JMMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 183 



naturally sought their acquaintance. To two of them, indeed, I 

 was already personally known namely to Mr. Archibald Doug- 

 las, by having met him at Melton, when he contended against 

 Captain Ross in a steeple-chase, and to Mr. Stewart of St. Fort, 

 whom I had met with the Fife hounds, and who had kindly 

 mounted me this day. Indeed, Sir Ralph was at the mercy of 

 his brother-in-law for a nag, having considered it scarcely worth 

 while to send one of his own stud so far ; and he was entitled 

 to a mount from him in consideration of the gruelling he gave a 

 thorough-bred one of his own, in our first and second run with 

 the Fife. But these things go for nothing between brothers-in 

 law whose souls are in the sport. 



The first approach to a strange pack naturally calls forth a 

 remark. That of Mr. Dalyell, at this time, is described in a few 

 words in the words indeed of Jack Skinner himself. " We keep 

 no cats that don't kill mice," said he to me, as I rode around them 

 to look them over ; " ours is not a show pack ; but if we can 

 find a good fox, I think they will give a good account of him." 

 (The strength of the kennel at this time consisted of twenty- 

 three couples of old and ten couples of young hounds.) But, alas ! 

 no fox was to be found, although we drew till past three o'clock, 

 a circumstance I much regretted. In the first place I regretted 

 it on Mr. Daly ell's account, in the second, we were in a very- 

 pretty country for sport, the day was a favourable one, and I was 

 on as clever a little nag as I ever mounted or saw. I call him 

 " little" because he is near the ground and on very short legs, and 

 therefore named Deception ; but he is more than equal to my 

 weight. He was then in his nineteenth year, and quite fresh on 

 his legs and feet, which circumstance I mention for the sake of 

 drawing the attention of sportsmen to one or two points well 

 deserving of it, in reference to the purchase of hunters. The 

 legs and feet of this horse appeared quite equal to a body half as 

 big again as his own ; and his fetlocks those most essential 

 points in a hunter are as strong as those of an ox. 



There is luckily for all mortals a balm for most wounds ; and 

 chagrined as we were at this most unexpected blank, it was not 

 long ere it was administered to us. We recrossed the Tay ; re- 

 placed ourselves in Sir Ralph's carriage ; and at the end of a 

 two hours' drive, found ourselves at Mount Melville, where the 

 friends we had left behind us at Balcaskie were ready to receive 

 us. Of our morning's diversion we of course " sung small ;" but 

 atthough we could not find a fox in the numerous good covers 

 we had drawn, we found in the dining-room and drawing-room 

 of this elegant mansion, all that human nature could, short of 

 presumption, demand. 



