NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR." 147 



Fourth period. *' Wall, captain — your horse is vary much improved. 

 Perhaps you may be going to sea again ; if you do, I shall be glad to 

 give you saxty pounds for him." 



The next subject ue discussed was that of the annual expense of a 

 pack of fox-hounds, and which was rendered more interesting to me 

 from a knowledge of the fact of Williamson having made public a state- 

 ment of the disbursements under each separate head of the Lothian 

 hounds, previously to their becoming the property of the Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch, for a period of seven years — namely, from August 1814, to 

 August 1821, the average amount of which was 9881. 10s. Id. for a three 

 times-a-week country. The average annual keep of the hounds — price 

 of meal varying from 881. to 1531. per annum during the period — was 

 1931. Of horse flesh, from 171. to 521. Of keep of horses, 3771. ; the 

 residue of the sum total being disbursed in the wages and clothing of 

 servants, earth-stopping, and other incidental expenses. A strict eco- 

 nomy must have been observed here, the amount being much under the 

 general calculation ; and this induced me to ask what were the disburse- 

 ments of the present establishment, independent, of course, of the duke's 

 own stud ? Williamson's answer, I confess, surprised me. " They do 

 not," said he, '' exceed 15001. per annum, including all charges; but a 

 great advantage is gained by going to market for every thing with cash 

 in hand. It is by attention to what appear little matters that the great 

 saving is effected. Now I know a gentleman who never returns the 

 empty sacks. Was ever such a thing heard of," continued he, with a 

 strong emphasis on his words — " ivas there ever such a thing heard of 

 as a person not returning the empty sacks? " 



We were now got into the second glass of whiskey toddy. " Ferin- 



u 2 



