THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



started. With him the southern hound has only 

 failed from lack of constitution, which is injured 

 by too much swimming." 



Mr Hill used terriers of Welsh breed, which he 

 got from the kennels of Mr Ramsay Williams, 

 after the latter's death. These terriers weighed 

 about 15 lb., and were bred as flat-sided as 

 possible to enable them to squeeze into narrow 

 places. They were fairly long on the leg, and 

 were used for bolting fox, otter, marten, and 

 foumart. Mr Hill's principal river was the Tyne, 

 flowing through Haddingtonshire. Speaking of 

 the South Esk, The Druid says : " Last August it 

 was the scene of a very remarkable run, as the 

 otter only touched the water twice for a few 

 minutes throughout a run of eight or nine miles, 

 and was eventually pulled down in the heart of one 

 of the East Lothian fox-whins." Regarding a 

 long drag with Mr Hill's hounds, The Druid says : 

 " In '62 the hounds hit upon one at the Clutby 

 Dam reservoir on the north side of the Pentlands, 



and hunted him through the sheep-drains right 



142 



