248 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



brought into some of the smaller parks near the house ; 

 and a herd of about fifty red deer and a certain number 

 of sheep also graze there during the summer. This "Park 

 Moor," which is about eight hundred acres in extent, is 

 the wildest place that can be imagined — quite unaltered 

 from the time when it formed part of the forest, except 

 that it has lost the greater part of the trees and the beau- 

 tiful hollies with which it was formerly clothed ; but its 

 great extent and still greater inequalities of surface afford 

 every necessary protection to the wild animals, which may 

 be within two or three hundred yards of you without 

 your being at all aware of it. A very deep dell, through 

 which flows a rivulet, and from which broken ground 

 and high hills rise on either side, intersects it. It is 

 covered with furze, and rough tussocky grass, with grass 

 of finer quality intervening. In many places it is very 

 boggy, and, in one part at least, swarms with rabbits. 



I was unfortunately unable to see the cattle of this 

 herd, as, after walking a considerable distance — more, I 

 think, than a mile through the Park Moor — we came to 

 the edge of the very extensive and deep valley I have 

 just mentioned. My guide and I stood on the hill on one 

 side of this valley ; and it was at last ascertained, with 

 some difficulty (for the distance was so great that they 

 were scarcely distinguishable by the naked eye), that 

 the cattle were far off on the top of the opposite hill. 

 Want of time and my inability to walk so great a 

 distance prevented my going to them. I, however, 

 obtained from Mr. Legh himself, and from James Arden, 

 who accompanied me — an intelligent man, born close 

 by, and who has been for more than fifty years in the 

 service of the family — many particulars relating to the 

 Lyme cattle. 



