248 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



Chancellor's seal to official documents, when Sir 

 W. Harcourt wrote the following description of the 

 incident : — 



" Braemore, Sept. 28, 1874. 



" A singular scene occurred one evening, there 

 being occasion to affix the Great Seal, which the 

 Lord Chancellor always keeps in his own custody, 

 to authorize patents. The official ' Chaff-wax ' was 

 busily occupied in melting the wax in the covered 

 court where the deer are brought home, and it thus 

 happened that by lamp light the unusual spectacle 

 was observed of the solemnity of sealing being per- 

 formed in the centre of a group of ponies laden with 

 the Chancellor's dead deer. We are unhappily left 

 to imagine how the pencil of Landseer would have 

 illustrated so novel a Highland picture." 



Beneath these remarks Lord Cairns wrote as 

 follows : — 



" About this date a great seal was for the first 

 time seen on this part of the coast, and was allowed 

 to depart, not only unmolested, but thankful and 



