and north; by the kyle or sound which separates Argyle- Districts. shire from the Island of Bute on the south, and by the Frith of Clyde and Loch Long on the east. Argyle Pro- Argyle per lies to the northward of Knapdale, and is on the Proper. western side of Loch Long. In this district stands Inverary. Although Argyle Proper has not the sea on its western or north-western side, yet it has very much the appearance of a peninsula, in as much as the great freshwater lake Loch Awe, or Loch Ow, runs along its north-Loch Awe. western side. This is an uncommonly fine lake, second only to Loch Lomond in picturesque beauty. A great part of the banks consists of steep mountains, very finely wooded. Its smooth surface is broken by islands ornamented with picturesque ruins. Loch Awe is about thirty miles in length, and in some places two miles broad, though the average breadth of it does not exceed one mile. Its surface is 108 feet above the level of the sea. Besides the great number of rivulets and streams which run into this lake, on both sides, from the neighbouring hills, contrary to most lakes, it receives a considerable river at each extremity, and discharges itself laterally into Loch Etive, an arm of the sea to the north, at a place called Bunaw. The lake abounds with salmon, trout, and some char. It likewise contains plenty of eels, which are held in abhorrence by the common people of the Highlands, who consider this fish as a water serpent unfit for the use of men. To the westward of Loch Awe is the district of Lorn, Lorn. having on its north-western side Loch Etive. On the west it is bounded by a variety of channels, which separate it from several small islands; one of which is Easdale, the most celebrated slate quarry in Scotland. To the northward of Loch Etive is Benediralloch, peninsulated by Loch Etive on the south and south-east, by Loch Creran Districts. on the north. The district of Appin is next to this. Ít Appin. has on the west the Linnhe Loch, on the north Loch Le ven, which goes off from the Linnhe Loch below Fort William ; and on its southern side Appin is in contact with Loch Creran and Loch Etive. Beyond the Linnhe Loch, which forms the western termination of the great CaleMorvern. donian Canal, is the district of Morvern on the west. It has on its south-eastern and south-western sides the Sound of Mull and the Linnhe Loch, on its northern side Loch Sunart. It has a triangular peninsula, connected with the continent by an isthmus of two or three miles in breadth, on its north-eastern side. Ardnamur chan. Point of Ardnamur chan. The most northern district of the county is Ardnamurchan, including Sunart and Ardgour. It is connected with Morvern by the peninsula already mentioned; and on its north-eastern corner it comes into contact with Inverness-shire by an isthmus of about three miles in breadth. On all its other sides it is surrounded by water. Loch Sunart stretches far into the country, dividing it from Morvern on the south; on the south-east it has the Linnhe Loch running up to Fort William. There the loch turns towards the north-west, under the name of Loch Eil, which is only separated, as already mentioned, by a narrow neck of land from Loch Sheil. This last loch and the ocean are in contact with the northern side of Ardnamurchan. It may be remarked, that the Point of Ardnamurchan, which is the north-west corner of Argyleshire, is the most western territory of the mainland of Scotland, and the most remarkable headland between the Mull (of Kintyre on the south, and Cape Wrath, which is the north-west point of Sutherland and of Scotland, on the north. The Point of Ardnamurchan is nearly at an equal distance from the Mull of Kintyre and from Cape Wrath. In ancient times, when the Hebrides were under the sovereignty of Districts the M'Donalds or the Norwegians, the islands to the north of the point of Ardnamurchan were called the Northern Isles; and those to the south of that point, consisting of the isles of Argyleshire, Bute, and Kintyre, were called the Southern Isles. To this day an English Bishop derives a part of his title from them, being called or styled the Bishop of Sodar and Mann; that is, the Bishop of Mann, and of the Sodar, or Southern Isles. It may be remarked, that in the county books Argyleshire is divided into the districts only of Kintyre, Cowal, Argyle, and Lorn, and that Morvern and Ardnamurchan are considered as forming a part of the district of Mull, of which the island of Mull is the principal part. The Reverend Dr Smith of Campbeltown, in his View Soil of the Agriculture of the County, represents the soil as of the following nature: 1,213,500 Acres may be heath, hill, and pasture 30,000 Ditto, wood 24,000 Ditto, fresh water, lakes, and rivers. The proportion of the arable to the other grounds, as sta ted above, is nearly as one to twelve, being about a thir teenth of the whole. To an eye that takes but a superficial view of the face of the country, this proportion of arable will appear to be too great. But the eye is very apt to be deceived in judging of the proportion between hills and plains. To make a just comparison in this case, one must form the idea of a plain extended through the base of the hill, and compare in his mind the extent of such a plain with that which he has in view. The surface of a mountain may measure many times the extent of such a horizonal plain as it stands upon, but cannot, in Districts. on the north. The district of Appin is next to this. Ít Appin. has on the west the Linnhe Loch, on the north Loch Le ven, which goes off from the Linnhe Loch below Fort William ; and on its southern side Appin is in contact with Loch Creran and Loch Etive. Beyond the Linnhe Loch, which forms the western termination of the great CaleMorvern. donian Canal, is the district of Morvern on the west. It has on its south-eastern and south-western sides the Sound of Mull and the Linnhe Loch, on its northern side Loch Sunart. It has a triangular peninsula, connected with the continent by an isthmus of two or three miles in breadth, on its north-eastern side. Ardnamur chan. Point of Ardnamur chan. The most northern district of the county is Ardnamurchan, including Sunart and Ardgour. It is connected with Morvern by the peninsula already mentioned; and on its north-eastern corner it comes into contact with Inverness-shire by an isthmus of about three miles in breadth. On all its other sides it is surrounded by water. Loch Sunart stretches far into the country, dividing it from Morvern on the south; on the south-east it has the Linnhe Loch running up to Fort William. There the loch turns towards the north-west, under the name of Loch Eil, which is only separated, as already mentioned, by a narrow neck of land from Loch Sheil. This last loch and the ocean are in contact with the northern side of Ardnamurchan. It may be remarked, that the Point of Ardnamurchan, which is the north-west corner of Argyleshire, is the most western territory of the mainland of Scotland, and the most remarkable headland between the Mull (of Kintyre on the south, and Cape Wrath, which is the north-west point of Sutherland and of Scotland, on the north. The Point of Ardnamurchan is nearly at an equal distance from the Mull of Kintyre and from Cape Wrath. In ancient times, when the Hebrides were under the sovereignty of Districts the M'Donalds or the Norwegians, the islands to the north of the point of Ardnamurchan were called the Northern Isles; and those to the south of that point, consisting of the isles of Argyleshire, Bute, and Kintyre, were called the Southern Isles. To this day an English Bishop derives a part of his title from them, being called or styled the Bishop of Sodar and Mann; that is, the Bishop of Mann, and of the Sodar, or Southern Isles. It may be remarked, that in the county books Argyleshire is divided into the districts only of Kintyre, Cowal, Argyle, and Lorn, and that Morvern and Ardnamurchan are considered as forming a part of the district of Mull, of which the island of Mull is the principal part. The Reverend Dr Smith of Campbeltown, in his View Soil 1,213,500 Acres may be heath, hill, and pasture 30,000 Ditto, wood 24,000 Ditto, fresh water, lakes, and rivers. The proportion of the arable to the other grounds, as sta ted above, is nearly as one to twelve, being about a thir teenth of the whole. To an eye that takes but a superficial view of the face of the country, this proportion of arable will appear to be too great. But the eye is very apt to be deceived in judging of the proportion between hills and plains. To make a just comparison in this case, one must form the idea of a plain extended through the base of the hill, and compare in his mind the extent of such a plain with that which he has in view. The surface of a mountain may measure many times the extent of such a horizonal plain as it stands upon, but cannot, in |