250 NIM ROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



acquainted with him, that he had been seen riding a steeple- 

 chase amongst a lot of young fellows, two of them his own 

 nephews, in which he was second, over a very strongly-fenced 

 country. 



Almost the last conversation I had with the laird of Brigton 

 affords an anecdote worthy of recital, being creditable to, if not 

 characteristic of, a wealthy London tradesman. On my re- 

 marking to him the good fit of a new Whippy saddle on which 

 he was riding, he related the curious fact of the late Mr. Whippy 

 having left directions in his will, " that no bill, for goods fur- 

 nished, should ever be sent to Mr. Douglas of Brigton." During 

 my visit to Scotland, I rode more than forty hunters, besides 

 those I hired in Edinburgh, and I am quite sure more than 

 twenty of them were saddled and bridled by Messrs. Whippys, 

 as if it were a verification of the adage, that " one good turn 

 deserves another." 



I regret that I have nothing to say of our sport this morning 

 with Mr. Daly ell, and the want of which I particularly regretted 

 at the time, as I rode a young grey horse of his, which was quite 

 an fait at the high walls, with a ditch on one side or the other, 

 of the country which we drew over ; and I was also anxious to 

 see the performance of Archy Douglas, who rode a clever 

 thorough-bred horse of the laird's. We had his company, how- 

 ever, in the evening, as well as that of Captain Rait, formerly of 

 the 1 5th Hussars whose extraordinary match when quartered 

 at Brighton, with Mr. Kemp of Kemp-town, I went thither to 

 be umpire to since, Colonel Rait of the British Legion Cavalry 

 in Spain ; and, now, the laird of Arniston, near Montrose, where, 

 if he will take my advice, he will remain, and enjoy the comforts 

 he has got about him. Of Captain Rait as a sportsman, it is 

 unnecessary for me to give my opinion, but as a straightforward 

 hard rider and good horseman, he is quite in the first class, and 

 to the extent of his stud, I considered him to be the best mounted 

 man I saw in Scotland. One of his two famous bay horses, 

 which horresco referens ! I hear he took to Spain, to ride as 

 a charger, would, I have reason to believe, have fetched the 

 highest figure at Melton, that year ; but on my stating my belief 

 that such would prove to be fact, his owner told me that " no 

 money would purchase him." 



January 29. Still out of luck as to getting that sort of run 

 with Mr. Dalyell which would afford matter for the pen, or, in 

 the language of the broad sheet, for a " truly graphic descrip- 

 tion," which, for the master's sake, I would have attempted to 

 give, although I might not have succeeded. Still the hunting of 

 this day enables me to mention two circumstances interesting to 



