258 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



elections can exhibit, and tins in a year of iinparalieled excitement, in 

 that country. In fact Church and King had not a cliance against the 

 captain's broadside and his twenty-four (alias ten) pounders ! 



I regret my inability to give a flattering account of this day's proceed- 

 ings in the field. In the first place, the fog was so thick in the morning, 

 that Walker got lost in coming to cover with the hounds ; and in the 

 next, by some unaccountable accident, not one of Sir Ralph's foxes was 

 at home — I say unaccountable accident, because, as may be supposed, 

 Sir Ralph, although his covers abound with pheasants, is a strict pre- 

 server of these animals. We did find late in the day; but what with 

 interruption from the fog, a drizzling rain and bad scent, we could do 

 but little, — nothing in fact worth recording, although we were in what I 

 call a very fair country for fox-hunting. But something always turns 

 up in the hunting field to make amends for casual disappointments. 

 There were staying at Balcaskie three young ladies*, first cousins to 

 Sir Ralph, and well bred ones for this sport, being daughters of the late 

 Mr. Anstruther Thompson, of Charlton, the original proprietor, as I 

 have already stated, of the Fife hounds. One of these young ladies 

 accompanied Lady Anstruther in her phaeton, and of course only now 

 and then caught a sight of the hounds; but her sisters accompanied us 

 throughout the day, and I must give them a niche in our Temple of 

 Fame. But what if I could have placed them in your gallery of por- 

 traits ! I can assure you they would have afforded excellent subjects for 

 the skill of your artist, as well as excellent samples of the bonnie lasses 

 of old Scotland. Nevertheless, it is as regards their performance in the 

 saddle alone that I venture to introduce the names of any young ladies 



* One of these young ladies is since married. 



