92 TOUR IN SUTHERLANDSHIRE. 



but the stags, or at any rate the older stags, keep higher up 

 the mountains. 



These plains must be excellent ground for running the 

 deer-hounds on, and I wished much that I could have 

 remained long enough in the country to see some of the dogs 

 run a deer ; but being summoned at the time to England, I 

 was obliged to depart without even the treat of passing some 

 days in the deer forest, notwithstanding the Duke of Suther- 

 land's kind permission. Of course I should have gone 

 " unarmed," it being as early as the middle of June ; but I 

 am happy to say that (although sportsman enough in my 

 way) I can enjoy watching and making acquaintance with 

 the actions and habits of so tine an animal as the stag quite 

 as much as endeavouring to kill him. Without pretending 

 to disown my love of deer-stalking, I find an enjoyment in 

 watching unseen, and patiently, the animals in a manner 

 which one could not do, supposing oneself to be rifle in hand ; 

 for then, such is the passion of mankind for the chase, that I 

 fancy few people exist who would not be more intent on kill- 

 ing the stag than in quietly looking at him. In the present 

 instance, however, I had little leisure for even looking at the 

 deer. 



There is a constant succession of fine mountains from 

 Assynt down to near Dunrobin Castle, all frequented more 

 or less by deer ; and the gamekeeper at the castle told me 

 that they came down into the woods close to his house, where 

 from good feeding and quiet they became very fine and fat, 

 getting into condition very early in the season. I have 

 frequently seen deer late in the evenings fight furiously with 

 their horns, till the noise of their antlers striking against 

 each other sounded far and wide. The two hostile stags meet 

 face to face, and charging straight at each other like two 

 rams, each endeavouring to turn the flank of the other as if 

 to get a chance of goring him. The weakest, however, 

 seemed always to have a prudent knowledge of when he was 

 overmatched, and, having leaped quickly aside to avoid being 

 gored, he generally retreated without injury. Sometimes, 

 when equally matched, they fight together in this manner 

 for a long time, making a great rattling with their horns. 



Deer-stalking with the Sutherland Highlander seems an 

 almost invincible passion. His constant thoughts and dreams 

 are about the mountain corrie and the stag : get him into 

 conversation on any subject, and by some means it invariably 



