R h u b a r b .
A u g . 22 .
covered on the Bruer, a large itream about two miles north from ^
this place. It is divided into five falls, vifible at once, and in a I
line with each other : the four uppermoft form together a fall of a I
hundred feet: the fifth alone is nearly the fame height; fo tha: H
when the whole appear in front, in high floods, they feem one fheetl
of near two hundred feet: a fight fcarcely to be paralelled in
Europe.
Trees of all kinds profper here greatly : larches of twenty years
growth yield plank of the breadth of fifteen inches. The late
Duke annually lefiened the nakednefs of the hills, and'extended
his plantations far and wide. His attention to the culture of
Rhubarb mull not pafs unnoticed: for his benevolent defign of
rendering common and cheap this ufeful medicine, is bleft with the
utmoft fuccefs. The roots which he had cultivated in the light
foils, fimilar to thofe of the 'Tartarian delerts, the native place,
encreafe to a vaft fize: fome when frelh having been found to weigh
fifty pounds, and to be equal in fmell, tafte, and effeft to thofe
we import at- an enormous -expence to our country. On being
dried they lhrink to one quarter of their original weio-ht. There
is reaion to fuppoie that the Scotch' rhubarb may be fuperior in. vir-1
tue to the foreign, the laft being gathered in all feafons, as the
Mongall hunters chance to pafs by. They draw up the roots indif-
criminately, pierce them at one end, and fling them on their belts;
and then leave them to dry on their tents, without further care.
Leave Athol houfe. Return by Fajkally along the great road to I
the junction ° f tlle Tumel with the Tay. Nature hath formed, on I
each fide of the vale, multitudes of terrafles, fome with grafiy fides, I
others wooded. Art hath contributed to give this road an uncom-1
nwn I