20 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



of that race of cattle existed in Holderness within the memories of 

 men yet living, and we, ourself, nearly fifty years ago, saw several 

 animals of a direct importation into this country from that district 

 in Yorkshire, which were akin to the description above given. 



But, to put at rest, so far as an illustration of art can do it, the 

 question of the early existence of the Short-horn race in England, 

 we extract a bit of history recorded in the eighth volume of our own 

 Short-horn Herd Book : 



" It will be recollected that in Vol. 2, p. 55, in narrating the ancient 

 lineage of the Short-horns, a sculptured cow on the wall of one of 

 the towers of the great Cathedral in Durham, is mentioned. The 

 sculpture is that of a cow and two milkmaids, chiseled in light cream- 

 colored stone, of nearly life size, from living models, and set up in a 

 broad niche of one of the towers of the Cathedral. The sketch 

 from which the engraving is cut, was taken at our request by Mr. 

 John R. Page, of Sennett, Cayuga county, N. Y., when on a visit 

 there in September, 1867. As to the reason for a statue of the cow 

 and milkmaids occupying such a singular place, the following extract 

 from a letter to us from Mr. A. B. Allen, in August, 1867, will explain. 

 He was a few weeks in advance of Mr. Page in his visit, and was not 

 aware at the time that the latter had crossed the Atlantic : 



" I arrived at Durham, last evening, and have spent the whole 

 forenoon of to-day, in and about the Cathedral. It is a magnificent 

 old stone pile, and including the Lady Chapel, extending from its 

 west end, is upwards of five hundred feet long and two Hundred feet 

 broad. It stands on an open place of several acres, the leveled top 

 of a rocky hill, nearly encircled at its base by the river Wear. The 

 building thus shows to great advantage ; and, from its elevated site, 

 you have extensive views on either side of the surrounding pictur- 

 esque country. The quaint old city lies chiefly in the valley, a few 

 only of its streets climbing up towards the Cathedral, and a large 

 ancient castle now converted to a University also crowning the 

 cliffs on the same plateau, several hundred feet north of it. 



" The statue of the cow you desired me to inquire about when I 

 left New York, occupies a broad arched niche in the north-east tower 

 of the Cathedral, twenty feet or more above the level of the surround- 

 ing church-yard. The cow is an unmistakable Short-horn all over, 

 the legs excepted, which the learned librarian of the Cathedral, the 

 Rev. James Raine, informed me, were chiseled itnnaturally coarse, by 

 fault alone of the sculptor ; otherwise it is a tolerable representation 

 of a good animal. The two attendant milkmaids in the group are 



