NIMllOD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 341 



the Kinross ground, we arrived in Edinburgh at the appointed time, and 

 took up our abode at the Waterloo-hotel, which the coach patronizes, 

 and where the best rooms in the house are always in readiness for the 

 Captain when he sends word by the guard, " that he shall waggon the 

 Defiance on the morrow." Such we found to be the case ; and a more 

 comfortable house than the Waterloo no traveller need require, neither 

 would he often find it, if he looked for it — charges also moderate. 



My last paper landed me at the Waterloo-hotel, Edinburgh, with " the 

 Captain" for my companion and guide ; but inasmuch as every thing one 

 sees in the country is not worthy a place in the eclogue, still less can 

 an account of every thing I saw in that city, be very interesting 

 to the public. Our first step was to a horse-dealer's, at least to a 

 sort of Tattersall's — Lain's Repository — where horses are sold on 

 commission ; and we did not go there for nothing. Seeing a very 

 bad race horse, called Master Bish, in a stall, and guessing the 

 figure was not a high one, I ascertained the fact. " He will make you 

 a good leader," said I to the Captain, " let us put him in the break and 

 try him ;" and in the space of one hour he was his property. I was 

 much pleased with these premises, and with the character given me by 

 the Captain of the proprietor of them, Mr. Lain. He did not appear 

 too great a man for his business, or in the words of Chester Billy, 

 '' above his sityvasion," which some of his genus are ; but answered 

 every question with the greatest civility and attention. I drove this 

 horse afterwards in the Defiance, and found him as good as he could be 

 expected to be for the price, but it astonished me to see how he improved 

 in his trotting after having been in the coach about a month. 



" Now what next ?" was my natural appeal to the Captain. *' Oh,'' 



