WILD -GOATS. 57 



mountain, a passing shepherd now and then catching a 

 distant glimpse of him in his progress, and was at last 

 discovered to have chosen his quarters in a retreat as 

 savage and solitary as that romantic district could afford. 



I am aware that many objections might be raised 

 against my suggestion ; first, that the goats would never 

 be wild enough to afford sport, and that, if they were, they 

 would be apt to take refuge among inaccessible rocks and 

 precipices, where no man could stalk them. I own that it 

 would be many years before goats could become quite 

 wild, but if a fine breed were turned out on some of the 

 steepest and least frequented of our mountains, and 

 especially if they were never disturbed or brought to bay by 

 dogs, I have no doubt that their progeny would become fit 

 for stalking. And as to sheltering themselves in rocks 

 and precipices, they would be far less apt to do this when 

 they had acquired confidence in other means of escape. I 

 only, however, mention goat-stalking as an untried amuse- 

 ment, and think it might be worth while for the proprietors 

 of Highland mountains to make the experiment. Sheep- 

 farms, where deer never remain, would answer the purpose. 

 Goats do not interfere with the sheep, and generally choose 

 the roughest ground where the pasture is of least value. 

 It is unnecessary to say that the old males would be uneat- 

 able, but the mountain-fed kids are reckoned very delicious. 



