NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 273 



plete, however, are its arrangements ; so respectable and civil are the 

 servants employed upon it ; so well does it keep its time — in addition 

 to the honour of very often being driven by the Captain himself — 

 that the first people in the country are, or were, found in and about it, 

 including even the late Duke of Gordon himself, who would frequently 

 be seen in it on his road south, although some of his own carriages 

 might have been on the road on the same day. Having* myself had a 

 carte blanche from the Captain and his partner to travel by it, and to 

 drive it, whenever I liked, scot free (servants of course excepted), I was 

 indebted to them for many a pleasant drive ; and there being so many- 

 interesting anecdotes relating to it, which I think will amuse my readers, 

 coaching ones in particular, I shall, in all probability, resume my notice 

 of it at a future day. 



To enable me, however, to make my first start by it, I must name the 

 coachmen on this out-and-out drag, leaving the notice of the guards — 

 out-and-outers also in their line — to another time. George Murray 

 and James Lambert drive over the lower ground, from Edinburgh to 

 Perth ; and Arthur Farquhar and David Roup, a thundering stout 

 Highlander, over the upper, from Perth to Aberdeen ; consequently 

 each coachman drives about half the ground, and has one coach a-day. 



On Saturday, the 20th of December, then, Mr. Dalyell accompanied 

 me to Forfar in his phaeton, to meet this renowned drag ; and the box 

 and a front seat on the roof were secured for us. The flash coachman, 

 I was told, was Arthur; but this was the Highlander's day up, which T 

 was glad of, having never seen a Highlander at this work. Now what 

 were my expectations ? Why, I will candidly declare them. I expected 

 to see a devilish stout, raw-boned chap, with a hand as big as two 



2 N 



