phitheatre of mountains. There are many lochs visible, giving additional variety to the prospect. The descent occupied about an hour. Mr. V., who is a keen sportsman, encountering a hare on the way, gave chase, but pussy, on her native turf, was an overmatch, and soon distanced him in the race. We dined at Rowerdennan, at the foot of the mountain, and were in time to take the return steamer back to the place of starting, and to reach Glasgow at 7, P.M., the same day.

We called this a good day's work, and found that we were acquiring the faculty of killing off the lions in quick time, quite as satisfactorily as though we went to sleep over it. Indeed, I here experienced, as I have often done, that more is seen and felt, when the spirit is active, and the motion rapid, by the quick searching glances of an aroused attention, in a little time, than is generally seen and felt, when we know that there is plenty of leisure and no particular necessity for exertion.

At Glasgow, we visited the foundry and machine shops, of the celebrated engine builder, NAPIER. They are the most extensive, I believe, in the world, employing between two and three thousand men; making, with their families, about ten thousand mouths, which are fed, and persons supported by the work of this one establishment. The principal, Mr. ROBERT NAPIER, was absent in London, but his brother and associate, Mr. THOMAS NAPIER, and also Mr. CASE, one of the gentlemen connected with the works, very courteously and kindly went through the

GLASGOW-NAPIER'S FOUNDRY.

33

entire establishment with us, which took over three hours, and explained every thing with great particularity. The mind is quite overwhelmed with the vastness of the operations. We saw them boring out cylinders, and planing and cutting iron for different purposes-the machinery cutting the iron with as much apparent ease as cheese, or any other soft substance could be cut with a common knife. As the shavings rolled off, we picked up some of them, and found them so hot from the friction in cutting, that we could not hold them a moment, thus showing the immense power employed, although these mighty effects seemed to be wrought with all the regularity and facility, and indeed, with much more precision than a carpenter could use in planing a pine board. It is here that they make the machinery for all the CUNARD steamers. They are now making the machinery for the two new ships of that line, to be called Arabia and Persia. They are to be larger and more powerful than the others. The Asia's cylinder, which is the largest hitherto made, is ninetysix inches-these are to be one hundred and four inches. It is confidently expected that these two new boats will beat the fastest of COLLINS' steamers. We shall see. One thing is certain, that if they do, we will not remain beaten long. Mr. NAPIER said, "that if it had not been for the stimulus excited by the triumphs of the American steamers, they would never have built the boats they have." We told him we thought it an honorable competition, and he might rest assured that whatever might be the result in the

case of the two new boats, we did not mean to be left behind in the race, but would give them a chance to try again, as we had done before.

We were delighted with this visit, and shall remember with pleasure, the courtesy and attention of Mr. NAPIER, which was the more gratifying, as it was entirely a chance visit, without previous invitation or introduction.

CHAPTER VII.

Ayr-Burns, and localities of his Poems-His sister, Mrs. BeggStirling-Edinburgh-Holyrood-Queen Mary-Crown JewelsParliament House.

AYR, the birth place of BURNS, is about forty miles

from Glasgow, with which it is connected by railroad. We visited the house, and saw the very spot, a recess in the wall, where was placed the bed in which the poet was born. The house, or "bigging," contained, at the time, only two rooms, but additions have since been made. It is one story, with thatched roof. One of the most interesting objects in the vicinity, is "Auld Kirk Alloway," with the places adjacent, which has been so graphically described by the poet in the inimitable poem of Tam O'Shanter. Here are pointed out to the traveler the several localities alluded to in the poem. "The ford, whare in the snaw the chapman smoor'd-the birks and meikle stanes, whare drunken Charlie brak's neck bane-the whins and cairn whare hunters fand the murdered bairn-the thorn (or at least the place where it stood,) aboon the well, whare Mungo's mither hanged hersel," &c. With these in full view, to stand before" Alloway's auld haunted kink," and having the wonderfully graphic picture of the coone which the poet saw enacted there, rovirol with all the freshness of a first impression on the mind, heightened by the actual, corporeal presence of these im

portant adjuncts to the tale, we could almost fancy that we saw again, in reality, the "unco sight," which made "Tammie glow'r, amazed and curious." Many other localities are equally interesting, such as the "Banks and Braes o' Bonny Doon," the "Auld and New Briggs," &c. It was gratifying, beyond expression, to see the places described in the immortal verse of this very favorite poet, and not only which he described, but in which he lived, and with which he seems identified more closely than poets generally are with the objects they describe-for BURNS was of an eminently social nature-entered warmly into the spirit and genius of the place and times-sympathized intimately with the unsophisticated and honest hearts of the simple peasantry, of which he was one-never felt above his neighbors, and only differed from them in the force of his conceptions, and the power of depicting those better feelings of our nature, (which I very much fear, what we call the refinements of education and polite society, too generally smother or eradicate from our hearts) which are the characteristics of the poor in such rural, sequestered spots, as the "Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon." There is a beautiful monument erected to the memory of BURNS, near the kirk, which is finely situated, and is worthy the taste and liberality of his admirers, who erected it by subscription, at a cost of three thousand three hundred pounds. It was designed by THOMAS HAMILTON, architect, Edinburgh, and stands in an inclosure of about an acre of ground, tastefully adorned with flowers and shrubbery. It