ome precipice.

But before we departed we could not resist our inclination to climb up
the hill which I have mentioned as appearing to terminate the loch. The
mountains, though inferior to those of Glen Coe, on the other side are
very majestic; and the solitude in which we knew the unseen lake was
bedded at their feet was enough to excite our longings. We climbed steep
after steep, far higher than they appeared to us, and I was going to give
up the accomplishment of our aim, when a glorious sight on the mountain
before us made me forget my fatigue. A slight shower had come on, its
skirts falling upon us, and half the opposite side of the mountain was
wrapped up in rainbow light, covered as by a veil with one dilated
rainbow: so it continued for some minutes; and the shower and rainy
clouds passed away as suddenly as they had come, and the sun shone again
upon the tops of all the hills. In the meantime we reached the
wished-for point, and saw to the head of the loch. Perhaps it might not
be so beautiful as we had imaged it in our thoughts, but it was beautiful
enough not to disappoint us,--a narrow deep valley, a perfect solitude,
without house or hut. One of the hills was thinly sprinkled with Scotch
firs, which appeared to be the survivors of a large forest: they were the
first natural wild Scotch firs we had seen. Though thinned of their
numbers, and left, comparatively, to a helpless struggle with the
elements, we were much struck with the gloom, and even grandeur, of the
trees.

Hastened back again to join the car, but were tempted to go a little out
of our way to look at a nice white house belonging to the laird of Glen
Coe, which stood sweetly in a green field under the hill near some tall
trees and coppice woods. At this house the horrible massacre of Glen Coe
began, which we did not know when we were there; but the house must have
been rebuilt since that time. We had a delightful walk through fields,
among copses, and by a river-side: we could have fancied ourselves in
some part of the north of England unseen before, it was so much like it,
and yet so different. I must not forget one place on the opposite side
of the water, where we longed to live--a snug white house on the
mountain-side, surrounded by its own green fields and woods, the high
mountain above, the loch below, and inaccessible but by means of boats.
A beautiful spot indeed it was; but in the retired parts of Scotland a
comfortable white