The same authority remarks that as an Irishman uses the closing accent
of the voice too much, so a Scotchman has the contrary habit, and is
continually drawling his tones from the grave to the acute, with an
effect which, to southern ears, is suspensive in character. The smooth
guttural _r_ is as little heard in Scotland as in Ireland, the trilled
_r_ taking its place. The substitution of the former instead of the
latter must be a matter of practice. The peculiar sound of the _u_,
which in the north so of ten borders on the French _u_, must be
compared with the several sounds of the letter as they are heard in
the south; and the long quality which a Scotchman is apt to give to
the vowels that ought to be essentially short, must he clipped. In
fact, aural observation and lingual exercise are the only sure means
to the end; so that a Scotchman going to a well for a bucket of water,
and finding a countryman bathing therein, would not exclaim, "Hey,
Colin, dinna ye ken the water's for drink, and nae for bathin'?"