CLIMBING THE CAIRNWALL. 31 



stirrups or leathers on a steep hillside is certainly not 

 easy of accomplishment, especially if the rider has 

 passed the middle age and has a tendency to corpulence. 

 "I'll just give you a leg up," said the gillie; and in 

 a minute I found myself lying flat on the panniers, 

 unable to get my legs over them, being seized with a 

 fit of uncontrollable laughter at the absurdity of the 

 position. At last this act of horsemanship was satis- 

 factorily executed, and, laying hold of the horse's 

 mane, I held on as he climbed slowly up the steep 

 ascent. The weather continued stormy, and the total 

 for the two guns was only twenty- one brace of grouse, 

 one brace of ptarmigan, and two hares. The range of 

 hills known as the Glasmiele, or " Stony Hill," is one 

 of the highest points, and is exceedingly wild and 

 grand, as, in fact, all the Grampians are. Eeturning 

 to the keeper's lodge, we found strong tea, and an 

 abundance of oatmeal cakes and scones, which, taken 

 with delicious butter, formed a very acceptable meal on 

 a wet, cold afternoon, especially after such a ride. 

 Looking up to the top of a tall ridge, I saw an eagle 

 hovering in the clouds, apparently ready to pounce 

 down on some unfortunate animal. This bird would, 

 the keeper informed me, probably measure seven feet 

 six inches from tip to tip of its wings. Perhaps on some 

 future occasion I may have a closer inspection of this 

 now comparatively rare bird. 



On Saturday we started for Ben Gouliping I will 

 not guarantee the spelling but being interpreted it 

 means "a hill behind a hill," and a remarkable tall 

 climb it is to commence a day's sport with, and I think 

 should be called Big Ben, for it is a teaser to mount to 

 the summit. At length the spot is reached where 



