SITTYTON TO ABERDEEN. 177 



during the last two years with its females. She be- 

 gan her long list of winnings as first at Inverness, 

 and the first prize at Paris (of which she still bears 

 the brand on her neck) was the result of her only- 

 sea journey. She and Hanton were priceless ; 

 and therefore the Emperor gave ^8165 for another 

 cow and .=110 for a two-year-old heifer. Walker's 

 Mayflower, which was purchased by Mr. M'Combie for 

 60 gs., was also here ; and Crinoline, another first 

 as a two-year-old at Inverness, but never after, 

 seemed to be wearing better than the Fair Maid of 

 Perth by Angus. 



Stepping within doors, we found the walls of the 

 dining-room a perfect epitome of French and British 

 triumphs. Mr. Hall Maxwell looked out at us from 

 the post of honour, as he had done in many a home- 

 stead, during our wanderings, and beneathhim was the 

 great gold medal of France awarded to Mr. M'Combie 

 " pour I 'ensemble de son exposition" The academy 

 of Paris, which seems to devote itself, among other 

 things, to the protection of animals " sans cornes" 

 furnishes a written diploma ; but if they could have 

 seen the rush when Mr. M'Combie half-opened the 

 door of Black Prince's box, and our very narrow 

 escape from being pounded to a jelly, they might 

 have felt that their Angus bull sympathies are some- 

 times misplaced. The hornless are quite competent 

 to take care of themselves. The Albert Cup at Poissy 

 was the centre object of a line of six, which deck 

 the sideboard on high days and holidays. Cups are 



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