234 NTMROJyS NORTHERN TOUR. 



second visit to Ury, for the purpose of seeing hawking, which 

 I have never yet seen. The delay occasioned by the frost pre- 

 vented it, for I did not return to Ury till the season for that sport 

 was gone by. 



Thursday, 8th. At six o'clock in the morning the Captain 

 and myself were at our breakfast, and by seven we were at the 

 village of Stonehaven, which all belongs to himself. On our 

 road through the domain we met so many persons, men, women, 

 and boys, proceeding towards the house, that I was induced to 

 ask the Captain how many pair of hands he employed on the 

 farm, when he answered me " About four score." There is an 

 excellent inn at Stonehaven, called the Mill Inn so good, in- 

 deed, as to have induced the late Duke of Gordon often to make 

 it his resting place for the night ; and the old miller of the vil- 

 lage is well worthy of notice. He is of such a towering height, 

 and so well proportioned withal, that the Captain himself abso- 

 lutely looked small by his side ; and although far advanced in 

 years he was then straight as a dart. 



The miller's description to me of the Captain's father was by 

 no means amiss. " He always wore," said he, " a red coat, white 

 breeches with gold knee-bands, and a cocked hat ; and / assure 

 you he commanded respect" 



According to agreement the Captain and myself drove the 

 Defiance alternate stages to Edinburgh, the Captain making the 

 start. Of the road from Aberdeen to Edinburgh there is not 

 much to be said, and still it passes over classic ground and some 

 renowned for modern deeds. 



We enjoyed our drive very much indeed ; everything went 

 well, and I was pleased at the respect paid, by all descriptions of 

 persons, to the' Captain on the road. I noticed the time occu- 

 pied in some of the changes. That at Cowden Beath was done 

 inaminute,and I should think the average did not exceed a minute 

 and a half, which is quite quick enough to be safe. No doubt a 

 fatal accident to one of our celebrated coaches in the south, a 

 few months back, was the consequence of too great haste in 

 changing horses, by which the hook of the pole chain was not 

 properly secured in the link. I lost ten minutes over one stage 

 from Glenfargue to Kinross but I can account for it. In the 

 first place, both bearing straps of the off wheeler's, pad gave way, 

 by his dragging at his pole chain when I pulled up for a parcel ; 

 in the next, had I not eased the near leader for the two last miles 

 she would have cut it. It was a nice, spicy team, but, as I told 

 the owner of it, Captain Shelton, hardly weighty enough for three 

 miles, up hill, at starting, and then four miles, as we had that 

 day, of newly stoned road, with a heavy load to boot. Of course 



