THE EATON STUD. 141 



After breakfast we once more took our knapsacks, and left 

 Chester by the foot-path on the bank of the Dee. 



The Marquis of Westminster owns some of the finest horses 

 in the kingdom : in passing through Eccleston, we asked a man 

 if he could direct us where we could see some of them. He in- 

 formed us that he was himself head groom of the stud, and would 

 take pleasure in showing it to us. He took us first to " the pad- 

 docks," which are fields of from two to five acres, enclosed by 

 stone walls, ten feet high, some of them with sheds and stables 

 attached, and some without. In these were thirty or forty of the 

 highest bred and most valuable mares and fillies in the world. 

 Unfortunately I am not a horse-maw, and cannot attempt to de- 

 scribe them particularly. It needed but a glance, however, to 

 show us that they were almost any of them the most beautiful 

 animals we had ever seen. The groom, whose name is Nutting, 

 and whose acquaintance I recommend every traveler this way to 

 endeavor to make, was exceedingly obliging, not only taking us 

 into every paddock and stable, and giving us an account of the 

 pedigree, history, and performances of every horse, but calling 

 our attention to his u points," all the peculiarities of form which 

 distinguished each individual. It was evident his heart was in his 

 business, and that his regard was appreciated, for as soon as he 

 unlocked the gate and showed himself within the enclosure, some 

 of the older mares would trot up to be caressed with the most 

 animated, intelligent, and gratified expression. The most cele- 

 brated among them was Beds-wing. She is seventeen years old, 

 and very large, but perfect in form ; I should think better than 

 her daughter, Queen-Bee, who is lighter and more delicate. The 

 extraordinary beauty of " Ghuznee" and " Crucifix," both dis- 

 tinguished on the turf, was also obvious. These, I think, do not 

 belong to the Marquis. In one of the paddocks were a number 

 of foals, pretty, agile, fawn-like creatures. They came around 



