446 'Dinbur Castle, its Gardens and Gardeners. 



study of natural history. He made himself pretty well acquainted 

 with the botanical systems of Linnaeus and Jussieu : but he did 

 not stop there ; he acquired a knowledge of Cuvier's system of 

 geology, Jameson's system of mineralogy, and an outline of 

 zoology. Leach's Arrangement of Insects came in his way, and 

 from it he gained some knowledge of entomology : the Elements 

 of Conchology, by Brown, made him acquainted with theLinnsean 

 arrangement of shells, also the description of the genera, and 

 the explanation of terms used in the science of conchology. 

 Often would he wander along the sea-beach collecting razor- 

 shells, cockles, muscles, oysters, &c. 



The last of the four was Bauldy Black : he differed from all 

 the rest ; he did not pretend to be a book-learned man, but, for 

 strength of body, he would match with any of his comrades ; he 

 was a good-natured lad, and took things very easy. He lost his 

 father when he was young, and he had nothing but hard work 

 before, and few opportunities for improving his mind. However, 

 he had formed a love for the fiddle, and with it he used to chase 

 away dull care, but his music was not at all times acceptable to 

 those who lived with him. 



When they were at work together, it would be difficult 

 to tell which was the best workman : when mowing, for in- 

 stance, they would keep time as regularly as if they had been 

 rowing a four-oared boat, and seldom had much to cut in 

 the "hacking"; but when they were relieved from their labour, 

 and every one at liberty to choose for himself, then the bent of 

 their minds would be discovered. One would, perhaps, be 

 reading Virgil or Homer, another would be working some pro- 

 position in Simson's Euclid, and another endeavouring to make 

 out the name of an unknown plant. When in the midst of 

 their studies, Bauldy would take down his fiddle, and give them 

 some lively Scotch airs to cheer on their philosophic spirits ; 

 but the Georgics were soon shut, Euclid laid aside, while 

 Lindley, Loudon, or Smith, was locked up in a trunk, and all 

 wished the crambophagus and his fiddle out of their hearing. 

 Sometimes they got what they wished for, for Bauldy did not 

 always confine himself and his music to the bothy. Often 

 would he go courting the lasses, and with the young women 

 he was a great favourite : he never appeared so happy as when 

 he got a few young men and women collected in a small apart- 

 ment ; then would he dance, sing, and play, for hours in a 

 winter's night. 



One night when Bauldy was absent, Sandy MacAlpine said 

 that something might be done that would better them all, and 

 might be the means of turning Bauldy from his thoughtlessness, 

 and make him more attentive in seeking after professional 

 knowledge. He believed that they were not acting right to- 



