The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Hunt. 13 



brace per season. Popular meets at this time were Castlemilk, Garscube, 

 and Broadfield, but owing to the mineral wealth of Lanarkshire, with the 

 predominance of wire and other obstacles to sport, this county became 

 increasingly difficult to hunt. 



On 3rd March, 1865, Sir David Buchanan took his pack to Ayrshire 

 for a day's sport, which proved rather poor, and the then Lord Eglinton 

 returned the compliment by bringing his pack to Barochan on the following 

 day. The weather was, however, very stormy on this occasion, and good 

 sport was out of the question. 



It was a matter of general regret when in 1866 Sir David was unwill- 

 ingly compelled to intimate his intention, through ill-health, of allowing 

 Renfrewshire to be hunted by Lord Eglinton's hounds for a time, while he 

 took hounds to Drumpellier (his Lanarkshire seat) and confined himself 

 entirely to Lanarkshire territory. 



This was remarkably successful, in a sense, for in the course of twenty- 

 seven days on which the pack were out, twenty-four and a half brace of 

 foxes were added to the slain. The absence from Renfrewshire only lasted 

 a single season, for on 2nd November, 1867, the Hunt assembled in all its 

 former glory at Houston for the inauguration of another campaign. The 

 coverts at this time most prolific were Skiff, Elphinstone, Finlaystone, and 

 Barochan on the Renfrewshire side, while in the Cleughearn district of 

 Lanarkshire five or six brace of foxes could be found in one day. The 

 season ending on 18th April, 1868, provided a record for this pack, so far 

 as the number of kills were concerned, the grand total being seventy-two 

 foxes in seventy-four days, without a single blank — a record hard to be 

 beaten anywhere. As a huntsman, Squires built up a great reputation, and 

 his death in 1874 came with tragic suddenness. During the remaining few 

 months of this season R. Holmden carried the horn, and Bishop then came 

 to take up his duties as huntsman, which he discharged in a capable manner 

 for four years. 



In the 'sixties some of the best known followers were Sir Michael Shaw 

 Stewart, Sir Archibald Campbell, Mr. J. H. Houldsworth, Mr. Alexander 

 Clapperton, Mr. John Orr, Mr. C. T. Couper, and Colonel Mure. Later 

 on there were Mr. Durham Kippen, Mr. George Coats (afterwards Lord 

 Glentanar), Mr. G. J. Kidston, Mr. Edward Collins, Mr. R. Monteith, 

 Mr. Matthew Arthur (afterwards Lord Glenarthur), Mr. J. Gardiner Muir, 



