Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia, Eric Hutton, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) MY SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS. _Morrison and Gibb, Edinburgh,_ _Printers to Her Majesty's Stationery Office._ [Illustration: Hugh Miller] MY SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS OR THE STORY OF MY EDUCATION. BY HUGH MILLER, AUTHOR OF 'THE OLD RED SANDSTONE,' 'FOOTPRINTS OF THE CREATOR,' ETC. ETC. [Illustration: Logo] EDINBURGH: W. P. NIMMO, HAY, & MITCHELL. 1889. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE A sailor's early career--First marriage--Escape from shipwreck--Second Love--Traits of character, 1 CHAPTER II. Childhood and childish visions--A Father's death--Favourite books--Sketch of two maternal uncles, 20 CHAPTER III. Dawn of patriotism--Cromarty Grammar School--Prevalent amusements--Old Francie--Earliest geological researches, 40 CHAPTER IV. Uncle Sandy as a Naturalist--Important discovery--Cromarty Sutors and their caves--Expedition to the 'Doocot'--Difficulties and dangers--Sensation produced, 62 CHAPTER V. A would-be patroness--Boyish games--First friendship--Visit to the Highlands--Geologizing in the Gruids--Ossian-worship, 85 CHAPTER VI. Cousin George and Cousin William--Excursion with Cousin Walter--Painful accident--Family bereavements--Links between the present and the past, 107 CHAPTER VII. Subscription school--Vacation delights--Forays and fears--Quarrel with the schoolmaster--Poetical revenge--Johnstone the forester, 129 CHAPTER VIII. Choice of a calling--Disappointment to relatives--Old Red Sandstone quarry--Depression and walking-sleep--Temptations of toil--Friendship with William Ross, 151 CHAPTER IX. Life in the bothie--Mad Bell--Mournful history--Singular intimacy--Manners and customs of north-country masons, 173 CHAPTER X. Evening walks--Lines on a sun-dial--A haunted stream--Insect transformations--Jock Moghoal--Musings, 195 CHAPTER XI. An antiquary in humble life--Poor Danie--Proficiency in porridge-making--Depressed health--A good omen--Close of apprenticeship, 219 CHAPTER XII. Swimming the Conon--Click-Clack the carter--Loch Maree--Fitting up a barrack--Highland characteristics, 245 CHAPTER XIII. The Brothers Fraser--Flora of the Northern Hebrides--Diving in the Gareloch--Sabbaths in Flowerdale woods--Causes of Highland distress, 268 CHAPTER XIV.