104 Saddle and Sirloin. 



for the winter. Clipping day in July is the dales- 

 man's only festival of the year; and the flockmasters 

 all make a point of coming to help each other. There 

 is generally a good deal of arguing as to which has 

 the best tup, but " it is all agreeably settled over a 

 glass and a pipe." They also discuss the prowess of 

 " the Patterdale dogs," nine couple of foxhounds and 

 four terriers (which Mr. Marshall sends over for a fort- 

 night at intervals to keep down the foxes), and they 

 pass the rest of the time with " cheerful bits of sangs," 

 and in drinking " Confusion to the Scab " and " Pack 

 Sheets and Ready Money," until the barrel of nut- 

 brown ale is ready for turning at last. 



Mr. Nelson's father was originally shepherd to Mr. 

 Marshall, and he and his son had a sheep farm at 

 Loweswater Church Stile. The son has occupied 

 Gatesgarth for some twenty years, and holds his fell 

 under Lord Leconfield and Mr. Marshall. He and 

 his three sons work the flock, and use dogs, mostly 

 black, and descended from an old bitch, which had 

 102 pups in her time. She was of " old Geordie Nel- 

 son's breed," and quite a public character on a Fell 

 Dales day. " Bright " and " Blink," her lineal descen- 

 dants, are in full force, now with the " Up Bank ! " 

 and " Down Bank ! " business, for which prizes are 

 given annually at Kirby Stephen. Mr. Nelson lets 

 about ioo tups at all prices, from 2 guineas to 5 guineas, 

 and the selling tariff rages as high as 12 guineas. For 

 very noted tups more can be got, and Thousand-a- 

 Year brought 30/. His g.g.gg.d. won at Ennerdale in 

 1845, and his g.g.g.d. lived till she was eighteen, and 

 then died from an accident. This monarch of the 

 lakes (who got his lambs rather dark-necked) is brother 

 to Prince Talleyrand, and their own sister is dam of 

 " Joe, the Gatesgarth Champion." Joe " could always 

 bang the rest," save once, when he was second (a posi- 

 tion which his uncle, Prince Talleyrand, held five 

 times over to him) ; but " he was not in fettle," and 



