CHAPTER XLVI. 



THE GORDON SETTER. 



THIS dog, which we have before alluded to as almost claiming to be the national Setter 

 of Scotland, is one upon which a variety of opinions have been expressed. Its very origin is 

 obscure, though all authorities agree in bestowing the honour of its production upon the 

 Duke of Gordon, hence the name by which this breed is recognised in the present day. It 

 is certain that in the early part of the century (about 1820) the then Marquis of Huntly, who 

 was afterwards Duke of Gordon, possessed a strain of Setters which he was anxious to improve. 

 The story runs that when looking around for a judicious cross the rumour reached his 

 lordship that there was an extraordinarily clever Sheep-dog bitch belonging to a shepherd 

 in the neighbourhood. This bitch had been taught to set birds by her owner, and her 

 staunchness was said to be remarkable. On hearing of this wonderful bitch, the Marquis 

 of Huntly is said to have immediately obtained her from the shepherd, and put her to 

 one of his most successful sires. It is to this Collie bitch that many hold that the 

 modern famous Gordon Setter owes its origin, and certainly the presumption seems a very 

 fair one. 



Whatever reliance, however, is to be placed in this alleged formation of the Gordon 

 strain, the value of dogs from the Duke's kennel was far higher than of those coming from 

 other quarters, and a genuine importation from Gordon Castle was always looked upon as 

 possessing no impurity of blood. As a proof of this the following list of prices obtained at 

 the Duke's sale in 1836 may be taken as conclusive, and the list is moreover valuable as 

 showing the value of Gordon Setters at that time, as well as for another reason to which 

 we shall hereafter make a reference : 



1. Duke, 5 years, black-and-tan ... ... ... ... 34 guineas. 



2. Young Regent, 4 years, black- white-and-tan ... ... 72 



3. Juno, 5 years, black-and-white ... ... ... ... 34 ,, 



4. Satan, 2j years, black ... ... ... ... ... 56 



J. Crop, 3 years, black-and-white ... ... ... ... 60 



6. Duchess, ii months, black-and-white ... ... ... 37 ,, 



7. Random, 10 months, red-and-white ... ... ... 35 



8. Princess, u months, black-and-white ... ... 25 



9. Bell, 1 1 months, black-and-white ... ... ... ... 34 



Brace of Puppies, black-and-white... ... ... 30 



417 gs. 



Amongst the buyers at this historic sale were the Duke of Richmond, Lords Abercorn, 

 Chesterfield, and Douglas, and Messrs. Martyn, Walker, and Robinson. The prices reached 

 were certainly encouraging for the times, and it is questionable whether they would be headed at 

 the break-up of any modern kennel. It is only reasonable, however, to suppose that this small 



