3r6 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



amongst its other curiosities the church of Yetholm is covered 

 with thatch reminding one of the primitive simplicity of its first 

 days. 



It is somewhat remarkable that every pack of hounds in this 

 part of Scotland had sport on this said Wednesday, November 

 26th. The duke's run was an hour and forty minutes ; Major 

 St. Paul had an hour and forty-five minutes, which cost Lord 

 Frederick Fitzclarence a horse ; and Lord Elcho an hour and 

 :hirty-five minutes, losing his fox, as we lost ours, in a village, 

 at dark. Now does any gentleman-sportsman or philosopher in 

 this part of Scotland keep a meteorological journal ? If so, let 

 me request him to turn to it and give us the result of his this 

 day's observations. It appears to have been a hunting day ; for 

 although our scent was at times flashy, I attributed that circum- 

 stance more to the country than to the day, and as it was, it was 

 good enough to have killed the best fox that ever wore a brush 

 I mean by fair hunting, with pace enough to satisfy most men. 

 Thursday, November 27th. Mr. Callander and myself were 

 n our hacks just as the day was dawning, having sixteen miles to 

 ride to what I must call a nominal breakfast at Mr. Sprot's, of Rid- 

 dle, for Peter had taken care to break our fast with a profusion of 

 good things before we started. Still what matters it how often 

 men eat who hunt five times in one week and ride sixteen miles 

 to cover ? But to proceed. Critics have decided that a descrip- 

 tion of sun-set is stale and trite, and can no longer be endured 

 although they are obliged to admit that it is then that nature 

 looks so lovely, and that it is then that her language is so deep 

 and devotional therefore I must be cautious what I say of sun- 

 vise. But all the Longinusses that were ever created cannot 

 make us insensible to the impressions of nature, and were I to 

 live a century longer I should not forget old Phcebus's appearance 

 n this morning, nor how, after gilding the tops of the mountains 

 above us, he broke through the mist that hung upon the Tweed, 

 and showed us his face in the water, as if in the mirror of day. 

 But previously to his appearance, I observed to Mr. Callander 

 that the view of Kelso and its beautiful environs could not pos- 

 sibly look to more advantage than they did by the extraordinarily 

 gray twilight of this fine morning, which, as " Venus is the pro- 

 mise of the sun," was the harbinger of a beautiful day. 



About ten o'clock we were at our second breakfast at this 

 venerable old mansion one of the oldest, I was told, in this 

 part of Scotland, and indeed such did its appearance indicate 

 where we found several sportsmen were assembled, and in half an 

 jiour afterwards the hounds arrived, accompanied by their noble 

 *wner. A horse called Bishop was also brought from the kennel 



