THE DUKE OF PORTLAND 



object, it is a walk that could not fail to be enjoyable, and 

 the beautiful sylvan scenery is specially grateful to a 

 Londoner, It will be even better wooded in the near future 

 than it is now, for planting has been carried on extensively 

 for some years past, though the terrible frosts of last winter 

 did irreparable harm to hundreds of the young trees. The 

 unusual sight of a herd of white deer next attracts general 

 attention. There are three distinct enclosures for deer in the 

 park. The varieties are kept strictly apart, and when, as will 

 often happen, some of the produce of the white herd show any 

 other colour, they are singled out and killed before reaching 

 adolescence. The first view of the Abbey gives you no idea 

 of the great size of Ihe house, and when you are over the 

 bridge that spans the ornamental water — in this case the term 

 " ornamental " is no misnomer, as it might easily be mistaken 

 for an extensive and very pretty lake — and within a couple 

 of hundred yards of the house, the road makes a sweeping half- 

 circle of nearly three-quarters of a mile before it lands you 

 at the hall door. This sweep half encircles what must be 

 about the largest cricket ground in England. 



After each member of the party had been introduced to the 

 Duke, and had received no perfunctory shake of the hand but 

 a cordial grip that made him feel thoroughly at home at once, 

 we spent a very pleasant hour or two in the inspection of the 

 house, the Duke himself leading the way, and pointing out 

 everything that was specially worthy of notice. It would take 

 about a week to see everything of interest at Welbeck, and 

 several columns of this paper to give a full description of what 

 I actually did see in the short time at our disposal on Saturday, 

 so, as the horses were, of course, the great object of our visit, 

 I must reserve the main part of my space for them. I may 

 frankly confess, however, to having been just a little dis- 

 appointed in the famous underground apartments, of which 

 I had heard so much. I had imagined, very ridiculously no 

 doubt, that we should have to descend in a sort of cage to 

 about the depth of a respectable coal mine, and should then 

 wander about vast halls, the darkness only occasionally relieved 

 by a faint glimmer of gas or electric light. Instead of this 

 we walked prosaically down about fifteen or sixteen steps into 

 a range of magnificent rooms, into which the daylight had free 

 access, either from the sides or the top. Here are to be seen 

 numerous valuable old masters and family portraits by famous 

 painters of a bygone age; but I must confess to being Philistine 



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