SHEEP IN SCOTLAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 622, 27 September 1909, Page 11

SHEEP IN SCOTLAND.

A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THINGS. ;: -..'(From. Our 'Special 'CorresposdenU ,:'■'' "■'".''. Bradford, Augvist G,' 1909.. There is no colonial visiting-Old England but what pays a visit to tho land o' Cakes, for Scotland is still one.of tho.bonnicst'spots that human byes can ever witness. - Its "banks and, braes" ato unparalleled, nud to wander. peacefully ,thrbugh .the West Highlands,' and yto' "do"■ the lochs and mountains a holiday that has n9 equal. It is .my-privilege, to be most" intimately connected with one of the largest .sheep farmers in tho district of Xoch Lomond, and eyerj- June during |the; last few-years.l havo spent' one to. : . two -..weeks, quietly '.recuperating.' What feelings ,pass through one's) mind- as,we, climb, soy- 'The Cobbler or Ben Lomond, or go fishing on tho loch or up some mountain burn! .One of'the pleasantcst,times 1 ever had in' my liio was in the month of Juno this year, when I sallied forth each'morn to enrich my mind and gain fresh enorgy'for the I'daily round and common task", in scones where the throb of busy multitudes is not seen or heard. Of all the months '.in.tho year June is the time to see Great Britain at its best; for then everything is in tune. This has'been n very wet and wretched time, but. early' Juno preyed to bo nice as regards weather.Vand the pines and furs -.of- trie -West Highlands we're to ,be seen,; at their best. In June, Scotch sheep farmers concontrate their: attention upon shearing,' for' it is never safo in that; wild, rough, nidged land to denude the.mountain ewes of their jackets. .1 want to give to-day what I call a .West Highland picture of gathering sheep.. I havo been,in .at several, and there will. be thousands' engaged: in pastoral life in wijj call,to rembmbranco.the early days of "their childhood when they too wandered through the glens arid upythe mountain sides in that part of the world. Tor, after all, Scotchmen have done more.,in-' propagating the sheep industry in Australia,! New. Zealand,., South Africa, and South-America than any .other set. of iudividuals.yy .''-.:»;■;,■'.' ••'.'-] /: : y '-.';':'-"'.

■ A. latgo piece, of coal is-placed..on-the fire before wo retire to rest, called a "raking" coal, and'all preparations aro made for the gathering of ono of the "hirscls," or divisions of the : farm, in the morning,. '.which lies several miles from the homestead. .Jt.is a: high, , rough, mountainous, place,overlooking tho.blue waters, of Loch-Long and Loch Soil. After ; the completion of the:necessary preliminaries wo go for a' short .sojourn, to .the realms of slumber. The hours.in that silent 'world'wing their flight with a speed surpassing that of. a second in .the.world of work, and n wireless .message, from the' alarm clock.recalls us ero wo ; have, properly landed '■' on, that. inisty' shore. ! ' The hour' at iwhich' the-,message reaches us,from over. the.'gulf:• of silence is an ; unusual:one for the ordinary: mortal; to ;.bo summoned, but for those! engaged in the management or tondiu'g of flocks iu the,; West Highlands of Scotland.it is in hd.sehs'b dxtraordiuary..- It is absolutely necessary ..to have tho sheep surrounded, and all. avenues of escape-cut .oft beforo moro.'"sows the earth- with' Orient pearl." ,'..Tho jnidnight. hour has.hardly dropped into the eternity Of tho pastiwhon wo have to rub the of sleep f rom • our. eycs, : and get into our harness.;: It is now 12.30 a.m., and tho "raking" coal' which ,loy smouldering, on the fire all; night is broken up, .and-the' smouldering mass bursts into' iflaroe. .Tho '■. kettle' is. put on, and in response to'the heat of-tha.firo its song -via" soon'/audiblo! .:'■ ■: When the 'kettle has worked-upits'ehthusiasm to the boiling point some; of ..its ardent .spirit is put into the toa-; pot, and tea is infused. 1 : Its. a.fine sight to seo 'present all the farm hands who are to .assist .in tho gathering. -When all have drunk .of the cup'that cheers but not inebriates;-.we-re-, pair ;..to ■ .the/! farm-yard.. ', The stars—thoso "flocks", which wander oyer,the limitless plains of heaven—are hot yot.gathered.from the sky. As'the-.shdpherds .'arrivo iri.:the,.,squa.ro with thoir], faithful'.assistants the .collies,; 1 the .realms of silenco!- are /over .and.' anon disturbed'■;by growling'and-barking. .'. The dogs are exchang--ing:. then' morning saluations, r and' settling' the multifarious little '.difference's'-'of their oivn, of interest.to no. bnbisbuti.-themsolvos. ..When an .understanding,is arrived'at'hetween. the eaniiio is usually accelerated'by their mastdr's crbokicomingtfnto .violent contact .with :th6ir; r '-.bodies—each''man: receives his instr'uetionsVpaud. ,'air- inarch' - away, through: the ; grey, •'curtain-, : 'of'.;ih'o^i!arly'-"JAra'd'rflo'rning^o''tnk6. l 'up' his: position at. the Appointed place; Each of us;.nas;:t6:'toili:.npward ,in the of tho m'prriin'g' ; un.spen;alnnc,:.and as.you loot around! whbn . cliihbihg'tho' rugged' steep, far ;down!.bolpw;you ;;hehold : .Loch,:Long and Loch Gdil, -reposing, peacefully, at.,thd..base of tho lofty''eminehces'.'whicJi. : .surround: 'them;" No •broath of wind.'itickles; thb.»faces-of >tlio. loclis,, or disturbs, tho: tranquility!'of > their repose.". 'A. little farther' to": the south-east.is the Garoloch/ bearing dn'his breast,a. large-number, of ships, which is regarded asa'sign of, poor' trade'., To •tho i south is-, that'great,, watery highway, the" Firth of'- Clyde,-ihavinjf.'for a milestdno the 'Ailsb'Graig.-Tho'Arra'n peaks loom in tho,dis*. : 'tanco,'.. niid ..Goat'. Fell and his" companions are •Beo'fi''.'WVboistillwearing', thoir-nightcaps..' ; '■■'.Si .'.- A flock; 'of.: sh'eop .'■aro ,'nt', rest right -in i f ron,t 'of its,':so';a'-wid'o'berth; is^' giyeii:.them!meanwhile, ns it would;iiot do. to disturb thciu.-pre-taught 'thosei,animals—whibli','are vTegardOdi'by many as- being -'possessed! of.!a"/double' share of, stupidity—that ' the semi-nocturnal ./perambulations. on the' part, 'of .man bodes no,good to.'theni,.therefore tliey 'seektho prbtcctio'n,of the woods' near the loch,and 'escfipe being gathered: ■' Thd,startled; cry of ;a.; curlew: echoes, through - tho, gldris,' whoso . rest has.evidontiybeen'disturbed;-and also.tho quick strorig,:beat ,of , ! .thp'-wihgs 'of,.'.a, covey -of grouse are.'heard flying past. When'the loftier heights, ;are. reached), an endless panorama of peaks: and loch's appears' to..vieiv.N.'i'o. the - east,isseeri Bon. Lomond;' his 'bonnet : touching th'o; clouds,, and ': around his Atlantban shouldors is ; his purple 'plaid, '.while: a'."kilt", of the richest greeri' adorris ,; hii lbwor parts, i ■." Loch Lomond -lies far beldw, like:'a:huge mirror, the fraiue-'work-richly embellished with hazel, oak, birch, : hiosf.befittirigmirrdr for,tho mighty Ben.to glass himself.-: Towering high .abq'vo the 'head of Lobh' Long,'and narrow Gle'ncroe; is. Ben Arthur"(Thb''Cobbler).',,:. Ho' is now'seen' ■ slowly -lifl.ing.liis nightcap of mist. -Tho deep scars on his forehead are;, eloquent, of thbhun-.; dreds of'ibattleswhiclv'he has fought jwith the ■battalions' of Boreas., Far to the -west; is Ben • Cruachan, -his .wrinkled brows'still supporting "the- garland whlca'winte'f-vroTO for -his, -viz.',; a. garland 'of snowi ' ; ■' As-wo ■ 'look eastward m thb dircetioii.: of/Inv.ersnaid,- Loch :;Ar]det is s^on.iandifarther, oust :; appear^/;Lpch.Katrine,, aiid at-onco thero\. comes ,tb ."pur,, mind ,'bir■ .Walter' Scott's eloquent '■ : .'. ";. : ' '

■i- ::. loch.Katrine.'.■■;' '. . ~~: , ; 1 ':;. 1 '■.'■"'■'■"Mn :all :heriength:far;winding lay;. .;■.-. ''•''■'-' "With promontory, creek,, and .bay}.;:;- ;... v ''And islands that, empurpled bright,. ... •;;.v.P'Floated'anlid: the liyollpr .light. : ,:_ .:: 1 The stars, silently : . and, unobserved, gradually hide themselves: from..tho searching-eye .of; the ruler of tho',day amid.tho I ,blue - ..thickets1 • of heaven;: lifted high above; tho. mighty Bens which '•■lie' '■ to ■ the 'east ore; purple ■ clouds--tho. banners' of the vanguard .'.-.. of mprmng. : / iho greatisynod of mountains receives: duo recognition' from .tho l sire;'of the:6easons...;.Tneir .heads: are crowned with gold, .'and -their .breasts-.;are mado'tb" sparkle'.with-jewels, oxceedrng -..iin •lustrs ithat :which thp. gorgeous east_; showers on '.her. kings. I .' The ;song of. the raonntam lark' is heard echoing through.the sti 1-m'orning air, as she circles ■ upward ■; towards tho. blue, depths of the sky.' l The. barking 'of a;, dog far tip tho mountain's side remiridsrus of' sompthmg more prosaio than ;a' study 1 :of.; Nature s beauties; another bark far:away in.tho distanco strikes, the ear,■'* followed ..by-cries; :?.Gidvawa'faur'opt wide!", "gidawa'fairr-oot'wide!.; ..Other commands: are heard,- such' as: "Oscar come in Uy ma heel!" "Tweed gid awa':bye..that!" The sheep resting' in.various parts :of;;phe,;.'hill Rather into-littlo droves',and. make, their,way through the passes; which lead;.to,.tho- lower slopes. Each shepherd- has always : two dogs that will "hunt and wcer." The former drives thp sheep, and the -latter collects. ■ Sometimes, thp: one dog can-be'.used for .".both 1 purposes. Tho gift of weerinir, ei' gathering, is.irmost useful acquisition '.for.=any collie to -,; possess. Now and then an: aged rewe. Will stop in her, flight to ascertain' if the dogs pro still, in: piir r ,. suit.- Anether bid lady'and her lamb will keop close =to tho sido of a rook. till, tho dog has nassed her.- Whon all danger-is over, sho and: ber lamb will return to tho old haunts, havin? escaped from the'gathered. .'The remainder of tho flock havo now reached tho lower' slopes,; :and several ewes and ; lambs are making for tho. woods, 1 an old ewe, the leader of many forlorn hopes/showing tho way. "Fanny gid away oot bye!" . PannyVis 'soon:.before them, and the fugitive's pw reluctantly compelled to join their fellows..: The.flock . : is ' driven towards . tho "lank," or fold, in small - lots, in order to facilitate the process .of driving. Another method .which 'is always ,'fpllowed■• on some farms is to' keep the sheep which grnzo on the.various parts of tho hills separate, tho rcaao'h for this.is that lambs will find their mothers much mucker than if the difforent lots wero mixed,- The sheep fank islnow rcachod, which : consists of one Inrge division, and a number of 6mall ones. 1 The big division is for all tho flock, if required, and thp smallor ones for separating the different classes, -viz. 1 , owes, wedders, lioggs (sheep one-year-old), rams, and stragglers (sheep .• which: come in from i noiphbouring farms). All-tho flock-is uow:;inside the enclosure/and our work''fpr tho,morning is at an end; The mountain', air'has given iis a moodappetito for breakfast.;and for all our toils we .ore wpll recompensed, :.