NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 187 



beef in the stalls, which are not every day to be met with in one man's 

 yards. 



But I have not yet finished this said Sunday. We had an addition to 

 our dinner party of Mr. Whyte Melville, who, with Captain Wemyss, is 

 at the head of the Fife hounds; Mr. Earle, a Lancashire gentleman, 

 residing in Edinburgh, and — by no means a bad name for a hard rider — 

 Mr. Horsman, also residing in the Scottish metropolis, and the unsuc- 

 cessful aspirant to the honour of representing Cockermouth (ye gods 

 what a name !) at the last general election although elected since. 

 Mr. Melville had an elder brother with whom I became acquainted in 

 Leicestershire and Oxfordshire — and on whose decease the gentleman I 

 am now speaking of succeeded to his large property in the West Indies 

 and in Fife. As I was about to visit Fife, I was happy in this opportu- 

 nity of being introduced to one of the masters of the pack which hunts 

 that, celebrated county, and one of the conductors of an establishment 

 which has so long been held in high estimation by the sporting' world. 

 A strict intimacy subsists between Captain Keith and Mr. Whyte 

 Melville — in every respect congenial souls, both highly bred gentlemen, 

 both delighting in hunting — but I have reason to believe the appearance 

 of Mr. Whyte Melville at Chester-hall this day was one amongst the 

 many proofs of my host's wish to make my visit to him more agreeable. 



Fortunately for me Monday, December 1st, was a dies non — that is to 



say, there were no hounds to be reached on that day from Chester-hall. 



I say fortunately, for a more wet and boisterous one was never seen. 



Sportsmen's stables, however, must be replenished, and bad as it was, 



Captain Keith went to Edinburgh to look at a horse, with what success 



remained to be proved. Mr. Hay quitted us before breakfast for '' his 



2 B 2 



