NIM 'ROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 141 



will amuse you with some of his anecdotes of days long since 

 gone past." This injunction I was not likely to overlook ; the 

 very name was a security against my doing so, crack men, crack 

 hounds, and crack horses being the main objects of my pursuit. 



Previously to my return to the house, we strolled about the 

 domain, and Mr. Baillie appeared to take an honourable pride 

 in showing me the neat and comfortable houses in which his la- 

 bourers and artisans, necessary to such an establishment as his, 

 are lodged. Amongst others I stepped into that of the family 

 blacksmith, who happened to be within at the moment. " So," 

 said I, " you take Bell's Life in London, do you ?" (the last num- 

 ber lay on his table, pretty well thumbed). " Ay, do I," replied 

 this son of Vulcan, a very respectable-looking man, as the term 

 is, "and I ken who yon are ; I have read your writings." " Then 

 I hope you are the better for them," was my rather natural remark. 

 " Wall, I am none the warse" was all I got from him in reply. 



" Oh, that men's ears should be 



To counsel deaf, but not to flattery !" 



This was somewhat of a damper. 



We proceeded on our walk. " Did you ever eat a haggis ?" 

 said Mr. Baillie to me, as we approached the mansion. " Never," 

 replied I ; " neither do I think from what I have heard of it, I 

 ever shall. They tell me it is a sheep's head, dressed with the 

 wool on, with the agreeable addition of liver and lights." " Don't 

 regard what you have heard of it," resumed the laird ; " we will 

 have one at dinner to-day." We had one and I tasted it ; but I 

 think what was said of the Spartan broth may be said of the 

 haggis. To like the one, a man should be dipped in the Euro- 

 tas, and to like the other, he should be born in Scotland. That 

 is to say he should be used to it from infancy. " Take the dish 

 to Mr. A.," said Mr. Baillie, seeing I did not eat what I had on 

 my plate ; " perhaps he will like it better when he sees it." But 

 it is not everything that will stand close inspection, nor would 

 this. 



At two o'clock the whole party male and female walked to 

 view what we call in the South, the Homestead, or the Barton 

 as it is termed in the North ; in plainer English, the place where 

 all farming operations are performed, save those carried on in 

 the fields, and to which all produce is brought home, and secured 

 distant about a mile from the mansion house. The amount of 

 live and dead stock here, showed the owner to be a farmer upon 

 a very extensive scale ; but the chief object of attraction was a 

 water-wheel of a very large diameter, which sets a-going a corn 



