48 



CAPITAL DAY'S SPORT WITH THE AYRSHIRE 

 HARRIERS. 



Saturday, 28th March. — Met at the Wallace Monument, 

 one of the highest jDoints in Ayrshire, from which a magnifi- 

 cent view is to be had of the surrounding countries, with the 

 bold peaks of Arran in the background. As it was generally 

 supposed to be the last day of the season, a Ir.rge field 

 assembled to do honour to the popular Master, Mr. Ewen, 

 amongst whom were the Marquis of Ailsa, the Earl of Eglinton, 

 the Hon. Seton Montgomery and the Hon. Mr. Vernon, Capt. 

 Tait of Millrig, Captain Neil and Lady, Captain Finnie of 

 Newfield and Lady, the Misses Anderson, Mr. Adam, younger 

 of Tour, and Miss Adam ; Mr. Fairlie, younger of Coodham ; 

 Col. Hay Boyd, Mr. Cunninghame, Maulside ; Mr. Kerr of 

 Cunningham Hall; Messrs. Patrick, Boyd, Houldsworth, 

 Chalmers, Kippen, &c. Before commencing the legitimate 

 business, Captain Neil arranged to have a drag, which was 

 well laid, under his direction, by Mr. Dunlop, over about five 

 miles of a magnificent grass country, with only one ploughed 

 field. They started in a large grass field at Midton, and went 

 away a burster, leaving Fail Water to the left, where, in olden 

 times, as Ramsay says in the " EvergTeen," 



" The Friars of Fail drank berry-brown ale, 

 The best that ever was tasted ; 

 The Monks of Fail made very good kaU 

 On Fridays when they fasted. " 



From this the line lay past the rabbit wood on to Law, and 

 up over Pisgah. Here, in a small spinney, a brace of foxes 

 jumped up, and the hounds, changing from the drag, went 

 away racing down the hill towards Little Foulton. Mr. 

 Ewen, however, got them quickly stopped, and laid on the 

 line again back at Pisgah, where they ran down the hill past 

 Barnweill old church, and on to Craigie Byre to finish. As 

 the day was intensely hot, a halt was now called, and an 

 adjournment made to one of Captain Neil's farm-houses, 



