consists of four great arches of mason work, and stretches across a valley 400 feet wide. The canal itself must have been an immense undertaking. By uniting the rivers Forth and Clyde, and consequently the navigation on the eastern and western coasts of Scotland, it divides the country in two, so that the northern parts of it is a perfect island. The length of the canal, from the Forth to the Clyde, is thirty-five miles. In its course there are ten considerable aqueduct bridges, and thirty smaller ones, or tunnels. It is crossed by thirty-three drawbridges, and contains thirtynine locks. A desire to witness the distribution of the college prizes, and the expectation of finding companions for my projected tour, detained me in Glasgow over another Sunday. Disappointed as to the latter, I made up my mind to trudge o'er hill and dale by myself, and fixed my departure for Monday morning. When the morning came, the rain fell in fast and heavy showers: I could now, however, no longer brook delay; and therefore, thanking my generous and very hospitable entertainers, I bade them adieu. A young medical student, impelled by a wish to see and handle Wallace's sword, agreed to accompany me as far as Dumbarton castle, where this relic is preserved. Previous to my departure, I purchased a small oiled-skin knapsack, sufficiently capacious to contain a change of linen and some other articles. When we had left Glasgow some distance behind, I strapped it on my back, and with all my cares about me, became, for the first time, a sort of citizen of the world. Our road ran along the banks of the Clyde, and consequently was to me possessed of little novelty, and had it been, the haziness of the day would not have allowed me to see much of it. The river, and a level country on the opposite, lay to our left. To our right, little hills, tolerably covered with trees, increasing in height, but decreasing in verdure, as they receded towards the Highlands, gave me some idea of the country we were approaching. Ten miles from Glasgow we passed through Kilpatrick, where the Roman wall built by Antoninus terminated. There are now extant but few remains of this ancient barrier-the principal is a Roman bridge, in the line of the wall. I felt a strong inclination to view it, as it is only a mile and a half from the village; my friend, however, was too desirous to obtain a sight of the sword, to allow of such a deviation from the direct road to Dumbarton : with the hope of examining it at a future opportunity, I was obliged, therefore, to content myself for the present, with the description which I found in the guide that I carried in my pocket. From this book, I learnt there is still to be seen near the bridge, a sudorium or Roman Bath. A stone, with the name NERO upon it, which was found in this bath, has been preserved in the wall of a neighbouring cottage. This village gave birth to St. Patrick, the tutelar saint of Ireland. A short distance beyond Kilpatrick, we came to the ruins of Dunglass Castle, part of whose walls is washed by the Clyde. It was blown up in 1640, through the treachery of an English boy, page to the Earl of Haddington, who, with other persons of high rank, were destroyed by the explosion. The walls, which are the only remains of the castle, now enclose a small orchard. Leaving Dunglass with Dumbarton in full view, we hastened toward Dumbarton castle,-Castle it scarcely can be termed, as it merely consists of a few walls and batteries, enclosing the Governor's house, and some barracks for a few soldiers. The rock on which it stands is its chief strength, and the object which most attracts the attention of strangers. Rising from one solid base, a mile in circumference, it soon splits into two peaks, one 560 feet above the river, which runs immediately below it: the other does not attain so great a height. Its colour is black, where it is not enlivened by patches of short green grass. A long road, washed on both sides by the water, leads to the only accessible part of the rock. Tracing this, we arrived at the gateway, and ascending two or three steps, came to the governor's house, plain comfortable mansion, which has nothing warlike in its appearance, if we except the surrounding cannons and castellated ramparts. A soldier, anticipating the intention of our visit, conducted us into a little room, called the guard-room, where are kept the soldiers' beer and guns. On one side of the room was a row of pegs, on which were hanging military hats, cloaks, and weapons; from among these he took down the precious relic, Wallace's sword. It is about four feet long, although it has lost two feet of its original length: Its breadth, on an average, is scarcely an inch: the handle is seven or eight inches, terminated by a round bail, and separated from the hilt by a cross-bar or guard of the same dimensions: the blade has now no edge. My companion grasped the weapon with enthusiasm, and brandished it most heroically. Near this room we ascended a steep and long flight of steps, cut out in a narrow cleft in the rock, which brought us to the opening where the rock divides. Here are the barracks for the soldiers and a large reservoir always full of fine fresh water. We now walked up to the lower summit, and looked down a steep precipice, broken, at intervals, by projecting craggs. This side of the rock, in the time of Mary Queen of Scots, was scaled during the night, by a Capt. Crauford, followed by a small party of soldiers, Seeking the bubble reputation, Many apparently insurmountable obstacles occurred in this hazardous, but as it turned out, successful undertaking. By the aid of ladders, a few of them easily attained their first landing, and having twisted ropes round an ash tree which they found there, they drew up their companions. Their ladders were made fast a second time, but in the middle of their ascent, they met with an unforeseen difficulty. One who had got above the rest, was seen clinging in a fit to the ladder. They found they were unable to pass him, and were too humane and too fearful of being discovered to tumble him down the rock. Capt. Crauford's behaviour on this occasion, is a curious instance of coolness, intrepidity and humanity. He ordered the soldier to be tied to the ladder, that he might not fall when he should recover his senses, and turning round the ladder, they clambered up the other side without any difficulty. As day dawned upon their undertaking, they reached the ramparts, and after surmounting so many superior difficulties, were not long in climbing a lofty wall: Three guards opposed them, but were soon overcome. Capt. Crauford now surprised Lord Fleming, the governor, and his officers: Fleming, however, escaped in a small boat, leaving the fortress in the possession of this adventurous party. C. E. TO BE RESUMED. FOR THE POCKET MAGAZINE. AN ACCOUNT OF THE ROMAN PAVEMENTS, AT BIGNOR IN SUSSEX. Time like an arrow flies, with rapid course, SIR.-As an account of these celebrated remnants may prove entertaining to some of your readers, I offer to their perusal this short article. In the early part of September last, while staying at Arundel, in Sussex, a place justly celebrated for its fine castle, the property of his grace the duke of Norfolk, I was, (among other things), persuaded to visit the tesselated pavements at Bignor. We accordingly, (for there was a friend with me,) left Arundel on the afternoon of Saturday, September the 12th, and, after journeying about five miles in a north-westerly direction, found ourselves in the farfamed field!---a field that the most illustrious personages of our island have been prompted to visit. The tessella of the first pavement that was shewn to us had fallen in, in some places; but what remained perfect exhibited, in various coloured stone, Bacchanalian and other ornamental devices, encompassing a circle, wherein was represented the rape of Ganymede. In this apartment there is a small but very perfect vapor bath, as may very reasonably be concluded from the metallic pipe in its centre. To what a length may the imagination wander while gazing at this, in contemplating who were the original inmates of this splendid villa! Alas! in the rapid current of Time, they have been swept away, and who can tell where to find even the dust of their bones!--But to proceed.---The pavement adjoining the one already described, appears to have been but a passage to some other apartment, its tessellæ are worked into a variety of pleasing figures. The visitor is here shown some pieces of pottery---one piece in particular, (stamped with the name Juvenus, deserves attention. We were then led to another very beautiful pavement, in one compartment of which is represented the upper part of a female figure, with a garment drawn over the back part of her head, and bearing in her hand a leafless branch. It is for this reason denominated the head of Winter. Adjoining, and a few feet below this, is another pavement, exhibiting much variety in the disposition of its tessellæ. A few weeks ago, (in this field) was discovered a very beautiful tesselated gallery, one hundred and twenty feet in length; there is but a small portion of it preserved, the remainder being too imperfect to repay the expense of building over it. Our conductor then led us to the opposite side of the field: we there examined another bath. Its dimensions are much larger than those of the one before described, and it is of a different shape, but rapidly going to decay, through being exposed to the weather. There is a pavement of black and white tiles, leading to this bath, about the size of a Dutch tile, and in alternate squares after the manner of a draught board.---Here an excellent opportunity presents itself to examine the construction of a tessefated pavement. The tessella of the one of which I am about to speak being too imperfect to preserve, the proprietor was induced to remove it, when he discovered a layer of flat stones, such as are used for paving the streets now-a-days; upon removing these stones, they were found to be supported by piles of red bricks, such as are used for flooring kitchens---each pile about eighteen inches asunder, and two feet and a half high, leaving a vacant space between each pile, for the purpose of warming the pavement above.---The fire-place, Alue, and piles of brick remain in their original state, for the gratification of the curious. The next pavement, being nearly square, much resembles a painted floor-cloth; its centre represents Medusa's head. We |