SITTYTON TO ABERDEEN. 167 



waistcoat pocket : " Rodney "got by Jasper, grandam 

 Viper by Second Billy/' 



Mr. M'Combie's father bouglit Tillyfour with the 

 century. Five-twelfths of its 1,200 acres are arable, 

 and one-sixth old grass. Its heights and hollows 

 furnish fine natural shelter, and it is well-watered by 

 burns rising in Bletoch, Tillyriach, and Corannie. 

 It was here that William M'Combie was born in 

 1805, and learnt that fine experience from his father 

 which has caused him of late years to be regarded 

 both in Great Britain and the continent, like Jonas 

 Webb in another sphere, as quite a grazier king. 

 Mr. M'Combie senior was equally eminent in his 

 business of a lean-cattle dealer -, and his son has thus 

 written of his early career, in the North British Agri- 

 culturist : e ' When a young man, he went to the far 

 north to Caithness, Sutherland, Skye, and the islands, 

 and bought large droves of Highland cattle, and 

 brought them home ; they were often disposed of by 

 public roup in this county, or driven to the southern 

 markets. At that time there were few regular mar- 

 kets in these counties ; but the dealers when they 

 went to the country ' cried a market/ or published that 

 they would meet the sellers on a certain day, and at 

 a convenient place, and in this way the trade was car- 

 ried out. Large profits were obtained, but the deal- 

 ers were liable to heavy losses, especially in spring, 

 the cattle being then but skin and bone, and many 

 dying in the transit. My father lost in one night, 

 after swimming the Spey, seventeen old Caithness 



