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Oban.

up and down the Clyde and through the adjacent Lochs, and proceeded down the river, & along Loch Fyne to the Crinan canal. where we were transfered to a canal boat which took us across a narrow neck of land to the Sound of Jura, here we again took a steamer and steamed to the town of Oban, which is situated at the mouth of Loch Linnhe, on the mainland of the West coast of Scotland, about 70 miles to the N.W. of Glasgow. We stayed at this town until the 3rd. of Septr. Lilly being laid up with an attack         The weather during most of the time was dull & rainy. In the short clear intervals we took walks back into the country and along the Loch shore getting sketches of Dunolly, & Dunstaffnage castles, and some Highland cottages. During our stay Father and I made an excursion to the islands of Staffa & Iona, of which, the following is an account written at the time.

Tuesday Aug. 28th. Father & I set off at 7 oclock, on an excursion to Iona, & Staffa in the steamer "Dolphin" We went out of Oban bay around the southern end Kerrera, the Island that shelters it. And soon found ourselves in sight of the island of Mull, which is remarkable for its fine mountain scenery of which we had some very fine views

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as we coasted along it, at one time passing a rocky promontory jutting out into the sea, with the waves lashing its base, and at another looking up a deep glen down which dashed white foaming torrents over their rocky beds. The large dark flying clouds casting them deep broad shadows over sea & land produced grand effects.

About 12 o'clock we reached Iona which is a small, low, and desolate isle. There being no quay, the vessel came to anchor about a quarter of a mile from the shore, and the passengers were conveyed to land in a boat. The chief objects of interest remaining on the island, are the convent and cathedral, both of which are in a considerable state of ruin, though the convent is much further gone that the cathedral. the chapel being the only entire portion remaining. The cathedral though unroofed still has its walls all standing. Father & I made a drawing of it, and the distance beyond. Between it and the convent there are a great number of low tombs covered with slabs of stone, upon which are sculptured Knights, & armorial bearing, and there is an old stone cross, some ten feet high, and a foot thick at the bottom. It is said that at one time there were 360 of them upon the island.