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GtryfraM Ch^itrhywd Ecfi-tvrjli
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)^<^
A BRIEF
AC C OUJV T
of a. â–
TOU R
• THROUGH SOMt PARTS
of
3C0T LAN D;
London â– ^'<mk.:ri, Marshall 2fi:s ji^/^Xirh\f,W/ittby, m^
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THE NSW TOftK
PUBITC IIBRAEY
ABTOR, USNOX AND
TBJOKH FOCNUAXiONS
B 1944 L
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PREFACE.
It is with great diffidence that the author
intrudes himself upon the public gaze ; hut as
every one is intended for some use to the eom^
munitj/j he now appears before his readers^ in
the hope of furnishing a small contribution to
the general good. Some are intended to
plough the oceanj and convey the productions
of the various climeSj to supply the wants of
the human family. Some are destined to cuU
tivate the soilj for the same object; while
others J from the fibres of trees and plants^ pro^
vidcy by their ingenuity ^ articles of dress. It
is the province of another elass^ to record what
com^s under their observation^ for the improve-
ment of society. The last of these is the au-
thor's object; and if any of his remarks serve
to gratify and imty miles, being twenty-
six miles nearer than by land« In approach-
ing Tynemouth, a bathing place, we looked
out with great anxiety for the castle, it
being the most prominent object ; and when
it came in sight, we anxiously watched the
active motions of the paddle wheels, as
each stroke brought us so much nearer to
the wished-for point. At last our steamer
turned in, and proceeded up the Tyne : — the
sun had sunk below the horizon, and hence
the light had now become exceedingly faint.
On landing, it is of importance that each
person have his eyes about him, lest he lose
sight of his luggage. As I was standing
on deck, a man desirous of earning a few
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pence, accosted me Mdth these M^ords — "A
boat, sir ? A boat, sir ? " A great deal pf
caution is required in rowing a boat on the
Tyne, especially after the sun has set, to
avoid coming in contact with some of the
numerous vessels. Instead of being taken
to the principal landing-place, we were
landed at an alley or yard. The first thing
that attracted my attention, in approaching
it, was the sound of some merry-making in
a public house : — whether it was caused by
intoxication, or the tricks of some juggler, I
could not learn — the greeting was not very
pleasant to strangers, and, I should imagine,
such boisterous and coarse merriment would
be offensive to those living in the vicinity.
On landing, we felt ourselves quite at a
stand, — there being no one to take our lug-
gage: — we stopped a few minutes to hold
a council in the emergency. It would have
made the inhabitants smile, to have seen us
standing at the bottom of an alley with three
portmanteaus at our feet: — at last two men
came to our aid, and took them to an inn^
Private lodgings are preferable to an inn ;
but when one is a bird of passage, as I was
at Shields, he is obliged to conform to cir-
cumstances. In travelling, it is much more
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8
pleasant to have an agreeable companion,
than to be alone. It is unpleasant to be put
into a room full of strangers, for you know
not with whom you are associating ; while if
you do get acquainted, a friendship is no
sooner formed than it must be broken by a
speedy and abrupt departure. It is often
not a little amusing to enter a travellers*
room, and hear individuals give utterance to
a great variety of opinions, supporting them
at the same time by various arguments.
After ordering something to support the
outer man, our party sauntered about the
town. There is implanted in human nature
a desire of novelty, and a wish to behold
that which we have never seen before — the
gratification of which yields no small degree
of pleasure.
Shields may be denominated a quiet place.
It is worthy of remark, that a town may
appear neat and interesting at one time, and
the reverse at another, according as the
weather is favourable or unfavourable. A
town, for example, has quite a different
appearance, and produces quite a different
impression upon a stranger, when the sun
is shining in unclouded splendour, from what
it does when that luminary lies concealed
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9
under a cloudy atmosphere, or when the
clouds are pouring forth torrents of rain.
Again, one town may be viewed shortly after
the traveller has inspected another of greater
dimensions, and superior architecture^ and
must hence appear in his eye to great disad-
vantage; while an individual, conversant only
with towns similar or inferior to itself, may
admire it as both beautiful and spacious.
Shields has, from small beginnings, gradu-
ally increased till it has reached its present
size. It has not a parish church, though
one appears at the top of the town, which to
a stranger seems to belong to Shields ; but,
though at the outskirts of that town, it is in
the parish of Tynemouth. It would be well
if this church were appropriated to the use
of the large population of this sea port, and
another erected and endowed for the use of
the inhabitants of Tynemouth. The traffic
^n the Tyne is so great as to give employ-
ment to steamers, in plying between Shields
and Newcastle every half hour ; and, so far
as I could observe, they appeared to be gene-
rally well filled with passengers. There is
the greatest punctuality in the time of sail-
ing, each boat starting preeisely at the hour ;
ko that if any one be a minute too late, he
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10
must wait till the next boat starts. This is as
it should be. The fare is exceedingly mode-
rate — only sixpence is charged for a distance
often miles; although I shall have occasion to
allude to even cheaper sailing on board some
of the steamers. It is exceedingly common
to have a performer on the violin constantly
on board, whose music, though perhaps not
always of the first order, nevertheless sounds
sweetly on the water, and furnishes a very
agreeable variety, which relieves the other-
wise dull monotony. At the close of the trip,
he petitions for a small recompense by hold-
ing out his hat.
Several villages attract attention as you
proceed up the river. In approaching New-
castle the traveller is struck with the fine
steeple of St. Nicholases church. Newcastle
is well worth the visit of a stranger. The
old part of the town has certainly no great
attractions, but the modem buildings are
both numerous, and many of them in the
highest degree elegant. It is not uncommon
for persons to feel disappointed in first see-
ing a place, in consequence of their having
formed too high expectations; — it is possible
that this may be the case with many who
first visit Newcastle. But the improvements
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11
are upon a grand and magnificent scale, and
cannot fail to draw admiration from every
visitor of this ancient town : — they certainly
do great honour to INIr. Grainger, the origin-
ator and promoter of them, who, by his
wealth and public spirit combined, has im-
proved his native town in a manner and to
an extent which scarcely any other single
individual could have done. The new mar-
ket is a fine building — it extends over a
large surface of ground — it contains two
fountains: — the architecture is beautiful,
and it is altogether an interesting place.
Would there were many individuals in Bri-
tain, thus willing to dispose of a portion of
their wealth, for the purpose of promoting
public improvements. By so doing, the inter-
ests of trade and commerce, as well as the
general happiness, are promoted. But it is to
be lamented, that most men live only as if for
themselves — their views are too contracted
to admit of their doing much for the good
of others. When, however, men of noble
and generous minds do arise, and exert
themselves for the public good, they ought
to be hailed as public benefactors, and some
tablet erected, to commemorate their char-
acter and deeds, that descending generations
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13
may learn to whom they owe many of the
advantages they enjoy, and that others may
be stimulated to similar efforts. The arcade
next demands a passing notice. It may be
described as a street roofed in with glass; —
having a range of elegant shops, of all sorts,
on each side, and the Post Office in one of
the extremities. It must furnish a very con-
venientandagreeable shelter and promenade^
in wet weather.
The church of St. Nicholas is a splen^d
edifice, no person of ordinary feelings can
enter it^ without being struck with its magnifi*-
cence : you do not, as in most places, see the
part where the congregation worship — but a
long empty structure with noMe pillars to up-
hold the roof, while the attention is attracted
by a variety of monuments. The visitor is
thereby reminded of his own insignificance ;
for if the great and illustrious are unable to
ward off the stroke of death, how much less
must ordinary men be so» — The inscriptions
which these monuments present also forcibly
tell us, that death knocks equally at the
palaces or halls of the great, and the cottages
of the poor. The church has an excellent
set of belts: — I had an opportunity ofhearihg
them on Hply Thursday, on a former visit
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13
to Newcastle. On that day the Corporation
of Newcastle, arrayed in their official dresses,
sailed up the river in boats. I had not the
pleasure of seeing them land, but they were
welcomed to the shore by a salute of guns
from the castle. The latter, from which the
town derives its name, does not, as might be
expected, occupy a conspicuous place, but is
situated near the centre, and surrounded by
houses ; so that a stranger requires first to
be told that there exists such a building —
he must next ask where it is, and then thread
his way to it, if he wishes to obtain a proper
view of it. The library and museum are
well worth visiting. The building which
contains them, is a very beautiful structure.
The hall is very spacious, while the staircase
has about it an air of grandeur. The room
containing the library, is very large — the
books are divided into various classes— ^a
plan very much to be recommended. A
good library is unquestionably of great ad-
vantage to a town; books forming a chief
medium of conveying knowledge. It is at
the same time true, that scarcely two in-
dividuals view the statements which they
may read, exactly in the same light — while,
in perusing different authors, attention ought
B
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14
to be paid to the principles and spirit of the
writers. An author of a sour and sarcastic
temper, for example, is exceedingly apt, and
can scarcely fail, to give an unfavourable
description of persons or places, for he will
be ever more or less disposed to gratify his
humour in finding fault ; while a writer who
is pleased with every thing, is sure to err on
the side of charity.
The museum is too confined, the specimens
would be shown to more advantage were the
rooms longer. Stuffed birds add greatly to
the beauty of a museum, while the eye is
delighted with varieties of minerals, and the
mind instructed by foreign curiosities, illus-
trative of the manners and customs that
prevail in different quarters of the globe.
Those, however, who take a pleasure in the
study of antiquities, will be peculiarly grati-
$ed with the mummies, and ancient tomb-
stones, contained in the collection. In con-
templating such objects, the reflecting mind
cannot fail to think of the great and nume-
rous changes of which the earth has been
the scene — the rise and fall of kingdoms
and empires, and the bloody and desolating
wars that have been carried on, since these
relics of the world's infancy first existed.
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u
We inspected the lecture room. It ik a
neat place, the benches are gradually ele-
vated as they recede from the speaker, and
thus form a sort of amphitheatre.
The Northumbrian accent is quite peculiar,
at least it appears so to those from other coun-
ties. It is not easy for strangers to under-
stand the conversation of the lower classes of
Northumberland; although it must be confes-
sed, that the natives of Yorkshire have also
their peculiarities. The Northumbrians have
a peculiar mode of sounding the letter r, usu-
ally called a burr. The tenacity with which
a country, or county, or locality, retains its
various established customs^ — its language
and mode of speaking, strikingly shews the
power of early education, and the influence
which parents have in training their children,
either to good or bad habits. The rising
generation will be in a great measure what
the previous one makes it.
Among other curiosities in Newcastle,
may be mentioned one of that refined class
denominated fish wives, whose wealth is such
that she can afford to keep a carriage, but
who, nevertheless, takes her place at the stall
along with the rest of the sisterhood. The
wealth of individuals cannot always be esti-
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16
mated by the station they occupy in society :
— some who roll in riches live very retired >
and far removed from gaiety; while others
in very moderate circumstances, aim at
making a great display in the world.
The country in the vicinity of Newcastle
seems barren and not well cultivated — the
district however known by the name, "Vale
of Hexham," must be excepted. Good land
is seldom found where coals abound. It is
well known that this is the region of col-
lieries. Man has often been described as
the creature of circumstances — were he not
so, it is difficult to conceive, how individuals
can voluntarily and cheerfully deprive them-
selves of the pleasure of beholding the light
of the sun for so long a period, in order to
work under ground. Newcastle is a place
by no means adapted to the aged, or to inva-
lids, many of its streets being very steep.
The common lies at the north side of the town :
on this each burgess has the privilege of
grazing a cow.
We left in the afternoon, and returned to
Shields by the same route we took in the
morning. In order to produce lasting im-
pressions, objects ought to be frequently
viewed and considered — the mind may be
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17
struck with something at a second sights
which was formerly quite unnoticed. In
the evening we visited Tynemouth, a place
much frequented by visitors during the
summer. At that sultry season of the year,
it must aflFord a very agreeable change to
those who live in the interior, to enjoy
the refreshing coolness of the sea breeze, by
sauntering on the beach. Tynemouth is a
small and quiet place, with the remains of a
castle on the south side of it. There are a few
soldiers stationed at it. One of these keeps
a sort of tap room, and supplies ginger beer
to such as may fancy it. We availed our-
selves of the refreshing but unintoxicating
beverage — but the room was so fumigated
with emanations from the tobacco pipe, that
we had no wish to remain long. I was
astonished to find a burying ground close to
the castle, without any church. The town
is well suite<l for those who wish to live in
retirement from the bustle of the world, and
spend a portion of their time in amusing or
instructive reading.
The walk between Shields and Tynemouth
is very short, so that the inhabitants of the
former ^vill often, in the cool of the evening,
visit the latter to see the strangers. No one.
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18
at our tavern, could give us any informatioD
about the sailing of the Vesta for Leith —
we therefore had our luggage conveyed to
an inn on the quay, where we would be in
sight of her, as she passed down the riven
But, alas ! when we reached the quay, we
could find no admittance at the inn. The
servants seemed to have been so much under
the power of Morpheus, that they had no
power of locomotion until we astounded their
drowsy organs by several loud raps. The
door at last opened — but, to our astonish-
ment, we were told that the steamer had
sailed several hours ago. But here let it
be carefully noted, that innkeepers and their
dependants speak in a language peculiarly
their own, and which is not to be explained
according to the ordinary acceptation of the
terms, when the subject of leaving a place
is under description. Not choosing to inter-
pret the statement just made to us accord-
ing to its exact literal import, but regarding
it as a circumlocution for " you will have to
lodge with us," we waited in expectation of
soon seeing the Vesta pass down the river,
with the colour hoisted as a signal to embark.
We found, however, that she had gone down
early in the morning, to save the tide, and
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19
was waiting at Tynemouth bar. We were
conveyed to her by a steamer of smaller
dimensions — when on board of which v^e
incurred some danger, in consequence of the
too great number of passengers. We had a
very large company on board, several of
whom seemed to have been young lads re-
turning home at vacation time. It is less
pleasant travelling by water, than by land, in
consequence of the want of variety, and con-
stant sameness in the scenery. When on
board the packet, especially when a long way
out at sea, nothing is to be seen all around but
the briny deep, ever and anon presenting
itself to the eye with unbroken continuity —
look where you may — to the right or left —
abaft or ahead, nothing meets the gaze but
the sea — the sea; — while the splashing of
the paddle-wheels is constantly assailing the
ear. In travelling on the top of a coach, on
the contrary, there is always something new
to attract the attention.
When a large party sit down to dinner in
a steamer, you are strongly reminded, that
you are not at home : — it becomes necessary
for every one to look out for himself, without
being particularly scrupulous as to the rules
of etiquette.
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20
No small interest is felt by travellers, in
approaching a country which they have never
before visited. It is with feelings of peculiar
pleasure, that Englishmen cross the border
which separates North and South Britain —
they cannot fail to look back, and recal the
time when animosity and strife divided the
two ancient kingdoms, and especially those
residing near the boundary — and contrast
the former state of anarchy and comparative
barbarism, with the present state of order
and concord, and progressive civilization.
Now the humblest peasant can go forth to
cultivate his fields, and, after finishing his
labour, can repose in the bosom of his family,
without being alarmed by the din of war, or
the sound of battle.
Having a few shooters on board, who
were watching for an opportunity to try
their dexterity, part of the company were
amused in seeing them point their pieces to
a high perpendicular rock, named the Bass,
famed for its being the chosen residence of
the solan goose — a fowl found only here
and on Ailsa Cragg, another rock on the
west coast of Scotland. — The Bass is much
frequented in summer by parties of pleasure;
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21
it is the property of one of the nobility, and
is let to an individual, who gains a livelihood
by killing and selling the geese, and convey-
ing visitors to and from the rock, which is
about a mile from the shore. The birds no
sooner heard the report of the guns, than
they flew up from their resting places — it
was the season of hatching their young.
Though some appear to have a pleasure in
foUowing such sport, yet it can certainly
afford no real enjoyment, to see these un-
offending animals fall victims to our mere
love of killing them.
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CHAPTER II.
Edinburgh — Scottish Cuttomi — Religion — Education —
Death of the King — Proclamation of Queen Victoria —
Soir^C'^-PubUc Meeting of the electors to hear the addresses
of Mr. Jkercromhff and Sir John Campbell — The radicals
dissatisfied — Temperance Meeting — Abolition of Slavery —
Mr* George Thompson '^Regatta — Cavalry.
At sea, one can form no correct idea of
distances, in consequence of the want of
intervening objects, on which the eye may
rest. It gave us no small pleasure to see
Leith harbour, when it came in view ; but it
was much more distant than inexperienced
navigators would have supposed — it was
therefore long in sight before we reached it.
We at last found ourselves in the far-famed
Scottish metropolis. What shall I say of
it ? How shall I describe it ? Edinburgh
has been termed the modern Athens. Its
public buildings — its private houses — its
squares — its crescents — its ornamental
pleasure grounds, beautify the city to such
a degree as to render it superior to every
other place I have seen. Winter is the time
for seeing it to greatest advantage, for then
all the inhabitants are at home, and then the
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28
students, amounting to nearly two thdusand^
are attending the University. Those de-^
sirous of amusement, may find it in every
variety during the winter season. If a
person be fond of music, there are concerts —
if he delights in the marvellous, there are
jugglers with their numerous and astonishing
tricks — if desirous of light gay company,
there are parties or assemblies, im which the^
evenings are spent in tripping it on Ihe light