We turned back again, and going down the hill below the Pass, crossed the
same bridge we had come over the night before, and walked through Lady
Perth’s grounds by the side of the Garry till we came to the Tummel, and
then walked up to the cascade of the Tummel. The fall is inconsiderable,
scarcely more than an ordinary ‘wear;’ but it makes a loud roaring over
large stones, and the whole scene is grand—hills, mountains, woods, and
rocks. --- is a very pretty place, all but the house. Stoddart’s print
gives no notion of it. The house stands upon a small plain at the
junction of the two rivers, a close deep spot, surrounded by high hills
and woods. After we had breakfasted William fetched the car, and, while
we were conveying the luggage to the outside of the gate, where it stood,
Mr. ---, _mal apropos_, came very near to the door, called the woman out,
and railed at her in the most abusive manner for ‘harbouring’ people in
that way. She soon slipped from him, and came back to us: I wished that
William should go and speak to her master, for I was afraid that he might
turn the poor woman away; but she would not suffer it, for she did not
care whether they stayed or not. In the meantime, Mr. --- continued
scolding her husband; indeed, he appeared to be not only proud, but very
ignorant, insolent, and low-bred. The woman told us that she had
sometimes lodged poor travellers who were passing along the road, and
permitted others to cook their victuals in her house, for which Mr. ---
had reprimanded her before; but, as she said, she did not value her
place, and it was no matter. In sounding forth the dispraise of Mr. ---,
I ought not to omit mentioning that the poor woman had great delight in
talking of the excellent qualities of his mother, with whom she had been
a servant, and lived many years. After having interchanged good wishes
we parted with our charitable hostess, who, telling us her name,
entreated us, if ever we came that way again, to inquire for her.
We travelled down the Tummel till it is lost in the Tay, and then, in the
same direction, continued our course along the vale of Tay, which is very
wide for a considerable way, but gradually narrows, and the river, always
a fine stream, assumes more dignity and importance. Two or three miles
before we reached Dunkeld, we observed whole hill-sides, the property of
the Duke of Athol, planted with fir-trees till they are lost among the
rocks near the tops of the hills. In forty or fifty years these
plantations will be very fine, being carried from hill to hill, and not
bounded by a visible artificial fence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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