centre of his forehead so effectually that I saw him drop before I heard the report,
though I was little more than a gunshot from the place. The second bull was
still more difficult to overcome, though only two years old; he received six shots
at distant intervals, leapt through a hole in a wall, which to appearance was
impracticable, and after all was mastered with considerable difficulty and some
danger. The first bull, 4 years old, weighed after being bled 11 cwt. 24 lb .;
the second, 2 years old, 8 cwt. 8 lb. The first, beef, 28 s t.; tallow, 1 st. 7 lb .;
hide. Second, beef, 24 s t .; tallow, 1 st. 4 lb.; hide; 24 ounces to the pound.
The first, length from nose to tail, 13 f t .; girth behind fore legs, 7 ft. 2 in.
Second, length from nose to tail, 11 ft. 8 in .; girth behind forelegs, 6 ft. 6 in.—
I am, Sir, yours &c. (Signed) J. G. Cairninses.’
A u c h e n c r u i v e , A y r s h i r e .— Prior to 1763, when this estate came into the
hands of Mr. Oswald, the Lords Cathcart kept a herd of White Cattle at
Auchencruive. Before 1784 they were all killed.
B a r n a r d C a s t l e , D u r h a m .— For several centuries during the Middle Ages
White Cattle were kept imparked at Barnard Castle by the Baliols, the
Beauchamps, and the Nevills Earls of Warwick. Charles I, according to
Hutchinson,1 granted for a consideration to Samuel Cordwell and Henry Dingley,
in trust for Sir Henry Vane, the reversion of Barnard Castle and its parks,
‘ together with all deer and wild cattle within the said parks.’ The date of their
extinction is unknown.
B i s h o p A u c k l a n d , D u r h a m .— This old park, originally part of Weardale
Forest, formerly belonged to the Bishops of Durham, who kept Wild Cattle there
before the Reformation. Leland described it as ‘ a faire parke by the Castelle
having fallow deer, wild bulles, and kine.’ Raine2 infers that they were scarce in
1338 but quotes (p. 77): ‘ W ild kyne, with calves and bulles . . remained in
Auckland Parke, September 24, 1627, the number thirty-two.’
Raine quotes a description by Sir William Brereton, who stayed as a guest
of Dr. Moreton, Bishop of Durham, at Bishop Auckland in 1634: ‘ A daintie
stately parke; wherin I saw wild bulls and kine which had two calves and
rufiers; there are about twenty beasts all white; will not endure yor .approach,
butt if they be enraged or distressed, very violent and furious.’ These cattle
appear to have been destroyed during the Civil Wars.8
1 History o f Durham, voL ill. p. 245.
a Historical Account o f the Episcopal Palace o f Auckland, pp. 77-79.
* Other herds are supposed to have existed at this time at Raby (Durham) and at Stainwick (Yorkshire).