Life of a Scotch Naturalist 3

Life of a Scotch Naturalist 3

PORTRAIT OF THOMAS EDWARD. _Etched by P. Rajon._ _Frontispiece._

 

_Engraved by_

BANKS AND BRAES O’ DON _J. W. Whymper._ _To face page_ 1

AULTEN LINKS, ABERDEEN ” _page_ 42

BRIG O’ BALGOWNIE ” _To face page_ 48

THE SPIRES OF ST. MACHAR ” _page_ 49

CHARLES BEGG’S SHOP, GALLOWGATE ” _page_ 55

GRANDHOLM MILLS ” ” 60

RUINS OF DUNNOTTAR CASTLE _J. D. Cooper._ ” 63

DISTANT VIEW OF MONTROSE _J. W. Whymper._ ” 65

CASTLEGATE, ABERDEEN, ON

FRIDAYS _J. D. Cooper._ ” 79

BOYNDIE CHURCHYARD _J. W. Whymper._ _To face page_ 100

THE CASTLE OF THE BOYNE _J. D. Cooper._ ” 116

FRASERBURGH _J. W. Whymper._ _page_ 128

BAY OF ABERDOUR _J. D. Cooper._ ” 134

MOUTH OF THE DON _J. W. Whymper._ _To face page_ 176

THE SHORE AT ABERDEEN ” _page_ 180

TARLAIR—VIEW OF NORTH COAST

OF BANFFSHIRE _J. D. Cooper._ _To face page_ 196

GAMRIE HEAD _J. W. Whymper._ ” 218

VILLAGE OF PENNAN _J. D. Cooper._ ” 250

RED HEAD OF PENNAN _J. W. Whymper._ _page_ 251

BAY OF BOYNDIE, FROM BANFF

LINKS _J. W. Whymper._ ” 278

BROADSEA, NEAR FRASERBURGH _J. D. Cooper._ ” 291

SPYNIE CASTLE AND LOCH _J. W. Whymper._ ” 359

BANFF MUSEUM ” ” 372

“HERE I AM STILL” ” _To face page_ 388

EDWARD’S HOUSE, LOW SHORE,

BANFF _J. D. Cooper._ _page_ 438

 

 

OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS.

 

MAP OF NORTH BANFFSHIRE AND NORTH ABERDEENSHIRE _Pages_ 136-7

PRANIZA EDWARDII ” 299

NESTS OF NEST-BUILDING CRUSTACEA ” 312

EDWARD’S MIDGE (COUCHIA EDWARDII) ” 344

THE OLD BONE IN BANFF MUSEUM ” 369

 

[Illustration: BANKS AND BRAES O’ DON.]

 

 

 

 

LIFE OF A NATURALIST.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER I.

 

_EARLY YEARS._

 

 

THOMAS EDWARD was born at Gosport, Portsmouth, on Christmas day, 1814.

His father, John Edward, was a private in the Fifeshire Militia.

Shortly after his enlistment at Cupar, he went to Aberdeen to join

his regiment. While stationed there, he became acquainted with, and

afterwards married, Margaret Mitchell, a native of the place.

 

Not long after John Edward’s marriage, his regiment was ordered to

Portsmouth. Towards the close of the continental war, militia regiments

were marched hither and thither, from one end of the country to

another. The regular troops had mostly left England, to meet the armies

of Napoleon in the Peninsula and the Low Countries. The militia were

assembled in camps along the coast, or were stationed in garrisons to

hold watch and ward over the French prisoners confined there. Hence the

appearance of the Fifeshire militia at Gosport, where the subject of

our story was born.

 

[Sidenote: _VILLAGE OF KETTLE._]

 

When the battle of Waterloo had been fought, and peace fell upon

Europe, the English army returned from abroad. The militia were no

longer needed for garrison duty, and the greater number of them were

sent home. The Fifeshire Militia were ordered to Fife, and took up

their quarters at Cupar. During that time, John Edward’s wife and

family resided at the village of Kettle, about six miles south-west of

the county town. They lived there, because John was a native of the

place, and had many relatives in the village.

 

At length the militia were disembodied. Edward returned to Kettle,

and resumed his trade of a hand-loom cotton weaver. After remaining

there for some time, he resolved to leave for Aberdeen. His wife liked

neither the place nor the people. Kettle was a long straggling sleepy

village. The people were poor, and employment was difficult to be had.

Hence Edward did not require much persuasion to induce him to leave

Kettle and settle in Aberdeen, where his wife would be amongst her own

people, and where he would be much more likely to find work and wages

to enable him to maintain his increasing family.

 

[Sidenote: _THE GREEN AT ABERDEEN._]

 

Arrived at Aberdeen, John Edward and his wife “took up house” in the

Green, one of the oldest quarters of the city. Their house stood at

the head of the Green, near Hadden’s “Woo mill.” The remains of the

old Green were lower down the hill. The Denburn ran at the foot of the

Street. There were also the Inches, near the mouth of the Dee, over

which the tide flowed daily.

 

Since then, the appearance of that part of Aberdeen has become entirely

changed. Railways have blotted out many of the remnants of old

cities.[1] The Green is now covered with houses, factories, and the

Aberdeen Railway Station,—its warehouses, sidings, and station rooms. A

very fine bridge has been erected over the Green, now forming part of

Union Street; the Palace Hotel overlooking the railway station and the

surrounding buildings.

 

Thomas Edward was brought up in his parents’ house in the Green, such

as it was sixty years ago. It is difficult to describe how he became

a naturalist. He himself says he could never tell. Various influences

determine the direction of a boy’s likings and dislikings. Boys who

live in the country are usually fond of birds and bird-nesting; just as

girls who live at home are fond of dolls and doll-keeping. But this boy

had more than the ordinary tendency to like living things. He wished

to live amongst them. He made pets of them; and desired to have them

constantly about him.

 

[Sidenote: _THE UNRULY CHILD._]

 

From his birth he was difficult to manage. His mother said of him that

he was the worst child she had ever nursed. He was never a moment at

rest. His feet and legs seemed to be set on springs. When only about

four months old, he leapt from his mother’s arms, in the vain endeavour

to catch some flies buzzing in the window. She clutched him by his long

clothes, and saved him from falling to the ground. He began to walk

when he was scarce ten months old, and screamed when any one ventured

to touch him. And thus he went on, observing and examining,—as full of

liking for living things as he was when he tried to grasp the flies in

the window at Gosport.

 

[Sidenote: _BEGINNINGS OF NATURAL HISTORY._]

 

When afterwards asked about the origin of his love for Natural History,

he said, “I suppose it must have originated in the same internal

impulse which prompted me to catch those flies in the window. This

unseen something—this double being, or call it what you will—inherent

in us all, whether used for good or evil, which stimulated the

unconscious babe to get at, no doubt, the first living animals he

had ever seen, at length grew in the man into an irresistible and

unconquerable passion, and engendered in him an insatiable longing for,

and earnest desire to be always amongst such things. This is the only

reason I can give for becoming a lover of Nature. I know of none other.”

 

While living at Kettle, the child began to walk. He made friends with

the cats and dogs about the house. He was soon able to toddle out of

doors. At first, he wished to cultivate the acquaintance of the cocks

and hens and ducks, of which the village was full. But they always ran

away before he could get up to them and caress them.

 

There was, however, another, and a much more dangerous creature, whose

acquaintance he sought to make. This was a sow called Bet, with a

litter of pigs. Whenever he was missing, he was found looking in at the

pigs. He could not climb over the paling, but could merely look through

the splits.

 

The sow was known to be ferocious, and she was most so when she had a

litter of pigs. Edward’s mother was afraid lest the sow should injure

him by biting his hands or face through the bars of the cruive.[2]

Therefore she warned him not to go near the beast. But her warnings

were disregarded. When she asked, “Where’s Tam?” the answer invariably

was, “Oh! he’s awa wi’ the pigs.”[Sidenote: “_STOLEN BY THE GYPSIES._”]