86 ABERDEENSHIRE. 



ABERDEEN is much improved since I 

 first knew it, and there are few streets 

 anywhere finer than Union Street 

 which, in its whole extent, is of white granite 

 and is really imposing. The city used to swarm 

 with ragged children ; but, I am happy to say, 

 that the Ragged Schools, under the care and 

 inspection of Sheriff Watson, have had a wonder- 

 ful effect, and now you see scarcely one in fact 

 none but all are attending schools of some kind 

 during the day. This is a move in the right 

 direction. There is a good statue of the Duke 

 of Gordon, the ' Cock of the North,' as he was 

 called, in the market place, and also two Russian 

 guns, from the Crimea, which were lately pre- 

 sented to the town by Lord Panmure. 1 



1 A most comical incident occurred with these shortly 

 after they were placed here. A London sharper, observ- 

 ing a Highland clown gazing round them, quietly ob- 

 served, that he was exposing them there for sale, and that 

 he would take thirty shillings for the pair, they to be 



