Tour. among among a great variety of other particulars, the towns of Warrington, Wiggan, Prefton, Lancaster, Cockermouth, and Car life, including the gentlemen's feats, &c. the meres, the falls, the mines, Kefwick, Wetherel cells; the Picts wall; and an account of the late memorable eruption of Solway-Mofs. The principal places vifited, and defcribed, by our TravelJer, in Scotland, previous to his voyage to the Hebrides, are Annan, in Annandale; Haddam, Caerlaveroc, and Morton caftles; Dumfries; Lincluden-abbey; Drumlanrig, a house of the Duke of Queenberry's; Douglas caftle; Hamilton; Bothwell; Glafgow, which is again I largely defcribed; Paisley; and Loch-lomond. At Greenock Mr. Pennant and his companions went on board a veffel of 90 tuns; and here commences his voyage to the Hebrides. The account of thefe iflands, fo little known to us, yet in which, with a due attention to their improvement, fituation, &c. the national welfare is fo much concerned,-is extremely interefting and entertaining; fome of them may justly boat very confiderable natural advantages; which are, however, little regarded and none of them have experienced that degree of cultivation in which the ifle of Bute is fingularly happy. The following extract comprizes the greatest part of our Voyager's account of this little fortunate ifland : The ille of Bute is about 20 miles long; its greatest breadth is not more than five miles; the number of acres is about 20,000; the inhabitants are cftimated at 4000. only two parishes, Kinggarth and Rothefay: It contains Mount Stuart, the feat of the Earl of Bute, is a modern houfe, with a handiome front, and wings: the fituation very fine, on an eminence in the midst of a wood, where trees grow with as much vigour as in the more fouthern parts. Throfiles, and other fong birds fill the groves with their melody; nothing disturbs their harmony; for inflinct, often ftronger than reafon, forbids them to quit these delicious fhades, and wander, like their unhappy matter, into the ungrateful wilds of ambition. The country rifes into fmall hills, is in no part mountainous, but is the higheft at the fouth end. The trata of tone along the ↑ Vid. Tour in 1769. Mr. Pennant was accompanied in this tour and voyage, by the Rev. Mr. Lightfoot of Uxbridge, to whom our Author acknowledges his obligations for the botanical remarks inferted in this work; and by the Rev. Mr. John Stuart of Killin: to the laft-named gentleman Mr. P. exprefies his gratitude for a variety of hints relating to the cutoms of the natives of the Highlands, and of the iflands, which, by reafon of our Author's ignorance of the Erje language, mur, otherwite, have cicaped his notice. To both tacle gentlemen, he adds, I was indebted for all the comforts that arile from the fociety of agreeable and worthy companions.? fhore fhore from Rothefay to Cil-chattan, is red grit, mixed with pebbles; from the first tranfverfe to Scalpay-bay, is a bed of flate, which feems to be a continuation of that fpecies of flone ring near Stonehive, on the eastern fide of Scotland, and continued, with fome interruptions, to this ifland; but is of a bad kind both in its origin and termination. In the fouth end is fome lime-ftone; and spotted stone, not unlike lava? The quadrupeds are hares, polecats, weefels, otters, moles, and feals; among the birds, grous and partridge are fometimes found. The latter certainly imply a compliment to the agricultural improvements of the island. • The cultivation of a great tract on this eaftern fide, is very confiderable; in the article of inclofure, it has the start of the more fouthern counties of this part of the kingdom: the hedges are tall, thick, and vigorous; the white thorns and wicken trees now (June 17) in full flower; and about 2030 acres have been thus improved. The manures are coral and fea-fhells, fee-weeds, and lime. I obferved in many places, whole ftrata of corals and fhells of a valt thicknefs, at prefent half a mile from the tea: fuch loffes has that element fuftained in thefe parts. The produce of the island is barley, oats, and potatoes. Turneps and artificial graffes have been lately introduced with good fuccefs: fo that the inhabitants may have fat mutton throughout the year. A great number of cattle are allo reared here.-The rent-roll of the island is about 4000 1. a year. Lord Bute poffeffes the much greater fhare; and two or three private gentlemen own the reft. When the prefent Earl came to his eftate, the farms were poffeffed by a fet of men who carried on, at the fame time, the profeffions of bufbandry and fishing; to the manifeft injury of both. His Lordship drew a line between thefe incongruent employs, and obliged each to carry on the bufinefs he preferred, diftin&t from each other.This, with the example given by his Lordfhip, of incloning;-by the encouragement of burning lime, for Jome; and by transporting gratis to the nearest market, the produce of all; has given to this fland its prefent flourishing afpeét:-Such indifputable talents has his Lordship for the government of little lands.' Rothefay, the capital, is a small town, containing about 200 families, and is within thefe few years much improved. The females fpin yarn; the men fupport themfelves by fishing. The town has a good pier; and lies at the bottom of a fine bay.Here is fufficient depth of water, a fecure retreat, and a ready navigation down the Firth, for an export trade: magazines, fays Mr. Pennant, for goods for foreign parts, might moft advantageoufly be eftablished here. Rothefay caftle is of high but unknown antiquity; and was, in later times, a royal refidence. Mr. Pennant has given a brief hiftory of its various revolutions: illuftrated with an engraving, which exhibits a view of it, in its prefent ftate. J Our Author introduces a brief history of the Hebrides, pa ́tly taken from Dr. Macpherson's learned effay on this subject; w..h with additional obfervations. We shall not enter into any particulars of this curious part of the work; nor of his very entertaining defcriptions of the other ifles: although fome of them afford abundant matter to gratify the geographer, the hiftorian, and the antiquary. We here refer, especially, to Arran, Islay, Oranfey, Iona; and Skie, which is the largest of all the Hebrides, being 60 miles long. The account of Staffa will prove a very high gratification to the naturalift; who will here fee a new Giant's Causeway, far exceeding, in height and fplendor, the celebrated rocks of that name, in Ireland *. Our Author was favoured with the description of this hitherto unnoticed WONDER, by Jofeph Banks, Efq; who alfo, with the liberality of a true lover of the arts, and of philofophic researches, permitted Mr. Pennant's artift to copy as many of the beautiful drawings in his collection, as would be of ufe in the present work. The engravings relative to this matchlefs curiofity,' are, alone, a moft valuable prefent to the Public; and well deferved the handfome acknowledgments made by our grateful Author, in his dedication of this book, to that public fpirited gentleman. I think myself, fays he, fo much indebted to you, for making me the vehicle for conveying to the Public the rich discovery of your last voyage, that I cannot difpenfe with this addrefs the ufual tribute on fuch occafions. You took from me all temptation of envying your fuperior good fortune †, by the liberal declaration you made, that the Hebrides were my ground, and yourself, as you pleasantly expressed it, but an interloper.' This ftupendous rocky phenomenon muft have made an appearance equally ftriking and beautiful, to the astonished eyes of our voyagers, on their near approach: rifing amidst the waves, with columns of double the height of the Giant's Caufeway in Ireland; gloffy and refplendent, from the beams of the eaftern fun.' To fuch of our Readers as have not feen the Giant's Caufeway, or the beautiful paintings of that heretofore fingular curiofity (as many deemed it) by Mifs Drury, a very ingenious The Giant's Causeway lies on the coaft of Antrim, nearly oppofite to Port Patrick in Scotland. It has been fuppofed (we know not by what method of computation) to contain about 30,000 pillars. + This alludes, if we mistake not, to Mr. Pennant's being unable to land on Staffa. His words are, I wished to make a nearer approach, but the prudence of Mr. Thompson (the captain of the veffel hired for this voyage) who was unwilling to venture in thefe rocky feas, prevented my farther fearch of this wondrous ifle. I could do no more than cause an accurate view to be taken of its caftern fide, and of those other picturesque islands then in fight.' lady lady of that country; or who have not feen the engraved views of Staffa in the book now before us; it will be very difficult for us to convey any tolerable idea of fuch astonishing productions. What words can do, however Mr. Banks hath done; but his elegant drawings are an illuftration not lefs neceffary than ornamental. We fhall attempt a brief abstract of his verbal description; referring our Readers to the book itself for farther fatisfaction. The little ifland of Staffa lies on the weft coaft of Mull, about three leagues N. E. from lona. Its greatest length is about a mile, and its breadth about half a one. Mr. B. and his company arrived there Auguft 12, at nine in the evening, when it was too dark to see any thing. They therefore carried their tent and baggage near the only houfe on the island, and began to cook their fuppers, in order to be prepared for the earlieft dawn, to enjoy that fight of which, from the converfation of the neighbouring gentlemen who had informed them of this curiofity (fome of whom kindly accompanied them as guides) they had now the highest expectations. "The impatience, fays Mr. Banks, which every body felt, to fee the wonders we had heard fo largely defcribed, prevented our morning's reft. Every one was up and in motion before the break of day, and with the firft light arrived at the S. W. part of the ifland, the feat of the most remarkable pillars; where we were ftruck with a scene of magnificence which exceeded our most fanguine expectations: the whole of that end of the island fupported by ranges of natural pillars, moftly above 50 feet high, ftanding in natural colonnades, according as the bays or points of land formed themfelves. On a firm bafis of folid unformed rock, above these, the ftratum which reaches to the foil or furface of the island, varied in thickness, as the island itself formed into hills or valleys; each hill which hung over the columns below, forming an ample pediment, fome of these above 60 feet in thickness, from the base to the point, formed by the floping of the hill on each fide, almoft into the shape of those used in architecture."-Of this particular appearance there is a good engraving. "Compared to this, what are the cathedrals or the palaces built. by man? mere models or play-things! imitations as diminutive as his works will always be, when compared to thofe of Nature. Where is now the boaft of the architect! Regularity, the only part in which he fancied himself to exceed his mistress, Nature, is here found in her poffeffion, and here it has been, for ages, undescribed *. Is Copies of these paintings, in two large prints, were published about 20 years ago.-There were alfo engravings of the Giant's Caufeway, published long fince in the Phil, Tranfactions. Staffa is taken notice of, indeed, by Buchanan (observes Mr. P.) but in the flighteft manner; and among the thousands who have na vigated 3 |