164 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



After breakfast we once more took our knapsacks, and 

 left Chester by the foot-path on the bank of the Dee. 



The Marquis of Westminster owns some of the finest 

 horses in the kingdom; in passing through Eccleston, we 

 asked a man if he could direct us where we could see some 

 of them. He informed us that he was head groom of the 

 stud to the marquis, and he would take pleasure in showing 

 it to us. He took us first to the paddocks, which are fields 

 of from two to five acres, enclosed by stone walls, ten feet 

 high, some of them with sheds and stables attached, and 

 some without. In these were thirty or forty of the highest 

 bred, and most valuable mares and fillies in the world. Un 

 fortunately I am not a horse-man, and cannot attempt to de 

 scribe them particularly. It needed but a glance, however, to 

 show us that they were almost any of them far the most 

 beautiful animals we had ever seen. The groom, whose name 

 is Nutting, and whose acquaintance I recommend every trav 

 eller this way to endeavour to make, was exceedingly obli 

 ging, not only taking us into every paddock and stable, and 

 giving us an account of the pedigree, history, and perform 

 ances of every horse, but calling our attention to the points, 

 all the peculiarities of form which distinguished each individ 

 ual. It was evident his heart was in his business, and that 

 his regard was appreciated, for as soon as he unlocked the 

 gate, and showed himself within the enclosure, some of the 

 older, mares would trot up to be caressed with the most ani 

 mated, intelligent, and gratified expression. The most cele 

 brated among them was Bee s-wing. She is seventeen years 

 old, and very large, but most perfect in form ; I should think 

 better than her daughter, Queen-Bee, who is lighter and more 

 delicate. The extraordinary beauty of &quot; Ghuznee&quot; and &quot; Cru 

 cifix,&quot; both distinguished on the turf, was also obvious. These, 

 I think, do not belong to the marquis. In one of the pad- 



