during the summer to
obtain the means of educating themselves in the winter. We heard a
pleasant anecdote of the late Duke of Gordon, who used to send out a
carriage when he knew that the young men were on their way to college,
in order to give them a lift for a stage or two. Many, we were told,
had worked at the Caledonian Canal before thus arriving in the ducal
carriage.

We saw many evidences of the prosperity of Aberdeen; and while we lay in
the harbour two or three steamers came in and out; one on its way to the
islands of Orkney and Shetland, and others to Leith and the Thames. Our
few hours at Aberdeen were among the most interesting we spent on shore
during our voyage.

Sailing again in the afternoon, with a fine northerly breeze, we passed
the neat town of Stonehaven, about fifteen miles to the south, and soon
afterwards the grand ruins of Dunnottar Castle, a large square tower
rising from amid the ruins of other buildings on the very edge of the
cliff. We could judge of its size by the extent of the remaining walls.
It was here that the crown and sceptre of King Charles were kept during
the Civil Wars. The castle was besieged, and the garrison was about to
capitulate, when Mrs Ogilvie, the governor's wife, put them in charge
of Mrs Grainger, the wife of the minister of Kinneff, who had paid her
a visit by permission of the Republican General Lambert. Mrs Ogilvie
managed, with wonderful boldness, to smuggle out the crown, fastened
under her cloak, while her servant hid the sceptre and sword in a bag of
flax which she carried on her back. It was here, also, that many of the
Covenanters were imprisoned, and, according to an ancient chronicler,
Wallace put to death four thousand Englishmen, who had fled for safety
into the church. The approaching night hid the gloomy walls from our
view.

As we passed the towns of Montrose and Arbroath during the night, we saw
nothing of them. The wind fell light when off the latter place, and
then blew from the south-west, bringing up a thick fog, which shrouded
the whole surface of the water. Papa being told of it, he went on deck,
and Dick and I followed him; when he at once hauled the yacht on the
wind, and stood off the coast. After running on for about an hour, the
peculiar mournful sound of a bell reached us. As we stood on, it
sounded every half-minute, louder and louder.

"Where does that come from?" inquired Dick.

"From the Bell Rock," answered Truck.