THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
“ rifle ” firing too soon, and so turning all the deer back. In the great 
extent of country formerly rented by the late Mr Winans immense drives 
used to take place in Glen Strathfarrer, and as a result forty-eight stags 
of various sizes were once killed in one day. 
Almost every large forest has produced its white hart or hind, and 
hardly a year passes without one being reported in some district. So 
long ago as 1622 we read of James VI writing to Sir Duncan Campbell, 
of Glenurchy, about a white hind which he wished to acquire, and 
which was known to frequent Gorrie-Baa, in the Black Mount Forest. 
Accordingly “ Johne Skandelbar, Englischman, with other twa Englisch- 
men,” were dispatched for this purpose, but doubtless from want of 
knowledge, they were unsuccessful. Curiously enough I saw a nearly pure 
white hind in Corrie-Baa in 1886. White stags have been killed at Invergary, 
Glenquoich, Loch Luichart, Braemore, Glen Doe, Guisachan, and many 
other places. In 1865 my father came close to a fine white stag on the 
Fannich March and was asked not to shoot it, as the proprietor of Brae- 
more wished to spare so interesting a creature. He was therefore some- 
what amused to find the white stag hanging in the larder at Braemore 
in the following year, being told that it had just been shot after many stalks, 
by the proprietor himself. There are always some white or pied stags 
and hinds in the small wood -sanctuary near the forest lodge. Black Mount. 
These are, however, never killed, and owe their origin to a white stag and 
hind presented by the King of Denmark to the Marquis of Breadalbane 
early in the last century. 
The late Cameron of Lochiel, a great lover of the rifle, yet confessed 
to a penchant for a course at a stag with a deerhound, and this fine sport 
is only attempted nowadays at rare intervals in places where it is possible 
without disturbing a large tract of country. The late Mr Angelo, however, 
made a practice of coursing Red deer in the Highlands for many years in 
the Forest of Cullachy, which he owned, near Kingussie, and kept a fine 
kennel of deerhounds for the purpose. 
The coursing generally took place on two large plateaux, the hounds 
being held in leash in couples at two separate points. A fast light bitch 
was generally used to make the running, and a heavier dog to pull the stag 
down or hold him at bay. 
The movements of the stag marked to hunt were signalled by a stalker 
in advance, and when it moved into a favourable position where the hounds 
could see it, they were loosed. Sometimes as many as six hounds were 
34 
