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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 213 placed.’ These are usually carried by a boy denominated a cadie;’ and the players are generally preceded by a runner, or foremdie, to observe the ball, so that no time may be lost in discovering it. Bets of a novel nature, which set the ordinary routine of the game entirely aside, are occasionally undertaken by the more athletic. An amusing and dacult feat, sometimes attempted from Bruntsfield Links, is that of driving the ball to the top of Arthur’s Seat I’ In this fatiguing undertaking, being a species of steeple chase, over hedges and ditches, the parties are usually followed by bottle-holders and other attendants, denoting the excessive exertion required. In 1798 bets were taken in the Burgess Golfing Society, that no two members could be found capable of driving a ball over the spire of St, Giles’s steeple. The late Xlr. Sceales of Leith, and Mr. Smellie, printer, were selected to perform this formidable undertaking. They were allowed to use six balls each. The balls passed considerably higher than the weathercock, and were found nearly opposite the Advocate’s Close. The bet was decided early in the morning in case of accident, the parties taking their station at the southeast corner of the Parliament Square. The feat is described as one of easy performance. was obtained by a barrel stave, suitably fixed ; and the height of the steeple, which is one hundred and sixty-one feet, together with the distance from the base of the Church, were found to be much less than a good stroke of the club. When confined to its proper limits, the game of golf is one of moderate exercise, and excellently calculated for healthful recreation, In the west of Scotland it is comparatively unknown.6 One cause for this may be the want of Commons, or Links, sufficiently large for the pastime to be pursued to advantage. In Glasgow a golf club was formed some time ago ; but we understand the members were under the necessity of breaking up, in consequence of having been prohibited the use of the green, part of which is preserved with great care for the purposes of bleaching. In Stirling two or three golfers may occasionally be seen playing in the King’s Park, but the game has evidently ceased to be The cadies, though generally boys, are in some instances professional players who continue the occupation in addition to some other calling. They are for the most part very skilful players, having a thorough knowledge of the game, which makes their services the more valuable, from tbe judicious advice they are capable of affording the player whose clubs they carry. 8 This does not appear to have been attempted prior to the period when Hugo h o t wrote his History of Edinburgh. In a critical note on the letters of Topham, who wrote in 1775, h o t remarks that the author “has been pleased to make the top of Arthur’s Seat, and those of the other hills in the neishbourhood of Edinburgh, fields for the game of the golf. This observation is still more unfortunate than the general train of his remarks. Were a person to play a ball from the top of Arthur’s Seat, he would probably have to walk upwards of half a mile before he could touch it again ; and we will venture to say, that the w?wk art of man could not play ths Wl back agaim.’’ This, however, has actually been done. For a bet a ball waa driven, aome yeam ago, by Mr. Donald M‘Lean, W.S., over Mdville’s Monument, in St. Andrew Square. 4 This remark does not apply now-Prestwick Linka, in Aphim, King one of the beat and moat f a ~ o u r i kfi elds for the game in Scotland. The required elevation 1 By the rules of the game (with certain exceptions) the ball must be struck where it lies. The elevation waa taken by Mr. Laidlaw, teacher of Mathematies in Edinburgh. ED. 1877.
Volume 9 Page 284
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