NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 63 



twice in difficulties; but they got uncommonly well out of them, and this 

 is the test of merit, for all hounds will hold on with a breast-high scent. 



For the information of such of my brother sportsmen who may never 

 have ridden over, as well as of such as may contemplate riding over, 

 Berwickshire, I will describe the sort of fences we had this day to 

 encounter. I do not recollect any thing in the shape of timber. We 

 had neither gate, stile, rail, or brook, but we had every description of 

 hedge and ditch and bank and wall that the ingenuity of man could con- 

 trive. Moreover we had, now and then, hedge and ditch and bank ; 

 then hedge wall and ditch, all in the same fence. Almost every fence 

 indeed was a double one, the ditches regular yawners ; and from the 

 circumstance of more than half of them being to be taken out of deep, 

 or ploughed ground, they took the shine out of the horses. Many of 

 them also were very difficult to get at, with comforter safety to the horse. 

 For example, — on the headlands of such fields as are ploughed, a small 

 ridge, or baulk, as it is called, is left between the last 'bout of the plough 

 and the ditch, to prevent the soil washing into it. In some cases these 

 were of sufficient width to tempt a horse to take his footing from off 

 them, but it is an uncertain and slippery one. If, however, he do not 

 foot on it, he has so much the greater exertion to make to enable him to 

 land himself on the bank, having cleared a ditch that would swallow a 

 mail coach. And how fares he when thus landed ? Why he has to 

 leap another ditch that would swallow another coach, and to alight in 

 ground half up to his knees ; if in a turnip field, half up to his shoulder. 

 But it was— from the cause I have stated, the difficulty of the footing 

 —the first ditch that funked me ; for the second I cared nothing, often 

 throwing my eye upon the hounds Vv'hen on the bank, and letting my 

 horse look out for himself; and I am ready to admit that my imagination 



