288 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



than the flocks of sheep. Over ground that would have main- 

 tained but one shepherd, on its being turned into a deer forest, 

 ten men are employed in the shape of keepers, assistants, and 

 gillies. Here, close to Achnacarry, whence I write this portion 

 of my Reminiscences, there are two new forests already made, 

 and, thanks to the power of machinery, the deer and the game 

 have become the most lucrative property of the Highland laird. 

 Where is all this to end ? If steam brings tenants who will give 

 treble the rent for these wild hills for the maintenance of deer 

 that farmers can afford to do for the production of sheep, and, 

 looking south, a less breadth of wheat is sown, under what is 

 erroneously called free trade, than used to be under protective 

 enactments ; if war spreads thanks to Lord Aberdeen's timid 

 policy, it does exist how is the population to be fed ? As a 

 politician, I feel as if Manchester, conjointly with Lord John 

 Russell, had flung me into the eddies of LochieFs waterfall, and 

 I am twisting round and round, I know not whither. Prices 

 are infinitely higher than I expected they would be under free 

 trade, and have been lower than the Whigs and Lord John 

 Russell bargained for ; and it is evident enough, that not only 

 were we all wrong, I fear to a terrible extent, in our speculations 

 as to the effect of the measure, but at this moment we, none of 

 us, politically speaking, know where we are, what will be the 

 state of the country, or where we may be next year, Lord 

 John Russell and his tutors, Messrs. Cobden and Bright, having 

 won for themselves the disagreeable position of being forced to 

 admit that their object has signally failed, and that they have 

 unhinged the great wheel of trade without obtaining cheap food 

 for the people. Thus much in passing; but, as I am not 

 writing a political treatise, now to the mountains again ; wild 

 though they are, not much more wild than the political game at 

 present in the ascendant. 



On this territory of the Lochiel, I have found it at times a 

 difficult task to keep my mind on sporting interests and incidents, 

 so full are the features of the landscape of legend and romance. 

 While fishing on Loch Arkike, as it is spelt in the curious 



