APPENDIX. 569 



fresh air for the benefit of Miss Edmonstone's health. Her stomach 

 had been a little out of order for some time, and the doctor advised 

 us to go to the sea, which has put all things to rights. AVe only got 

 home last night from Scarbro', and I take the earliest opportunity 

 of writing to you. In fact, I am just now engaged in this at half- 

 past five in the morning. As you wish to know more about our 

 lawsuit with the vitriol vagabond, I will give you a brief account of 

 our proceedings. In it you will see what a flogging thing it is to go 

 to law here in England, even though you have the most evident 

 justness on your side. 



I think I told you that the fellow had purchased during my absence 

 three roods of land, which formerly belonged to the family, and which 

 I had never been able to get possession of, although I had tried for 

 nearly twenty years to buy them. Here he built his establishment. 

 The alkali works at last became a most intolerable nuisance. Our 

 fine fresh-water brook, which runs down the valley, was so poisoned 

 by filthy drainage from the works that the cattle would not drink it, 

 whilst the timber in the vicinity was suffering dreadfully from the 

 poisonous vapour. Our potatoes are worse than ever this year. 



In this state of things, Sir William Pilkington and myself prose- 

 cuted the works at the York assizes, before a special jury. After 

 an enormous expense, the case was referred to arbitration. The 

 thing was so clear, and the nuisance so palpable, that you would 

 have supposed all would have been concluded after one week of 

 investigation. No such thing. The arbitrator, who is a Leeds 

 lawyer, and can thrive in smoke which would kill any person not 

 accustomed to live in such a murky town as Leeds, found means, 

 by hook and by crook, to continue his investigations just as it suited 

 his convenience receiving ten guineas per day for his attendance, 

 independently of his food. He made three visits to my park, and 

 saw with his own eyes the magnificent timber dying around him. 

 Still he allowed our adversaries to prolong the case by calling wit- 

 nesses without end, in order to gain time (for they were clearing 

 ^9000 per annum), and he absolutely managed to have the finger- 

 ing of the affair for nearly two years. At last we have succeeded in 

 getting his award, which is to the following effect, he receiving 

 ^528 sterling for his trouble ! ! 



