STONEHAVEN TO CORTACHY. 219 



which time the herd has been carried on by his widow. 

 He was always great for heads and necks, and took 

 prizes with his slashing year-olds, whose size atoned 

 for a slight family sharpness in the hair. The 

 prices at the '63 sale were well np to the mark. 

 "Portlethen" and "Tillyfour" fought for Alice 

 Maud as far as 62 gs., and then the former was 

 up to time with another guinea, and got her, while 

 Heather Bell 60 gs. became Lord Southesk's. 



His lordship's steading lies about three miles from 

 Balwyllo, and about half way up that long avenue 

 of beech, elm, and sycamore which leads to the castle, 

 for which nature seems to have reserved all the varia- 

 tions of ground. There are about ten thousand acres 

 in the whole estate, of which 1,500 are within the 

 park fence. The herd has been in the family for fifty 

 years, but the present one may be said to have taken 

 a fresh start since ^52, when his lordship came to the 

 title ; and Cupbearer by Pat (29), from Rose by The 

 Colonel, has been its great mainstay. Mr. Walker 

 bought him from Mr. Bowie after he had won the 

 first Highland Society prize as a two-year-old at 

 Perth, and got 20 for his bargain. He was a very 

 cheap one to the Earl at 55, as he was used for five 

 or six seasons, after which he wasted so fast that he had 

 to be killed without loss of time. His back was rather 

 slack as he stood, but f - he swelled when he moved/' 

 and several of his stock inherit his white beneath and 

 on the inside of both thighs. A great number of 

 bulls by him were sold, but the best was kept, to wit, 



