294 FIELD AND FERN. 



Koberfc Brown, one of his farmers, took Smithes place 

 in tlie curling rink. He gave a 120-guinea Cup to 

 be bowled for annually between tbe Ayr and the 

 Glasgow men, and a ten-guinea medal for every club 

 on his estate. On the bowling days when the great 

 ^^jug" was played for, an immense table was laid out, 

 and all the ladies bowled with their kirtles up to their 

 knees. 



When he challenged the clubs for twenty miles 

 round at bowling or curling, the stakes were always 

 a boll of meal for the poor. One year no less than 

 J40 worth was distributed this way through the 

 Minister of Kilwinning. He also made three artificial 

 curling ponds with wooden bottoms or asphalte and 

 polished ashlar. Two of them were fifty yards by 

 thirty-six, and the other sixty by sixty, and he would 

 have twenty rinks going at one time. Napier played 

 the 501b. stone. Brown the 461b., Conn the 441b., 

 and his lordship himself directed the rink, and played 

 last with the 401b. one. No one was cooler in action 

 and understood better all the subtle generalship of 

 chap and lie, and outers, and yet he was always 

 learning. He would be at the ice to a minute on 

 a dark winter's morning, and keep himself warm by 

 sweeping till it was light enough to begin, and then 

 he would curl all day. If one curling rink was 

 better than another, he would never rest till he 

 played it, and Sir James BoswelFs was one of the 

 defeated. 



He and his leading players had each three or four 



