GREAT HUNTINGS. hunting of these animals was formerly after the manner of an Eastern monarch. Thousands of vaffals surrounded a great tract of country, and drove the Deer to the fpot where the Chieftains were ftationed, who fhot them at their leifure. The magnificent hunt, made by an Earl of Athol, near this place, for the amufement of James V. and the Queen-mother, is too remarkable to be omitted; the relation is therefore given as described by Sir David Lindsay of the Mount*, who, in all probability, affifted at it. 66 66 66 "The Earl of Athole, hearing of the King's coming, made great provifion for him in all things pertaining to a prince, that he was as well ferved and eafed, with all things neceffary to his estate, as he had been in his own palace of Edinburgh. For I heard fay, this noble Earl gart make a curious palace to the King, to his Mother, and to the Embassador, where they were fo honourably eafed and lodged as they had been in England, France, Italy, or Spain, concerning the time and equivalent, for their hunting and paftime; which was "builded in the midst of a fair meadow, a fair palace of green timber, wind with green birks, that were green both "under and above, which was fafhioned in four quarters, and "in every quarter and nuik thereof a great round, as it had "been a block-houfe, which was lofted and gefted the space "of of three house height; the floors laid with green scarets fpreats, medwarts and flowers, that no man knew whereon he zeid, but as he had been in a garden. Further, there • Hift. Scotland, 146. (C were '' were two great rounds in ilk fide of the gate, and a great portculleis of tree, falling down with the manner of a barrace, with a draw-bridge, and a great ftank of water of fixteen foot deep, and thirty foot of breadth. And also this palace within was hung with fine tapestry and arraffes of filk, and lighted with fine glafs windows in all airths; that this palace was as pleasantly decored, with all neceffaries pertaining to a prince, as it had been his own palace-royal at home. Further, this Earl gart make fuch provision for the 66 King, and his Mother, and the Embaffador, that they had "all manner of meats, drinks, and delicates that were to be gotten, at that time, in all Scotland, either in burgh or land; "that is to fay, all kind of drink, as ale, beer, wine, both "white and claret, malvery, mufkadel, Hippocras, aquavita. Fur ther, there was of meats, wheat-bread, main-bread and ginge"bread; with fleshes, beef, mutton, lamb, veal, venifon, goose, grice, capon, coney, cran, fwan, partridge, plover, duck, drake, briffel-cock and pawnes, black-cock and muir-fowl, cappercaillies and alfo the ftanks, that were round about. "the palace, were full of all delicate fishes, as falmonds, trouts, pearches, pikes, eels, and all other kind of delicate fishes, "that could be gotten in fresh waters; and all ready for the "banket. Syne were there proper ftewards, cunning baxters, excellent cooks and potingars, with confections and drugs for "their deferts; and the halls and chambers were prepared with coftly bedding, veffel and napery, according for a king, fo that 66 he wanted none of his orders more than he had been at home "in his own palace. The King remained in this wilderness, R at with fome goats' whey, at a Sheelin, or Bothay, a cottage made of turf, the dairy-houfe, where the Highland fhepherds, or graziers, live with their herds and flocks, and during the fine feafon make butter and cheese. Their whole furniture confifts of a few hornspoons, their milking utenfils, a couch formed of fods to lie on, and a rug to cover them. Their food oat-cakes, butter or cheese, and often the coagulated blood of their cattle fpread on their bannocs. Their drink, milk, whey, and fometimes, by way of indulgence, whisky. Such dairy-houses are common to most mountanous countries; thofe in Wales are called Hafodtai, or Summer-houses; thofe on the Swiss Alps, Sennes. Dined on the fide of Loch-Tilt, a fmall piece of water, fwarming with Trouts. Continued our journey over a wild, black, moory, melancholy tract. Reached Brae-mart; the country almost instantly changed, and in lieu of dreary wastes, a rich vale, plenteous in corn and grafs, fucceeded. Crofs the Dee near its head, which, from an infignificant stream, in the course of a very few miles, increases to the size of a great river, from the influx of numbers of other waters; and is remarkable for continuing near fifty miles of its course, from Invercauld to within fix miles of Aberdeen, without any fenfible augmentation. The rocks of Brae-mar, on the East, are exceedingly romantic, finely wooded with pine. The cliffs are very lofty, and their front moft rugged and broken, with vast pines growing out of their fiffures. On the North fide of the river lies Dalmore, diftinguished by the finest natural pines in Europe, both in respect to the size of the trees, SHEELING, BRAE-MAR. FOREST OF AUG. 3. GLEN-TILT. at the hunting, the space of three days and three nights, "and his company, as I have fhewn. I heard men fay, it "coft the Earl of Athole, every day, in expences, a thoufand pounds." But hunting meetings, among the great men, were often the preludes to rebellion; for under that pretence they collected great bodies of men without fufpicion, which at length occafioned an act of parlement prohibiting fuch dangerous affemblies. Set out for the county of Aberdeen; ride Eastward over a hillinto Glen-Tilt, famous in old times for producing the most hardy warriors, is a narrow glen, feveral miles in length, bounded on. each fide by mountains of an amazing height; on the South is the great hill of Ben y glo, whose base is thirty-five miles in circumference, and whofe fummit towers far above the others. The fides of many of these mountains is covered with fine verdure, and are excellent fheep-walks: but entirely woodlefs.. The road is the most dangerous and the most horrible I ever travelled: a narrow path, fo rugged, that our horses often were obliged to cross their legs, in order to pick a fecure place for their feet; while, at a confiderable and precipitous depth beneath, roared a black torrent, rolling through a bed of rock,. folid in every part, but where the Tilt had worn its antient way.. Salmon force their paffage even as high as this dreary stream, in fpite of the distance from the fea, and the difficulties they have to encounter. Afcend a fteep hill, and find ourselves on an Arrie, or tract of mountain which the families of one or two hamlets retire to with. their flocks for pafture in fummer. Here we refreshed ourselves |