Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/118

100 in its natural state; not but the eye, during that delightful stage, is regaled by the soft scenes of dressed nature, at Netherby, in the possession of Sir James Graham, whose house and park ornament the south side of the river Esk. Almost the whole of the road from Longtown to Langholm runs by the side of this fine water, which is rolling beneath; sometimes seen through the stems of trees, deep, and close below the carriage; at others, at some distance, with verdant meadows sweeping to its edge on one side, and on the other, high rocks clothed with wood; the river loudly tumbling through the arches of picturesque bridges of soft grey stone, over black rocks, partly whitened by the dashing of the rapid stream.

Langholm is in Dumfriesshire, situated, as it were, in a triangular vale, in Eskdale. Not a great way from the inn, the Duke of Buccleugh has a castle, which, I believe, he only makes use of as a house of passage; the river Esk rolls sweetly by it. Unfortunately I arrived at Langholm in a pouring rain, consequently saw that place very imperfectly. Another unfortunate circumstance attended me, that of following the steps of a great man, and upon his own territory too. The Duke of Buccleugh had, about an hour or