350 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAx^f. 



formed the whole state of things before it was time 

 to dress for dinner. Dinner! that necessity recalls 

 me from the land of clouds and spirits, and bids me 

 write in more histrionic style. 



As a deer forest, this is essentially one of hinds, 

 and not enough has been done by the proprietor to 

 make it anything like a first-rate scene for the rifle. 

 It consists, too, but of one side of a hill, is only two 

 miles wide, and, on that account, but for the woods 

 at the foot of the mountain, running down to Loch 

 Arkeg, would be of very little value, inasmuch as the 

 sheep and shepherds on one side are for ever disturb- 

 ing the forest by a very natural trespass. Lord 

 Malmsbury has done his best in the vicinity of Ben 

 Yain, by a fence, to keep the sheep out ; but as the 

 fence extends but a short distance compared with the 

 extent of the mountain, the forest cannot be sufliciently 

 protected. There is also a peculiarity in this forest 

 which is heart-breaking to the tenant de chasse who 

 endeavours to increase the number of deer ; and that is 

 the fact, that the young male deer, those that I should 

 call the sorells and sors, or the three and four-year 

 old male deer, invariably migrate to other mountains. 

 This has been proved in the last ten years, during 

 which Lord Malmsbury has rented Achnacarry, by 

 his having marked more than thirty individuals, only 

 one of whom has ever been seen again. The woods 

 wliich shelter the deer are also every year dete- 

 riorating, from what seems to me to be an injudicious 

 felling of some of the most beautiful pines in improper 

 places. I observe, that wherever, on the hill sides, 

 the factor has caused the timber to be cut, the wind 

 rushes in, and completes the destruction. As many 

 a gallant Cameron, wliile fighting for his prince, has 



