ng winter; the year-old Highlanders were put
into the strawyards; and the four-year-old Aberdeens were bought for
stall-feeding. Black-faced wethers were sent to the low pasture and for
turnip-feeding. An annual sale of cattle and letting of grass took
place about the 20th May. Mr Innes was famed for growing turnips. He
gained the prize of L50, given by the Highland Society for the best
field of turnips in the north of Scotland, twenty acres of yellow and
ten of globe turnips. Deacon Williamson's six and eight year old
Aberdeen work oxen--these were not the days of quick returns in
cattle--consumed them, and they went to the Greenland whale-ships at
last. Mr Innes was the poor man's friend, and a kind master to his
servants, but a cool determined man. Although standing almost six feet
three inches in height, he was a splendid horseman; when crossing the
Dee he made his horse jump into the boat with himself upon his back. He
galloped as the crow flies from one farm to another, and was at the
head of everything himself. He was an intimate friend of the late Lord
Kennedy, Captain Barclay of Ury, Farquharson of Finzean, Davidson of
Balnagask, and Cruickshank of Langley Park. He sometimes took a holiday
with them; and even entered for a time into some of their frolics, when
his seedtime and harvest were finished: he was quite fit to keep his
own with them. He was well educated, wrote out his leases, collected
his rents, could floor any one in court, and was very popular as a
justice.

Mr Cruickshank of Langley Park and Mr Innes afterwards quarrelled: the
quarrel originating at Blackhall. There had been a good deal of
chaffing between them, which ended in a row. Cruickshank went home and
wrote a challenge to Innes, and Innes went home and wrote one to
Cruickshank. They met and fought at Laurencekirk: Major C. Robertson,
Kindface, Invergordon, was Cruickshank's second, and Dr Hoyle,
Montrose, was in attendance as surgeon. ---- ---- was Innes's second,
and Dr Skene, Aberdeen, his surgeon. After the first fire the seconds
stopped proceedings; but Mr Innes's mother had intercepted a letter,
which she gave to her son after the first duel, and Mr Innes forthwith
sent another challenge to Cruickshank. They fought again at
Bourtreebush, half-way between Aberdeen and Stonehaven. Mr John
Stewart, late in Anguston (who was a great friend of the laird of
Durris) was standing with Mr Innes at the Plainstones, in Aberdeen. Mr
Innes looked