Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

CHAPTER XTO JOHN o' GROAT'S: inAND now we were fairly in for it. It is a simplematter to get into Tongue, by the road by whichwe had come, but to get out of it either East orWest is a heavy undertaking. We had twodays' work before us, along the coast to Melvich,such as I had never before attempted, and therewere not wanting many advisers, among thosewho inspected the expedition on the Sunday, whoassured us that " we need never start," for wewould soon be back again, having come to griefon Borgie Brae.The whole of the top coast of Sutherland is onelong succession of huge ridges, running towardsthe sea.It was as if we had abandoned the properpolicy of following the valleys and had taken aperverse course, dead against the grain of thecountry. Before we reached Thurso we had tocross seven of these ridges, but they grew progressivelyless severe as we went on, like wavesthat gradually spend their force as they reach the76