" They are records of her life in Scotland during the years
1862 to 1882.
In the August of 1862 a huge cairn, thirty-five feet high, was erected
to the memory of the Prince Consort. It was set on the summit of Craig
Lowrigan, where it could be seen all down the valley.
A short extract will serve as a specimen of the Queen's style of
writing:
"At a quarter to twelve I drove off with Louise and Leopold in the
waggonette up to near the 'Bush' (the residence of William Brown,
the farmer) to see them 'juice the sheep.' This is a practice pursued
all over the Highlands before the sheep are sent down to the low
country for the winter. It is done to preserve the wool. Not far from
the burnside, where there are a few hillocks, was a pen in which the
sheep were placed, and then, just outside it, a large sort of trough
filled with liquid tobacco and soap, and into this the sheep were
dipped one after the other; one man took the sheep one by one out
of the pen and turned them on their backs; and then William and he,
holding them by their legs, dipped them well in, after which they
were let into another pen into which this trough opened, and here
they had to remain to dry. To the left, a little lower down, was a
cauldron boiling over a fire and containing the tobacco with water
and soap; this was then emptied into a tub, from which it was
transferred into the trough. A very rosy-faced lassie, with a plaid
over her head, was superintending this part of the work, and helped
to fetch the water from the burn, while children and many collie dogs
were grouped about, and several men and shepherds were helping.
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