NIM ROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 179 



the daughters of Mr. Thompson of Charlton, I should have 

 doubted the propriety of doing so by them. But I must say, I 

 never saw two better horsewomen (I do not mean riders, because 

 I know hundreds of good riders, as they are called, and elegant 

 ones too, on perfectly broken-in horses) ; and " horsewomen " 

 they must have been, to have ridden the nags on which they 

 were mounted. They appeared all but, if not quite, thorough- 

 bred, with ill-set on heads, very ticklish mouths, and very much 

 inclined to play tricks ; notwithstanding which, these young 

 ladies were as much at home upon their backs as if they had 

 been sitting on a drawing-room sofa. In short, on seeing them 

 both going at nearly the top of their horses' speed, over some 

 very rough ground, I could not help exclaiming to Mr. Dalyell, 

 " Surely those young ladies have borrowed Sam Chimey's 

 hands." 



The Fife country. I scarcely saw enough of the Fife home 

 country to offer a decided opinion upon it, and I did not see that 

 called the " West Fife" at all, which is much the best, and which, 

 as I have before said, has shown great sport.* Like most parts 

 of Scotland the covers afford riot, the chief of which is roe ; but 

 I must say the Fife hounds are very steady in drawing, and at 

 all other times. I only saw one hound come out of cover, with 

 roe, when, although in view, he was stopped by Tom Batters, by 

 one single rate. The part of the country which I saw was far 

 from objectionable, although the covers are nearer to each other 

 than may be agreeable ; but it rode sound and well, and with 

 horses used to the fences, a man may follow hounds pretty 

 straight in it that is to say, if he can ride, but it won't do for 

 the " tailors." There may be bogs in it, and no doubt there are.; 

 but I saw- none, and it is the only country in Scotland in which 

 I did not get floored in one. It is the only country also in Scot- 

 land, or indeed elsewhere, in which I saw the roe-buck in his 

 wild state ; and I was anxious to see an animal of such poetical 

 association one who, like the stag, may be said to embellish the 

 forest, and animate the solitude of his native wilds. Neither 

 did he disappoint me ; for, from the graceful freedom of his step, 



* This West of Fife country afforded a capital run in the March 

 month, after I quitted Scotland from a moor near Queensferry. It was 

 twelve miles, with scarcely a check ; and so fast that only four of the 

 field saw it. These were, Mr. Whyte Melville, Mr. John Grant, General 

 Bucckle, and Walker. By-the-by, Mr. Editor, have I not omitted the 

 mention of General Bucckle in my notice of the party at Dunse ? He 

 was out twice with Lord Elclio, during my visit to him, is a hard rider, 

 and a sportsman ; and was at Melton the last year of Mr, T. A. Smith's 

 hunting the Quorn country. 



12 2 



