XV111 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR. 



not anticipate the rise of the river, and had no 

 reason for refusing our request. At all our 

 homes we had a varied menagerie of the tamest 

 and most intelligent of pets. He had great power 

 and influence over animals ; and his dogs, from 

 being his constant companions, were remarkable 

 for their sagacity. The " College," our Elgin 

 home, rejoiced in a great walled garden of about 

 four acres. In one part was a grass plot, where my 

 father kept trained Peregrine falcons, which he 

 used to fly after the fashion of bygone days, and 

 much amusement it afforded him and us boys. 



The art of training and flying hawks was taught 

 us by our dear old friend Mr. John Hancock, the 

 celebrated naturalist. 



My father was fond of flowers, and the lighter 

 kinds of gardening, budding, pruning, etc. 



He must have been a very even-tempered man. 

 I cannot remember a single instance of his being 

 angry or irritable. When out shooting with him 

 once, he caught sight of a poacher, who, on being 

 run down, threatened to shoot my father. Giving 

 me his gun to hold, he very quickly took the 

 gun from the poacher, whom he simply made pro- 

 mise not to trespass again, and allowed him to go 



