much in

realm of

But I have already wandered too Borderland and enjoyed myself in the supposititious history, and must advance into the region of fact; this I will commence with a summary of an interesting letter from Mr. James Scott, of Newstead, writing to the Field in 1869, under the nom de plume of " A Border Sportsman.” This letter was brought about by others that had previously appeared in the same journal, just at that period when the Dandie Dinmont terrier was becoming popularised.

In 1800 James Davidson (he died in 1820) was presented by Dr. Brown, Bridgeward, with a bitch. called Tar and a dog named Pepper, both very small and very short in the leg, with long bodies, large and long heads, ears large and pendant, like a hound's or beagle's, but a little more pointed in the lower end. About this time Mr. Davidson took the Hyndlee farm, and shortly afterwards Mr. Stephenson, the tenant in Plinderleigh, procured for him another of those small terriers. It was no relation to those he already had, being from Rothbury, where that peculiar small breed was to be found in the greatest perfection, and bred by the Allens, Andersons, and Anguses. This Rothbury specimen was very dark in colour and rough in coat. The descendants of these three form the first of the

pepper and mustard, or Dandie Dinmont, race of terrier.

The true breed, proceeds Mr. Scott, was quickly spread amongst Mr. Davidson's friends; but next to Davidson himself for keeping up and distributing the pure race at the early period of its history were the Rev. H. G. Baillie, of Mellerstans, and Mr. Home, of Carrolside. I think from this we get as much about the early history of the breed as is possible, and it certainly is strong proof that it existed in the last century, had certain otter hound-like characteristics, and that there were, at any rate, some of the strain considerably larger in size than others.

A rather noteworthy letter appeared much later in the Field, viz., in 1878, as to the origin of Mr. James Davidson's Dandie Dinmonts. This was written by Mr. J. Davison, then residing at Andover, Hampshire, who proceeds to say: "I, as rather more than a sexagenarian, and a Border man, and one who in almost his childhood took up with dandies, can, I think, throw some light on the origin of those possessed by Mr. Davidson. The Border 'muggers were great breeders of terriers-the Andersons on the English side, the Faas and Camells on the Scotch side. In their perambulations they generally met once or twice a year at Longhorsley, Rochester (the ancient Bremenium of the Romans),

Alwinton, or some other Border village.

If they

The

could not get a badger they got a foulmart, wild cat, or hedgehog, at which to try their dogs. trials generally ended in a general dog-fight, which led to a battle royal amongst the tribes represented.

"This afterwards led to a big drink and exchange of dogs. Jock Anderson, the head of the tribe, had a red bitch which, for badger drawing, cat, foumart, or hedgehog killing, beat all the dogs coming over the Border. Geordy Faa, of Yetholm, had a wire-haired dog terrier, the terror of not only all other terriers in the district, but good at badger, fox, or foumart. They met at Alwinton, where Willie and Adam Bell (noted terrier breeders) had brought a badger they had got hold of at Weaford, near the Cheviots. Both the red bitch and the dog of Faa's drew the badger every time they were put in. 'Jock Anderson,' said Geordy, 'the dogs should be mated; let us have a grand drink, the man first doon to lose his dog.' Done,' says Jock. They sent for the whisky, which had never paid the king's duty, to Nevison's, at the little house, having agreed to pay 25. a quart for it. Down they sat on the green, fair drinking; in eighteen hours Jock tumbled off the cart-shafts, and Geordy started off with the terriers. The two dogs were mated, and produced the first pepper and mustards, which were presented by

Geordy to Mr. Davidson (Dandie Dinmont of 'Guy Mannering'); strange to say, the produce were equally the colour of pepper and mustard. The last pair I saw of what I consider perfect dandies were Robert Donkin's, at Ingram, near Alnwick, just before I left the north in 1838. I have been at shows, but never could identify any dandies shown as at all like the original breed belonging to the Telfords of Blind Burn, the Elliots of Cottonshope, the Donkins of Ingram, and other Border farmers. I am not a doggy man, but like to see all old breeds kept distinct."

Prior to the letter of 1869 dog shows had come into favour, and already classes had been provided for Dandie Dinmont terriers, even at such an early date as at Manchester in 1861, and at Birmingham the following year. As a rule these divisions were poorly represented, although in 1863 Mr. Aitken, of Edinburgh, sent a dog to Cremorne, where it was awarded but a third prize, the higher honours being withheld. For some time the variety made little progress, until an eventful show at Birmingham in 1867, where the two judges withheld all the prizes, much to the consternation of the exhibitors, one of whom, the Rev. W. J. Mellor, who showed his Bandy, which had been placed first at the same show the previous year, and usually won whenever

he was benched during three or four subsequent

seasons.

The Rev. Tenison Mosse was now on the scene with his little dog Shamrock; the newspaper correspondence was having its weight, and the Dandie Dinmont terrier was increasing in popularity. The very heavy Sir Douglas came into the ring, much to the chagrin of Scottish exhibitors, who said he was too big, and that his sire Harry was a mongrel, which he was not. Sir Douglas was a handsome, sensible dog of my own; he was too big, scaling 27lb., but he won a considerable number of prizes, including first at at the Border show, held at Carlisle, in 1871, the Rev. J. C. Macdona and Mr. S. Handley judging; a dog called Punch, also by Harry, and owned by Mr. Coulthard, being second. The general public were satisfied with the awards, but not so many of the Scottish fanciers, who were terribly cut up at the defeat of their own cracks.

At this show Mr. Bradshaw Smith, of Blackwood House, Ecclefechan, had four dogs and bitches entered; for about thirty years he had paid considerable attention to the Dandie Dinmont terrier, usually having a score or so of them in his kennels. Some of these were very good; his dog Dirk Hatterick, for instance, who had been written of as the "incomparable Dirk." Shem was another good dog; he