228 



AUDUBON 



opposition coach, and away we rolled. My good com- 

 panion Captain Mitford kept my spirits in better plight 

 than they would otherwise have been, by his animated 

 conversation about game, fishing, America, etc., and after 

 a ride of about twelve miles we entered the small village 

 of Alnwick, commanded by the fine castle of the Duke 

 of Northumberland. Having to change horses and wait 

 two hours, we took a walk, and visited the interior of that 

 ancient mass of buildings, the whole being deserted at 

 present, the Duke absent. I saw the armory, the dun- 

 geons, the place for racking prisoners, but the grotesque 

 figures of stone standing in all sorts of attitudes, defensive 

 and offensive^ all round the top of the turrets and bastions, 

 struck me most. They looked as if about to move, or to 

 take great leaps to the ground, to cut our throats. This 

 castle covers five acres of ground, is elevated, and therefore 

 in every direction are good views of the country. From 

 it I saw the cross put up in memory of King Malcolm 

 killed by Hammond. At two precisely (for in England 

 and Scotland coaches start with great punctuality) we 

 were again en route. We passed over the Aln River, a 

 very pretty little streamlet, and reached Felton, where 

 we changed horses. The whole extent of country we 

 passed this day was destitute of woods, and looked to me 

 very barren. We saw little game ; about five we arrived 

 within two miles of Morpeth, where the captain and I 

 alighted; we walked to a pretty little vale and the ruins 

 of the old castle lay before us, still doomed to moulder 

 more, and walking on reachec'i the confluence of two 

 small, pretty streams from wh'ch originated the name 

 of my friend's ancestors, Meetingford. We reached the 

 house, and having heard of his brother's indisposition, 

 the captain and I entered quietly, and I was presented to 

 the owner of the hall. I saw before me a thin, pale, emaci- 

 ated being who begged I would go to him, as he could 

 not rise. I shook his withered hand and received his 



