POLTALLOCH 9 



could be safely unloaded. Smuggling was very 

 common all along the coast in those days of high 

 duties and remunerative prices, and I am afraid 

 the sympathies of the entire neighbourhood from 

 the laird to the crofter were with the " free- 

 traders," and against the constituted authorities. 

 I have often heard the old laird repeat a conversa- 

 tion which took place between his grandfather and 

 the factor. " You will find a hogshead of claret in 

 the cellar," said the latter. " Dear me," replied Pol- 

 talloch, " how could it have got there ! " " Came on 

 shore in a gale of wind," was the reply ; and it 

 was thought as well to ask no further questions. 



One species of wild animal, the wild cat, may 

 be taken to have disappeared from the district 

 within living memory. I never saw or heard of 

 one on the estate while I was a resident ; but two 

 were killed there not very long before. The last 

 one, a very fine specimen, fell to the gun of the 

 present Lord Malcolm when shooting woodcock 

 in Daltote wood in Cantyre, a plantation of fir 

 trees then not much higher than the knee. The 

 little terriers routing about in the thick cover 

 found something unusual, and the particular one 

 who took credit for the discovery could hardly be 

 prevailed upon to leave the bearer of the body of 

 his quarry after it had been deposited in the game- 

 bag, but followed him about as much as to say, 

 " That is my cat." The bag that day was a varied 

 one, as a jack snipe, a woodcock, a roebuck, and 



