a　ghost…seer。　　This　was　a　Highland　lady；　named　Mrs。　C　of　B；　who　probably　believed　firmly　in　the　truth　of　an　apparition　which　seems　to　have　originated　in　the　weakness　of　her　nerves　and　strength　of　her　imagination。　　She　had　been　lately　left　a　widow　by　her　husband；　with　the　office　of　guardian　to　their　only　child。　　The　young　man　added　to　the　difficulties　of　his　charge　by　an　extreme　propensity　for　a　military　life；　which　his　mother　was　unwilling　to　give　way　to；　while　she　found　it　impossible　to　repress　it。　　About　this　time　the　Independent　Companies；　formed　for　the　preservation　of　the　peace　of　the　Highlands；　were　in　the　course　of　being　levied；　and　as　a　gentleman　named　Cameron；　nearly　connected　with　Mrs。　C；　commanded　one　of　those　companies；　she　was　at　length　persuaded　to　compromise　the　matter　with　her　son；　by　permitting　him　to　enter　this　company　in　the　capacity　of　a　cadet；　thus　gratifying　his　love　of　a　military　life　without　the　dangers　of　foreign　service；　to　which　no　one　then　thought　these　troops　were　at　all　liable　to　be　exposed；　while　even　their　active　service　at　home　was　not　likely　to　be　attended　with　much　danger。　　She　readily　obtained　a　promise　from　her　relative　that　he　would　be　particular　in　his　attention　to　her　son　and　therefore　concluded　she　had　accommodated　matters　between　her　son's　wishes　and　his　safety　in　a　way　sufficiently　attentive　to　both。　　She　set　off　to　Edinburgh　to　get　what　was　awanting　for　his　outfit；　and　shortly　afterwards　received　melancholy　news　from　the　Highlands。　　The　Independent　Company　into　which　her　son　was　to　enter　had　a　skirmish　with　a　party　of　caterans　engaged　in　some　act　of　spoil；　and　her　friend　the　captain　being　wounded；　and　out　of　the　reach　of　medical　assistance；　died　in　consequence。　　This　news　was　a　thunderbolt　to　the　poor　mother；　who　was　at　once　deprived　of　her　kinsman's　advice　and　assistance；　and　instructed　by　his　fate　of　the　unexpected　danger　to　which　her　son's　new　calling　exposed　him。　She　remained　also　in　great　sorrow　for　her　relative；　whom　she　loved　with　sisterly　affection。　　These　conflicting　causes　of　anxiety；　together　with　her　uncertainty；　whether　to　continue　or　change　her　son's　destination；　were　terminated　in　the　following　manner：
  The　house　in　which　Mrs。　C　resided　in　the　old　town　of　Edinburgh；　was　a　flat　or　story　of　a　land　accessible；　as　was　then　universal；　by　a　common　stair。　　The　family　who　occupied　the　story　beneath　were　her　acquaintances；　and　she　was　in　the　habit　of　drinking　tea　with　them　every　evening。　　It　was　accordingly　about　six　o'clock；　when；　recovering　herself　from　a　deep　fit　of　anxious　reflection；　she　was　about　to　leave　the　parlour　in　which　she　sat　in　order　to　attend　this　engagement。　　The　door　through　which　she　was　to　pass　opened；　as　was　very　common　in　Edinburgh；　into　a　dark　passage。　　In　this　passage；　and　within　a　yard　of　her　when　she　opened　the　door；　stood　the　apparition　of　her　kinsman；　the　deceased　officer；　in　his　full　tartans；　and　wearing　his　bonnet。　　Terrified　at　what　she　saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　she　closed　the　door　hastily；　and；　sinking　on　her　knees　by　a　chair；　prayed　to　be　delivered　from　the　horrors　of　the　vision。　　She　remained　in　that　posture　till　her　friends　below　tapped　on　the　door；　to　intimate　that　tea　was　ready。　　Recalled　to　herself　by　the　signal；　she　arose；　and；　on　opening　the　apartment　door；　again　was　confronted　by　the　visionary　Highlander；　whose　bloody　brow　bore　token；　on　this　second　appearance；　to　the　death　he　had　died。　　Unable　to　endure　this　repetition　of　her　terrors；　Mrs。　C　sank　on　the　door　in　a　swoon。　　Her　friends　below；　startled　with　the　noise；　came　upstairs；　and；　alarmed　at　the　situation　in　which　they　found　her；　insisted　on　her　going　to　bed　and　taking　some　medicine；　in　order　to　compose　what　they　took　for　a　nervous　attack。　　They　had　no　sooner　left　her　in　quiet；　than　the　apparition　of　the　soldier　was　once　more　visible　in　the　apartment。　This　time　she　took　courage　and　said；　'In　the　name　of　God；　Donald；　why　do　you　haunt　one　who　respected　and　loved　you　when　living？'　To　which　he　answered　readily；　in　Gaelic；　'Cousin；　why　did　you　not　speak　sooner？　　My　rest　is　disturbed　by　your　unnecessary　lamentationyour　tears　scald　me　in　my　shroud。　　I　come　to　tell　you　that　my　untimely　death　ought　to　make　no　difference　in　your　views　for　your　son；　God　will　raise　patrons　to　supply　my　place　and　he　will　live　to　the　fullness　of　years；　and　die　honoured　and　at　peace。'　　The　lady　of　course　followed　her　kinsman's　advice　and　as　she　was　accounted　a　person　of　strict　veracity；　we　may　conclude　the　first　apparition　an　illusion　of　the　fancy；　the　final　one　a　lively　dream　suggested　by　the　other　two。
  NOTE　4。PETER　PEEBLES
  This　unfortunate　litigant　（for　a　person　named　Peter　Peebles　actually　flourished）　frequented　the　courts　of　justice　in　Scotland　about　the　year　1792；　and　the　sketch　of　his　appearance　is　given　from　recollection。　　The　author　is　of　opinion　that　he　himself　had　at　one　time　the　honour　to　be　counsel　for　Peter　Peebles；　whose　voluminous　course　of　litigation　served　as　a　sort　of　assay…pieces　to　most　young　men　who　were　called　to　the　bar。　　The　scene　of　the　consultation　is　entirely　imaginary。
  NOTE　5。JOHN'S　COFFEE…HOUSE
  This　small　dark　coffee…house；　now　burnt　down；　was　the　resort　of　such　writers　and　clerks　belonging　to　the　Parliament　House　above　thirty　years　ago　as　retained　the　ancient　Scottish　custom　of　a　meridian；　as　it　was　called；　or　noontide　dram　of　spirits。　　If　their　proceedings　were　watched；　they　might　be　seen　to　turn　fidgety　about　the　hour　of　noon；　and　exchange　looks　with　each　other　from　their　separate　desks；　till　at　length　some　one　of　formal　and　dignified　presence　assumed　the　honour　of　leading　the　band；　when　away　they　went；　threading　the　crowd　like　a　string　of　wild　fowl；　crossed　the　square　or　close；　and　following　each　other　into　the　coffee…house；　received　in　turn　from　the　hand　of　the　waiter；　the　meridian；　which　was　placed　ready　at　the　bar。　　This　they　did；　day　by　day：　　and　though　they　did　not　speak　to　each　other；　they　seemed　to　attach　a　certain　degree　of　sociability　to　performing　the　ceremony　in　company。
  NOTE　6。FISHING　RIGHTS
  It　may　be　here　mentioned；　that　a　violent　and　popular　attack　upon　what　the　country　people　of　this　district　considered　as　an　invasion　of　their　fishing　right　is　by　no　means　an　improbable　fiction。　　Shortly　after　the　close　of　the　American　war；　Sir　James　Graham　of　Netherby　constructed　a　dam…dyke；　or　cauld；　across　the　Esk；　at　a　place　where　it　flowed　through　his　estate；　though　it　has　its　origin；　and　the　principal　part　of　its　course；　in　Scotland。　The　new　barrier　at　Netherby　was　considered　as　an　encroachment　calculated　to　prevent　the　salmon　from　ascending　into　Scotland；　and　the　right　of　erecting　it　being　an　international　question　of　law　betwixt　the　sister　kingdoms；　there　was　no　court　in　either　competent　to　its　decision。　　In　this　dilemma；　the　Scots　people　assembled　in　numbers　by　signal　of　rocket　lights；　and；　rudely　armed　with　fowling…pieces；　fish…spears；　and　such　rustic　weapons；　marched　to　the　banks　of　the　river　for　the　purpose　of　pulling　down　the　dam…dyke　objected　to。　　Sir　James　Graham　armed　many　of　his　own　people　to　protect　his　property；　and　had　some　military　from　Carlisle　for　the　same　purpose。　　A　renewal　of　the　Border　wars　had　nearly　taken　place　in　the　eighteenth　century；　when　prudence　and　moderation　on　both　sides　saved　much　tumult；　and　perhaps　some　bloodshed。　　The　English　proprietor　consented　that　a　breach　should　be　made　in　his　dam…dyke　sufficient　for　the　passage　of　the　fish；　and　thus　removed　the　Scottish　grievance。　　I　believe　the　river　has　since　that　time　taken　the　matter　into　its　own　disposal；　and　entirely　swept　away　the　dam…dyke　in　question。
  NOTE　7。STATE　OF　SCOTLAND
  Scotland；　in　its　half…civilized　state；　exhibited　too　many　examples　of　the　exertion　of　arbitrary　force　and　violence；　rendered　easy　by　the　dominion　which　lairds　exerted　over　their　tenants　and　chiefs　over　their　clans。　　The　captivity　of　Lady　Grange；　in　the　desolate　cliffs　of　Saint　Kilda；　is　in　the　recollection　of　every　one。　　At　the　supposed　date　of　the　novel　also　a　man　of　the　name　of　Merrilees；　a　tanner　in　Leith；　absconded　from　his　country　to　escape　his　creditors；　and　after　having　slain　his　own　mastiff　dog；　and　put　a　bit　of　red　cloth　in　its　mouth；　as　if　it　had　died　in　a　contest　with　soldiers；　and　involved　his　own　existence　in　as　much　mystery　as　possible；　made　his　escape　into　Yorkshire。　　Here　he　was　detected　by　persons　sent　in　search　of　him；　to　whom　he　gave　a　portentous　account　of　his　having　been　carried　off　and　concealed　in　various　places。　　Mr。　Merrilees　was；　in　short；　a　kind　of　male　Elizabeth　Canning；　but　did　not　trespass　on　the　public　credulity　quite　so　long。
  NOTE　8。CONCEALMENTS　FOR　THEFT　AND　SMUGGLING
  I　am　sorry　to　say　that　the　modes　of　concealment　described　in　the　imaginary　premises　of　Mr。　Trumbull；　are　of　a　kind　which　have　been　common　on　the　frontiers　of　late　years。　　The　neighbourhood　of　two　nations　having　different　laws；　though　united　in　government；　still　leads　to　a　multitude　of　transgressions　on　the　Border；　and　extreme　difficulty　in　apprehending　delinquents。　　About　twenty　years　since；　as　far　as　my　recollection　serves；　there　was　along　the　frontier　an　organized　gang　of　coiners；　forgers；　smugglers；　and　other　malefactors；　whose　operations　were　conducted　on　a　scale　not
  inferior　to　what　is　here　d