FORBES TO FOCHABERS. 109 



it. The old man could not tell for his life " how the 

 gentleman kenned I wur theer, and that I wur hit gan 

 down the brae at Orthes : It's true enough. Did ye 

 ever hear the like ?" It was the Duke's earnest care 

 that his tenants should do well, and he latterly loved 

 far more to be among his farm improvements and his 

 Southdowns, than he did to go to Glenfiddich, where 

 he had once been wont to spend nearly half of his 

 three months' stay. 



The grounds of Gordon Castle are on what was 

 once termed " The Bog of Gight." The spirit of the 

 bog and its attendant snipes have long since fled the 

 spot, which is rich with spreading limes and planes, 

 let alone " Dr. Johnson's oak," which, by the bye, is 

 an alder. It stands, as a memorial of his visit, at 

 the edge of the garden, whose pleasant terraces and 

 vases were in all their flower glory, and banished our 

 old plague, the stunted bourtree bush most effectually 

 at last. The 800-acre home farm is divided between 

 arable and pasture. None of the blood which bore 

 the "yellow and red cap with golden tassel," when 

 Mus, Ghiilie Callum, Red Deer, Refraction, or Offi- 

 cious were led up the Goodwood glen on those glo- 

 rious July afternoons, is to be found in the castle 

 boxes ; and even The Rasher and Hartley Buck have 

 departed. Blood stock has no honour in these parts ; 

 but it is different with good cart-horses, and we note 

 with delight, in a capital new range of stables, that 

 the 70 or SOlbs. of harness which they generally 

 carry upon them has been reduced in weight more 



