EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 83 



making its way, by instalments, fast back 

 through the air to the place whence it came, 

 the side of a well-heathered hill. (N.B. Our 

 roof was of heather). We breakfasted early 

 that morning alfresco. 



From Diensten it was about eleven or twelve 

 miles across the muir to Dalbeg, where lived 

 a great ally of mine, the then ground officer, 

 an excellent man, John M'Kenzie, who was of 

 much assistance to me in grouse preservation, 

 and who had a comfortable slate-roofed house, 

 where I used to locate for a week or a fort- 

 night at a time for shooting purposes, and 

 where also I built a kennel. 



Having thus rendered it possible to get at 

 my ground, I then turned my mind to see 

 what was to be done with it as far as grouse 

 were concerned. The prospect was not pro- 

 mising, for the stock of birds, from the causes 

 already given, was, for the extent of ground, 

 miserably small. On large tracts there were 

 actually none, and the first time I shot from 

 Callernish Inn to Dalbeg, some eight miles 

 across the muir, my grouse-bag consisted of 

 one old cock. Fortunately we had three or 

 four very good breeding seasons, one after an- 

 other. A great deal of the ground consisted 

 of flats and glens, surrounded with hills. I do 



G 2 



