NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 235 



the Captain occasionally reminded me afterwards of " losing ten 

 minutes, with Nimrod at work." But I soon had my pull ; as 

 before the month expired I heard of the Captain, over the same 

 ground, entering. Kinross without leaders at all, both of them 

 having cut it in the " metal," as the newly laid stone is called in 

 .the north ! 



Of course I saw neither of the coachmen on the lower ground 

 z>., from Perth to Edinburgh at work this day ; but being 

 anxious to see the flash man, Arthur Farquhar, perform, he took 

 hold of them for one stage. And now, then, for my opinion of 

 him. Of his nerve, wherein, I understand, consists one of his 

 first excellences, I had no opportunity of judging, for all went 

 well ; but I understand it is nearly danger proof v a great recom- 

 mendation to the driver of a fast coach ; and in this respect he 

 is superior to David Roup, who is said to have a great regard 

 for himself as well as for all his passengers. He is likewise a 

 powerful man on his box, but he does not look the coachman by 

 any means so much as the Highlander does. He has a very 

 peculiar method of holding his reins not with the left arm close 

 to his body, as it generally is held, and gaining support there- 

 from ; but quite away from it, and with the arm not much bent. 

 The Highlander's seat on his box is very good indeed, as I before 

 observed, and I have no hesitation in saying without any dis- 

 paragement of Arthur that he is a much better coachman than 

 he was represented to me to be, by several of those who had 

 travelled with him. He has a very good hand on his horses, 

 which is a most essential point in dividing the work between 

 them, and keeping stock together. 



All things considered and allowance must be made for the 

 great inferiority of Scotch horse provender the stock in the 

 Defiance coach was quite as good as I expected to find it. The 

 road is a safe one, though from its being weak it is woolly, as 

 coachmen say, in winter; and runs heavy. The hills on it are 

 nothing in fact, I do not remember ever dragging a wheel ; but 

 there is one practice adopted on it, whilst under repair, that is 

 very highly reprehensible, and was the cause of the death of an 

 excellent coachman named Webb, on the London and Birming- 

 ham Emerald, a few months back. I allude to that of placing 

 large stones to force carriages to one particular part or side of 

 it. Slight wooden straddles, or horses, as they are called in the 

 south, are the proper instruments to be used for this purpose, 

 which make no resistance, if run against. 



The mention of harness reminds me of one circumstance 

 relating to that of the Defiance, which may not be unworthy of 

 notice. At one of the changes there are sixteen in all when 



