While my other auctioneer (P. C.) broke ground at Paisley, on the 4th of February, and after progressing also through different localities in AYRSHIRE and DUMFRIESHIRE, ended that series at Lanark, on the 2d of May.*

I observed, or might have observed, before, that two of our northern parties once approached so near to each other, that the one was in Stonehaven, while the other was in Aberdeen, without either being likely ever to know if an accidental meeting had not taken place on the Sunday on Aberdeen Pier, and, I observe by my returns, from my southern expeditionists, that on Sunday the 26th April, the one party must have been in Braidkirk, in the neighbourhood of Ecclefechan, while the other was in Dumfries.-Indeed T. C. must have crossed the very road P. C. had taken on the Monday before, on his route to Castle Douglas from Lochmaben, on Monday the 4th of May. All these things I could not but know, although the parties themselves, at the time, knew nothing of the matter,

There was little danger, however, of any of my auction parties ever interfering or clashing with each other, for the plans of their routes, and the order and time of their marches, were all sent from head quarters at Dunbar, and had I had no other thing to vex me, or to distract my attention, I cannot help thinking, that including the Inverness, Sutherland, Caithness, and Orkney publication concerns, I must have had no sinecure of it, to regulate so much machinery, and keep such a number of wheels in unceasing motion at one time.

Indeed, no General could be more incessantly busied with his plans in the midst of his most active campaigns, than I was with

SHIRE, to the 12th. Afterwards, by Wigton, Newton Stewart, Portpatrick, Stranraer, Glenluce, and Newton Stewart again, on his return, in WIGTONSHIRE, to the 28th. Then in New Galloway, in KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE, on the 29th and 30th. Afterwards in Monnyhive, Thornhill, Sanquhar, and Wanlockhead, in DUMFRIESHIRE, to the 9th June. Then by Dou glas, Biggar, Carnwath, and Iron Works, (supposed Wilsontown) in LANARKSHIRE; and Bathgate, in LINLITHGOWSHIRE, till the 22d.

The route of this auctioneer, after breaking up from Paisley, in RENFREWSHIRE, on the 14th February, was, by Beith, Stewarton, Dalry, Saltcoats, Kilwinning, Irvine, Ayr, Kilmarnock, Galston, Newmills, Mauchline, Catrine and Cumnock in AYRSHIRE, to the 4th of April. By Sanquhar, Penpont, Dumfries, and Thornhill, in DUMFRIESHIRE, to the 28th, and by Leadhills to Lanark, in LANARKSHIRE, by the 2d of May.

my routes, until the maps of the Scottish counties had become so familiar to my eye, that, as I have expressed myself, I could almost chalk them out from memory; and the fares, and the distances across the Pentland Firth, and over the various channels which separate the Islands of Orkney, had become so well known to me, that, it might appear to a stranger who heard me talk on such matters, that I had been long accustomed to ply in those seas, and voyage it across these numerous ferries myself.

While the auctioneering business was thus kept moving in the most active manner, in the south, &c. things continued to go on in the publication line, much in their usual way in the north, the usual remittances coming from time to time, with occasional information, sometimes of a hopeful and encouraging, and sometimes of a depressing and discouraging nature, nor do I recollect any thing particularly worth the noticing at this particular period, until I received intelligence that my Highland manager, had got married to a Highland lady, who having brought him a fortune, made me the better pleased with the intelligence, as it afforded him the means of buying up the stock and the ground, and consequently relieving me of a business, which had now become both troublesome and irksome to me, but which might, when conducted by the young man on his own responsibility, prove a source of amusement as well as profit to himself.

I accordingly lost not a moment in entering upon a correspondence with him on the subject, and after the exchange of several letters, in the month of May, it ended in the understanding, that, I should go north, once more, and meet him and his brother, (who had previously given indications of being already tired of his new ground, farther northward,) at Inverness, on Saturday the 20th of June, in order, that we might have an opportunity to converse personally on the subject.

There were still some other matters I had in view, in that journey, but, this, now became, the great engrossing concern, and I was the more hopeful of being able to succeed in my wishes, in that respect, from the circumstance of the young man's brother, so far from being against any arrangement of

the kind, that he distinctly stated, in a letter written to me, just before he set out from Wick to Sutherland on his way southwards," mean time, I am in the thoughts, that you and my brother will come to an agreement about the Inverness circuit, when we all meet."

Indeed, it was very natural he should be disposed to write in that stile, as it was for the present uncertain, whether, or how, he would now be employed by me, and the very circumstance of his brother's becoming the proprietor of the stock and the business, even if he had inclined to take his cane in his hand and act the Highland gentleman himself, now that he had got his Highland lady, could not fail, to make bread, for him, in some department or other connected with it. So that, I had nothing to fear, but rather every thing to hope from his return, and being present also at the meeting.

Indeed, as the returns of this young man (which must have disgusted one of his honourable feelings, as to that unfortunate district) had, up to the first of June, with the exception of two small remittances, been little else, than a list of expence,-I had made up my mind to have the business in that quarter wound up with as little delay and expence as possible; and it was in order to despatch my old experienced agent, T. C. for that purpose, that his southern career was put an end to, for the present, at Bathgate, on the same day that I entered Inverness, viz. the 22d of June; two days later, it will be seen, than I had contemplated in my arrangement, but which, will be fully accounted for in my next chapter.*

* Previous to entering upon which, it may be necessary, however, for me to notice, the progress of my auctioneer P. C. to the northward, as it will soon be found, that I had occasion to meet him on the day I should have been at Inverness, and at a place that I had no idea of visiting on my journey out, at least, at the time I entered into that arrangement. But so far as we were concerned, none of the parties were to blame-and the business will be sufficiently explained in its developement.

As I observed before, my west country agent, as I shall still call him, notwithstanding his present mission to the northward, concluded his spring sales, or series of auctions, at Lanark, on the 2d of May.-On the 13th to the 16th, I find him, at the Bridge of Earn in PERTHSHIRE, and Cupar in ANGUS,— from the 18th to the 23d, at Blair Gowrie in PERTHSHIRE, and Meigle and Glammis in ANGUS-SHIRE, from the 25th to the 30th at Forfar and Brechin, in the latter shire, and Laurencekirk in that of KINCARDINE,-and from the 9th to the 20th of June, at Aberdeen, where he will be found on my arrival at that place, in the way, and mauner, afterwards to be specified.

CHAPTER XXIV.-1818 (CONTINUED.)

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The rider does not always mount, when the saddle is placed on the back of the horse-I am suddenly prevented from setting out on my northern journey, at the time, and by the route and mode of conveyance I intended. Go westward next morning.-Sail from Leith on board an Aberdeen vessel, in the afternoon of that day. No steam boats on the northern passage in those days.-Cheap passage money at the time.-Indication of a coming gale before we leave the harbour.Accident in the Roads. Rapid passage down the Firth. A coarse night.A calm in the morning -Strong gale in going into port at Aberdeen in the afternoon.-Get my business in that city despatched.-Arrival at Inverness in time to go to work on the morning of the 22d-Meet with the Brothers. Two lions in the way.-My further progress effectually impeded.--Make the best of my untoward situation-Laborious employment during my short stay at Inverness.-Leave the northern metropolis on the afternoon of the 24th-Arrive at Aberdeen on the following day.-After finishing my business there, leave it again in the afternoon.—Breakfast at Kinross.—Arrive at Edin. burgh in the forenoon, and after transacting business there, land at my own shop door at Dunbar, on the evening of Friday the 26th, being that day se'ennight from the time that I left it.-THE JOURNAL OF A WEEK.-Little time for sleep, and less for rest, during its continuance. Neither of these the matter of my greatest regret.-The ruling passion still predominates.-More instances of its prevalence.-The blasted heath where Macbeth met the witches. -How the spot is pointed out My surprise on finding, a living specimen of the reminiscences of former times, still an inhabitant of the Hoar Moor. the circumstance may probably be accounted for.

How

Ir has been so often, I believe, remarked, as to become proverbial, that the rider does not always mount, when the saddle is placed on the back of the horse ;-so, in my presently contemplated journey to Inverness, notwithstanding that every thing was in readiness, and my preparations completed, for setting out on the morning of Wednesday the 17th of June, in order to take the Highland coach on the day following, (as it then travelled northward only twice a week,) which, barring accidents, would have landed me on the streets of Inverness, on the Friday afternoon, in good time to perform my part of the assignation—there was a certain casualty to come in the way, that put it out of my power, either to mount the vehicle I intended to travel by, at the time I had fixed, or, indeed, to avail myself of that method of travelling

at all, to be any thing near the time I had, myself fixed, for the meeting taking place at Inverness; and who would have thought, that that casualty, would have been a matter that sounds so lightly in people's ears, as a running at the nose.

But so it was, that when the morning of my departure had arrived, I found myself so peculiarly troubled in that respect, above what I had ever felt before, or have experienced since, that there was more than sufficient employment for my hands, with my handkerchief, without allowing them the smallest leisure, for the necessary business, if I meant to travel, of putting on my clothes. Nor, does it appear the matter was much mended by the evening of that day, or, from the anxiety I must have felt to get forward, upon a business of such importance, at the time agreed upon, I would most probably have embraced the opportunity of some of the evening coaches to have got on to Edinburgh, which would, still have been in time, for my overtaking the Highland coach in the morning.

It so happened, however, that my son was to set out on the Thursday morning, to take his passage in a vessel, (the Marchioness of Huntly,) which was to sail on the following day to Aberdeen, where, he was to commence a new, and, as it turned out, a pretty long series of labours again, in the north, with his old fellow traveller, already alluded to as my western agent. I was by no means quite recovered, when he set out, but, it was arranged betwixt us, that, after making enquiry as to the time the vessel was to sail, he was to let me know in the evening; and, if, it was not before I had time to get forward next day, and I continued to get better during the night, I was to go westward and accompany him in the vessel to Aberdeen, which would be so far on the way, and shorten the remainder of the journey forward.

This part of the plan succeeded. I went westward on the Friday, and was on board the vessel an hour or two before she was hauled out of the dock. It was rather a pleasant and settled kind of day when I went on board, and so far was I from dreading any thing in the shape of a storm, at that season of the year, that I had brought with me some maps of the counties we were to pass, in coasting it along, in or