Ossian Collection > Journal of a tour in Scotland in

10 JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN SCOTLAND
stage, and which could have existed nowliere
but in an English colony.
Went to the Orphan Hospital : everything
excellent as to economy and system, except
the teaching, which is deplorably inferior to
Dr Bell's. Shoes and stockings may be worn
or not, at the will of the individual, and
many of the girls availed themselves of this
privilege to go barefoot, wisely accustoming
themselves to the hardy and parsimonious,
but filthy custom of their countrywomen.
The children in general are so handsome that
one wonders at the aweful ugliness of the
men and women. It is the same in France,
the Scotch and the French being undoubtedly
the two ugliest nations in Europe. Child-
hood has a grace of its own, which is lost
when the features take the cast of the
national character. To the New Prison, a
good Giant Despair's Castle. From the roof
we saw the Round Tower over Hume's grave
in the adjacent burial ground, which is
inclosed from the high road by a sepulchral
wall in good taste. To Heriot's Hospital.
Saw the boys, 175 in number, dine upon
bread and milk, the latter is so honest in
quality, that most of them began by skimming
the cream. They used horn spoons, which