COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 255 



4th March. — Forth Bridge opened by the Prince 

 of Wales. Randolph Wemyss gave me two tickets. 

 I took Miss Elsie Macleod to see it. It was 

 blowing a hurricane and bitterly cold. We took 

 plenty of plaids and a carriage apron. We got on 

 the lee side of one of the iron pillars, rolled the plaids 

 round us, and remained there. Hats flew away by 

 the dozen, and the ladies' petticoats got up to the 

 point from which they would not go down again ! 

 The Prince came slowly across the bridge in a train, 

 and on its return we got under the shelter of the 

 carriages and walked alongside of them. 



14th. — Lord Loughborough came of age. They 

 gave him a dinner at Dysart. I went to stay at 

 Dunnikier for it. 



26th August. — My dear friend Francis Lord 

 Rosslyn died at Dysart, and was buried at Roslin 

 Chapel. 



George Cheape was at this time Master of the 

 Linlithgow and Stirlingshire Hounds. He went to 

 America to look after his property, leaving Mrs. 

 Cheape in command, and asked me to go over 

 sometimes to help her. Ned Cotesworth was 

 huntsman, and his brother whipped-in to him. 

 They had pretty good sport all the season. I often 

 went over and rode George Cheape's horses, and 

 stayed in Edinburgh at the New Club. At the 

 end of the season the horses were sold at Leicester, 

 and Mr. Cross succeeded as master. 



In May there was an exhibition at Edinburgh, 

 and a prize of ;^ 100 was offered for the best musical 



