THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 229 



kind welcome. During the evening I had ample oppor- 

 tunity to observe how clever and scientific he was, and 

 regretted the more his frail body. He was extremely 

 anxious to see my drawings, and he examined them more 

 closely than I can ever remember any one to have done 

 before, and was so well acquainted with good drawing 

 that I felt afraid to turn them over for his inspection. 

 After looking at probably a hundred without saying a 

 single word, he exclaimed suddenly : " They are truly 

 beautiful ; our King ought to purchase them, they are too 

 good to belong to a single individual." We talked much 

 on subjects of natural history, and he told me that he 

 made it a rule that not a gun was ever fired during the 

 breeding season on any part of his beautiful estate; 

 he delighted to see the charming creatures enjoy life 

 and pleasure without any annoyance. Rooks, Jackdaws, 

 Wood-Pigeons, and Starlings were flying in hundreds 

 about the ruined castle. We sat up till after twelve, when 

 hot water and spirits were produced, after which we said 

 good-night ; but I needed nothing to make me sleep, for 

 in five minutes after I lay down I was — I know not where. 

 April 12. I am now at last where the famous Bewick 

 produced his handsome and valuable work on the birds of 

 England. It is a dirty-looking place, this Newcastle, and 

 I do not know if it will prove at all pleasant. This morn- 

 ing early the captain and myself took a good ramble about 

 Mitford Hall grounds ; saw the rookery, the ruins of the 

 castle, and walked some way along the little river front. 

 We breakfasted about ten with his brother, who wished to 

 see my drawings by daylight. Afterwards my baggage 

 was taken to Morpeth, and the captain and I walked 

 thither about twelve. Our way was along a pretty little 

 stream called the Wansbeck, but the weather changed and 

 the rain assured me that none of the persons we expected 

 to see in the village would come, on this account, and I was 

 not mistaken. At half-past four I mounted the coach for 



