o read by some local librarian.
You will find these libraries in all the townships of the Hebrides, from
Ness in Lewis, down the long chain of islands, to Islay and Jura. About
thirty of them are established in the Shetlands, and as many in the
Orkneys. Scores of little villages in Aberdeen, Ross, Sutherland,
Argyle, Bute, and Perth, have been gratuitously supplied with them. The
same is true of many a weather-beaten, quaint, red-tiled little
fishing-village along the shores of the Moray Firth. In the barracks of
Fort-George, Inverness, and Dingwall, the soldiers can solace their
leisure hours by delightful, patriotic, and instructive reading,
furnished to them without money and without price. Even in quiet,
pastoral Roxburghshire, at a spot near the birthplace of Dandie
Dinmont, you will find one of these serviceable collections of books.

It is a pleasure to me to be able to say that I have visited a great
number of the districts mentioned, for the purpose of speaking to the
people in a familiar and non-academic way on some of the books which
have been presented to them. In this way I have spoken to about 40,000
people, the majority of whom had never previously been present at a
discourse on a literary topic. Most of them had, of course, been in the
habit of attending religious services and election meetings: but neither
of these is the very best preparation for a literary evening. Some of my
experiences have been intensely amusing, and I do not think any lecturer
has ever, as regards rough roads, inclement weather, and amazing votes
of thanks, had quite the same joys and sorrows as I have come through. I
have often laughed (good-naturedly, I hope) at what came under my
notice, but I am not so conceited as to suppose that the hilarity was
always on one side.

DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL.

It can very easily be seen that he who proposed to visit all the above
districts would have some hard and continuous work in prospect. Even on
the mainland of Scotland there are many villages of difficult access.
The nearest railway station to Durness on Loch Eriboll is Lairg, sixty
miles away. Gairloch in Ross-shire is thirty miles distant from the
railway station of Achnasheen. In the great county of Aberdeen there are
a good many villages that can only be reached by long and tiresome
driving in a mail coach. At different parts of the Moray Firth little
townships lie huddled at the foot of precipitous cliffs, and, at first
sight, s