263 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



than his opponent ; but Kennedy having leaned on a man's arm 

 in descending a hill, a doubt was raised whether he had not thus 

 lost the match, and a compromise was accepted by him of .500. 

 The distance by the road is one hundred and thirty miles !" 

 Bravo Aberdeenshire again. These are the sort of men to breed 

 Britons from ; not merely because they are themselves well bred 

 and likely to produce sound and healthy stock, but because they 

 are also likely to sustain the manly character of their country, 

 which nearly alone makes them beloved by their countrymen. 



At six o'clock P.M., the Captain having put on his coaching 

 toggery, and looking all over the coachman we walked down to 

 Stonehaven, and mounted the box of the renowned Defiance, 

 for Aberdeen, the Captain working over the first stage, and my- 

 self the second ; both teams excellent. The next morning I 

 proceeded by the Banff Diligence to Cask, accompanied by a 

 very pretty female called Harriet a foxhound bitch, who was 

 going to the Cask kennel " to see her sweetheart ;" the Captain 

 returned home (although his horses proceeded to Cask) with 

 the intention of following me on Friday, which he did. 



February I2th. I arrived this day at Cask on my second 

 visit to Lord Kintore, and found, among others, a promising 

 young sportsman under his roof Mr. Dingwall, of Bruckley, in 

 Aberdeenshire, who had just left Oxford, whence his horses had 

 arrived by a steamer, apparently very little the worse for the 

 voyage. Mr. Whyte Melville was expected, but was obliged to 

 postpone his visit. 



The next day was a hunting day, but it proved one of those 

 " inauspicious days" on which, Somerville tells us in his " Chase," 

 other cares than hunting should employ our precious hours. 

 However, we went to the place of meeting, and the followinng 

 mem. appears in my book : " Met at Graigstone. Found in 

 Yonderton-gorse, a very Leicestershire-looking cover. After 

 nearly half an hour he went away, and beat us for want of scent. 

 Lord Kintore tried hard to catch him, by casting for some main 

 earths, but finding that fail him he gave up his fox for lost. 

 Drew another gorse blank ; when as ' the piercing blast of 

 Boreas blew 7 infernally strong, all agreed it would be better to go 

 home and hunt again the next da\. A strong field out for the 

 country. Rode the Duchess." 



Saturday, I4th. We had this day an agreeable addition to pur 

 party in the person of Captain Barclay, who arrived the evening 

 before leather breeches and all. But the history of these 

 breeches ! Why I think it is unequalled in the history of all the 

 breeches in the world. Five and thirty years ago they were 

 made for, and worn by, that celebrated character in the boxing 



