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houses were roaring with fire。 In the course of two or three hours； several acres； covered by the loftiest and most densely crowded houses in the High Street； were in a blaze。 Some of them were of thirteen stories。 Floor after floor came crashing down； throwing out a blaze of embers。 The walls of each house acted as an enormous chimney the windows acting as draught…holes。 The walls； under the intense heat； were fluxed and melted into a sort of glass。 The only method of stopping the progress of the fire was to pull down the neighbouring houses； so as to isolate the remaining parts of the High Street。
As the parapet of the grand old tower of the High Church； St。 Giles； was near the site of the fire；so near as to enable one to look down into it；my father obtained permission to ascend； and I with him。 When we emerged from the long dark spiral stairs on to the platform on the top of the tower； we found a select party of the most distinguished inhabitants looking down into the vast area of fire； and prominent among them was Sir Walter Scott。 At last； after three days of tremendous efforts； the fire was subdued； but not till after a terrible destruction of property。 The great height of the ruined remains of the piles of houses rendered it impossible to have them removed by the ordinary means。 After several fruitless attempts with chains and ropes； worked by capstans； to pull them down； gunpowder was at last resorted to。 Mines were dug under each vast pile； one or two barrels of gunpowder were placed into them and fired； and then the before solid masses came tumbling down amidst clouds of dust。 The management of this hazardous but eventually safe process was conducted by Captain Basil Ball。 He ordered a crew of sailors to be brought up from the man…of…war guardship in the Firth of Forth； and by their united efforts the destruction of the ruined walls was at last successfully accomplished。
In the autumn of 1823； when I was fifteen years old； I had a most delightful journey with my father。 It was the first occasion on which I had been a considerable distance from home。 And yet the journey was only to Stirling。 My father had received a commission to paint a view of the castle as seen from the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey； situated a few miles from the town。 We started from Newhaven by a small steamboat； passing； on our way up the Firth； Queensferry； Culross； and Alloa。 We then entered the windings of the river； from which I saw the Ochils； a noble range of bright green mountains。 The passage of the steamer through the turns and windings of the Forth was most interesting。
We arrived at Stirling； and at once proceeded to Cambuskenneth Abbey； where there was a noble old Gothic tower。 This formed the foreground of my father's careful sketch； with Stirling Castle in the background； and Ben Lomond with many other of the Highland mountains in the distance。 As my father wished to make a model of the Gothic tower； he desired me to draw it carefully； and to take the dimensions of all the chief parts as well as to make detailed sketches of its minor architectural features。 It was a delightful autumn afternoon； and； before the day had closed； our work at the abbey was done。 We returned to Stirling and took a walk round the castle to see the effect of the sun setting behind the Highland mountains。
Next morning we visited the castle。 I was much interested with the interior； especially with a beautifully decorated Gothic oratory or private chapel； used by the Scottish kings when they resided at Stirling。 The oratory had been converted with great taste into an ante…drawingroom of the governor's house。 The exquisite decorations of this chapel* ＇footnote。。。 This exquisite specimen of a carved oak Gothic apartment had a terrible incident in Scottish history connected with it。 It was in this place that The Douglas intruded his presence on James the Third。 He urged his demands in a violent and threatening manner； and afterwards laid hands upon the king。 The latter； in defending himself with his dagger； wounded the Douglas mortally； and to get rid of the body the king cast it out of the window of the chapel； where it fell down the precipitous rock underneath。 The chapel has since been destroyed by fire。 。。。＇ were the first specimens of Gothic carving in oak that I had ever seen； and they seemed to put our modern carvings to shame。 The Great Hall； where the Scottish Parliament used to meet； was also very interesting as connected with the ancient history of the country。
From Stirling we walked to Alloa； passing the picturesque cascades rushing down the cleft's of the Ochils。 We put up for the night at Clackmannan； a very decayed and melancholy…looking village； though it possessed a fine specimen of the Scottish castellated tower。 It is said that Robert Bruce slept here before the Battle of Bannockburn。 But the most interesting thing that I saw during the journey was the Devon Ironworks。 I had read and heard about the processes carried on there in smelting iron ore and running it into pig…iron。 The origin of the familiar trade term 〃pig…iron〃 is derived from the result of the arrangement most suitable for distributing the molten iron as it rushes forth from the opening made at the bottom part of the blast…furnace； when； after its reduction from the ore； it collects in a fluid mass of several tons weight。 Previous to 〃tapping〃 the furnace a great central channel is made in the sand…covered floor of the forge； this central channel is then subdivided into many lateral branches or canals； into which the molten iron flows； and eventually hardens。
The great steam…engine that worked the blast furnace was the largest I had ever seen。 A singular expedient was employed at these works； of using a vast vault hewn in the solid rock of the hillside for the purpose of storing up the blast produced by the engines； and so equalising the pressure； thus turning a mountain side into a reservoir for the use of a blast…furnace。 This seemed to me a daring and wonderful engineering feat。
We waited at the works until the usual time had arrived for letting out the molten iron which had been accumulating at the lower part of the blast…furnace。 It was a fine sight to see the stream of white…hot iron flowing like water into the large gutter immediately before the opening。 From this the molten iron flowed on until it filled the moulds of sand which branched off from the central gutter。 The iron left in the centre； when cooled and broken up； was called sow metal； while that in the branches was called pig iron； the terms being derived from the appearance of a sow engaged in its maternal duties。 The pig…iron is thus cast in handy…sized pieces for the purpose of being transported to other iron foundries； while the clumsy sow metal is broken up and passes through another process of melting； or is reserved for foundry uses at the works where it is produced。 After inspecting with great pleasure the machinery connected with the foundry； we took our leave and returned to Edinburgh by steamer from Alloa。
Shortly after； I had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Robert Bald； the well…known mining engineer。 He was one of the most kind