HAMILTON BREED OF WILD CATTLE. 205 
remaining of the establishment of our ancient British 
and Scottish kings. At present they are objects of 
great curiosity, both to the inhabitants and to stran- 
gers visiting the place. During the troubles conse- 
quent on the death of Charles I., and the usurpation 
of Cromwell, they were nearly extirpated; but a 
breed of them having been retained for the Hamil- 
ton family, by Hamilton Dalzell, and by Lord El- 
phingstone, at Cumbernauld, they were subsequent- 
ly restored in their original purity. A tradition pre- 
vails in the country, that, about a hundred years ago, 
when it was found necessary, for a time, to remove 
them from one pasture to another, several hundred 
individuals, belonging to the different baronies on 
the ducal estate, were called out, and that they only 
effected their purpose with much danger and diffi- 
culty. Instances are recorded of their having been 
taken when young, and tamed, and even milked. 
The milk, like that of most white cattle, is describ- 
ed as thin and watery. The usual number of ribs 
is thirteen on each side ; some have been slaughter- 
ed with fourteen pair of ribs, but this is exceeding- 
ly rare. There is no other park of cattle in Scot- 
land of a similar description.” 
In Chillingham Park they roam at large, and 
there is between 1500 and 1800 acres enclosed, com- 
hining, besides good pasture, a range of wild and 
rocky moor, interspersed with abundant wood and 
cover for their shelter, and approaching as near as 
any enclosure can do to the wild nature of their ori- 
