NIM ROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 129 



Dalrymple's then, now Earl of Stair's) and Preston Hall (Mr. 

 Burn Callander's), and on our return visited the homestead 

 cattle-stalls of a very large farmer, a tenant upon the first-named 

 property. The arrangements for feeding were excellent, and 

 such as for convenience and order I had not before seen ex- 

 celled. There were at least a hundred head of prime beef in 

 the stalls, which are not every day to be met with in one man's 

 yards. 



But I have not yet finished this said Sunday. We had ai* 

 addition to our dinner party of Mr. Whyte Melville, who, witk 

 Captain Wemyss, is at the head of the Fife hounds ; Mr. Earle, 

 a Lancashire gentleman, residing in Edinburgh, and by no 

 means a bad name for a hard rider Mr. Horsman, also re- 

 siding in the Scottish metropolis, and the unsuccessful aspirant 

 to the honour of representing Cockermotith (ye gods, what a 

 name !) at the last general election although elected since. Mr. 

 Melville had an elder brother with whom I became acquainted. 

 in Leicestershire and Oxfordshire and on whose decease the 

 gentleman I am now speaking of succeeded to his large property 

 in the West Indies and in Fife. As I was about to visit Fife, >I 

 was happy in this opportunity of being introduced to one of the 

 masters of the pack which hunts that celebrated county, and 

 one of the conductors of an establishment which has so long 

 been held in high estimation by the sporting world. A strict 

 intimacy subsists between Captain Keith and Mr. Whyte Mel- 

 ville in every respect congenial souls, both highly-bred gentle- 

 men, both delighting in hunting but I have reason to believe 

 the appearance of Mr. Whyte Melville at Chester Hall this dar 

 was one amongst the many proofs of my host's wish to make 

 my visit to him more agreeable. 



Fortunately for me Monday, December ist, was a dies non 

 that is to say, there were no hounds to be reached on that day 

 from Chester Hall. I say fortunately, for a more wet and 

 boisterous one was never seen. Sportsmen's stables, however, 

 must be replenished, and bad as it was, Captain Keith went ta 

 Edinburgh to look at a horse, with what success remained to be 

 proved. Mr. Hay quitted us before breakfast for "his seat" ia 

 the bank ; and on me devolved the task of making the agreeable 

 to the ladies. The case was, however, as usual, reversed. Mrs. 

 Keith amused me greatly by a minute detail of her farming 

 speculations conducted solely on her own account. They are 

 not large, but have the rare qualification in these times of bein 

 profitable, which must be attributed in part to the vicinity to the 

 metropolis only twelve miles distant and otherwise to her 

 keeping her stock so well. I never saw milch cows in better 



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