78 DEER-STALKING 



among the valleys and on the hillsides of most of 

 our northern counties. 



There is, perhaps, a greater difficulty in answering 

 the question, ' What was a deer forest ? ' In former 

 times, so far as can be gathered from old writers on 

 the state of the Highlands, and from modern authors 

 who have studied these old writers, the condition of 

 the country differed very greatly at different times. 

 First, we have the old forest laws, which, though not 

 quite so barbarous as those which prevailed in 

 England during the dynasty of her Norman kings, 

 were yet of a severe and stringent character. In 

 these early periods of history there existed certain 

 royal forests set apart for the diversion of kings and 

 nobles, while there were others, consisting of lands 

 not belonging to the sovereign, but to great barons, 

 to whom a sole right of forestry was granted, which 

 right of forestry often conferred a right of servitude 

 in his favour, that extended in some instances over 

 lands belonging to other proprietors. It will be easily 

 understood that such a system was not conducive to 

 peace or good relations between the baron and his 

 neighbours, and that retaliation, feuds, and bloodshed 

 were its necessary accompaniments. It was found 

 necessary to put an end to this state of matters ; 

 the neighbouring proprietors obtained gradually 



