PARALLEL ROADS of GLENROY. There are few of those natural appearances that attend the disposition of the earth's surface, more striking than that which is well known in this country by the name appended to the head of this article. It may at the same time be almost consi dered as a solitary instance; since nothing at all compara ble to it has been discovered elsewhere, although slender indications of appearances arising from similar causes have been observed in a few other places. While the pa rallel roads, as they have long been called, are thus inte resting in a physical view, and more particularly so to the cultivators of geology ; they are no less striking to an or dinary spectator, or to a lover of the picturesque, from the extreme singularity of their aspect, as well as the beauty of the scenery where they lie. Though easy of access from Fort William, since the entrance of Glen Roy is The values of z, with the exception of that for a Aquilx, are wonderfully near the true value. In consequence of that resulting from the observations of a Aquilx, Dr. Brinkley leaves the former conclusions respecting this star in doubt. He considers that the irregularities of re fraction have influenced the results, and assigns a reason for their having great influence on the observations of this star.
The results obtained from supposing z known, may be expected to be more accurate than those where it is taken as unknown, because then a less number of unknown quantities is deduced from the same number of observa tions. But it is shown that there is no difference worth notice, particularly as to a Lyre.
Dr. Brinkley points out, with reference to future in scarcely more than twelve miles from that place, they are even yet but little known to the numerous travellers who visit Scotland in pursuit of the romantic and picturesque; these being contented to follow the ordinary tracks of 'he published tours, which are little better than copies of each other.
So little was known out of the bounds of the Highlands respecting the scenery and even the antiquities of these districts, at the time of Mr. Pennant's visit in 1772, that
it is not very surprising this spot should have remained undescribed. It appears to have been even little remark ed by the natives or persons in the immediate vicinity; a circumstance indeed not very extraordinary, when we con sider that the taste for picturesque scenery, even among the educated, has sprung up in our own day, and that the Highlanders were as perfectly unaware of the riches of this nature in which they abound, as were the English, and even the inhabitants of the very scenes themselves, till the lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland were first pointed out .by Gray. That the parallel roads have been supposed the works of the imaginary Fingalian Oynasty, is no proof of their having been observed at any very dis tant period ; as the personages of this ancient drama are invested with a right to all possible tombs, and hills, and caves, and streams, and mountains, throughout the whole country, even where such discoveries have almost taken place in our own days. It is a question if Staffa had ever been noticed or spoken of by a single native, when it was first pointed out to Pennant by Mr. Leach, an Irish gentle man, in 1772; yet in the course of the following year the cave acquired the name of Fingal.
Mr. Pennant himself, unfortunately, did not see this re markable spot ; yet the first account of these appearances that was given to the public was in his work, in a note fur nished by a minister in the neighbourhood. Still they seemed to have attracted no attention ; nor was it till the publication of the statistical reports that to received any farther account of them ; the report of the parish of Kil manivaig, in which they chiefly lie, drawn up by Mr. Ross, the minister, containing the description in question. That we may give the best idea we can of the opinions then en them, we shall quote as much of Mr. Ross's account as is necessary, and it will supersede the necessity of taking any farther notice of that handed down by Pennant.