Summing Up.

To those whose inclinations or circumstances do not admit of travelling far from home, the Highlands, islands, and romantic lochs of Scotland, the Wicklow mountains and lakes of Killarney in Ireland, the richly adorned shores of the placid lakes of Cumberland and West-moreland, the lovely valleys of North Wales, the rocky coasts of North Devon and Cornwall, and many other places within easy distance of the great towns of the United Kingdom, display attractive and delightful scenes of nature, embellished by human art and taste, that gratify and charm even those who have seen her more sublime and grander features, as well as afford much healthful enjoyment to summer and autumn visitors. I might fill some pages with details of incidents and adventures, as well as difficulties and dangers, even with the comparatively easy means of foreign travel at the present page 86 day; but in all my journeyings, four times round the world by sea and laud, I was so mercifully guided and guarded, that I never had to suffer from any very serious loss or injury; and I met with so many, often unexpected, helps and facilities, that in writing this simple narrative the retrospect fills my mind with a deep and heartful sense of gratitude to the Divine source of all our successes and enjoyments, as well as to the memory of many estimable and kind-hearted friends of many lauds and many conditions of life that a gracious Providence had inclined to help and cheer me on my way. During the past 70 years of my life I have had the privilege, in common with the very few of my contemporaries who still remain, of witnessing the wonderful advancement of scientific knowledge and discovery applied to the conveniences of life. Steam, gas, electricity have done their mighty and still increasing magical work, whilst the progressive influence of religion, education, and enlightenment have rendered social life, in Britain at least, so much purer and happier; greatly reduced both crime and the severity of its punishment; and rendered humanity almost free from some terrible diseases, such as smallpox and typhus, formerly so fatally prevalent; and have formed safeguards to health, public welfare, and security of life previously unknown; abolished degrading amusements as well as much of the intemperance and brutality of former years, page 87 and created benevolent institutions for the benefit of the young, the sick, and the aged, actively supported by the highest in social rank and the most learned and devoted ministers and laymen of all denominations of Christians, together with many other forward movements in civilisation, which ought to make us all devoutly and earnestly thankful that we have lived in such a remarkable period of the world's history.

I have written most of these notes during the course of my 86th year, whilst suffering a good deal of pain, which prevents me from moving about as I used to do, or from taking an active part at public meetings or social gatherings, but I hope I may still be of some little service to others, and I can still thankfully enjoy the charms of natural scenery, the beauty of trees and flowers, the sweetness of sacred or simple national melodies, and the writings of good authors, recreations which happily remain with us when our physical powers are weakened, and the mind finds its surest rest in higher aspirations, and in humble resignation to the Divine will.