i8o DEER-STALKING 



basis of his calculation what was paid by the butcher 

 to the man who fattened the sheep in the South on 

 cake and turnips. 



The next public inquiry on the subject of deer 

 forests was that by the Royal Commission (Highlands 

 and Islands) in 1883, under the chairmanship of Lord 

 Napier and Ettrick. I was also a member of this 

 Commission. It was a fairly constituted body. Two 

 of our number were owners of deer forests : one was 

 a member of Parliament who had strong views on the 

 popular or anti-deer forest side of the question. Our 

 chairman had a perfectly open mind, with a disposi- 

 tion, natural to one who had been mixed up all his 

 life with public affairs, towards yielding somewhat 

 to public sentiment, so far as that could be done 

 without injury to the public interest. The other two 

 were Highlanders pure and simple, devoted to their 

 country, proud of its traditions, interested in its past 

 history and future welfare, and at least as familiar with 

 its language as any other two gentlemen of equal 

 position and culture. 



The inquiry was, of course, not limited to deer 

 forests, but the subject was continually cropping up 

 during the course of our proceedings, and, recognising 

 its importance, we decided to devote a special chapter 

 in our report to its discussion. Here, again, as in the 



