Ossian Collection > Journal of a tour in Scotland in

ABERDEEN 69
being especially so in such places because of
his antiquarian knowledge.
Old Aberdeen is about a mile from the
New City. It has something of a collegiate
character — an air of quietness and permanence
— of old times ; long walls well built in
former days ; a few old trees, and houses
standing seperately, each in its garden.
Gibbs states its population at 1500 ; that of
the New City is 40,000. Here all is life,
bustle, business and improvement, for in
outward and visible improvement this place
may almost be said to keep pace with
Edinburgh. Union Street, where our hotel
stands, is new, and many houses are still
building — the appearance is very good,
because they have the finest granite close
at hand. But the Town-Council has become
bankrupt thro' these improvements : for
having to purchase and demolish old houses
to make room for the new streets they let
pass the opportunity of disposing of the
ground to advantage, asking too much for
it, when the spirit of enterprize was on the
alert. But they had borrowed money to
make the purchase, and the interest of this
debt ran on, while the ground was lying
unproductive. Of late since mercantile