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bay, and was got by Chance out of a thorough-bred mare: he is about full galloway size. Knight observed that he could play away with ten miles an hour as long as one in reason could require it of him. Such a sire to get ponies, now so much in vogue for double harness, I never saw, or roadsters out of good carriage or other mares; and as for racing galloways, I almost question if there be such another. Were this bijou up in London, and for sale, he would cause some stiff competition.

Next him, so quiet is he, was a grey mare by Viscount, thoroughbred, about fifteen hands high, and able to carry maybe over 10st. with hounds. For one of that weight she would be worth a Jew's eye, for Knight said there was nothing she could put her nose on she could not clear; and that, as hardy as handsome, she was so good a hack Lord Kelburne was very fond of her, and had given her plenty to do canvassing in his late successful stand for Ayrshire; consequently she was not quite so fresh or blooming as she generally was: she is a sweet bit of blood.

There were two other well-bred hacks, but there was "metal more attractive," and lots of it. If not the most powerful animal, certainly as highly so (in the disguise of a thorough-bred horse) as I recollect to have seen, is a dark chesnut by Grey Walton out of Lord Kelburne's well-known brood mare Blue-stocking by John Bull. Were you to see him in harness in the wheel of a coach, you never could imagine him thorough-bred. He is a loose-made angular horse, with all points strongly defined, and legs, though clean, like a machiner. He has hunted some seasons, and, though at first over-resolute and hard to make, seems to be a favorite.

Next him was a bay horse, by Lord Kelburne's St. Leger winner Jerry, who is now covering at Newmarket a very neat nag, and all the looks of a hunter.

These were in the first stable. In the second, similar, was my horse among the thorough-breds of the lot-a powerful black entire horse by Albany, by report of my conductor a superior-made fieldhorse, and he looked it every inch.

Next him, another by Jerry, particular-a three-quarter-bred gelding, brought by Inglis the Edinbro' dealer out of the North of England, and, from appearance and what was told me of him, quite in the first form. His breeding was unknown, but he had plenty of it, and in a mould not often or easily found. I wanted nothing but the conviction of my own eyes and Knight's assurance to see what is not often to be met with now-a-days; but if I had, there was proof corroborative that he was in the field what he seemed in the stable. When winding up the season at Carnwath in Lanarkshire, Lord Kelburne being necessarily absent, Knight was in command and charge. Among the visitors to this annual meeting was Captain Hay, of Mugdrum in Fife-whom having the pleasure to know, I can say there is not a better judge, or a more particular man in all his appliances-and he offered Knight for this horse over some hundreds.

It would take too much time, and to some be tedious, to go over all. In the next stable were, a very promising young thorough-bred mare, who will, when filled up, come to the mark of the stable; another

three-parts-bred bay gelding of the same school, though not as striking in appearance as the crack; then a thorough-bred Albany, as good as his peers; and next a chesnut thorough-bred gelding by Comus. This is one of the remarkable ones: he is lathy, thin-looking, and wiry, not apparently up to more than twelve stone; but he has carried and can go with Lord Kelburne so satisfactorily that he is one of his favorites, and his legs, though quite clean and sound, shew that he has been put upon hard service; they are full of honorable scars. A Brother to Retriever, of good size and power, a fine stamp of horse, closes the catalogue so far.

In three loose boxes were three others, full blood, size, and power, by Canteen, Jerry, &c.; they were under the temporary infliction of blister, but, take them all in all as a lot of thorough-breds, they certainly are a signal good one; and having the advantage of always being in work with hounds, I can feel no difficulty in believing, what I was assured, that they are all hunters, more or less, and some in the highest form.

In respect to his materiel, Lord Kelburne is in high force, and the home department cannot be better arranged or conducted: what they are or may be in the field, I have not the slightest pretension to say a single word on: His Lordship has an extensive country, a great part of it very good. Of his Field, or other matters, I know as little; and in what I have said on observation, I have confined myself to the simple truth, and rather under it.

Hawkhead is a fine old place, and, previous to the days when the inroads of trade disfigured its vicinity, in a sweet country. Before the Demon of Commerce had sullied and poisoned its beautiful river, hemmed in and smoke-stained its fine old Abbey Church, and crowded it with muslin and misery, I should imagine Paisley to have been one of the prettiest old towns in Scotland. It has one excellent feature yet to a traveller-a most comfortable inn. The Saracen's Head is a good house, and its landlord one of the most attentive to his guests I ever saw.

I had determined to go somewhat out of my way home to pay my old acquaintance Scott, Huntsman to the Linlithgow, &c., a visit, and, to effect this in time, had no alternative but to boat it again. This was out of the frying-pan into the fire, or, more properly and almost literally speaking, out of the boat into the canal. It was the Fast, or Sacrament day of the Church of Scotland in Falkirk, and as all the shops, &c. had to be shut, the congregation of burghers or antiburghers-Lord knows which, I am not quite fly to such matters— resolved with one consent to take up their staff, and boat up to Glasgow and back; and there they were, a goodly tribe-men, women, children, and infants-in three great boat loads, an extra one having been provided for the occasion. I had to sit or lean the whole way on the round iron railing, about an inch thick, and had I not kept a sharp look-out, should have been into the canal more than once, from the crowding and rude pressure of these dissenting voyagers. One gentleman, the happy father of some five or six cherubs and seraphsfor as "cherubim and seraphim continually do cry," they surely were so-had encased his trotters for the voyage in a bran new pair of boots, the best, and, as it unluckily befel, the tightest fit of a brother

tradesman and voyager. The day was burning hot, and, soon after embarking, pain overcame pride, and the rest was performed on his part in stocking-feet. The boat was so shamefully crowded, and so much by the stern, that the horses, admirable as they are, could not make their time, and we were far behind. The night turned as cold as the day had been fiery hot, and the bootless wight, my front-rank man, began to experience other uneasy sensations in his extremities; so he forthwith commenced a vigorous pas-seul on all the stage he had, which was just as much as he could stand on: this, however, was disregarded, and in his firm descents he so rudely invaded my standingplace that my feet would soon have sympathised with his. It was in vain that I remonstrated: "he had as good a right there as me, and it could not be expected but that any gentleman in his peculiar and unlucky predicament would not do all he could to make himself comfortable!" so I had to tuck my toddlers in under the bar on the edge of the boat, and hold on above; and, when we did get to Falkirk, was so cramped I could scarcely move-I should say, to Port Union, for Falkirk is a mile and a half on. It is a great pity they cram these boats so, as all else is good. When the railroad, now in quick progress, shall have brought them to afford elbow and breathing-room, then, as a preferable conveyance, will I travel with them, but never, never until then. Their horse department is admirably managed: they never give over £30-£25 (the old cavalry price) being the average. the summer season is over, they have an annual sale, which is strongly attended; and so notorious are the condition and general goodness of the horses, that they often fetch as high as £80, and seldom or ever go at cost price. First-rate carriage-horses are to be found among them.

As soon as

I found the hearty veteran of the Stirling and Linlithgow at his post, and just quitting his pleasant cottage in Laurieston to go to the kennel, which is removed from it a small way; and though all was in appearance just as when I visited it four years ago, and right as a trivet, yet there was one very important difference, most gratifying to me, and highly redounding to the credit of the establishment. The pack-it was early-were at exercise under their well-known Whip, Tom Ringtoul, and meantime Scott said he would shew me his young hounds. Now when I was here in 1835, they were depending on others, and had just received, as I then noticed, a strong draft of young ones from the Fife kennel. He added, that they would be seen to disadvantage, as they were only just sufficiently recovered from the Distemper to allow of their being rubbed: "but," said he and his eye lighted as he spoke "I shall not fear to shew them to you for all that:" nor needed he. This remnant-fourteen out of forty couple, which had survived that plague-spot to the fox-hunter, the Distemper-will convince any one, that if the Anno Domini complaint is exerting (though mildly) its usual influence on the physical powers of the veteran, it has left his perception and judgment in matured vigor. Their standard is about and full twenty-three inches; and I do not think there is an eighth of an inch difference in the lot. In all families there are individuals more striking than others. Honesty will stand muster any where she looks like her name. But the cream of the bowl is Whirlwind: dissect him how you like, he goes together in spite of you; and

VOL. XIX.-SECOND SERIES.-No. 112.

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he is the finest footed hound, as high in the knuckles, and, with ample size, as close in the paw as a tom cat. Along with these were a draft from the Badsworth: what Scott means to, or can, do with these I know not; there is one couple of them, a brother and sister, below his standard, and they are the only endurable ones: they are a draft, no doubt; but such an under-sized, narrow-loined, vulgar lot have not often of late years met my eye; and there is a strong family likeness through all.

Waiting the arrival of the old ones, I went to see Round Robin* and Quicksilver, now covering there. Inheritor was at Barnton, and Contest has been sold. I had heard from no mean judge, that Round Robin was the truest made, the soundest, and likeliest stallion to get good hunters, &c. that he had seen for years. Repetitions of description are tedious: he is so. He was got by Borodino, one of the truest running sons of Smolensko, his dam by Cerberus, &c., and has all the neatness of the Gohanna blood. If any of the foreigners were to get a look at him, and he was for sale-I hope not-he would soon experience the vicissitudes of a voyage. Quicksilver is a Lincolnshire coach-horse (grey), and said to be one of the fastest trotters in England: he has all shapes for it. This horse cost Mr. Ramsay heap of money," and the country is much indebted to him for so consulting utility as well as promoting sport.

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In a stable hard by, among the mares that were sent to him, I observed a raking looking red roan mare with a deal of power; and I found she belonged to our old brother contributor VAGUS-O. The incident made me regret that he seems to have forgotten old times and associations.

The hounds had been dressed, and were well powdered with dust; so they did not look as brilliant as when I last saw them two seasons ago at Kippenross. I missed many good old ones, and recognised more still at work. Old Rivers, who used to contend with Bedford (still hanging on) for the honor of carrying home the fox's head, was away......of Bedford more anon. Banker, Brilliant, Lasher, and Mariner are still in force. Barmaid and Barbara, daughters of old Bedford, I could not have the pleasure of seeing, as they were just on the eve of whelping to Governor and Wildman, two scions of Lord Kintore's old blood: there they were, and in high favor and estimation. No one who had seen and known, as I did, Abercairney's Romulus, Watchman, and Guider, could mistake them. Scott knows when he has got a good thing, and he means to stick to it. Bedlamite, Cruizer, and Criminal are what I ventured to pronounce they would be, seeing them when puppies. Painter and Pillager (by Pelter), a hound of Osbaldeston's I then noticed, are 66 'par nobile fratrum."' Belvoir, by the Duke of Rutland's Striver out of his Rival, should make a stallion hound. Juliet, Basker, Lightsome, and Loyalty, all from Lord Kintore, are what one might expect from that kennel.

While waiting for the Stirling coach, and washing down the dustit was an act of mercy on Scott's part, and necessity on mine-in his pleasant and bien trouvé parlor, I could not help inquiring into his own feelings and intentions. There is a genuine kind-heartedness,

*He is well named; he is as true all over as if he had been turned in a lathe,

coupled to a naive shrewdness, about him, which must interest; and he has had ample and public proof that it does so. I wish I could write what he said to me of Mr. Campbell, of Sornbeg; but there is a line, to skirt from which, however gratifying to one's own feelings, I never yet have, nor ever will. Speaking to him of his own intentions, he said he was not going any longer to carry on the direction in the field; that it was time Ringtoul should have it all to himself, and that he knew he was well worthy of it. He added--and with the naive bonhommie belonging to him-that he had the satisfaction to reflect, he never had any but pleasurable remembrances of his many masters and various situations, and, to the best of his knowledge, never words with a farmer but once: his own did the trick. This man, for some annoyance, fancied or otherwise, opened on him full cry. Scott waited until he threw up and came to fault, and then said quietly but firmly, "When you go home, and your passion is over, there is one thing you will do well to remember-never fasten in this unmanly way on a servant when his master is close at your back.”—The man slunk away.

At

I shall wind up this "nostri farrago libelli" by an anecdote of Old Bedford, which deserves to go down in hunting story as an act of singlehandedness with Mr. Baker's Romulus, Merkin, &c. was got by the Duke of Beaufort's Brusher out of Linlithgow Dairymaid, who was of that blood Mr. Hay brought down from Warwickshire, and which Jack Wood brought him from the Old Pytchley. From what reasons I know not-I have heard so many, I choose to name none-the Fife ceased suddenly to hunt Forfarshire; and Mr. Ramsay, shamefully short of foxes in his own country, went up at the request of those good stanch fox-preservers to give them a turn-I should rather say, his hounds went. One day, at Kincaldrum, a covert of Heaven knows how many hundred acres, they found a fox; but as of course he did not break too soon, Scott's ear discovered that Old Bedford was well tied to another; so leaving his brother veteran to his own devices, he pressed the pack's fox out, and got away. night Old Bedford was missing, and no tidings, until, going into the same country a few days after, a farmer came up and said, "You have a red and white hound worth his weight in gold. He forced that fox out of Kincaldrum after you left; was seen by many running him ten miles over the country, and killed him just by my place. I did all I could to get him, but he went off." Scott went away sorrowing. Old Bedford got on the road home, and made it out as far as Perth, when he was picked up, and sent to the Kilgraston kennels, where Scott, visiting Hall, found him to his no small delight. Bedford is nine years old and almost blind; were he mine-I speak it under favor-he should not only live all his days, until the stern huntsman Time gave his who-whoop, but, like Bluecap, Trojan, Trouncer, &c., he should have a monument and an epitaph, and a better one than this, which must serve in the meantime

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