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Title: Letter from Joseph Caldwell to Denison Olmsted, August 31, 1824: Electronic Edition.
Author: Caldwell, Joseph, 1773-1835
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Brian Dietz
Images scanned by Bari Helms
Text encoded by Brian Dietz
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 14K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-08-31, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: University of North Carolina Papers (#40005), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Joseph Caldwell to Denison Olmsted, August 31, 1824
Author: [Joseph Caldwell]
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 40005 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from Joseph Caldwell to Denison Olmsted , August 31, 1824
Caldwell, Joseph, 1773-1835



Page 1
London August 31, 1824.

Dear Sir,

It is now, it seems, more than two months since I arrived at Liverpool from N. York , and more than three since I left the latter of these cities. After arriving in London I continued nearly a month in the city, first visiting places and institutions of importance and becoming acquainted with books and book-sellers, and instruments, and instrument-makers. Having informed myself of circumstances and characters I made a number of purchases, and engagements, and set off in a steam packet which runs between London and Edinburgh. After a passage of 3½ days we arrived on the Forth, where the scenery of Scotland began to open upon our view. This was characterized by what is known as North Berwick Low, and Bass Rock at the entrance of the Firth , as well as several other elevated places, presenting the first appearance of those masses of Rock, of which Scotland seems very much composed. After having a pretty rough passage along the British coast of the German

Page 2
ocean
, during which most of the passengers, and myself too, at last became sick, we found a beautiful contrast in the tranquility and glossy smoothness of the Forth. I continued in Edinburgh 10 days, and then passing over to Glasgow, and staying some days, I set out for Loch Lomond, Rob Roy's cave, the Highlands, Loch Kattrine and the Trosachs, returning by Callender, Doune and Stirling to Edinburgh, down the Forth in a steamboat. I stayed two or three days between Loch Lomond and Loch Kattrine, among the mountains, in a house or rather a cluster of buildings, called the Garrison, which had been built 120 years ago, or more, as a station for troops, to keep in check the wild clansmen of those times and subdue them to the English power. The garrison is about a mile from Rob's Cave, and from a spot where they tell us his house probably stood. One object for staying here was to be for some time in the country of the shepherds, whom I visited in their

Page 3
cottages to observe their mode of life and opportunities and customs and state of society. This is the tour which is very commonly made by people from England and the Lowlands of Scotland, and its objects have had much interest added to them by the writings of Sir W. Scott. While in Loch Lomond I attempted to visit the summit of Ben Lomond, the highest mountain but one in Scotland, but when near the top I was driven back by a storm, and was thus prevented from seeing those extensive prospects, which constitute the principal object of the ascent.
After my return to Edinburgh, reflecting to how little purpose it is to be visiting universities during their vacations, as I had some occasion to experience in Edinburgh, I concluded to postpone my visits to Cambride and Oxford till after my return from the Continent, and traveled sometimes on foot, but for the most part by coach to this place, whence I am expecting to set out for Paris this week. Present me respectfully and affectionately to Mrs. Olmstead and Miss Harriet and all my friends.

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