390 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



appeared, a trifling fracture of the cartilage, wiiich I was much rejoiced 

 to discover. The following day I proceeded to Ury for the night, and 

 to Burnside per Defiance on the morrow,— an inside passenger, of 

 course, much against my will, but either driving four horses, or riding 

 after hounds, was each out of the question.* 



I found a party of the right sort at Burnside— Sir Ralph Anstruther, 

 Mr. Whyte Melville, &c.; and Captain Peter Hay, whom Mr. Dalyell 

 calls cousin, as well as brother sportsman, was expected, but did not 

 come from some cause which I now forget. And there was another 

 gentleman there whose acquaintance I had a great desire to make, 

 from the character given to me of him by Lord Kintore, which was 

 this. "He is a capital sportsman, a first-rate rider to hounds, and 

 an excellent fellow to boot, with some good old fox-hunting blood in 

 him." I am alluding to Mr. John Grant, of Kilraston, Perthshire, elder 

 brother to Mr. Francis Grant, whom every body knows by the esta- 

 blished fame of his pencil, and especially in pictures in our line. Like 

 the celebrated Hamilton of his own country, no man can touch him 

 for costume, the propriety of which is every thing in a sportsman's eye, 

 but which none but a sportsman can be correct in. 



Wednesday 25th. An awful morning for hounds, wet and windy in 

 the extreme. About mid-day, however, it showed signs of a change, 

 and all the party — ladies included — except myself, turned out, but came 

 back drenched with rain, having had little fun for their pains. The pack 

 divided on two scents, running each fox to ground, the fate of full half 

 the foxes I saw found in Forfarshire and Fife. The next morning, Mr. 



* I am here reminded of a misprint in the last portion of my Northern Tour but 

 one. For Lord Rodney, read Lord Ongley. 



