The Scott 'is h Naturalist. 65 



at the same time, places within the reach of the subscribers 

 a valuable aid to the study of his favourite science. We cannot 

 tell what use he made of the Library, as the reading-lists of those 

 days are no longer in existence. That he would take full ad- 

 vantage of it there can be no doubt, especially in the winter, 

 when he had most leisure. His companions were readers, and 

 met regularly to discuss books, politics, and the news of the 

 day, in " Nanny Dagetty's " — a half-forgotten public-house in 

 the East High Street. When spring and summer came, his out- 

 door duties were sufficient to occupy his time. His active ener- 

 getic nature soon led him into an extensive business. The 

 county gentlemen largely consulted him as to their plantations 

 and the best methods of laying out their estates. George Demp- 

 ster of Dunnichen was one of the first to appreciate Don's abil- 

 ities, and was a frequent visitor to the Forfar Garden. 



His love for botany, however, was an overmastering passion, 

 to which everything else was subordinated, and drew him away 

 from the ordinary, everyday work of the nursery, which, in sum- 

 mer and autumn especially, was often left to the care of men 

 who did not always do their duty to their master's satisfaction. 

 Hence frequent quarrels between master and servant ; for Don, 

 according to the testimony of those who knew him, was a chol- 

 eric man. He was often away for two or three weeks at a time, 

 but more frequently only for four or five days, in search of 



" Some rare floweret of the hills, or plant 

 Of craggy fountain ; what he hopes for, wins, 

 Or learns, at least, that 'tis not to be won : 

 Then, keen and eager as a fine-nosed hound, 

 By soul-engrossing instinct driven along 

 Through wood or open field, 



Intent upon his onward quest." 



And when night came on, he would sit down under the shelter 

 of some crag, eat his humble supper, and see 



"The hills 

 Grow larger in the darkness, all alone 

 Behold the stars come out above his head," 



till sleep closed his weary eyes. 



These excursions extended not only over the whole county 

 of Forfar from the Grampians to the sea — every foot of which 

 was to him familiar ground — but over the greater part of the 

 middle Highlands, from Inverness to Ben Lomond. He was 

 on Ben Lawers in August 1793, where he saw the Charadrius 



vol. vr. E 



