9 8 



THOMAS BEWICK. 



and had some intention of publishing his notes regarding them. Bewick 

 suggested that the cow and bull should be put together in one design, no 

 doubt because Tunstall was unwilling to incur the expense of separate 

 engravings. Bewick appears to have written to him proposing this. In the 

 " Memoirs of Tunstall," published in 1827, a letter addressed to Bewick 

 is given, which says, " I approve of your idea of putting the Chillingham 

 Bull and Cow into one plate, and that a copper one; " adding, " I should 

 like to have about sixty impressions taken off and sent me with the plate, 

 when finished, together with your account, which I will immediately dis- 

 charge." This was dated the 6th of November, 1788, nothing at that 

 time having been done to the design. Matters lay in abeyance until the 

 spring of 1789, when, according to agreement, Bewick visited Chillingham, 

 which is about fifty miles from Newcastle, for the purpose of making a 

 sketch of the animals. He started on foot, leaving Newcastle early on 

 Easter Sunday, and, accompanied by a friend, arrived in due course at John 

 Bailey's house at Chillingham. 



Bewick experienced much difficulty in obtaining his sketch, partly 

 because of the restless habits of the animals, and also of the danger attend- 

 ant on approaching them closely. " I was obliged," he says, " to endeavour 

 to see one which had been conquered by his rival, and driven to seek 

 shelter alone in the quarry holes or in the woods, and, in order to get a good 

 look at one of this description, I was under the necessity of creeping on 

 my hands and knees to leeward, and out of his sight, and I thus got my 

 sketch or memorandum, from which I made my drawing on the wood." 



Having secured the sketch, Bewick lost no time, on his return to Newcastle, 

 in proceeding with the engraving. He very wisely declined to follow the 

 instructions contained in Tunstall' s letter of November 6th to make it on 

 copper-plate, as he was quite aware of his weakness in that branch of art. 

 The rather unsuccessful representation of the animal in the Whitley Large 

 Ox plate was then in hand, and the Kyloe Ox engraving, not long finished, 



