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^

SPORTING REMINISCENCES

LONDON
BY SI'OTTISWOODE AND CO.
NEW-SIR EKT SQUAl:a

PiEIINISCENCES op an OLD SPORTSMAN

COLONEL J. P. HAMILTON, K.H.

AUTHOR OF 'travels IN THE INTERIOR OP COLUMBIA'

In Two Volumes

VOL. ir.

LONDON

LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, AND ROBERTS

1860

Tlie ritfM <\f /i-axflrilh

CONTENTS

THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER XXX.

Pag.;

Boars Killed at Amboise. — Castle of Amboise. — Major Lutyens
made Prisoner. — Wild Fowl Shooting iu Spain. — Shooting
on Estate of Duke Decare ....... 1

CHAP. XXXI.

Rearing Pheasants and Partridges. — Food for Young Birds. —
Partridges are stationary. — Taking Partridges with Nets . 15

CHAP. XXXII.
Duties of a Gamekeeper ........ 23

CHAP. XXXIII.

Hints from an Old Sportsman. — Be on Good Terms u-ith yoiu-
Tenants. — Mild Seasons keep Birds from Clover. — Set Dog-
spikes for Wild Dogs. — Planting on Poor Lands. — Encoimter
with Poachers. — Wondei-ful Breeding Season. — Gamekeeper
to keep good Watch at Night. — A PiU for the Poacher. —
Screening a Poacher ........ 27

CHAP. XXXIV.
Old Country Gentleman, 1C38. — A ^' Centiu-ion " . . .40

CONTENTS OF

CHAP. XXXV.

Page
Sporting Dogs. — Setters. — Spaniels. — A Spaniel's Affection. —
Water-Spaniels. — Anecdote. — The Captain's Funeral. — Mal-
brook's Acliievements. — A Faithful Dog. — The Wolf-Dog. —
The Irish Wolf-Dog. — Hommage au Roi. — Bruno. — Llewelyn's
Gelert 50

CHAP. XXXVI.

The Blood-Hound. — The Deer- Hound. — A Chase . . .78

CHAP. XXXVII.

The Newfoundland Dog. — Anecdotes. — Lines on Tippoo. —
"Dot" and "Sailor." — The Shepherd's Dog. — "Hector."

— Anecdotes 84

CHAP. XXXVIII.

The Instinct of Dogs. — Home at last. — Anecdotes. — Lord
Eldon's Pincher. — Nero's Pursuit. — Cartouche. — Card-Tricks.

— Adventures of Moustache. — The Four-legged Poacher . 102

CHAP. XXXIX.

Sport in Sardinia. — A Disciple of St. Hubert. — An Irish
Renegade. — Commencing Operations. — King Victor Em-
manuel. — A Pleasant Party. — A Boar Hunt. — Good Sport.

— An Accident. — A Stag for a Gun. — The Mufflon. — Pro-
duce of Sai-dinia. — Malvosia de Buda. — The Vendetta. —
Banditti. — Departure .119

CHAP. XL.
Deer Stalking. — The Scotch Forest. — The Forest of Mar. —
The Deer-Hoimd. — A Hunt. — Anecdote of Deer-StaUcing. —
Extraordinary Shot at a Deer. — Antiseptic Quality of Peat. —
No Hair-breadth Escape 149

THE SECOND VOLUME. Vll

CHAP. XLI.

Page
Falcoiny : its History. — Royal Hawking. — Hawking in Persia

and Morocco. — Marco Polo. — The Hawk in Heraldry. —

Hawking in Scotland and England. — Decline of the Sport. —

The Gamekeeper's Annoyance. — The Literature of Falconry.

■ — Hawking EstabKshments. — Greenland Hawks. — Noble

Qualities of the Falcon ........ 171

CHAP. XLII.

Natural History of the Falcon. — The Male Peregiae Falcon. —
The Female Peregrine. — Daring of the Falcon. — Blome's
Description. — The Plumage of the Falcon. — The Saker. —
The Tanner. — The Goshawk. — The Francoliu. — How to
Manage the Falcon. — Their Habits. — The Sparrow-Hawk. —
How to Train it 222

CHAP. XLIII.
Natural History of the Falcon continued. — The Hobby. — The
Kestrel: its Habits. — The Merlin. — The Kite.— Anecdotes. . 249

CHAP. XLIV.
Method of taking Falcons. — Hawks. — Eyesses. — Modes of
Capture. — In Iceland. — Technical Terms. — Training of
Hawks. — Qualities of the Falconer. — Training Eides. — How
to Feed the Hawk. — Training the Haggard. — The Living
Quarry. — The Working Hawk. — Short-winged Hawks. —
Extract from Bert. — Heron Hawking. — Kite and Pheasant
Hawking. — Waterfowl Hawking. — Partridge Hawking. — A
Plea for the Peregrine 265

ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOL. II.

A Poodle Dog having his Woxind di'essed ... . io face page 111

Wild Boar Hunt ,,130

The attached Dog in Chiu'chyard at Stockholm . „ 62

EKKATUM.
Page 49 ; for " "Winborne, St. Giles," read "Wimborne St, Giles."

EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN

EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN,

CHAPTER XXX.

BOARS KILLED AT AMBOISE. — CASTLE OF AMBOISE. — MAJOR LUTTENS
MADE PEISOXEK. — WILD FOWL SHOOTEN^G IN SPAIN. — SHOOTING ON
ESTATE OF DUKE DECARE.

" O'er his bow back he hath a battle set
Of prickly pikes, that ever threat his foes ;
His eyes like glow-worms shine when he doth fret,
His snout digs sepulchres where'er he goes ;
Being moved he strikes whate'cr is in his way,
And whom he strikes his crooked tushes slay."

Voii'.s and Adonis.

In tlie summer of 1829 I was returning to my family
in Grascony, where we resided for a few years ; and as
my route to Bordeaux lay through the small town of
Amboise, I determined to visit one of my oldest mili-
tary friends, who resided in a chateau in the neighbour-
hood. We had served our first campaign in Flanders
and Holland together. He was an excellent and gallant
officer. I had not met my old friend for many years.

4 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOKTSMAX.

and on my arrival I received a most cordial welcome
from him, his wife, and two amiable daughters. As an
old sportsman I had an additional motive for wishing to
pay this visit, as the fame of Major Lutyens for his suc-
cess in killing wild boars with his pack of English fox-
hounds had reached me in Grascony. I recollect with
much pleasure that I passed a fortnight most agreeably
with the family. The weather was delightful, and we en-
joyed many rides in the wide avenues of the noble forest
of Amboise, which was then the property of the Duke
of Orleans, afterwards Louis Philippe ; and my friend,
who spoke French fluently, had ingratiated himself with
most of the French families of the neighbourhood,
whom he frequently invited to dinner during my stay
with him. The next morning after my arrival he took
me into one of his rooms to show me all the trophies of
his successful chases against the wild boars. These con-
sisted of a considerable number of their tusks, some very
large and sharp, and some of the skins of the largest.
He also showed me a letter which he had received from
the private secretary of the Duke of Orleans to thank
him for the great benefit he had conferred on the tenants
of his royal highness, who had farms adjacent to this
forest, b}' the number of wild boars he had killed. We
afterwards visited the kennel, where I saw about ten
couples of foxhounds all in excellent condition, and the
premises remarkably clean. He showed me the wounds
which were then healed on several of his hounds, some
of them apparently very severe. These they had re-
ceived in their encounters with the wild boar when he
was brought to bay. He had had some hounds killed
when fighting with these enraged animals. From what
he related of the courage and mettle displayed by the

BOARS KILLED AT AilBOISE. 5

English foxhounds in these combats, their character
stands high amongst the canine race. My friend's
jj'iqueur, or huntsman, had a very intelligent counte-
nance antl an eye like an eagle, and I was told he was
as keen and ardent a sportsman as his master. Whilst,
hunting he alwa3^s accompanied jNIajor Lutyens, well
mounted and armed with a rifle, and when the boar
was blown and brought to bay by the hounds, the major
and piqueur watched a favourable opportunity to fire at
him ; it sometimes required several shots before he was
wounded. My friend told me the}' were obliged to be
very cautious in approaching a boar of three or four
years old, for as he combined great strength with cun-
ning, his attack was attended with much danger, and in
the midst of his combat with the hounds he would some-
times rush forward and attack any person who might
come in his way, and there were some instances of men
being either killed or wounded. But these fatal acci-
dents generally occurred at the battues in the large
forests, which battues the French prefer on accoimt of
the variety of game to be killed, and where sometimes
they are so fortunate as to slay two or three wolves.*
My friend told me that although his foxhounds hunted
the wolves with great eagerness, still he had never been
able to kill one, from the peculiar and untiring pace of
theser voracious animals: and his want of success on

* On August 27tli, 1837, tlie Jlayors of Boudet and Bcnon iu the
arrondissement of La Eochelle, summoned a uumbei- of gentlemen to
superintend a general battue, which the inhabitants made that day
against the ■wolves, -u-hich did great damage to their cattle and flocks.
In almost erery department of France infested by •wolves there is a
"societe Louveterie," the object of which is their destruction, and
premiums, yarying iu amoiuit according to the age and sex of those
killed, are also paid.

6 EEIIIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

these occasions annoyed him exceedingly, and they were
unable to get a shot at them. The major having a
good income, particularly whilst living in the country in
France, he was enabled to keep a handsome establish-
ment of servants and horses. He never hunted the red
deer or roebuck, as they were strictly preserved by the
duke's gamekeepers. A year or two after my visit to
Araboise a sad misfortune befel his hounds : a mad dog
unfortunately contrived to get into the kennel, and bit
several of the hounds, which obliged my friend to have
them destroyed ; but as it was his intention to remove to
Paris, this untoward event was less annoying to him.
One day my friend and myself visited the once noble
chateau of Amboise, a short distance from his residence.
In walking through the antiquated apartments of this
palace, the splendour and festivities of which it had
been the scenes in the chivalrous times of Francis I.
and Charles VIII. were brought vividly to my recol-
lection. The royal Chateau of Amboise is delightfully
situated on au eminence commanding an extensive view
of the beautiful surrounding country and the course of
the fine river Loire, which is navigable for ninety miles
for vessels requiring only a small draught of water.
The two above-named monarchs, particularly the latter,
passed much of their time, when not engaged in foreign
wars, at this palace, which at that period possessed every
charm and attraction that art and unbounded wealth
could confer ; this part of the country being denominated
" le Jardin de la France." Francis I. was considered
the mirror of chivalry, and at the tournaments frequently
carried off the prizes, which he made an offering to the
most beautiful ladies of his court. He was brave,
generous, and a liberal patron of the fine arts, which

CASTLE OF AMBOISE. 7

flourished so highly iu that age, but his raslmess and
want of caution gave his wily and formidable enemy,
Charles V. Emperor of Germany, a great advantage
over him, and in the battle of Pavia he was made
prisoner, and suffered a long and rigorous confinement
in Spain.

This chateau is connected Avith the romantic stor}^ of
the beautiful Countess of Chateaubriand, whose husband
being fully aware of the amorous disposition of Francis
I., had adopted, as he conceived, secure means to pre-
vent her coming to the com-t during his residence there.
To accomplish this, on leaving his young countess at his
chateau in Brittany, he showed her a ring, and desired
her not to come to the court unless it was enclosed in a
letter. The fame of her beauty having reached the ears
of the king, he was very anxious to see her at Amboise,
and expressed his mshes in strong terms to the count,
who replied that the countess had remained in Brittany
at her own desire, being fond of a rural and retired life,
and that although he had repeatedly written to her to
come, she always refused. The count having impru-
dently entrusted the secret of the ring to a confidential
servant, through his treachery it was disclosed to some
of the courtiers, who bribed him to steal the ring ; they
had one made exactly like it, and sent it in a letter to
the countess, who very soon made her appearance at
the court, and became a victim to the passion which
was quickly excited by her personal charms in the
breast of Francis. The husband retired in despair to the
chateau in Brittany.

It was in this castle that Charles VIII. King of
France, met with his death by an accident. He was
leading his young queen, Anne Duchess of Bourbon,

8 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAX.

whom he had just married, to the tennis court, when,
passing through a dark and low-roofed gallery, his head
came in contact with the archway of the door. This
accident was at first supposed to be of no consequence,
and he even joined in the game. But he was shortly
seized with a sudden giddiness, and expired during the
night on a sofa in the small gloomy gallery of the
chateau, at the age of twenty-eight.

A singular event occurred to Major Lutyens when
he arrived as prisoner at Madrid ; and which proves
that a good action generally meets its reward sooner
or later.

" Beneficiis praemia sua raro desmit."

My friend had given up his staff appointment to the
general commanding the London district, to join a
squadron of the 11th Light Dragoons, commanded by
Captain Money * which went out as the body guard of
Greneral Sir Ealph Abercromby. In the general action
of the 21st March (in which Sir Ralph was mortally
wounded) at daylight a most desperate charge was made
by a body of the enemy's cavalry, commanded by the
French general Loisel, on the brigade composed of the
28th Regiment and 42nd Highlanders. Before the
latter had time to form into square the cavalry rode
through them, but the Highlanders defended themselves
most gallantly. The 28th Regiment, then commanded
by the brave and excellent officer, the late Sir Edward
Paget, faced about and opened a sharp fire on the French
dragoons in their rear, very few of whom escaped being

* The late General Money died about two years ago, and was then
colonel of my old regiment, the Scots Greys.

AXECDOTE OF MAJOR LUTYEXS. 9

killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The general was
also captured, as also, amongst the number, a PVench
colonel of most agreeable manners, and who was sub-
sequently introduced to my friend Lutyens. They be-
came very intimate, and as the Frenchman required
money, he advanced the sum he requested, and provided
him also with some of his linen. Soon after this action,
a capitulation took place between General Hutchinson
and the French general Menou, by which the French
army was to evacuate Egypt, and to be sent back to
France, and Major Lutyens and the colonel took an
affectionate leave of each other, never expecting to
meet again.

When my friend was afterwards taken prisoner, and
marched to ^Madrid with a considerable number of
prisoners, Spanish and English, they were all lodged
for a day or two in an extensive room of a deserted
convent, and my poor friend had only straw to lie upon.
The evening before they were to be marched off early
the next morning, on their route to France, escorted by
a strong French detachment, a general officer with bis
staff arrived with the officer who was to command the
escort, and whilst he was giving him some orders, he
walked round the apartment looking at the prisoners.
When he came to the spot where my friend w^as lying
he suddenly stopped, and examining his countenance, ex-
claimed, " Ah, mon Dieu ! c'est mon ami le Capitaine
Lut3'ens I " flew into his arms and embraced him. The
astonishment of both at this unexpected meeting may be
easily conceived ; and the general said, " Now, my dear
Lutyens, I have an opportunity of returning to you much
of the kindness which I experienced from you when I
was a prisoner in Egypt ; although it is not in my power

VOL. IT. C

10 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

to prevent your going to-morrow morning with the rest
of the prisoners on your way to France, let me know
what money, linen, &c., you may require, and they will
be sent you before your departure ; the officer who
commands the escort is an old friend of mine, and I
will take care that you shall live with him on the route,
and be provided with a good mule to ride — otherwise
you would have been obliged to suffer all the hardships
of travelling on foot." The general took an affectionate
leave of Lutyens early next morning, and hoped he
should be able to be of service to him in France.

Major Lutyens informed me of the particulars of his
being made prisoner, with nearly a squadron of the 11th
Light Dragoons, in Portugal, and as, at the time, some
blame was attached to him for not retiring sooner on
our army, his account convinced me that it was totally
unmerited. He said that he had been placed the
evening before by the general officer of the day at the
post which he occupied with his detachment, and threw
out his videttes towards those of the enemy. Early the
next morning some of the French light cavalry advanced
towards him, and drove back his videttes. As their
force increased he was obliged gradually to retreat,
naturally concluding that he should soon fall in with
some part of our army stationed for his support.
Having retreated about a mile, he saw drawn up in his
rear a considerable body of cavalry, which he supposed,
of course, was an English regiment, but on a nearer ap-
proach, to his astonishment he discovered it to be a strong
French regiment of dragoons, which completely cut off
his retreat. Almost immediately a French officer rode
up to him to demand his surrender with his detachment,
and as the case was hopeless, from the strong force

ANECDOTE OF MAJOR LUTYEXS. 11

opposed to liim, he had nothing left but to submit to
this humiliating condition. When he was introduced to
(leneral Sebastiani he told him that a French officer
who had made a reconnaissance early that morning
reported to him the unprotected situation in which he
liad been placed by the general officer the night before,
without any support to fall back upon, and that Sebas-
tiani immediately gave orders for a French regiment of
cavalry to cut off his retreat ; so that the whole blame
in this unfortunate affair was to be attributed to the
general officer of the day. Early the next morning,
my friend, with a considerable detachment of English
and Spanish prisoners, was marched on foot on the road
to Madrid, and they were all placed in a large apartment
of a deserted monastery. After a day or two, an order
came that all the prisoners should be sent to France
under a strong escort, to secure them from the attack of
the Spanish guerillas.

When he arrived in France as a prisoner, he obtained,
through the interest of Lafitte, the French banker,
permission to reside in any part of France, excepting on
the high roads to Spain or Grermany; and having sent
for his wife to join him, he chose his residence near
Amboise, where he remained imtil the peace of 1814,
and soon after this he retired from the army, and
returned once more to his former residence in that
beautiful province of France.

During the mnter of 1812 two Swiss officers and myself
were most uncomfortably quartered in a large room of a
deserted convent, with a large window without glass and
no fireplace, and as the season advanced the weather
became very cold and we were glad to go to bed early to
keep ourselves warm. The late Sir Robert Travers and

12 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAX.

myself heard that there was some good wild fowl and
snipe shooting about twenty miles to the south of Alicant.
We determined to go there, for we had little or no shoot-
ing in the immediate neiglibourhood, and were prevented
going to any greater distance by the French outposts.
On our arrival at a small inn about a mile from the
scene of action, we made inquiry of the landlord whether
we were likely to have good sport. He greatly raised our
expectations by the flaming account he gave of the
number of wild-fowl and snipes which were shot and
taken in the waters and morasses of this district. We
started early the next morning, sanguine in the hope
of filling our game bags, but, alas.! we found that what
our host had told us was fabulous. We certainly met
with a few snipes, and bagged three or four brace of
them, but on inquiring of some of the peasantry
whether they ever shot them, they replied they were
always taken in horsehair snares, of which we found
several. In the ponds frequented by wild ducks we
saw at a distance, to our great satisfaction, several
apparently swimming about ; but on a nearer approach
we discovered they were neatly made of wood, some
with their heads turned back, as if employed in pluming
themselves, and in two or three places, by the side of
the water, huts were constructed with holes to shoot
through at the real wild ducks, attracted by the appear-
ance of the artificial ones. This discovery was sufficient
to convince us that we had but a slight chance of getting
any wild fowl, and we returned in the afternoon to the
inn, abused our landlord for the falsehoods he had told us,
and mounting our horses, rode back to our quarters near
Alicant. In short, from all I could learn, I believe
there is no good shooting about this part of Spain.

WILD-FOWL SIIOOTIXG IX SPAIX. 13

The golden plovers which I shot on the coast were
birds of passage. The only circumstance of a distress-
ing nature which occurred during this winter was the
assassination of an officer of the 81st Regiment by a
marker of a billiard table of Alicant, The marker had
made some mistake in the reckoning, upon which this
officer gave him a gentle tap with his cue. The
Spaniard said nothing, but Avhen the officers were
leaving and going down stairs, the villain took up a
large knife used for cutting ice, and stabbed him near
the left shoulder, and the poor fellow instantly expired.
I was appointed president of the court of inquiry in this
affair, and the surgeon on examining the body found
the knife had penetrated an inch into his heart. He
was a fine tall young man, lieutenant of grenadiers.
The assassin escaped by a back door ; and although every
exertion was made to apprehend him, he contrived to
escape to the French outposts. This proves the re-
vengeful disposition of the Spaniard.

The shooting in the part of France where I resided
was very indifferent. The Duke Decazes, Prime Minis-
ter to Louis XYIII., had a fine chateau about fifteen
miles from the town of Libourne, with a large estate
around it, on excellent soil for the breeding of game. The
Duke was absent, but I was invited by his father to go
and shoot there, and to meet a party of several French
gentlemen. It was in the early part of October, and it
was arranged that we were to start at seven o'clock the
next morning, with two or three couple of hounds and
our guns to shoot some hares. After beating about for
a considerable time, we at last found one. Every one
of the party ran in various directions to get a shot at
poor puss ; but she was so dexterous in her movements

14 REMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

that we all failed, except an old fat Polish coachman in
the service of the Duke's father, to the great annoyance
of the other sportsmen. However, as we had had no
breakfast before our departure, and despairing of finding
another hare, and the exercise having sharpened our
appetites, puss was given over to the cook, and in a
short time we had an excellent breakfast to console us
for our want of sport. We afterwards went to shoot with
pointers, and I was congratulated by all the party on my
success in having shot a red-legged or grey partridge
and a woodcock, which I verily believe was the best
day's sport I ever had in Gfascony. If the Duke would
have gone to the expense of haviug two or three game-
keepers, he might have had any quantity of game ;
and there were many small copses fit for the shelter
of pheasants.

15

CHAP. XXXI.

REARING PHEASANTS AND PARTRIDGES. — FOOD FOR YOUNG BIRDS.
— PARTRIDGES ARE STATIONARY. — TAKING PARTRIDGES AVTTS
NETS.

In the rearing of jDlieasants and partridges yon sliould
be well provided with coops, which should have railings
in front, the top covered with a fine net ; the railing
.should be of sufficient width to allow the young birds
to run out and in. The great advantage of coops is that
you can frequently change the ground on which they
are placed, and prevent its being tainted, which would
be almost sure to bring on disease in the brood. A
decided preference is given to bantam fowls in the
hatching of pheasant and partridge eggs, on account
of their being of less weight, and particularly atten-
tive in performing all -the duties of rearing their
young. \Mien the pheasants are first hatched they
should be fed with hard-boiled eggs, crumbs of bread,
and lettuce leaves, well mixed with an addition of the
eggs of meadow ants. At this tender age two pre-
cautions are essential ; viz. never to allow them any
drink, nor carry them abroad until the dew is entirely
off the grass (every kind of humidity being injurious).
They must be fed frequently and in small quantities,
beginning at daybreak, and always mixing it with
ant eggs. Cleanliness is most essential as regards the

16 KEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

health of the brood ; and they should be taken in before
sunset.

In the second month food more substantial may be
given, such as eggs of the wood-ant, wheat, barley,
ground beans, wood-lice, earwigs, and other small
insects, to make a variety ; and the intervals between
may be gradually prolonged. About this time they are
apt to be annoyed with vermin. To remedy this, jjlace
small heaps of dry earth or fine sand near them, by
rolling in which they will soon rid themselves of the
painful itching occasioned by the vermin. Water may
now be given frequently, and always take care to have
it clean, else the pip may be contracted; which, as in
chickens, should be removed, and the bill rubbed with
bruised garlic mixed with tar. The third month is at-
tended with fresh diseases ; the tail-feathers then drop,
and others appear ; a dangerous period to the pheasant.
Ant eggs, given moderately, are efficacious in hastening
the trying moment, and diminishing its danger. The
young birds may now be carried with the crib where
they are to be dispersed ; if white clover grows in it, the
young pheasants will pick the seed out of the heads,
and it will add considerably to their vigour and strength.
White clover seed, given when wheat or other grain is
used, will prove very nourishing. They should also at
■first be fed in the field with some food they are fond of,
but never twice in the same spot, and the quantity
gradually diminished ; and so by degrees they will be
forced to provide for themselves, and become acquainted
with the country.

When they are once able to procure their subsistence,
they will soon become as wild as those in the woods,
still retaining a kind of affection for tho:o spots into

REARING PIIEASAXTS AXD PARTRIDGES. 17

which they were first resigned to their liberty and nature.
The following plan is recommended for a pheasantry : —
" Have frames seven feet long, and two feet and a half
wide, similar in their form to those for cucumbers, and
without a bottom : the large end is to be made as a coop
for the hen, the bars wide enough for the young phea-
sants to run from the hen, to feed in the frame, which is
to be covered with a fine-meshed net. If pheasants
are kept from which the eggs are to be procured, there
should be seven hens to one cock : to forward their
laying, feed tbem with white pease; when they drop
their eggs stick them in bran, with the small ends
downwards, until there are fifteen, which is a sitting
for a hen. Get small square boxes wide enough for
the hen to turn in, with covers to hasp down, and holes
to admit the air ; make a nest of clean white straw ;
every morning take the hens oflf and put them under
small coops, allowing each a quarter of an hour tu
feed and empty themselves ; then replace them on the
nest imtil the next morning.

"When they have sat a fortnight, remember to sprinkle
the eggs with milk-warm water every morning just
before the hen is put upon the nest, to prevent the
eggs being shell-backed ; when hatched let them re-
main with the hen about eight hours to dry, then
move them into the coop in the frame, uj)on gravel,
with the sun on the frame ; feed them upon small ant
eggs ; after a week move the frame upon grass in a
warm place. There must be a sliding-board to pen
the young with the hen when moved ; each frame must
have small pans for water, and that for the hen must be
fixed to the coop, out of the young birds' reach. Every
morning give the young pheasants curd made with new

18 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

milk ; small ant eggs during the day ; at a month's end
put a small piece of saffron into their water, and every
morning, for each frame, give a good-sized toast steeped
in chamber-lye, which will keep them free from dis-
temper, and is of great use in causing easy moulting.
Use the young birds to a whistle when fed, which should
be four times during the day.

" When the jDOults are large, there should be a hole in
the frame to let them in and out, and a sliding-board
to pen them in at night, when they are always to be
covered with mats. Before the hole is opened in the
morning there should be food, such as large ant eggs,
buckwheat, and other grain, laid near the frame ; every
day this is to be moved further from it : by doing this
they will soon learn to take care of themselves, and at
the sound of the whistle wijl come in from all quarters,
like pigeons : when they gradually pay no attention to
the whistle, and at last desert, they are safe ; they can
now provide for their own sustenance and safety,"

Mr. Salerne observes, that the hen pheasant when
the powers of propagation are over, acquires the plumage
of the male. Latham, however, says, incorrectly, that
it does not require mature age to cause this appear-
ance, as sometimes young birds undergo this change.
Daniel says that early in October he once shot a hen
pheasant with this variety of colom^: it was one of
seven full-grown young birds, found in a wheat stubble.
He killed a brace of cocks and from the feathers supposed
this when he fired to have been a third : from every
circumstance, this mule bird had not changed his
plumage from age. He has kept hen pheasants in
mews, until from age they have undergone this strange
alteration : and also shot them in some manors where

FOOD FOR YOUXG BIRDS. 19

the hen birds are held inviolate ; and the gamekeepers
liave always expressed great satisfaction at the event,
as they all agree in declaring that hen birds thus meta-
morphosed destroyed more pheasants' eggs than any
vermin whatever.

In rearing young partridges under a hen, the follow-
ing method should be adopted : When the hen has sat
the regular time, if the young do not appear, the feathers
are glued to the inner surface of the shell, from being
exposed to too great heat from the hen.

" To remedy this, dip the eggs five or six minutes in
water, and the moisture will soak through the shell and
loosen the feathers ; and this kind of bathing may also
refresh the young bird, and give it additional strength
to break its prison." It is said that the partridge bred
under a hen retains through life the habit of calling
when it hears the clucking of hens. The first food for
the young partridge is the eggs of the small ant ; after-
wards fresh curd mixed with lettuce, chickweed, and
groundsel ; it will be some time before they "will eat grain
readily. The partridge, when brought up in this tame
way, seldom forgets its wild origin ; and when arrived at
its full growth, soon acqviires a habit of estranging itself
from the house, however intimately it may have con-
nected itself with the place and its inhabitants in the
early stages of its existence.

However, Daniel mentions one instance to the con-
trary, of one which had been reared by the Eev. Mr. Bird.
This, long after its full growth, attended the parlour at
breakfast and other times, received food from any hand
that would condescend to give it ; stretched itself be-
fore, and seemed much to enjoy the warmth of the fire ;
and at lensfth fell a victim to the decided foe of all

20 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

favourite birds, — a cat. His dogs were too generous to
molest it. The freaks of nature are sometimes displayed
in partridges, for partridges have been known and shot
in part white, and even totally white.* In 1796, at
South Cave, Mr. Barnard's, was a covey of eight par-
tridges ; four of them were of the most beautiful clear
white, three were pied ; the eighth bird escaped from
under the net by which the other seven were secured ;
they were kept alive in the mews, and considered as
great curiosities. In 1798 the following occurrence
took place at East Dean, Sussex, which shows this bird
deprived of all power to use its wings for its own
preservation; and may, perhaps, tend to prove that
partridges are stationary, and have no powers of mi-
gration : —

A covey of sixteen partridges were disturbed by some
men at plough, and directed their flight across the cliff
to the sea, over which they continued their course for
about three hundred yards, when, as if intimidated or
affected by the element, the whole were observed to drop
into the water. Twelve of them were soon after floated
to shore by the tide, and picked up by a boy, who carried
them to Eastbourne, where he disposed of them at nine-
pence each.

The old mode of taking partridges with a setter
dog by nets is rarely had recoiuse to ; since the
gun provides all that is wanting of this excellent

* A covey of niue partridges were bred upon a farm of the Hon. J.
Olmius, at Sandon, in Essex, four of which were pui-e white, and three
of the others were mottled. In 1804 a partridge was killed by Mr. B.
Dudey's keeper, that had half the longe.st feather in each wing of a
milk white, and the skin of the central claw of both feet was of the
same colour.

PARTRIDGES ARE STATIOXARY. 21

bird, unless the hen birds so caught are preserved in
places for their reception, and turned out in the breeding
season, the setter is trained to the net, which should al-
ways be so as to have the wind as favourable to the sweep
of the net as his point will allow. In the covey you will
generally find more cock birds than hens, and in the
breeding season they will be fighting with each other
and among the hens : it will therefore be advisable some-
times to make use of the net for the purpose of destroy-
ing some of the males.

Blome mentions in his work, published in 1697, how
to take partridges several ways, either by net, engine,
driving, or setting. " Partridges are naturally cowardly,
fearful, simple, and foolish, and therefore most easily to be
deceived or beguiled with any train, bait, engine, or other
device whatever, whether by enticement, call, or stale.
There is a good way to discover them, and that is by going
to their haunts very early in the morning or at the close
of the evening, which is called the jucking-time,and there
listening for the calling of the cock birds, which will be
very loud and earnest, and after some few calls the hen
will answ^er ; and by this means they meet together; upon
hearing which, take your range about them, drawing
ueai-er and nearer to the place you heard them jucking ;
then cast your eye towards the furrows of the land, and
there you will soon find where the covey lies. The nets
wherewith you ensnare partridges must belike the phea-
sant nets, both for length and breadth, only the mesh must
be smaller, being made of the same thread and dyed of
the same colour. Having found out the covey, draw
forth your nets, and taking a large circumference, walk
a good round pace with a careless eye, rather from than
towards the partridges, till you have trimmed your nets

22 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

and made them ready for the purpose ; which done, you
must draw in your circumference less and less, till you
come within the length of your net ; then pricking down
a stick about three feet in length, fasten one end of the
line of your net, and make it fast in the earth as you
walk about; then letting the net slip out of your hands,
spread it open as you go, and so carry and lay it all over
the partridges ; having so done, rush in upon them, who,
affrighted, will fly up and so be entangled in the nets."
Tunnelling partridges is a most destructive method
made use of by modern poachers. Having in the even-
ing sprung the covey, and marked the spot by a stick and
piece of white paper, the tunnel is then set down at
the spot where the birds jucked from, and to which they
are certain to return. They thus readily find, and drive
them with a horse under the net. To prevent this, take
some partridges from the outskirts of the manors, cut off
the bearing claws, and turn them out. They cannot then
run, and always spring ; if one bird springs, the rest of
the covey are sure to rise. This plan is perhaps the
best for defeating the havoc made by the tunnel-net.
The poachers themselves consider it as taking an unfair
advantage of them. There are some sportsmen that have
such a keen eye, that when the covey rises and the birds
are at their full growth, they are able to distinguish the
horse-shoe on the breast of the cock birds, and fire in
preference at them, to diminish their number.

23

CHAP. XXXII.

DUTIES OF A GAMEKEEPEK.

I BELIEVE it will generally be allowed by sportsmen, that
it is no easy task to procure a man who is fully able to
discharge the multifarious duties of a head gamekeeper.
I fully agree with the late Mr. Daniel, in his remark that
" it is needful to premise that not every fellow in a short
jacket with half a score pockets can occup)^ this situa-
tion with utility to his master or credit to himself."
As regards his physical powers, I am of opinion that he
should be a man in the prime of life, of a vigorous consti-
tution, and master of a pair of legs that never know what
it is to be tired, and like the shepherds of Scotland, able
to bear all the rigours of winter by day and night :
more especially that of watching the woods, when the
trees are stripped of their foliage, on moonlight nights,
to prevent the poachers shooting the pheasants on the
perch.* Of course he must have some rest, but if he
sleeps, like a Bristol merchant, with one eye open, so

* I adopted the Norfolli plan for the protection of my pheasants : I
got three or four dozen of wooden ones made and painted, and pegged
them dow-n to a branch of a tree. These we found sometimes well
peppered with shot, which gave the alarm, and annoyed the poacher
exceedingly.

24 REMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

much the better ; for in the poachers he has active and
cunning enemies to deal with, and who watch his move-
ments narrowly. One of the most essential qualities
in the character of a gamekeeper is the suaviter in
modo, or at all times a proper deportment and a civil
tongue, and he should at the same time possess a firm-
ness of character in the performance of his duties.
Civility costs nothing, but its effects amongst the
tenants of the estate will most likely prove of con-
siderable advantage in the preservation of the game,
for where there exists a bad feeling towards this man,
you may be pretty certain that some of the pheasants'
and partridges' nests will be destroyed, and leverets
when young will meet the same fate; but when the
gamekeeper is on good terms with the farmers, and
the landlord generous in giving them game, you may
fairly then calculate that instead of destroying they will
afford their aid in the preservation of the game ; but
'with this proviso, that the lands are not overstocked with
hares, pheasants, and rabbits.*

Every gamekeeper should be able to read ; and if he
is a head gamekeeper, "\;\'ith two or three men under him,
in that case he should also be able to write. There can
be little doubt he would be better able to perform his
various duties if he had acquired, in some degree, a
knowledge of the habits of birds of prey and ground
vermin, particularly those which frequent the country
in which he resides; for one of the most essential duties
of a gamekeeper is to keep down the vermin.

Some gentlemen allow their gamekeepers to break in

* A tenant, by the Game Law, has a right to destroy the rabbits on
his farm as vermin, by setting traps for them, unless there be a clause
in his lease to prevent his doing so.

QUALIFICATION FOR HEAD GAilEXEEPER. 25

dogs, and sell them for their own profit. This I never
allowed, for instead of his time being occupied in looking
after poachers, and destroying vermin, and some other
minor duties, which as a trusty servant he is bound to
fulfil, most of these must be neglected when he is em-
ployed in breaking young pointers and setters, and
showing their performance in the field to those gentle-
men who are desirous of becoming purchasers ; besides,
these dogs are in all probability kept at the expense of the
master. Strict sobriety should be conspicuous in the
character of a gamekeeper ; for when he has once in-
dulged in the habit of frequenting the alehouse or beer-
shup, then the poacher is on the alert, and feels quite
certain of meeting with no interruption to his un-
lawful pursuit. Drunkenness is a serious vice in all
servants, but in a gamekeeper, who has a great la-
titude, it is thoroughly disqualifying. A gamekeeper
should never be allowed to have rabbil^ as his jDer-
quisite, for when once this is granted you may be
quite certain that the woods, plantations, and hedgerows
will soon be overrun with them. The mischief they
do is very great during the winter in barking trees,
and in the fields by burrowing and stopping up the
drains. It is all very well to have a moderate stock of
rabbits on an estate. As foxes are particularly fond of
this food, they afford some protection to the hares,
pheasants, and partridges, from this sly and cunning foe;
besides, a few rabbits are always very acceptable to the
lady of the house, the servants are fond of them, and
they may be dressed in a variety of ways for the dining-
room table, and thus diminish the butcher's bill. If a
gentleman finds his game gradually diminishing on his
estate, he may be quite certain of this, that his game-

VOL. II. D

26 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

keeper is not sufficiently vigilant in detecting poachers ;
that he is also indolent in trapping and shooting
vermin; and what is much worse than all, that he
has become an unfaithful servant, and instead of being
a preserver, destroys the game, and sells it for his o^\ti
profit. This last breach of trust, I regret to say, is too
often put in practice ; and a poulterer in London once told
me that he thought he received as much game from
gamekeepers as from poachers. To remedy effectually
these evils, discharge at once the gamekeeper, and never
admit of any of his excuses. A gamekeeper is entitled to
liberal wages, with a house and small garden free of
rent to reside in. In being thus kind and generous to-
wards him, you may fairly calculate on his serving you
with fidelity, more especially as it is now his interest
to perform his duties with zeal and alacrity.

27

CHAP. XXXIII.

HINTS FROM AN OLD SPORTSMAN. — BE ON GOOD TERMS "WITH TOUR
TENANTS. — MILD SEASONS KEEP BIRDS FROM CLOVER. — SET DOG-
SPIKES FOR AVILD DOGS. — PLANTING ON POOR LANDS. — ENCOUNTER
AVITH POACHERS. — WONDERFUL BREEDING SEASON. — GAMEKEEPER
TO KEEP GOOD ATATCH AT NIGHT. — A PILL FOR THE POACHER. —
SCREEN^NG A POACHER.

PERiiArs a few hints from an old sportsman how to
get up a stock of game in two or three years, may
prove of some service to gentlemen who have recently
come into possession of an estate, more especially if
they should not have resided in the country. The
quality of the soil is of essential importance in the
breeding of game, for it is in vain to expect to have a
good stock of pheasants and partridges, and even hares
and rabbits, on a cold white clayey ungrateful soil.
In Norfolk we find the great advantage of a gravell}^,
sandy, or light loamy earth, for in most parts of this
county every sort of game is found in great abundance,
particularly partridges ; and the extensive cultivation of
turnips affords good sport during the greater pai't of the
winter. Suffolk and some parts of Cambridgeshire are
well stocked with game in consequence of their having
good breeding soil; and in some parts of the high grounds
of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, where the soil is

28 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN",

chalky, with a considerable quantity of flints lying on its
surface, which is dry, game is tolerably abundant when
well preserved. If a gentleman is fortunate enough to
have any of these soils on his estate, he should then
make every exertion to get into his service a trustworthy
gamekeeper, who understands all the duties he is to
perform by day and night, in destroying vermin and
assisting in rearing and giving directions about young
pheasants and partridges ; but it is absolutely necessary,
to succeed well in this object, that he should have a
person to assist him in procuring ant eggs, feeding the
young birds at stated times, and keeping all the coops
particularly clean. As the above duties of a game-
keeper require no trifling degree of bodily and mental
exertion, he should have good wages to make it worth
his while to serve his master with zeal and fidelity, for a
servant in this capacity has a great latitude, and cannot
be looked after like those who form your domestic
establishment. If you should have adjoining to yom-
property the estate of a nobleman or gentleman where
the game has been well preserved for some years, this
will, I have no doubt, prove of great advantage to
you in getting up a stock of game, particularly if you
should have some woods or plantations near these pre-
serves ; nor do I perceive any great harm in sowing an
acre or two of buckwheat in the vicinity of these pre-
serves, as pheasants and partridges are exceedingly fond of
it ; and as an additional attraction to the former, have a
few small buckwheat stacks placed in some of your
woods, for these birds are particularly partial to scratch-
ing and feeding round them. Pheasants require to be
constantly fed during the winter in order to retain them
in your covers ; white pease, damaged barley, and occa-

BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH YOUR TENANTS. 29

sionally some beans will be certain to pi-event them from
wandering to your neighbour's woods. I should also recom-
mend yourpaying liberally the gamekeeper for the vermin
he destroys. I kept a book in which a price was paid for
each sort of vermin ; a cat's head, Is. ; hawks, weasels,
stoats, and polecats, 6d. each ; carrion crows, magpies, and
jays, 4(1. each. I found this plan answer well, and had
the vermin nailed up against some barn doors. A tom
cat that has once taken to the woods and fields is a
desperate poacher, and scorns to watch for such paltry
game as mice: in approaching his victims he is com-
pletely the tiger in miniature, crawling with the greatest
caution until he has well ascertained that by one spring
he can secure his prey.* It would be advisable to let your
tenants have the destroying of your rabbits, not by
shooting, as that would occupy much of the game-
keeper's time in coming to find out who it was when
he heard the report of a gun, but by trapping and
snaring. The snare to take a rabbit is set rather lower
than that for a hare. If a gentleman farms a hundred
or two hundred acres of his land, there would be no
difficulty in his having a sufficient supply of rabbits for
his family ; but if he has no taste for agriculture, in that
case his woods and plantations would furnish the rabbits
which the mistress of the house is usually anxious to
have, although the estate may be rented by the gentle-
man's tenants. I think it should be his main object to
be on good terms with them. To effect this he should
not screw up their rents too high, and always bear in
mind the maxim, " Live and let live ;" and if any of
the tenants are fond of a little coursing, he should,

* "When young, a cat's ears should be cut close ; this will prevent his
poaching, as he is much annoyed by wet getting into his ears.
D 3

30 REMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

when he has got up a tolerable stock of hares, allow
them to have a day's sport, and not to shoot them when
found in the fields except when he is much in want of
a brace, and is unable to procure them in the woods, in
the early part of the season, on account of the thick
foliage. Above all he should be liberal in giving
them game ; and who has a better title to it than the
farmer, who affords it sustenance the greater part of
the year? The only exception to this is when the
pheasants are fed by the landlord during the winter :
if he does all this, I think he may reasonably calculate
that the tenants will forward his wishes to get up a
sufficient stock of game for the amusement of himself
and friends. But when there is an hostile feeling between
the landlord and his gamekeeper and his tenants, it is
undoubtedly up-hill work to accomplish the above
object ; for it is obvious that the farmer who is constantly
riding or walking about his farm must have in a
variety of ways opportunities of destroying the game,
more especially in the breeding season ; and the la-
bourers of the farmer are apt frequently to espouse
the cause of their master, and assist in the destruction
of the game, and there is no doubt this can be done in
spite of the vigilance and activity of the keeper. Where
tenants hold only yearly leases from their landlord, he
has certainly the power to give the farmer notice to
quit when he finds little or no game on his farm, for
he may then be pretty sure that there is some foul
play going on. A farmer who is a skilful agriculturist
may be considered an enemy to game in one sense ; for
in order to keep his corn crop clean he has it frequently
weeded, which disturbs the birds and prevents their
making the nest. In harvest time he is apt to mow his

MILD SEASONS KEEP BIEDS FROM CLOVER. 31

wheat, by which he gains more straw and leaves little or
no cover for the partridges, and probably in a very short
time he ploughs up the field for a fresh crop. No short
cover is left near the hedgerows, and almost every inch
of land is brought under the plough. But to -balance
these disadvantages as regards game, he is enabled to
pay his landlord the worth of the land. A bad farmer
is the best friend to the sportsman ; he allows his crop
of corn to be foul with weeds, he reaps his wheat, leaves
a long stubble with abundance of weeds, which affords
excellent covers for the partridges, where they lie close
to the dog, and give you good shooting. These long
stubbles he seldom mows before the month of October,
which gives you a few weeks' better sport. If the
hedgerows on the estate are in general double, with a
ditch on each side, the tenant should not be allowed to
make them single, for these large hedgerows afford
excellent places for the pheasants and partridges to
make their nests, and where they have nothing to fear
except ground vermin.

Should the spring prove mild, and the artificial
grasses, such as sainfoin, clover, and trefoil, be very
forward, then the gamekeeper should frequently disturb
these fields with a dog to prevent the partridges and
pheasants making their nests ; for as the mowing will
commence early, the chances are that many of the
nests will be mown out. When this is the case, it mil
be advisable to give the men a small reward for bringing
the eggs to the gamekeeper or to the house, where
bantams should be in readiness to hatch them. I must
say I think it is very wrong for gentlemen to purchase
the eggs of pheasants and partridges from poachers, and
thus encourage them frequently to take the nests of

D 4

32 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

their neighbours. This is not doing as you would be
done by. It was ascertained by a society formed for
the protection of game that not less than 50,000 dozens
of partridge and pheasant eggs were consigned to London
annually, more than half of which became absolutely
rotten, and not more than five per cent, produced birds
if attempted to be hatched. It was also discovered as
an indubitable fact, that an average of 5000 grouse,
15,000 partridges, and 5000 pheasants were openly ex-
posed for sale in the metropolitan markets after the close
of the shooting season. The great difficulty in this case
is to be able to ascertain the game that has been killed
the last two or three days of the season, which in cold
weather will keep at least a fortnight, and to find out
what game has been brought to the London market from
poachers, destroyed by them after the 1st of February.
A present of half-a-crown now and then given to your
woodmen who are employed in the winter in cutting
down timber or fells of ten or twelve years' growth, to
keep a sharp look out, and to give information to the
gamekeeper when they see persons trespassing with dogs
and guns, or suspicious persons lurking about the covers
— perhaps known to be poachers — frequently assists
considerably in getting up your game, for it is quite im-
possible for a gamekeeper to be everywhere, more espe-
cially if the property should be of considerable length,
and not broad in proportion.

An active gamekeeper should be able, with the above
assistance, to preserve the game on an estate of fifteen
hundred or two thousand acres ; but beyond that
quantity of land, I think there should be a head keeper
and one under him, and in the moonlight nights of
November, December, and January, three or four men
should be employed to assist the gamekeepers, when

SET DOG-SriKES FOR WILD DOGS. 33

the poachers enter the woods to shoot the pheasants
on the perch. Three or four dozen of wooden phea-
sants, made as I have described them elsewhere in
this work, and fastened on boughs on the trees,
would prove of great use in the preservation of the
game.

Sometimes a gentleman is much annoyed with wild
spaniels or other dogs getting iutohiswoods or plantations,
and hunting for their amusement until they have driven
nearly all the game out of the wood. If this should
happen frequently, half a dozen dog-spikes fixed at a
proper height in the trees, and in the runs of the hares
and rabbits, will be pretty certain to put a stop to the
nuisance by the dog being killed in rushing on one of
the spikes. The hares and rabbits run under them. In
these exertions made to get up a stock of game, I think
it would be as well for the proprietor of the estate
always to bea,r in mind that "in medio tutissimus
ibis ;" or, as the Italians say, " Chi va piano va lontano,"
which may generally be found the best mode of accom-
plishing the object which is sometimes anxiously sought
after.

A gentleman should beware of overstocking his
estate with game, which proves a great grievance to his
tenants, and is a strong temptation to poachers to pay
him nightly visits. Battues have no doubt been the
chief cause of what I consider serious evils ; and it is
much to be regretted that most of the sportsmen of the
present day look with contempt on the old-fashioned
way of shooting with setters, pointers, spaniels, and a
good retriever, and deriving healthy bodily exercise by
a walk of six or seven hours, besides the great satisfac-
tion you feel in seeing your dogs steady and active in
the performance of their duty. If fox-hounds are kejit in

34 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

the county, the master should give positive orders to his
gamekeeper not to destroy the foxes, for a gentleman who
is supposed guilty of this serious crime is set down by
most of his neighbours as a selfish and odious character ;
and for the gratification of your own amusement you
deprive, to a certain extent, the foxhunters of the county
of theirs, which is the case when the hounds draw the
cover and don't find ; and then all the field come to this
conclusion, that there must have been some foul play
with the poor foxes ; besides, it has been fully ascer-
tained that you may have abundance of game, and a
sufiicient number of foxes to prevent the master of the
hounds from having a blank day.

If the proprietor of an estate should have the folly
and imprudence, which I regret to state is too often the
case, to have the farms of his tenants swarming with
gaiue, more especially with hares and rabbits (perhaps
in his lease he is not allowed to destroy the latter), to
the serious injury of their crops, they have an undoubted
right to demand fair compensation ; but, in cases of re-
fusal, to prevent their ruin, the tenants have no alter-
native but to give up their farms under severe losses.
But I believe there are few gentlemen who, in the un-
wise indulgence of this hobby-horse of having so large
a stock of game, are so unreasonable as not to
comply with the just demands of the tenant. On these
occasions an intelligent and skilful farmer is appointed
to set a value on the damage done to the crops, which
rarely turns out to the satisfaction of both parties, the
discontent arising usually with the landlord ; but some
gentlemen, to obviate the unpleasant affair, let their
farms at a lower rent to the tenants as a payment for
the injuries done to the crops by the game. But of this

PLANTING ON POOE LANDS. 3o

I am perfectly assured, that when a landlord is kind
and reasonable towards his tenants, he may have quite
enough game during the shooting season to afford good
sport to himself and his friends, and the less game he
sells to the poulterer the greater will be the satisfaction
of the tenants.

Of all the pleasures derived from a rural life I know
of none more gratifying than that of making plantations
on your estate, more especially if you hapjjen to have
a quantity of land of so poor a quality as not to repay
you for its cultivation, but on which the larch firs
and some of the more hardy forest trees do well
and flourish. In performing this pleasing operation
several advantages are derived from it: most proba-
bly the features of the country are much improved as
the trees grow up. Your property is gradually benefited
by them, at first by thinning them with caution, and
after a certain number of years cutting some down as
timber, particularly the larch and firs, and some of the
softer kind of woods, and the plantations afford you
excellent covers for your game ; but you must take the
precaution to keep the hares and rabbits down whilst
the trees are young. If the ground is well prepared,
the holes for the trees being made two spits deep, every
year will give you additional pleasure when you look
at the flourishing state of these plantations ; you may in
some respect consider them as your children growing
ujD to maturity. Some persons who possess landed
property reason in this selfish way when planting is re-
commended to them : " Why should I do anything for
posterity ? for I am quite certain posterity will never do
anything for me." In this calculation they may be
egregiously mistaken, for the grandfather of the present

36 EE^illNISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

Duke of Atholl, who planted, it is said, thirty millions
of larch on his hills and moors in Scotland, lived, I have
before stated, long enough to see the Atholl frigate
built of the larch which he planted. If there should be
on the estate some swampy or marshy grounds, cut open
drains in proper directions, and plant the black Italian
poplar, alders, willows, and other aquatic trees ; and in
all probability in the course of three or four years you
will have a good cover for the pheasants. This I am
able to state from experience, as I planted about five
acres of this sort of land, being first well drained, in
Cambridgeshire, and at the above period I was quite
astonished to see the surprising growth of the trees, and
it soon became an excellent pheasant cover.

I recollect a friend telling me how he found out that
a keeper whom he had discharged sold his game for his
own profit. The man had only left him a few days, in
consequence of his finding a scarcity of game on his
estate. A letter came addressed to the gamekeeper
bearing a Grloucester post-mark, soon after his departure.
My friend having a strong suspicion that it was a
poulterer in that town who sold game, opened it, and
found it to contain the prices of hares, pheasants, and
partridges, and rabbits ; which price he was willing to
give him. Some gentlemen have a decided dislike
to engage as a gamekeeper a man who has practised
poaching ; others act upon the principle, " set a thief
to catch a thief," and such men certainly possess this
advantage, of knowing many of the sly tricks, in order
to be an overmatch for the gamekeeper. One man who
had been a poacher in Norfolk once told me, that after
he had set his snares he carefully covered all his foot-
steps within a certain distance of the place, and if he
heard any one coming, he instantly set off running back-

E^'COUNTEE WITH rOACIIERS. 37

wards, by which they were deceived in the way he re-
treated ; and when he found many hares' runs, in any of
the large fields, those in which he could not set snares
(from not having a sufficient number) he smoked
with tobacco, the scent of which prevents the hares
going through them. However, I can assert that one
of the best gamekeepers I ever had was formerly a great
poacher in Norfolk; and this man, by his activity in
Avaging constant war against the four-footed vermin and
birds of prey, got up in the course of two seasons a large
stock of pheasants. The poachers of the vicinity gave him
little trouble, knowing that he was a very determined cha-
racter, and fully up to all their proceedings. Previous to
m.y engaging him he had lived as gamekeeper with the
late 8ir William Clayton, who gave him an excellent cha-
racter. I lost his services, for in a night affray with
two poachers, who were shooting pheasants on the perch,
he mortally wounded one who had always declared
he would never be taken alive. jNIy gamekeeper was
tried at the Chelmsford Assizes for the crime of murder ;
])ut the verdict of the jury was manslaughter, and he
was imprisoned for a year : he afterwards lived as head
gamekeeper to the late Mr. Conyers of Copt Hall. In
one encoimter vdth some poachers in Norfolk he had
a narrow escape of his life, a ball having passed through
the croA\Ti of his hat. I should never feel anxious to
engage a gamekeeper who boasted of his being a good
shot : if he is able to destroy with his gun hawks, carrion
crows, magpies, jays, brown owls, &c., that is quite suf-
ficient as regards his shooting ; the owner of an estate
goes to the expense of preserving the game for the
amusement of himself and his friends, and not for his
gamekeeper. A lady possessing a considerable property
generally requires a gamekeeper to shoot the game for

38 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

her table or to send to her friends ; but now that game
can be purchased, the present is not so highly valued
as when it was unlawful to sell it; although I must
confess I am not at all displeased when I receive a
hare and a brace of pheasants from a friend.

I cannot approve of gentlemen emplo3dng a game-
keeper to supply him with game at so much per head.
In this case the gamekeeper requires to be looked after
narrowly lest he trespass on the adjacent manors;
for as his profits depend entirely on the quantity of
game he brings to the house, he has a strong temptation
to trespass when rmobserved on the adjacent estates. I
have heard of a man emj)loyed in this way killing eight
partridges at a shot ; of course, the covey must have
been collected together on the ground. A gamekeeper
should be particularly on the alert for a fortnight or three
weeks after the shooting season is over, for then the
poachers have an idea that the keeper may suppose that,
having no longer a market for the disposal of game, they
will for a time give up their unlawful practices. But it is
pretty well ascertained that this is not the case, for
many of those persons who have a licence to sell game
will purchase it of these men a fortnight or three
weeks after the 1st of February, pretending that the
birds are kept sweet for a considerable time in their
ice cellars, as many of them are fishmongers. A bro-
ther-in-law of mine has had on his table pheasants
perfectly sweet, nearly four weeks after they were shot.
On the last day of shooting the birds were hung up on
the side of a well a hundred yards in depth, which had
been dug out in a dry chalky soil.

A gamekeeper, to understand his duty thoroughly,
should be a close observer of the seasons, for this is of

WONDERFUL BKEEDING SEASON. 39

essential importance in the breeding of game. Thus
he would he full}'' aware that in a mild winter or
spring birds are encouraged to pair earlier than when
the latter season is cold and wet ; and this should at all
times be his guide, and he ought to act accordingly.
The month of June 1858, was unusually hot and the
weather dry ; in consequence of this it was one of the
best breeding seasons for pheasants and partridges that
had been known for many years ; and the latter were
sold at Thame, in Oxfordshire, for a shilling a brace.
Female hares in these mild winters should not be shot
after Christmas, but the great difficulty in doing this is
that few sportsmen are able to distinguish the male
from the female.* One essential duty of a gamekeeper
is every now and then, in the spring of the year, to
drive with dogs the pheasants and partridges out of the
clover and artificial grass, in order to make them breed
as much as possilile in the corn fields and hedgerows.
By doing this many nests escape being destroyed by the
mowers. When a man thus employed perceives in
time the nest, to avoid destroying it, he frequently
leaves some grass around it. But this precaution seldom
answers, for then the carrion crows and magpies are
almost sure to find out the nest and suck the eggs.

If the master or gamekeeper has bantam hens to sit
on the eggs, I should recommend that a small reward
should be given to the mowers to bring them to the
house. I should certainly prefer this plan to leaving
the eggs in the field. ]\Iany gentlemen, when engaging

* I have mentioned in another part of tliis -work that a gamekeeper
of Lad}' Wenman's, in Oxfordshire, knew when a hare got up before
him whether it was male or female, and showed me several jack hares
he had shot in the month of March.

40 EEMIMSCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

a gamekeeper, require that lie should have a thorough
knowledge how to breed and bring up pheasants and
partridges : as the searching after ant eggs, &c., would
take up much of his time and cause him to neglect
other essential duties. A man or a careful boy should
perform these. I shall hereafter describe the method
of rearing these birds, which require considerable care
and attention whilst very young. As soon as the corn is
cut the gamekeeper should see that the fields are carefully
bushed ; and barley, when rolled, should have here and
there brambles, prickles downwards, and the ends stuck
in the ground, which will grow and continue the colour
of the corn ; these prevent barley being drawn by nets
while standing. The turnip field should also be bushed
as soon as it has been hoed. To prevent gate-netting,
bush the bottoms of the gate, which will prevent
the hares drawing under them ; where you find the
bottoms of gates unbushed, drive two or three lath nails
into their tops, and barways, which will cause the nets
to hang and let the hares out. Put small benders over
their main paths, close up all their tracks through
fences, &c. : by doing this they will top the hedges
when forced by the poachers' lurchers.

It is right for the keeper to be on the watch at all
times, more especially late in the evenings, when yoi:.
generally hear the hares cry *, and the pheasants flutter ;
and if there should be any person in the wood you will
find it out by the wood-pigeons, crows, and rooks being on
the wing. In a field, of a still evening, you will hear
the drag-net brushing over the stubbles. It has also
been ascertained that partridges have been taken by

* You hear the ciy of the liares when taken in a snare or by gate-

GAMEKEEPER TO KEEP GOOD WATCH AT NIGHT. 41

horse-hair nooses at their roosting places : several of these
are laid in traverses about a yard asunder, and when the
bird becomes entangled they make violent exertions to
get at each other, until they become quite exhausted. In
a work written by John Mayer, called the " Sportsman's
Dictionary," a singular way of capturing partridges is
described : " The gamekeepers of the Earl of Carlisle
being on their night perambulations, were not a little
astonished and alarmed at seeing a light traversing the
field in a very singular manner. They prepared their
guns accordingly, and in a short time the light made a
sudden stop, when three or four men, whom they had
not descried, made their appearance : they were secured
in the act of dra\ving a large net to the light ; a setter
dog, well trained, had a lantern fixed on his head for the
purpose of his ranging the fields in the night ; on his
stopping the poachers know where the partridges lie, and
draw the net up accordingly."'

It is important that the gamekeeper's house should
be near the wood, or covers, where the pheasants are
regularly fed during the winter, or where small stacks
of buckwheat are there placed ; it is also desirable that
this residence should be, if possilile, in a retired spot,
with a small yard or garden, and a back door, by which
he may go on his nightly rounds, A\uthout being easily
observed, as his movements are frequently watched by
the poachers. In these night excursions he ought to
be accompanied by a powerful muzzled mastiff dog,
who, on urgent occasions, would be of great use to him.,
particularly in the chase of one or two poachers, when
he must be unmuzzled. These men, when unarmed,
have a great dread of these dogs. Grreat precaution should
be taken to prevent the dog being poisoned at night.

VOL. II. E

42 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

He should, therefore, sleep in an outhouse where the
door is well secured, aud where he would be able to give
the alarm should any one enter the yard. Frequent
visits should be made by the keeper to those places in
the woods where he feeds his pheasants, more par-
ticularly to the buckwheat stacks; and he should examine
closely whether any footsteps can be discovered in the
small paths leading to these spots. It is a good plan to
tie across them, about twelve inches high, a small thin
worsted thread, nearly the colour of the ground, and
if any of them should be found broken you may be
quite certain that some one has been visiting the feed-
ing places of the birds with some evil intent; most
probably to set fine wire snares or some made of horse-
hair, fixed at a height to catch the pheasants by the
neck, and one on the ground to entangle their legs. The
gamekeeper, with one or two assistants, should watch in
moonlight nights about the time the pheasants go to
perch (when doing this the cocks always crow, which
may be heard at a considerable distance), to drive them
off the perch.* Poachers who intend to make a night
attack on them with their guns, often conceal them-
selves in the woods, and ascertain by this crowing where
the pheasants have perched for the night, which
saves them much trouble in looking out for them. A
very good outside covering for a keeper is a skin of an
ass dressed, with holes for the arms and loops in front ;
and thus, with a good skull-cap covered with the same,
he may lie down wherever he chooses, his body being
impervious to the rain and damp. On some large es-

* If there are many foxes in the covers, in making the pheasants
thus roost on the gi-ound rather increases their danger, and it may be
said " that they go out of the frying-pan into the fire."

A PILL FOR THE POACHER. 43

tates, where the game is strictly preserved, a good expe-
dient has been made use of to alarm at night the keepers
and the neighbourhood : viz. a considerable quantity
of gunpowder, well secured against rain and damp, with
several trains equally well protected, which communi-
cate with the powder. To these trains wires are
attached, which extend to a considerable distance, and
any person treading on them ignites the train, and a
tremendous explosion takes place, nearly equal to that
of a small brass gun. This has been found to effectually
thwart, for at least some time, the operations of the
poachers, who feel quite certain that this alarm will
soon bring the gamekeepers and their assistants down
upon them. Some gentlemen have an objection to
their gamekeepers carrying firearms at night, assigning
as a reason that in the rencontres between the keepers
and the poachers much blood would be spilt. But in
these affrays it ^vill generally be foimd that the blood
that is spilt is on the side of the gamekeeper and as-
sistants. Poachers who thus infringe the law in various
ways are guilty of trespassing on gentlemen's estates,
of shooting game without a licence, and after sunset.
It is therefore the paramount duty of the keepers and
assistants to do all in their power to capture these de-
linquents, in order that they may be punished ; but in
doing this they run considerable risk of being either
killed or wounded by these armed ruffians, more es-
pecially when they have only large sticks for their
defence ; and in the attempt to come to close quarters
with the poachers, you often hear of their being fired
at, and the distance being probably only a few yards,
this discharge must in all likelihood be fatal, or at least
must inflict a serious wound on the oljject fired at.
E 2

44 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAI^.

Under these circumstances, I am decidedly of opinion
that the gamekeepers should have their guns and side-
arms at night, in order to be able to effectually defend
themselves in case they should be first fired at, and
that the men who accompany them should have a
cutlass and a brace of pistols. Night marauders, on
perceiving that the keepers and their men were armed,
would, there can be little doubt, at least hesitate before
they fired, and perhaps some of them would surrender
without making much resistance. ^Mien I was a game
preserver in Cambridgeshire, I always permitted my
gamekeeper and the men who went with him on moon-
light nights to protect the pheasants, to be armed ; and
it had this good result, that the poachers, knowing this,
rarely molested my woods and plantations. But in this
county there are no manufacturing towns, which is a
great advantage in the preservation of game ; for it is
from these places and the collieries that large gangs of
poachers issue forth, and set at defiance the keepers and
their assistants. In the winter of 1857 there was a
gang of poachers, computed at about forty men, who
came chiefly, from the collieries in Cheshire, some armed
with guns, the others with pikes and large bludgeons ;
the keepers and their assistants were about fifteen in
number. The former challenged the latter to come out
and fight in the open field. Notwithstanding the great
odds against the keepers and their men, they gallantly
accepted the challenge, and a severe conflict took place,
in which both parties received some serious wounds,
and one of the keepers was mortally wounded from a
gun-shot. A powerful mastiff dog, belonging to the
head gamekeeper, seized one of the poachers, who was
made prisoner, but the dog was subsequently shot. If

SCREEXING A rOACIIER. 45

I recollect right, this night attack was made on the
woods and plantations of Mr. Wilbrahara. Pheasants
can no longer really be considered as ferce naturce:
many noblemen and gentlemen go to a great expense
in rearing these birds, which are afterwards turned out
in their woods and plantations, and during the winter
regularly fed with buckwheat, beans, and barley.

There cannot be a stronger proof of the hostile feel-
ing that prevails amongst the middling and lower classes
against the present great preservation of game, and which
has had the effect of screening the poacher when found
guilty of the atrocious crime of murdering gamekeepers
and their assistants, than the two jooachers who were
found gviilty at the last Chester Assizes of killing the
gamekeeper and mortally wounding his assistant, and
sentenced to be hanged, but have since been reprieved.
I have little doubt that, if a gamekeeper had been
guilty of such a crime, the sentence would have been
carried into execution. But, as I before observed, I
am a decided enemy to these slaughtering battues.

*e3

REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

CHAP. XXXIV.

OLD COrNTEY GEIS'TLEMAJSr, 1638. — A " CEXTUEION."

I READ lately an account which amused me of the cha-
racter and modes of living of a keen and thorough
sportsman of the year 1638.

" There lived at that period," says the memoirs
of the Honourable William Hastings, as written by
the Lord Chancellor Shaftesbury, "Mr. Hastings, of
Woodlands, in the county of Southampton; by his
quality, son, brother, and uncle to the Earl of Hunt-
ingdon. He was, perad venture, an origiDal in our age,
or rather the copy of our ancient nobility, in hunting,
not in warlike times. He was very low, strong, and
active, with reddish flaxen hair. His clothes, which when
new were never worth five pounds, were of green cloth.
His house was jDerfectly old fashioned, in the midst of a
large park, well stocked with deer and rabbits, and
many fish ponds ; a great store of wood and timber ; a
bowling green in it, long but narrow, full of high ridges,
never having been levelled since it was ploughed ; round
sand bowls were used, and it had a banqueting-house
like a stand, built on a tree. Mr. Hastings kept all

OLD COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 47

manner of hounds that run buck, fox, liare, otter, and
badger. Hawks, both long and short-winged. He had
all sorts of nets for fish, a walk in the New Forest, and
tlie Manor of Christ church. This last supplied him
with river fish, and, indeed, all his neighbours' grounds
and royalties were free to him, who bestowed all his
time in these sports, but what he bestowed to caress his
neighbours' wives and daughters ; there not being a
woman in all his walks, of the degree of a yeoman's
wife, under the age of forty, but it was her fault if he
was not intimately acquainted with her. This made him
popular, always speaking kindly to the husband, brother,
or father, and making them welcome at his mansion,
where they found beef, pudding, and small beer, and a
house not so neatly kept as to shame him or his dirty
shoes. The great hall strewed with marrow bones ; full
of hawks, perches, hounds, spaniels, and terriers: the
upper side of the hall hung with the fox-skins of this
and the last years' killing, here and there a marten
cat intermingled, and gamekeepers' and hunters' poles
in abundance. The parlour was a large room, as pro-
perly furnished. On a hearth paved with brick lay
some terriers and the choicest hounds and spaniels.
Seldom less than two of the great chairs had litters of
kittens on them, which were not to be disturbed, he
always having three or fo ir cats attending him at dinner ;
and to defend such meat as he had no mind to part with,
he kept order with a short white stick that lay by him.
The windows, which were very large, served for places
to lay his arrows, cross-bows, and other such accoutre-
ments. The corners of the room were full of the best
chase, hunting, and hawking poles. An oyster table at
the lower end, which was in constant use twice a day all

£ 4

48 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

the year round, for he never failed to eat oysters before
dinner and supper through all seasons. In the upper
part of the room were two small tables and a desk ; on
the one side of the desk was a Church Bible, and on
the other the Book of Martyi's. Upon the table were
hawks, hoods, bells, &c., two or three old green hats
with their crowns thrust in, so as to hold ten or a dozen
eggs, which were of a pheasant kind of poultry ; these
he took much care of and fed himself. Tables, boxes,
dice, and cards, were not wanting. In the holes of the
desk was a store of old used tobacco pipes. On one
side of this room was the door of a closet, wherein
stood the strong beer and the wine, which never came
thence but in single glasses, that being the rule of the
house, exactly observed, for he never exceeded in drink-
ing nor ever permitted it. On the other side was the
door into an old chapel and used for devotion. The
pulpit, as the safest place, never wanted a cold chine of
beef, venison pasty, gammon of bacon, or a great apple
pie with a thick crust extremely baked. His table cost
him not much, though it was always well supplied. His
sport furnished all but beef and mutton, except Fridays,
when he had the best of salt as well as other fish he
could get, and this was the day on which his neighbours
of the first quality visited him. He never wanted a
London pudding, and always sung it in with, ' My pert
eyes therein a.' He drank a glass or two at meals, very
often syrup of gillyflowers in his sack, and always a
tun glass stood by him, holding a pint of small beer,
which he often stirred with rosemary. He was affable,
but soon angry, calling his servants bastards and
cuckoldly knaves, in one of which he often spoke truth
to his own knowledge, and sometimes both of the same

A '• CEXTURION. 49

person. He lived to be an hundred, never lost his
eyesight, but always wrote and read without spectacles,
and got on horseback without help. Until past four-
score years old he rode up to the death of a stag as well
as any man. A portrait of this gentleman is now at
Winborue, St. Giles, Dorsetshire, the seat of the Earl of
Shaftesbury."

50 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

CHAP. XXXV.

SPORTING DOGS.— SETTERS. — SPANIELS. — A SPANIEL'S AFFECTION. —
WATER-SPANIELS. — ANECDOTE. — THE CAPTAIN's FITNERAL. — MAL-
BROOK's ACHIEVEMENTS. — A FAITHFUL DOG.' — THE AVOLF DOG.
— THE IRISH WOLF DOG. — HOMMAGE ATI ROI. — BRUNO.- —
LLEWELYN'S GELERT.

INSCRIPTION ON THE MONUHENT OF A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.

" When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown to glory but upheld by birth,
The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe.
And storied m-ns record who rests below.
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen
Not what he was, biit what he should have been.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend.
The first to welcome, foremost to defend ;
"Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who laboiu-s, fights, lives, breathes, for him alone,
TJnhonoured falls, unnotic'd aU his worth.
Denied in Heaven the soul he held on earth ;
Wliile man, vain insect ! hopes to be forgiven.
And claims himself a sole exclusive Heaven.
Oh Man ! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debas'd by slavery or corrupt by power ;
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust !
Thy love is lust, thy fi'iendship all a cheat,
Thy smiles hj'pocrisy, thy words deceit !
By nature vile, ennobled but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on — it honours none you wish to mourn :
To mark a friend's remains these stones arise, —
I never knew but one, and here he lies."

Gentlemen who derive their amusements chiefly from
field sports should pay particular attention to the health

THE SETTER. 51

of their dogs ; but on this important subject I shall
refer my readers to the valuable works of Blaine,
Youatt, jNIayhew, and " Stonehenge."

I am going to speak chiefly of those dogs which are
absolutely necessary for the sportsman. By sports-
men I mean those who are not entirely devoted to
battue shooting, but who range the moors, fields,
and woods accompanied by their setters, pointers, and
spaniels, and who take much delight in seeing these
animals exert themselves to show their master good
sport. Of all our domesticated animals, none can cer-
tainly be compared to the canine race for the variety of
excellent qualities they are well known to possess. How
rarely can we find so disinterested a friend as the dog,
and how many examples we have in which this animal
has displayed the most daring courage in the defence of
his master, and an equally persevering watchfulness of
his property by day and night ! this endearing animal
is so exempt from malice or resentment, that when he
is fondly attached to his master he even licks the hand
that has just chastised him ; and it is a well-known fact,
thoroughly authenticated, that from their strong attach-
ment to their masters, they have been known to pine
away and die when death has separated them for ever
from their beloved object. Of their extraordinary saga-
city and instinct we have numerous and wonderfid
examples, some of which I shall relate hereafter.

In the choice of sporting dogs, some sportsmen prefer
setters, and others pointers, for grouse, blackcock, and
partridge shooting. I always preferred the well-bred
smooth pointer to the former, but the best dog I ever
possessed was a first cross between a pointer and setter,
and so highly did I prize her, that I verily believe no
sum of money would have tempted me to part with her.

52 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSM.'US'.

She had an exquisite nose, ranged with rapidity over the
field, and never tired on the hottest days of August and
September, and really, when she entered a field, seemed
to know by instinct where to find the game. Sir C. K.,
Bart., whom I have before mentioned, has seen Jessie's
performance in Norfolk and Northamptonshire ; he is a
thorough sportsman of the old school, and still declares
that in field qualities she surpassed every dog he had
ever shot to. I have a very good likeness of her painted
by a skilful animal artist who resided at East Dereham,
Norfolk.

Setters* are generally preferred for grouse shooting, as
they are supposed to go through more work, and range
the moors better than pointers, and possessing the im-
portant advantage of not requiring so much water as the
pointer. During the many years that I pursued field
sports, I had various breeds of pointers, amongst them
the Eussian breed, which are distinguished by having
extremely rough hair. I had also one of that smooth
species, who are pupped with tails not more than two or
three inches in length. I also used the old double-nosed
Spanish pointer, which are slow but sure in finding
game. I may boast of having had some excellent dogs

* " When autumn smiles, all beauteous in decay,

And paints each chequered grove with various hues,

My setter ranges o'er the new shorn field.

His nose erect, from ridge to ridge

Panting he bounds, his quartered ground divides

In equal intervals, nor careless leaves

One inch untried. At length the tainted gales

His nostrils wide inhale ; quick joy elates

His beating heart, whicli, awed by discipline

Severe, he dares not run, but cautious creeps.

Low cowering, step by step, at last attains

His proper distance ; there he stops at once.

And points with his instructive nose upon." — Tlic Chase, 1742.

THE SrANIEL. 53

of these various breeds. One of the short-tailed breed
I sold to a friend for fifty pounds. His name was Pluto ;
he was liver-coloured and particularly well-made, had
a fine nose, and was as steady as time. When we drove
a covey into a clover, potatoe, or turnip field, the other
dogs were taken up, and great havoc was generally made
amongst the birds by Pluto's dexterous skill in finding
the single birds. Some gentlemen shoot with pointers
in cover, but I prefer a brace or two of Avell-broke
spaniels, with a retriever. A friend of mine, an old
sportsman, always shot in woods \vith pointers with bells
of different tones on their necks, by which he was able
to ascertain which of his dogs stood. He was a firstrate
shot, and by this mode bagged a great deal of game.
Although I generally shot in cover with spaniels, yet
when the pheasants were to be found in turnip fields,
hedge-rows, and very low cover, I took with me a brace
of pointers.

Of spaniels there are many species, some of which
derive their names even from kings, and other noble
sportsmen. Those known as King Charles's are
particularly handsome dogs; their colour black, ears
very long, tan-mark over each eye, and the roof of the
mouth a dark colour. In strength they are scarcely
equal to a strong cover. The Blenheim spaniel is a
small red and white dog, with an intelligent countenance,
and large dark eyes. I beheve I have already remarked
that the great-grandfather of the present Duke of Marl-
b(«-ough shot at Blenheim with these spaniels, and had
sometimes as many as five or six brace of these dogs, all
thoroughly trained. These handsome little dogs have
particularly fine noses as regards scent, and are well cal-
culated for beating plantations where the cover at the
bottom is not strono;.

54 EEMINISCENCES OF A SrOETSMAN.

This breed of spaniels is now become rare, and where
the covers answer the above description, when able to
procure the breed, gentlemen frequently make use of
them. A spaniel known as the Clumber breed — so named
from the Duke of Newcastle's seat, his Grace always
shooting with them in his woods — are much sought after
b_y sportsmen. This spaniel is red and white, is larger than
the usual spaniel, strong made, an intelligent counten-
ance, dark eyes, and the ears not very long. These dogs
have excellent noses, and disf)lay great spirit in beating
strong covers, and after having been shot to, two or three
seasons, become very valuable for pheasant and cock
shooting. They are natm-ally ill-tempered, and rarely
form any attachment but to their master or gamekeeper.
I had one of this breed, which I gave to a relative :
I brought him up from a puppy, he was much
attached to me, and was a twelvemonth old when I
parted with him. He recollected me for a year after-
wards, and was still very caressing, but the second year
he had quite forgotten me, and growled when I went to
pat him. My friend told me he was the best dog among
his spaniels. He had the shooting over a thousand
acres of woodland, the greater part of which was par-
ticularly strong, from black thorn, high sedges, and long
grass. In Sussex, where they have numerous and ex-
tensive strong covers, they have a very good breed of
dark brown spaniels, compact and well made, their legs
rather short and strong. They are distinguished by
the name of the Sussex spaniel, and are especially
adapted to shooting in the thick covers of this county.

Independently of the above breeds of spaniels, there
is a great variety of this sj)ecies, which, when properly
broke, possess all the qualities essential for cover shoot-
ing. Dash was a black si^aniel I shot to for several

BLOOD-KED SETTER. 55

seasons. I never knew a Ijetter dog ; he would face any
cover, had a good nose, and always beat close to nie.
He was also particularly tender-mouthed, had great
bodily strength, fine large dark e3'es, and ears rather
long, and well feathered about the legs. He came from
Scotland, but I never heard that he was of any parti-
cular breed. In Ireland the setter is called the English
spaniel, having been originally brought from England.
I had one of these dogs, which I purchased at Waterford ;
it was cailed a blood red setter, and certainly was beauti-
ful in appearance, but being then on the point of
embarking for England I had not time to witness his
performance in the field, which I afterwards found was
very mediocre ; but I shall hereafter mention his extra-
ordinary instinct in finding his way over the Welsh
mountains back to Milford Haven, where I landed.

The spaniel is a dog of great antiquity, the breed of
which was always carefully attended to. It can boast
of one excellent quality, that of being extremely faithful
to its master, and in temper playful and good tempered.
Crowned heads have condescended to patronise these
dogs, particularly Charles the Second, who rarely
walked out without two or three beautiful animals
attending him* ; and Blaine states that the chief order of
Denmark, now denominated that of the elephant, was
instituted in memory of a spaniel named Wildbeat,
who had shown attachment to the monarch when
deserted by his subjects. The motto to this order was,
and still remains, " Wildbeat was faithful." A circum-

* The breed of spaniels belonging to tlie late Duke of Norfolk was
highly prized by him, and there was much difficulty in obtaining one
from the duke. He gave one to the Duchess of York, on condition that
her royal highness would make a solemn promise not to breed from the
dog in a direct line.

56 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

stance related in an early part of the English history,
and also connected with Denmark, may be here intro-
duced, as it proves that one of the landings of the Danes
in England was occasioned by the sagacity and affection
of a spaniel. " Ladebrock, of the blood royal of Den-
mark, and father of Humbar and Hiibba, being in a
boat with his hawks and his dog, was by a sudden storm
driven on the coast of Norfolk, where, being discovered
and suspected of being a spy, was brought to Edmond,
king of the East Angles. Making himself l^nown, he
was treated with great hospitality by the monarch, and
particularly so on account of his dexterous skill in
hawking and hunting. The king's falconer was jealous
of this attention ; and lest it should lessen his merit in
his master's opinion and deprive him of his place, had
the treachery to waylay Ladebrock, and murdered him,
and concealed the body amongst some bushes. He was
presently missed at court, and the king showed great
impatience to know what was become of him, when the
dog, who had stood in the wood by the corpse of his
master till famine forced him thence, came and fawned
on the king and enticed him to follow him. The body
was found, and by a chain of evidence the murderer
was discovered. As a just punishment, he was placed
alone in Ladebrock's boat, and committed to the sea,
which bore him to the very shore the prince had quitted;
the boat was recognised, and the assassin, to avoid the
torture, falsely confessed that Ladebrock had been put
to death by the order of Edmond, which so exasperated
the Danes that to revenge his murder they invaded
England."

Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, was extremely
partial to this breed of dogs, and three or four spaniels
were his constant companions when he was not engaged

A SPANIELS AFFECTIOX. 57

in military manosuvres. These animals had free access
to his rooms at all times, and so indulgent was he to
them, that they were permitted td lie on sofas and
chairs covered with fine silk damask. In the garden of
Sans Souci may still be seen monuments erected to the
memory of these favourite little dogs. The late Duchess
of York was very partial to the canine race ; her Royal
Highness might be constantly seen walking in the gar-
dens of Oatlands with her dogs. Amongst them might be
seen the Newfoundland dog, the Italian greyhound, pugs,
terriers, and spaniels. Her attachment to these faithful
animals continued till her death. There are remark-
able instances of the strong attachment of a spaniel to
the gamekeeper of the Rev. Mr. Corsellis, related in
" Daniel's Rural Sports." " The gamekeeper of this
gentleman had reared a spaniel, which was his constant
attendant both by day and night ; wherever old Daniel
the keeper appeared. Dash Avas close beside him, and
was of infinite use in his nocturnal excursions. The
game at that time he never regarded, although in the
daytime no spaniel would find it better, or in greater
quantity ; but at night, if a strange foot had entered
any of the covers. Dash, by a significant whine informed
his master the enemy was abroad ; and many poachers
have been detected and caught by this singular intelli-
gence. After many years' friendly connection old
Daniel was seized with a disease which terminated in
consumption, and his death. WTiilst the slow but fatal
progress of this disorder allowed him to crawl about.
Dash, as usual, followed his footsteps ; and when nature
was still further exhausted, and he took to his bed, at
the foot of it invariably attended the faithful animal ;
and when he died this dog would not quit him, but lay
VOL. II. F

58 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

upon the bed by bis side. It was with difficulty he was
tempted to eat any food ; and although after the burial
he was taken to the hall, and caressed with all the
tenderness which so fond an attachment naturally called
forth, he took every opportunity to steal back to the
room in the cottage where his old master breathed his
last. Here he would remain for hours ; from thence he
daily visited his grave, and at the end of fourteen days,
notwithstanding every kindness and attention shown
him, he died, literally broken-hearted."

The old Marquis of Granby had a celebrated breed of
water spaniels. The water-spaniel is a powerful dog,
with rather coarse hair ; he should be of a good height,
more especially if he is to be made use of in rivers, lakes,
or morasses, which may have near their banks a strong
cover of reeds and rushes, where he would be required
to swim, or beat in order to spring the wild fowl, more
particularly widgeon and teal, which sometimes lie very
close in these sedgy covers. The water spaniels should
be therefore stout, courageous, and semi-aquatic.
Markham, speaking of this dog, points out most accur-
ately the mode of training them to wild-fowl shooting.
" The water dogge is a creature of such general use, and
so frequently seen in England, that it is needlesse to
make any large description of him ; the rather, since not
any amongst us is so simple that he cannot say when he
seeth him, this is a water-dogge, or dogge bred for the
water. Yet, because in this, as in other creatures, there are
other characters and formes which pretend more excel-
lencie, and figure a greater height than others doe, I
will here describe as neare as I can the best proportion of
a perfect water-dogge. First, for the colour of the best
water-dogge, all be it some will ascribe more excellence

WATEE SPANIELS. 59

to one colour than another, as the blacke to be the best
and hardiest ; the lyver-hued swiftest in swimming, and
the pyed or spotted dogge quicker in scent. Yet in
truth, it is nothing so, for all colours are alike,
and so a dogge of any of the former colours may
be excellent dogges, and of any may be notable
curres, according to their first ordering and trayning for
instruction wherewith they are seasoned, and if they be
well handled at first, they will ever smell of that dis-
cretion ; and if they be ill-handled, they will ever stinke
of that folly ; for nature is a true mistresse, and bestows
her gifts freely, and it is only nature which abuseth
them. Now for the cutting and shearing from the
navill downwards or backwards. It is two wayes well to
bee allowed of, that it is for summer hunting or for wager ;
because these water-dogges naturally are ever most
laden with haire on the hinder partes, nature as it were
labouring to defend that parte most, which is continu-
ally to bee employed in the most extremity, and
because the hinder parts are ever deeper in the water
than the fore part, therefore nature has given them the
gi-eatest armour of haire to defend themselves from
wette and coldnesse ; yet this defence in the summer
time, by the violence of the heate of the sonne, and the
greatnesse of the dog's labour, and is very noysome and
troublesome, and not only maketh him soon to faint,
and give over his sporte, but also maketh him, by his
overheating, more subject to mangie; and so likewise in
a matter of wager, it is a very heavy burthen to the
dogge and makes him swim less nimbly and slower;
but, for the cutting or shaving off the haire of a
dogge all quite over, that I utterly dislike; for it not
only takes from him the general benefits which nature

y 2

(;0 EEMINISCEXCES OP A SPORTSMAN".

hatli lent him, but also brings such a tendernesse and
chillnesse over all his body, that the water will in the
ende grow yerksome unto him." Markham's system of
training the water-spaniel is so particularly recom-
mendable that I shall transcribe it.* " Now for the
trayning, or bringing up of your water dogge ; it is to
bee understood that you cannot begin too early with
him ; that is to say, even when you first wheane him,
and teach him to laj^pe, for even then you shall teach
him to couche and lie close, not daring to stirre or move
from that posture which you place him in, without your
special licence, cherrishing it ever when it doth your will,
and correcting it ever when it doth the contrary ; and
always observing this maxim in the first teaching him,
that you never let your dogge eat or taste any meate
but when she doeth something to deserve it. That cus-
tom may make knowe food is a thing which cometh
not by chance, but for reward or merit when he doth
your command ; and this will not onely make him willing
to learn, but apt to remember and retayne what he
learneth, and diligently to perform your pleasiu-e with-

* Wliilst two gentlemen were passing ovei' that magnificent structure
the railway viaduct which spans the river Boyne, followed by a water-
spaniel eighteen months old, the owner commenced to expatiate on its
intrepidity. The other inquired jocosely whether he thoxight the dog
would follow his walking-stick, if thrown from the lattice-work where they
stood. The owner replied by a grave shake of the head, when imme-
diately the stick was thrown oiit, and in a moment the spaniel dashed
after it through the bars, and disappeax'ed. The dog fell into the water,
102 feet beneath. The astonished owner looked almost bewildered,
thinking, as a matter of course, he woiild hear no more of his faithful
animal ; but, strange to say, the dog was shortly afterwards observed
upon the beach, carrying the stick in his mouth, and awaiting the
arrival of his master. The animal had not suiFered the slightest injury
from this extraordinary leap.

ANECDOTE. 61

out stickes or amazement — the characters of your com-
mand being so deeply imprinted on his knowledge ; and
to this end you must have no more teachers, no more
feeders, cherrishers, or correctors but one ; for multi-
plicity breeds confusion, and to teach divers wayes is to
teach no waye well ; also, you must be very constant to
the words you teach, chusing those which are the most
significant for the purpose, and fittest for the action you
have the dogge doe, and by no means alter that word
which you first use. When, therefore, you have made
your whelpe vmderstand these severall sounds or wordes,
and that he will couche and laye down at your feet, how
you please, when you please, and as long as you jilease,
and that mth a single worde or a looke onely, you shall
then proceed and teache him to leade in a line and collar
following you at your heeles, in decent and comely order,
neither going before or beside, which showes too much
haste, nor hanging backe, or strayning your line by the
means of too much sloathe, but following in decent and
orderly manner, without offence to the dogge or his
leader; and this kind of leading is to make the whelpe
familiar with you, that he may love and acknowledge
you and no man else. When this general obedience is
taught, which is done by observing his doings, and
moving him by sights or sports which may tempt him
to go beyond his boundes, and then to correct his
offences, and to cherrish and reward his obedience, you
shall then teache him to fetch and carry anything you
shall throw off your hand." Markham adds much more
practical matter in the training of the water spaniel :
he displays in these directions much kindness and
humanity towards the dog. However, no line can be
exactly dra'svn in this respect; much must depend on^he

F 3

62 REMINISCENCES OP A SPOETSMAN.

temper and disposition of the animal ; but generally
speaking, in the training, gentle and lenient conduct,
perseveringly adhered to towards a sporting dog, will in
the end, provided he has a good nose, make him fully
equal to the performance of all the duties required of
him in the field.

I shall now give several examples of the extraordinary
attachment shown by this noble animal to his master.
This first anecdote I shall relate was told me by a lady
when on board her husband's yacht at Stockholm, and
she had seen the dog referred to in his box, in one of the
churchyards of the Swedish metropolis.

"A captain of an English merchant ship had arrived
in the port of Stockholm, and was soon afterwards
seized with an illness of which he died. At the time
of his death he had on board a fine large black New-
foundland dog, which was fondly attached to him. On
the day of the captain's funeral, Neptune was allowed
to follow his poor master to the grave, and after the
funeral ceremony had been performed the officers and
crew made every exertion to entice the dog to follow
them to the ship, but all in vain, and their endeavours
to catch him proving fruitless, they left him in the
churchyard ; and as soon as they had disappeared, the
affectionate animal returned to his master's grave.
During the short time the ship remained in port the
dog might be seen at all times lying with his head on
the grave, and every day the sailors brought him his
food; but he was so vigilant on these occasions that they
never could get near him to take him back to the ship,
and they were at last obliged to sail without him. The
neighbouring Swedish inhabitants, in admiration at the
extraordinary attachment displayed by this animal to

--^v

THE CAPTAIN S FUXERAL. 63

hi" late master, made arrangements amongst themselves
to supply him with his daily food : and as the season
advanced, and the weather became extremely cold in
this northern climate, a subscription was made to build
him a comfortable dog-house, which was placed on one
side of the grave of the late captain of the vessel.
There was one very singular feature in the character of
the affectionate Neptune: whenever a person was brought
to the churchyard to be buried, the dog always went to
the grave, looking earnestly into it ; in his doing that
we must conclude that he had a strong impression on his
mind that he should once more behold his beloved
master."

I have in my possession, at this time, a beautiful
white Spitz hound or Pomeranian dog. His head in
shape is like that of a fox, with large dark sparkling eyes,
which express fully every passion that he feels at the
time; his symmetry is perfect, and he carries his bushy
tail exactly in the same Vv'ay as a squirrel. INIalbrook,
for that is his name, has an unbounded affection for me.
and always knows my knock at the door, and expresses
his joy by constant barking until I come into the room ;
and even when I go out of the dining-room for a short
time, not taking him with me, he makes a whining
melanclioly noise : he is my constant companion when
at home by day and night, and when he perceives that
I am going out walking he is my attendant. His joy
knows no bounds, which is expressed in rather a dis-
agreeable way, by unceasing barking and jumping upon
me. If Mrs. H. should even point her finger at me,
he instantly growls, and it would be a service of danger
on these occasions even to touch me, for he would
certainly bite her or any other person who took this

64 REMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAJST.

liberty. As we frequently go to visit our relations and
friends for two or three weeks in the summer and
autumn, I am sometimes obliged to leave Malbrook at
home, for dogs are not always welcome visitors; although,
to speak the truth, I have a very poor opinion of those
persons who entertain a prejudice against these faithful,
affectionate, courageous, and noble animals. On these
occasions poor Malbrook for two or three days will go
and lie at my bedroom door, and during this period he
will hardly take any food ; but when, on my return, the
carriage arrives at the door and he hears my knock, his
joy and pleasure is unbounded, and for at least ten
minutes he jumps and capers about, barking all the
time just like a mad dog, and his affectionate caresses
displayed towards me are unceasing. It is the peculiar
characteristic of the Spitz hound that they strongly
attach themselves to one person, and it will be gene-
rally found that to this individual their love and
affection is unbounded. It is chiefly owing to this
peculiar quality that these dogs are such great favourites
with the Grermans ; and formerly you might see one of
the dogs sitting on the seat of a light German spring
waggon which conveyed merchandise from Switzerland
into Grermany and into Holland. A daughter of mine
purchased Malbrook for me when about six months old,
from a gardener near Brussels, and he is now rather
more than three years old. I have taught him several
tricks, such as jumping over a stick, giving me his paw
when asked, and when I tell him in French to kiss me,
he springs up and touches my face with his tongue, &c. ;
and when I pass any person's house where I have been
in the habit of frequently visiting, he always begins
barking, as much as to say, " I conclude you are going

MALBROOIvS ACIIIEYEMEXTS. G5

in here."* The gi-eat drawback in having an animal so
strongly attached to you, is the annoying feeling that
he may be either stolen, or that I should be deprived of
his delightful society by some fatal disease. Although
I go to London every spring for three weeks or a month,
I never take Malbrook, feeling quite sure that the dog-
stealers in the metropolis, from my dog's great beauty,
would contrive, by some of their many expedients, to
deprive me of my favourite.

A remarkable instance of the strong affection of a
dog for his mistress is stated by Jesse, in his " Anecdotes
of Dogs." " The wife of a member of the town council
of Brighton had been an invalid for some time, and at
last was confined to her bed. During this period she
was constantly attended by a faithful and affectionate
dog, who either slept in her room or outside her door.
She died, was buried, and the dog followed his beloved
mistress to the grave. After the funeral, the husband
and her friends returned to the house, and while they
were partaking of some refreshments the dog put his
paws on his master's arm and expired ! " The same
author observes : " An English officer had a large dog,
which he left with his family in England, while he
accompanied an expedition to America, dming the war
with the Colonies. Throughout his absence the animal
appeared very much dejected. When the officer retm-ned
home, the dog, who happened to be lying at the door of
an apartment into which his master was about to enter,

* When my page comes to let me kno-sv that it is time to go to church,
Mallirook immediately retires with his tail down under the table, being
fully aware that he is not to accompany me. He displays the same
intelligence when we are going out to dinner, and goes in a melancholy
mood to the hoiisekeeper's room, all his usual joy at dinner time being
completely s\ibdued.

66 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

immediately recognised him, leaped upon his neck, licked
his face, and in a few minutes fell dead at his feet."

The following old but interesting anecdote is taken
from Daniel's " Eural Sports." " A few days before the
overthrow of Robespierre, a revolutionary tribunal had
condemned M. R., an upright magistrate and most esti-
mable man, on a pretence of finding him guilty of con-
spiracy ! His faithful dog, a spaniel, was with him when
seized, but was not suffered to enter the prison ; he took
refuge with a neighbour of his master's, and every day
at the same hour returned to the prison, but was still
refused admittance ; he, however, had uniformly passed
some time there, and his unremitting fidelity won upon
the porter, and the dog was allowed to enter. The
meeting may be better imagined than described : the
jailer, however, fearful for himself, carried the dog out of
the prison, but he returned next morning, and was regu-
larly admitted on each day after this. When the day of
sentence arrived, the dog, notwithstanding the guards,
penetrated into the hall, where he lay crouched between
the legs of his master. Again, at the hour of execution the
faithful dog was there, and when the knife of the guillotine
fell he would not leave the lifeless and headless hodj. The
first night, the next day, and the second night his absence
alarmed his new patron, who, guessing whither he had
gone, sought him and found him stretched upon his
master's grave : from this time for three months every
morning the mourner returned to his protectors merely to
receive his food, and then again retreated to the grave. At
last he refused food ; his patience seemed exhausted, and
with his temporary strength supplied by his long-tried
and unexhausted affection, for twenty hours he was ob-
served to employ his weakened limbs in digging up

A FAITHFUL DOG. 67

the earth that separated him from the being he had
served. His powers, however, here gave way ; he
shrieked iu his struggles, and at last ceased to breathe,
with his last look turned upon the grave."

A Scotch grazier, named Archer, having lost his way,
and being benighted, at last got to a lone cottage ; where,
on his being admitted, a dog who had left Archer's house
four years before recognised him immediately, fawned
upon him, and when he retired followed him into the
chamber where he was to lie, and there by his gesture in-
duced him narrowly to examine it. This Archer did suf-
ficiently to assure himself that he was in the house of
murderers. Kendered desperate by the terrors of his
situation, he burst into the room where the banditti
were assembled, and wounded his insidious host by a
pistol shot. In the confusion which the sudden ex-
plosion occasioned he opened the door, and, notwith-
standing he was fired at, accompanied by his dog Brutus,
exerted all the speed which danger could call forth, until
daylight enabled him to perceive a house and the main
road at no great distance. Upon his arrival at the
house, and telling the master of it his story, he called
up some soldiers that were there quartered, and who,
with the aid of the dog, retraced the way back to the
cottage. Upon examining the building a trap door was
found which opened into a place where, amongst
the mangled remains of several persons, was the
body of the owner, who had received the shot from the
grazier's pistol in the neck ; and although not dead,
had been by the Avi-etches his associates, in their
quick retreat, thrown into this secret cemetery. He was,
however, cured of his wound, delivered up to justice,
tried, and executed.

68 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMA^".

There are some very interesting anecdotes of the Irish
Wolf Dog: —

" War with the wolf he loves to wage,
And never quits if he engage ;
But praise him much and you may chance
To put him out of countenance ;
And having done a deed so brave,
He looks not sullen, yet looks grave.
No fondKng play-fellow is he.
His master's guard he wills to be ;
Willing for him his blood be spent.
His look is never insolent.
Few men to do such noble deeds have learn' d,
Nor having done, could look so unconcern' d."

Mrs. Catherine; Pnirrps.

" At the hard-fought battle of Aughrim of Bidconnel,
an Irish officer was accompanied by his wolf hound. This
gentleman was killed and stripped in the battle, but the
dog remained by his body both day and night. He fed
upon some of the other bodies with the rest of the dogs,
yet he would not allow them or anything else to touch
that of his master. When all the others were consumed
the other dogs departed, but this one used to go into the
adjacent villages for food, and presently to return again
to the place where his master's bones were only left.
This he continued to do from July, when the battle was
fought, until the January following, when a soldier be-
ing quartered near, and going that way by chance, the
dog, fearing he came to disturb his master's bones,
flew upon the soldier, who, being surprised at the sud-
denness of the attack, unslung his carbine, (he having
been thrown on his back,) and killed the noble animal.
He expired with the same fidelity to the remains of his
unfortunate master, as that master had shown devotion
towards the cause of his unhappy country."

THE TVOLF DOG. 69

In the momitainous parts of Tyrone the inhabitants
suffered much from the wolves, and gave from the public
fund as much for the head of one of these animals as they
would now give for the capture of a notorious robber on
the highway. " There lived in those days an adventurer
who, alone and unassisted, made it his occupation to de-
stroy these ravagers. The time for attacking them was
in the night, and midnight was fixed upon for so doing,
as that was their wonted time for leaving their lairs in
search of food, when the country was at rest and all was
still ; then issuing forth, they fell on their defenceless
prey, and the carnage commenced. There was a species
of dog for the purpose of hunting them, called the
"wolf dog :" the animal resembled a rough, stout, half-
bred greyhound, but was much stronger. In the county of
T3Tone there was then a large space of ground enclosed
by a high stone wall, having a gap at the two opposite
extremities, and in this was secured the flock of the siu--
roundiug farmers ; but secure as this fold was deemed,
it was often entered by the wolves and- its inmates
slaughtered. The neighbouring proprietors, having
heard of the noted wolf-hunter above mentioned, by
name Eory Grarragh, sent for him, and offered the usual
sum with some addition, if he would undertake to de-
stroy the two remaining wolves that had committed
such devastation. Grarragh undertaking the task, took
with him two wolf dogs, and a little boy twelve yeai-s of
age, the only person who would accompany him, and
repaired at the approach of midnight to the fold in ques-
tion. " Now," said Grarragh to the hoj, " as the two
wolves usually enter the opposite extremities of the
sheepfold at the same time, I must leave you and one
of the dogs to guard this one while I go to the other.

70 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN".

He steals with the caution of a cat, nor will you hear
him, but the dog will, and give him the first fall. II,
therefore, you are not active when he is down to rivet
his neck to the ground with this spear, he will rise up
and kill both you and the dog ; so good night." " I'll
do what I can,"' said the little boy, as he took the spear
from the wolf-hunter's hand. Tlie boy immediately threw
open the gate of the fold, and took his seat in the inner
part close to the entrance, his faithful companion
crouching at his side, and seemed perfectly aware of
the dangerous business he was engaged in. The night
was very dark and cold, and the poor little boy being
benumbed with the chill air, was beginning to fall into
a kind of sleep ; when at that instant the dog with a
roar leaped across, and laid his mortal enemy upon the
earth. The boy was roused into double activity by the
voice of his companion, and drove the spear through the
w^olf's neck as he had been directed; at which time
Grarragh appeared, bearing the head of the other. This
anecdote is taken from a biography of a Tyrone family,
published in Belfast, 1829.

" His truth and beauty speaks no vulgar praise.

" Oh ! had you seen him, vigorous, bold, and young,
Swift as a stag, and as a lion strong ;
Him no fell savage in the plain withstood,
None 'scaped him, bosomed in the gloomy wood ;
His eye how piercing !" — Pope.

A certain degree of romance will always be attached to
the history of the Irish wolf dog; but so contradictory
are the reports handed to us respecting it, that, with
every disposition to do justice to the character of this
noble animal, the task is one of no small difficulty. This

THE IKISTI WOLF DOG. 71

dog seems to have flourished and to have become nearly
extinct with the ancient kings of Ireland, and with the
harp and shamrock, is regarded as one of the national
emblems of that country. " When princely hospitality
was to be found in those palaces, castles, and baronial
halls of fair Erin, it is hardly possible to imagine any-
thing more aristocratic and imposing than the aspect of
these dogs while attending the banquets of their mas-
ters. So great indeed was their height, that it has been
affirmed that when their chieftain was seated at table,
these dogs could rest their heads on their masters'
shoulders. However this may have been, it is certain
that the bold, majestic, and commanding appearance of
the animal, joined to the mild and softened look with
which he regarded those to whom he was attached, and
whom he was always ready to defend, must have ren-
dered him worthy of the enthusiasm with which the re-
membrance of him is still cherished by the warm-hearted
people of Ireland. The following anecdote, which has
been communicated to me by an amiable Irish nobleman,
will at all events serve to show the peculiar instinct
which the Irish wolf dog was supposed to possess. A
gentleman of ancient family, whose name it is useless to
mention, from his having been engaged in the troubles
which agitated Ireland about fifty or sixty years since,
went into a coffee room in Dublin during that period, ac-
companied by a noble wolf hound, supposed to be one
of the last of the breed. There was only one other
gentleman in the coffee room, who on seeing him went
up to him and began to notice him. His owner, in con-
siderable alarm, begged him to desist, as the dog was
fierce and would allow no stranger to touch him. The
gentleman resumed his seat, when the dog came up to

72 KEMIMSCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

him, showed the greatest pleasure at being noticed,
and allowed himself to be fondled. His owner could not
disguise his astonishment. " You are the first person,"
said he, " whom that dog would ever allow to touch him
without showing resentment. May I beg of you the fa-
vour to tell me your name?" mentioning his own name
at the same time. The stranger announced it ; he was
the last of his race, one of the most noble in Ireland,
and descended from one of its kings. " I do not wonder,"
said the owner of the dog, "at the homage this animal
has paid to you. He recognises in you the descendant
of one of our most ancient race of gentlemen to whom
this breed of dogs almost exclusively belonged, and the
peculiar instinct he possesses has now been shown in a
manner which cannot be mistaken by me, who am so
well acquainted with the ferocity this dog has hitherto
shown to strangers." Few persons. Sir Walter Scott
excepted, would perhaps be inclined to give credit to
this anecdote. So convinced was he of the extraordinary
instinct exhibited by dogs generally, that he has been
heard to declare that he would believe anything of a
dog."

The strength of these dogs must be very great. A
nobleman informed Mr. Jesse that when he was a boy
and staying with the Knight of Kerry, two Irish wolf-
dogs made their escape from the place in which they
were confined, and pulled down and killed a horse
which was in an adjoining paddock. Roderick, King
of Connaught, was obliged to furnish hawks and grey-
hounds of this breed to Henry II. Sir Thomas Kerr
obtained great favour with the Grreat Mogul, in 1615,
for a brace of greyhounds, (supposed to be the wolf-dog)
presented by him. Sir William Betham, speaking of

" HOMMAGE AU ROI." 73

the Irish greyhound, says : " From the mention of the
Irish wolf-dogs in the old Irish poems and stories, and
also from what I have heard from a very old man, long
since dead, of his having seen them at ' The Neale,' in
the county of Mayo, the seat of Sir John Browne, an-
cestor to Lord Kilmaine, I have no doubt they were of
gigantic size. My departed friend described them as
being very gentle, and says that Sir John Browne allowed
them to come into his dining-room, where they put their
heads over the shoulders of those who sat at the table.
They were not smooth-skinned like our greyhounds, but
rough and curly-haired. The Irish poets call the wolf-
dogs ' Lu,' and the common greyhound ' Geizer,' a
marked distinction, the word Lu signifying a champion.
Goldsmith asserts that he had seen a dozen of the
dogs, and informs us that ' tlie largest was about four
feet high and as tall as a calf of a year old.' They
were generally of a white or cinnamon colour, and more
robust than the greyhound : their aspect mild, and their
disposition gentle and jDeaceable." It is said that their
strength is so great that in combat the mastiff or bull-
dog is far from ec[ual to them. They commonly seize
their antagonists by the back, and shake them to death.
These dogs were never serviceable for hunting either the
stag, the fox, or the hare.

Their chief utility was in hunting wolves, and to this
breed may be attributed the final extirpation of these
ferocious animals in England and Wales in the woody
districts. The Irish wolf-dogs were formerly placed as
the supporters of the arms of the ancient monarchs of
Ireland. They were collared with the motto,

" Gentle when stroked,
Fierce -when provoked."

YOL. II. G

74 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

Hollinshed, in his description of Ireland and tlie Irish
written in 1586, has the following notice : " They are
not without wolves, and greyhounds to hunt them,
bigger of bone and limb than a colt." Of the courage
of the ancient wolf-dog, or as some call them deer-
hound, there can be little doubt, from the nature of
the animal for which he was used. If any proof were
wanting, an incident mentioned by Evelyn in his "Diary"
of 1670, when present at a bull-fight in the bear gar-
dens, is conclusive. He says : " The bulls (meaning the
bull-dogs) did exceedingly well ; but the Irish wolf-dog
exceeded, which was a tall greyhound, a stately crea-
ture indeed, who beat a cruel mastiff." I am indebted
to that clever and intelligent authoress, Mrs. S. Carter
Hall, for her recollections of an Irish wolf-dog and his
master, which I cannot do better than relate in her own
words : —

" When I was a child, I had a very close friendship
with a genuine old wolf-dog, Bruno by name ; he was
the property of an old friend of my grandmother's who
claimed descent from the Irish kings. His name was
O'Toole ; his manners were the most courtly you can
imagine, as they might well be, for he had spent much
time and fortune at the French court when Marie-
Antoinette was in her prime and beauty. His visits
Y\^ere by jubilees, — there was the kind, dignified old
gentleman who told me tales, — there was his tall gaunt
dog, grey with age, and yet with me full of play ; and
there were two rough terriers which Bruno kejDt in ad-
mirable order. He managed the little one by simply
placing his paw upon it when it was too frisky ; but Vixen,
the large one, like many ladies, had a will of her own,
and entertained some idea of being mistress. Bruno

BRUXO. 75

would bear a great deal from her, giving however now
and then a low deep growl ; but when provoked too
much, he would quietly lift the dog off the ground by
the strength of his jaws, (his teeth were gone) stayed
with her in his mouth at the door until it was opened,
and then deposit her, half strangled as she was, in a
nettle bed some distance from the house. The dog's
discrimination was curious. If Vixen was thrown upon
him, or if we forced her to insult him, he never punished
her ; bvit if she of her own accord teased him more
than his patience could bear, the punishment was cer-
tain to follow. O'Toole and his dogs always occupied
the same room, the terriers being on the bed with their
master. Xo entreaty, however, induced Bruno to sleep
on an3i:hing softer than stone. He would remove the
hearthrug and lie on the marble. His master used to
instance the dog's disdain of luxury as a mark of his noble
nature. I should not omit to tell you that O'Toole
was proud, and never would submit to be called ^ Mr.'
Meeting one day Lord Arne, in Dame Street, Dublin,
when the old man was followed by his three dogs, of
which Bruno was the last, the young nobleman, who
had also his followers in the shape of ' Parliament-
men,' said to the descendant of Irish kings, nodding
to him familiarly at the same time, ' How do you do,
Mr. O'Toole ? ' The old man paused, drew himself up,
lifted his hat, made his courtly bow, and answered,
' O'Toole salutes Arne.' I can recall to mind nothing
more picturesque than that majestic old gentleman and
his dogs, both remnants of a bygone age. Bruno was
rough, but not long coated ; very grave, observant, en-
during every one ; very fond of children, playing with
them gently, but only crouching and fawning on his

G 2

76 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

master; and that, O'Toole would say, is a proof of my
royal blood."

It appears almost certain that the following in-
teresting anecdote, which is related in Mr. Carr's
" Stranger in Ireland," must have reference to the
Irish wolf-dog. Mr. Carr says, " whilst on his journey
to Ireland, he wandered to a little church which owed
its elevation to the following circumstance. Llewelyn
the Grreat, who resided near the base of Snowdon, had
a beautiful dog named Grelert, which had been pre-
sented to him by King John in 1205. One day in
consequence of the faithful animal, which at night
always sentineled his master's bed, not making his
appearance in the chase, Llewelyn returned home very
angry, and met the dog covered with blood at the door
of the chamber of his child. Upon entering, he found
the bed overturned, and the coverlet stained with gore.
He called to his boy, but received no answer, so he
rashly concluded that he had been killed by Gelert,
and in his anguish thrust his sword through the poor
animal's body. The Hon. Eobert Spencer has beau-
tifully told the remainder of the story.

His siippliant looks as prone lie fell,

No pity could impart,
Exit still his Gelert' s dying yell

Pressed heavy on his heart.

Arous'd by Gelert's dying yell.
Some slumb'rer waken'd nigh.

What words the parent's joy coiild tell
To hear his infant's cry !

LLEWELYN'S GELERT. 77

Nor scathe had he, nor harm, nor dread,

But the same couch beneath
Lay a gaunt ■wolf, all torn and dead.

Tremendous still in death.

Ah I what was now Llewelyn's pain ?

For now the tnith was clear.
His gallant hound the wolf had slain

To save Llewelyn's heir.

In order to mitigate his offence Llewelyn built this
chapel, and raised a tomb to poor Gelert, and the spot
to this day is called Beth-Gelert, or the grave of
Gelert.

The last wolf 'seen in Scotland was at the
latter end of the seventeenth century, about the reign
of Charles 11. One of these ferocious animals had in-
flicted great ravages among the flocks in Argyleshire,
and in consequence of the great complaints made by
the farmers, two gentlemen, brothers, resolved to make
every exertion to find the haunt of the wolf. They at
length discovered in an almost inaccessible rocky place
this she wolf's retreat. On entering this cave where she
had made her habitation they found her cubs, which
they immediately dispatched. On their perceiving that
the wolf was absent, the elder brother took his station at
the mouth of the cave, armed with a long spear to kill
her as she entered, and his brother coming instantl}' to
his assistance with his sword, the wolf was very soon
destroyed, to the great joy of the surrounding neigh-
bourhood.

78 EEMIMSCEKCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

CHAP. XXXVT.

THE BLOOD-HOUXD. — THE DEER-HOtTND. — A CHASE.

" His snuifiing nose, Iiis active tail.
Attest his joy ; then with deep opening mouth,
That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims
Th' audacious felon : foot by foot he marks
His winding way, while all the listening crowd
Applaud his reasonings. O'er the watery ford,
By sandy heaths, and stony barren hills,
O'er beaten paths, with mire and beasts distain'd.
Unerring he pursues : till at the cot
An'iv'd, and seizing by his guilty thi-oat
The caitiff vile, redeems the captive prey :
So exquisitely delicate his sense!" — Somerville.

In former times these noble dogs were also called
"slough dogs," in consequence of their being able to
follow the scent over sloughs, mosses, and bogs in pur-
suit of offenders called moss-troopers. They were
employed for this purpose so late as the reign of
James I. It is one of the largest species of this dog,
some having measured even to twenty-eight inches to
the top of the shoulder. They are beautifully formed,
and have a very intelligent countenance. During the
latter part of the last century the blood-hound was
employed in the island of Jamaica in hunting down
the Maroon rebels in the mountainous district of that

THE BLOOD IIOUXD. 79

island. A hundred of these dogs were procured from the
ishxnd of Cuba, which were accompanied by a detachment
of Spanish sokliers*, (General Walpole then commanded
the forces in the island). The fierce enemies of the
Maroons soon obliged them to surrender, and the whole
of them were sent from Jamaica to Canada.

In 1803 the Thrapston Association for the prosecution
of felons in Northamptonshire procured and trained a
bloodhound for the detection of sheepstealers. In
order to prove the utility of the dog, a man was des-
patched from the spot where a great concourse of people
were assembled, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, and an
hour afterwards the hound on the scent. After a chase
of about an hour and a half the hound found him
secreted in a tree many miles from the place of starting.
" jNIr. John Lawrence says that a servant discharged by
a county gentleman broke into his stables by night, and
cut off the ears and tail of a favourite hunter. As soon
as it was discovered, a bloodhound was brought into the
stable, who at once detected the scent of the miscreant,
and traced it m.ore than twenty miles. He then stopped
at the door of a garret, found the object that he sought
for in bed, and would have torn him in pieces had not
the huntsman, who followed on a fleet horse, rushed up
after him." Colonel Hamilton Smith says that he was
favoured with the following interesting notice of this
dog from Sir Walter Scott, and which agi-ees exactly
with some I have seen bred by Lord Bagot at Blithfield
in Staffordshire, and some belonging to his present
majesty. "The only slough hound I ever saw was

* I knew tlie late General AYalpole, and wc had much conversation
abont this rebellion of the Maroons, on an occasion of my dining with
his father, the Earl of Orford, at his seat in Norfolk.
G 4

80 KEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

one that was kept at Keeldar Castle ; he was like the
Spanish pointer, but much stronger, and untameably
fierce : colour, black and tawny, long pendulous ears,
had a deep back, broad nostrils, and was strongly
made, something like the old English mastiff, now so
rare."

" An eye of sloe, with ear so low,
With horse's breast, with depth of chest,
With breadth of loin, and curve in groin.
And nape set far behind the head.
Such were the dogs that Fingal bred."

It is generally supposed that few of the Irish and
Highland wolf dog are now to be found in Scotland ; but
those which still exist show a surprising combination of
speed, strength, and size, endurance, courage, sagacity,
docility, and, it may be added, dignity.

The purest specimens of the deer-hound now to be
met with are supposed to be those belonging to Captain
M'Neill, of Colonsay ; two of them being called Buskar
and Bruin. And here let me give an extract from an
interesting and graphic account published by JMr. Scrope
of the performance of these dogs in the chase of a
stag. " Let us fancy a party assembled over night in a
Highland glen, consisting of sportsmen, deer-stalkers, a
piper, and two deer-hounds, cooking their supper, and
concluding with the never-failing accompaniment of
whisky toddy. Let us fancy them reposing on a couch
of dried fern leaves, and being awoke in the morning by
the air of ' Hey Johnny Cope.' While their breakfast
is preparing they wash and refresh themselves at a pure
mountain stream, and are soon ready to issue forth with
Buskar and Bruin. The party proceed up a rocky glen.

THE DEER IIOUXD. 81

where the stalker sees a stag about a mile off. He imme-
diately prostrates himself on the ground, and in a second
the rest follow his example. We will not follow all the
different manoeuvres of the deer-stalker and his fol-
lowers, but bring them at once near the unconscious
stag. After performing a very considerable circuit,
moving sometimes forward and sometimes backward,
the party arrive at length at the back of a hillock ou
the opposite side of which the stalker said in a whisper
the stag was lying, and that he was not distant a hun-
dred yards.. The whole party immediately moved
forward in silence and breathless expectation, with the
dogs in front, straining in the slips. On reaching the
top of the hillock a full view of the noble stag presented
itself, who, having heard the footsteps, sprang on his
legs, and was staring at his enemies at the distance of
about sixty yards.

" The dogs were slipped ; a general halloa burst from
us all, and the stag wheeling round set off at full speed
with Buskar and Bruin straining after him. The brown
figure of the deer, with his noble antlers laid back,
contrasted with the light colour of the dogs, stretching
along the dark heath, presented one of the most ex-
citing scenes that it is possible to imagine. The deer's
first attempt was to gain some rising ground to the left
of the spot where we stood, and rather behind us, but
being closely pursued by the dogs, he soon found that
his only safety was in speed ; and (as a deer does not
run well up-hill, nor, like a roe, straight down hill),
on the dogs approaching him he turned and almost re-
traced his footsteps, taking, however, a steeper line of
descent than the one by which he ascended. Here the
chase became more interesting ; the dogs pressed him

82 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

hard, and the deer getting confused, found himself
suddenly on the brink of a small precipice, of about
fourteen feet in height, from the bottom of which there
sloped a rugged mass of stones. He paused for a
moment, as if afraid to take the leap, but the dogs were
so close that he had no alternative. At this time the
party were not more than one hundred and fifty yards
distant, and most anxiously excited, awaiting the result,
fearing from the ruggedness of the ground below that
the deer would not survive the leap. They were, how-
ever, soon relieved from their anxiety, for though he
took the leap he did so more cunningly than gallantly,
dropping himself in the most singular manner, so that
his hind legs first reached the broken rocks below ; nor
were the dogs long in following him. Buskar sprang first,
and, extraordinary to relate, did not lose his legs.
Bruin followed, and on reaching the ground performed
a complete somersault. He soon, however, recovered
his legs, and the chase was continued in an oblique
direction down the side of a most rugged and rocky
brae ; the deer, apparently more fresh and nimble than
ever, jumped through the rocks like a goat, and the
dogs well up, though occasionally receiving the most
fearful falls. From the high position in which we were
placed, the chase was visible for nearly half a mile.
When some rising ground intercepted our view we
made with all speed for a higher point, and on reaching
it we perceived that the dogs, having got upon smooth
ground, had gained on the deer, who was still going at
speed, and were close up with him. Bruin was then
leading, and in a few seconds was at his heels, and im-
mediately seized his hock with such violence of grasp
as seemed in a great measure to paralyze the limb.

A CHASE. 83

The deer's speed was immediately checked ; Buskar was
not far behind, for soon afterwards, passing Bruin, he
seized the deer by the neck. Notwithstanding the weight
of the two dogs, which were hanging on him, having the
assistaiice of the slope of the ground, he continued
dragging them at a most extraordinary rate (in defiance
of their united exertions to detain him), and succeeding
more than once in kicking Bruin off. But he became
at length exhausted, the dogs succeeded in pulling him
down, and, though he made several attempts to rise, he
never completely regained his legs."

84 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

CHAP. XXXVIL

IE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. — ANECDOTES. — LINES ON TIPPGO. -
— '' DOT " AND " SAILOE." — THE SHEPHEED'S DOG. — " HECTOK.
ANECDOTES.

" Nor will it less delight the attentive sage
T' observe that instinct which unerring guides
The brutal race, which mimics reason's lore,
And often transcends.

The dog whom nothing can mislead,
Miist be a dog of parts, indeed,
Is often wiser than his master."

Somer%t:lle.

The Newfoundland dog is in every respect a noble animal,
strongly attached to his master, and ready in case of danger
to display all his courage and strength in his defence ; he
has a generous, affable disposition, which is usually dis-
played in his benign, open, and friendly countenance.
The Newfoundland dog is particularly useful in wild-
fowl shooting; and being so partial to the water and
tender-mouthed, the sportsman may almost always cal-
culate on his bringing to him a wounded bird that may
have fallen into the water. He requires little training,
from his docile disposition, and even when very young-
will take great delight in bringing to his master a stick
or glove which he has thrown into the water. It is well
known that numerous persons have been saved from a

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 85

watery grave by the courage, perseverance, and inde-
fatigable exertions of the Newfoundland dog; and there
are several examples of ropes having been conveyed by
these dogs from a sinking ship to the shore, by which
means the whole crews have been saved from destruc-
tion.

What can display more the affection of this dog to his
master than the affecting story which I related of the
dog living and dying (for I have since heard that the
dog is dead) by his master's grave in the churchyard at
Stockholm ? " In the immediate neighbourhood of
Windsor a servant was saved froiu drowning by a New-
foundland dog, who seized him by the collar of his coat
when he was almost exhausted, and brought him to the
bank, where some of the family were assembled watch-
ing anxiously the exertions of the dog." " Those who
were much at Windsor not many years since must have
seen a fine Newfoundland dog, called Baby, reposing oc-
casionally in front of the "\ATiite Hart Hotel. Baby was
a general favourite, and he deserved to be so ; for he was
mild in his disposition, brave as a lion, and very sen-
sible. When he was thirsty and could not procure water
at a pump in the yard, he was frequently seen to go to
the stable, fetch an empty bucket, and stand Avith it in
his mouth at the pump till some one came for water ; he
then, by wagging his tail and expressive looks, made his
wants known, and had his bucket filled. Exposed as
Baby was to the attacks of all sorts of curs as he slum-
bered in the sun in front of the hotel, he seemed to
think a pat with his powerful paw quite sufficient
punishment for them ; but he never tamely submitted to
insult from a dog approaching his own size, and his cour-
age was only equalled by his gentleness." The follow-

86 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

ing anecdote, whicli is well authenticated, shows the
sagacity and kindness of disposition in these dogs. In
the city of Worcester, one of the principal streets leads
by a gentle declivity to the river Severn. One day a
child, in crossing the street, fell down in the middle of
it, and a horse and cart which were descending the hill
would have passed over it had not a Newfoundland
dog rushed to the rescue of the child, caught it up in
his mouth, and conveyed it in safety to the foot pave-
ment. A gentleman in the vicinity of London had
a Newfoundland dog and a small Scotch terrier, the
former being particularly fond of the latter. One of
his neighbours had a large jDointer, who had taken a
great dislike to the terrier, and on one occasion when
he went near the house, the pointer fell on him, and
treated him very roughly before the small dog was able
to make his escape, when he went immediately home, and
made his friend the Newfoundland dog acquainted with
the malice and ill treatment he had experienced from
the pointer : they both instantly returned to the neigh-
bour's house, and the moment the Newfoundland dog
espied the enemy of his little companion he attacked
him furiously, and would in all probability have killed
him if a servant had not separated them. This I think
certainly proves that dogs have a language of their own,
which they perfectly understand.

My kind friend Mr. T took a Newfoundland dog

and a small spaniel into a boat with him on the river
Thames, and when he got into the middle of the river
he turned them into the water. They swam different
ways, but the spaniel got into the current, and after
struggling for some time was in danger of being drowned.
As soon as the Newfoundland dog perceived the pre-

AXECDOTES. 87

dicament of his companion, he swam to his assistance,
and brought him safe to the shore. A person while
rowing a boat pushed his Newfoundland dog into the
stream. The animal followed the boat for some time,
till, probably finding himself fatigued, he endeavoured
to get into it by placing his foot on the side. His
owner repeatedly pushed the dog away, and in one of
his efforts to do so he overbalanced himself and fell into
the river, and would probably have been drowned had
not the noble and generous animal immediately seized
and held him above water till assistance arrived fiom
the shore. A vessel went down in a gale of wind
near Liverpool, and every one on board perished. A
Newfoundland dog was seen swimming about the place
where the vessel was lost, for some time ; and at last
came to the shore very much exhausted. For three days
he swam off to the same spot, and was evidently trying
to find his lost master, so strong was his affection.

The late Eev. James Simpson, of the Potterrow
Congregation, Edinburgh, had a large dog of a New-
foundland breed. At that time he lived at Libbertou, a
distance of two miles from Edinburgh, in a house to
which a garden was attached. One sacrament Sunday
the servant thought it a good opportunity to entertain
her friends, as her master and mistress were not likely
to return honie till after the evening service, about nine
o'clock. During the day the dog accompanied them
through the garden, and indeed whei-ever they went, in
the most attentive manner, and seemed well pleased.
In the evening, when the time arrived that the party
meant to separate, they proceeded to the door ; but the
dog, the instant they went to the door, interposed and
placed himself before it, and would not allow one of

88 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN,

them to touch the handle. On their persisting and
attempting to use force he became furious, and in a
menacing manner drove them back into the kitchen,
where he kept them until the arrival of Mr. and Mrs.
Simpson, who were surprised to find the party at so late
an hour, and more to see the dog standing sentinel over
them. Being thus detected, the servant acknowledged
the whole circumstance, when her friends were allowed
to depart, after being admonished by the worthy divine
in regard to the proper use of the Sabbath. They
could not but consider the dog as an instrument in the
hands of Providence to point out the impropriety of
spending this holy day in feasting rather than in the duties
of religion. After the above circumstance it becanae
necessary for Mr. Simpson, on account of his children's
education, to leave his country residence, when he took
a house in Edinburgh in a common stair. Speaking of
this one day to a friend who had visited him, he con-
cluded that he would be obliged to part with his dog,
as he was too large an animal to be kept in a house.
The animal was present and heard him say so, and must
have understood what he meant, as he disappeared that
evening, and was never afterwards heard of. These cir-
cu.mstances have been related by an elder of Mr. Simp-
son's congregation, who had them from himself.

Another anecdote which I shall relate will corroborate
the opinion that intelligent dogs frequently understand
what is said about them, and when, on these occasions,
threatened with any serious calamity, or something to
which they have a decided dislike, immediately act with
decision to avoid the impending danger or to frustrate
any other plan which would prove to them an annoy-
ance. " A captain of an English man-of-war, lying off

THE CAPTAINS POCKET-BOOK. 89

Halifax, coming on board his ship, speaking to one of
his officers about a Newfoundland dog on board, named
Lion, who had grown very old in the captain s service,
said, ' I think I must have poor old Lion killed, for he
is so aged, and has a very disagreeable smell about him,'
which is usually the case as dogs advance in years.
Lion was standing near his master and heard this con-
versation. Shortly after this a boat was manned to go
on shore, when the dog jumped into it, the crew allow-
ing him to remain, conceiving he would come back with
them to the ship ; but as soon as they arrived at the
landing place Lion immediately left them, and watching
the arrival of another man-of-war's boat, leaped into it,
and was taken to the ship. A singular circumstance took
place after he had changed his quarters : whenever he
saw a boat arrive from the man-of-war he had escaped
from he disappeared from the quarter-deck and con-
cealed himself in some part of the ship below ; sho^ving,
evidenth^, that he was fully aware of the impending
danger which he had fortunately escaped."

Berwick mentions an incident which shows the ex-
traordinary sagacity of the Newfoundland dog. " In a
severe storm a ship was lost off Yarmouth, and no living
creature escaped except a Newfoundland dog, which
swam to the shore with the captain's pocket-book in his
mouth. Several of the bystanders attempted to take it
from him, but he would not part with it. At length,
selecting one person from the crowd whose appearance
probably pleased him, he leaped against his breast
in a fawning manner, and delivered the book to his
care."

Below is a translation of Lord Grenville's lines on his
faithful Newfoundland dog, which may be seen at Drop-

TOL. II. H

30 REMINISCENCES OF A SP0ETS1L\N.

more. They are translated by a young lady, a near re-
lation of the author :

Tippoo.

" Here stranger pause, nor view with scornful eyes
The stone which marks where faithful Tippoo lies ;
Freely kind nature gave each Kberal grace
Which most ennobles and exalts our race ;
Excelling strength and beauty joined in me,
Ingenious worth and firm fidelity.
Nor shame I to have borne a tyrant's name,
So far unlike to his my spotless fame.
Cast by a fatal storm on Tenby's coast,
Eeckless of life I wailed my master lost,
Whom, long contending with the o'erwhelming wave,
In vain vnth fruitless love I strove to save ;
I, only I, alas ! surviving bore
His dying trast, his tablets, to the shore ;
Kind welcome from the Belgian race I foimd,
Who once, in times remote, to British ground.
Strangers, like me, came from a foreign strand.
I loved at large along the extended sand
To roam, and oft beneath the swelling wave.
Though known so fatal once, my limbs to lave ;
Or join the childi-en in their summer play.
First in their sports, companion of their way.
Thus while fi-om many a hand a meal I sought.
Winter and age had certain misery brought ;
But fortune smiled, a safe and blest abode,
A new-found master's generous love bestowed ;
And 'midst these shades where smiling flow'rets bloom,
Gave me a happy life and houoiu-ed tomb."

" A gamekeeper had a Newfoundland dog which he
used as a retriever. Shooting in a wood one day, he
killed a pheasant, which fell at some distance, and he
sent his dog for it. When half way to the bird he sud-
denly returned, refusing to go beyond the place at which
he had first stopped. This being an unusual circum-

EriTAPII ox "CESAR." 91

stance, the man endeavoured more and more to enforce
his command, which being unable to effect, either by
words or his whip, he at last in a great passion gave
the dog a violent kick in the ribs, which laid it dead at
his feet. He then proceeded to pick up the bird, and
on returning from the spot discovered a man concealed
in the thicket. He immediately seized him, and upon
examination several snares were found on his person."
This is an excellent lesson for sportsmen and game-
keepers not to make use of their feet when they chas-
tise their dogs, more especially when they give way to
passion ; the whip is the proper instrument for punish-
ment. The following beautiful epitaph was penned by
no less a person than the late wise and venerable Earl
of Eklon. From it his views on the power of reasoning
in animals may, I conceive, be easily discerned.

" You who wander hither,

Pass not imheeded

The spot where poor Caesar

Is deposited.

* * * *

To his rank among created beings

The power of reasoning is denied :

Csesar manifested joy

For days before his master

AiTived at Encombe ;

Cffisar manifested gi-ief

For days before his master left it.

"WTiat name shall be given

To that faculty

Which thns made expectation

A source of grief,

AAniic-h thus made expectation

A source of joy ? "

A large Xewfoundlaud dog of Mr. Hilson's, of Max-

92 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

wellhaugh, on the 21st of October, 1797, seeing a small
one that was following a cart from Kelso carried by the
current of the Tweed, in spite of all its efforts to bear
up against the stream, after watching its motions at-
tentively, plunged voluntarily into the water, and seizing
the tired animal by the neck, brought it safely to la^nd.
" Dot," a favom-ite terrier, and " Sailor," a young
Newfoundland puppy, both the property of Admiral Sir
Charles Sullivan, were in the habit of assisting each
other in catching water rats. For this purpose Dot sta-
tioned himself on the bank of the river, and when a
rat appeared he gave it chase. The rat of course ran
to the water, when being closely followed by the terrier
it plunged in. On this the puppy swam after it, seized
it in the water, gave it a deadly nip, brought it on
shore, laid it down ; after which the friendly ratcatchers
prepared themselves to renew their sport.

" My clog (the trustiest of liis kind)
With gratitude inflames my mind :
I mark his true, his faithful way,
And in my service copy Tray." — Gay.

Perhaps amongst the canine race there is no dog that
displays more gratitude, fidelity, and affection, and, we
may add sagacity, than the shepherd's dog. In all
periods of the year he is the constant companion of the
shepherd, and endures with him almost always in the
open air, rain, frost, and snow, and this on the bleak
hills and situations which are most exposed to the
severity of our weather, and at all times most attentive
in watching the shepherd's flock, and at night, when he
retui'ns home with his master, receives with gratitude
his homely fare. " How well do I recollect," says Jesse,

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. 93

"the Ettrick Shepherd descanting on the sagacity and
perseverance of his favourite sheep-dog. His name was
Sirrali ; he told me the following extraordinary anecdote
of him, which I give in his own words : — About seven
liundred lambs, which were once under my care at
weaning time, broke up at midniglit, and scampered
off in three divisions across the hills, in spite of all
I and an assistant lad could do to keep them together.
" Sirrah, my man," said 1, in great affliction, " they are
awa'." The night was so dark that I could not see
Sirrah, but the faithful animal heard my words — words
such as of all others were sure to set him most on
the alert, and without much ado he silently set out in
search of the recreant flock. Meanwhile I and my com-
panion did not fail to do all in our power to recover
our lost charge. We spent the whole night in scoiuring
the hills for miles round, but of neither the lambs nor
Sirrah could we obtain the slightest trace. It was the
most extraordinary circumstance that had occurred in
my pastoral life. We had nothing for it (day having
dawned) but to return to oar master, and inform him
we had lost his whole flock of lambs, and knew not
what had become of them. On our way home, how-
ever, we discovered a body of lambs at the bottom of a
deep ravine, called the Flesh Cleuch, and the indefati-
gable Sirrah standing in front of them, looking all
around for some relief, but still standing true to his
charge. The sun was then up, and when we first came
in view of them we concluded it was one of the divi-
sions which Sirrah had been unable to manage until he
came to that commanding situation. But what was
our astonishment when we discovered by degTees that
not one lamb of the whole flock was wanting:. How he

94 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

had got all the divisions collected in the dark is beyond
my comprehension. The charge was left entirely to
himself from midnight until the rising of the sun ; and if
all the shepherds in the forest had been there to have
assisted him, they could not have effected it with greater
propriety. All that I can further say is, that I never
felt so grateful to any creature below the sun as I did to
my honest Sirrah that morning."

Mr. Hogg, in a letter to the editor of " Blackwood's
Edinburgh Magazine," gives the following anecdote of
his shepherd's dog " Hector." " He was the son and
immediate successor of the faithful old Sirrah ; and
although not nearly so valuable a dog as his father, he
was a far more interesting one. He had three times
more humour and whim about him ; and although
exceedingly docile, his bravest acts were mostly tinctured
with a grain of stupidity, which showed his reasoning
faculties to be laughably obtuse. I shall mention a
striking instance of it. I was once at the farm of
Shorthope, on Ettrick Head, receiving some lambs that
I had bought, and was going to take to market with some
more the next day. Owing to some accidental delay,
I did not get final delivery of the lambs till it was
growing late ; and being obliged to be at my own house
that night, I was not a little dismayed lest I should
scatter or lose them if darkness overtook me. Darkness
did overtake me by the time I got half way, and no
ordinary darkness for an August evening. The lambs
having been weaned that day, and of the wild black-
face breed, became exceedingly unruly, and for a good
while I lost hopes of mastering them. Hector managed
the point, and we got them safe home ; but both he and
his master were alike sore forefoughten. It had become

" HECTOR. 95

SO dark that we were obliged to fold them with candles.
And after closing them up safely, I went home Avdth my
father and the rest to supper. When Hector's supper
was set down, behold he was awanting ! and as I knew
we had him at the fold, which was within call of the
house, I went out and called and whistled on him for a
good while, but he did not make his appearance. I
was distressed about this ; for having to take away the
lambs next morning, I knew I could not drive them a
mile without my dog if it had been to save the whole
drove. The next morning, as soon as it was day, I arose,
and inquired if Hector had come home ? No ; he had
not been seen. I knew not what to do ; but my father
proposed that he would take out the lambs and herd
them, and let them get some meat to fit them for the
road, and that I should go with all speed to Shorthope
to see if my dog had gone back there. Accordingly we
went together to the fold to turn out the lambs, and
there was poor Hector, sitting trembling in the very
middle of the fold-door, on the inside of the flake that
closed it, with his eye still steadfastly fixed on the
lambs. He had been so hardly set with them after it
grew dark that he durst not for his life leave them,
although hungry, fatigued, and cold, for the night had
turned out a deluge of rain. He had never even so
much as lain down ; for only the small spot that he sat
on was dry, and there had he kept watch the whole
night.

" Almost any other colley would have discovered that
the lambs were safe enough in the fold, but honest
Hector had not been able to see through this. He even
refused to take my word for it ; for he would not quit
his watch, though he heard me calling both at night and
H 4

96 REMINISCENCES OP A SPOETSMAN.

morning. Another peculiarity of his was, that he had a
mortal antipathy to the family mouser, which was
engrained in his nature from his very puppyhood;
yet so absurd was he, that no impertinence on her side,
and no baiting on, could ever induce him to injure her
in the slightest degree. There was not a day, and
scarcely an hour passed over, that the family did not
get some amusement -with these two animals. "VMienever
he was in doors, his whole occupation was watching and
pointing the cat from morning to night. When she
flitted from one place to another, so did he in a moment,
and then squatting down, he kept his point sedulously,
till he was either called off or fell asleep. He was an
exceedingly poor eater of meat, always had to be pressed
to it, and often would not take it till we brought in the
cat. The malicious looks that he cast at her from
under his eyebrows on such occasions were exceedingly
ludicrous, considering his utter disinclination to injure
her. Whenever he saw her he drew near his bicker
and looked angry ; but still he would not taste till she
was brought to it, and then he cocked his tail, set up
his birses, and began lapping furiously as if in utter
desperation.

" His good nature, however, was so immoveable that
he would never refuse her a share of what was set before
him ; he even lapped close to the one side of the dish,
and left her room, but mercy ! how he did ply."

" There was a shepherd lad near Langholm, whose
name was Scott, who possessed a bitch famed all over
the west border for her singular tractability. He could
have sent her home with one sheep, two sheep, or any
given number, from any of the neighbouring farms;
and in the lambing season it was his uniform practice

ANECDOTES. 97

to send her home with the kebbed ewes just as he got
them. I must let the town reader understand this. A
kebbed ewe is one whose lamb dies. As soon as such is
found, she is immediately brought home by the shepherd,
and another lamb put to her ; and Scott on going his
rounds on the hill, whenever he found a kebbed ewe,
immediately gave her in charge of his bitch to take
home, which saved him coming back that way, and
going over the same ground he had visited before. She
always took them carefully home, and put them into a
fold which was close by the house, keeping watch over
them till she was seen by some one of the family ; upon
which she instantly decamped, and hastened back to her
master, who sometimes sent her home three times in one
morning with different charges.

" It was the custom of the farmer to watch her and
take the sheep in charge from her ; but this required a
good deal of caution, for as soon as she perceived that
she was seen, whether the sheep were put in the fold or
not, she concluded her charge was at an end, and no
flattery could induce her to stay and assist in folding
them. There was a display of accuracy in this that I
cannot say I have ever seen equalled."

The stories related of the use of these dogs when
employed by sheepstealers are almost incredible, if
they had not been thoroughly authenticated at the trial
of some of these men who in former times paid the
forfeit of their lives for these nefarious practices ;
sheepstealing being considered at that time a capital
offence. " It is well known that there was a notorious
sheepstealer in the county of Mid-Lothian, who, had it
not been for the skins and the heads, would never have
been condemned, as he could with the greatest ease

98 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

have proved an alibi every time suspicions were enter-
tained against him. He always went one road, calling
on his acquaintances, and taking care to appear to
everybody by whom he was known, while his dog went
by another with the stolen sheep ; and then on the two
felons meeting again, they had nothing more to do than
turn them into an associate's inclosure,in whose house the
dog was well fed and entertained, and would have soon
taken all the fat sheep on the Lothian edges to that
house.

"This was like^vise a female, a jet black one, with a
deep coat of soft hair, but smooth-headed, and very
strong and handsome in her make. On the disappear-
ance of her master she lay about the hills and places
where he had frequented, but she never attempted to
steal a drove by herself, nor the smallest thing for her
own hand. She was kept for some time by a relation
of her master's, but never acted heartily in his service,
but soon came privately to an untimely end." " Two
sheep-stealers trained a colley to go from the low
country into the sheep farms in the hills to drive
sheep to them in the night. The thieves were at last
detected, tried, convicted, and punished, which brought
to light the whole stor}^ One of the witnesses against
the thieves was a shepherd boy, who swore to the
identity of some of the stolen sheep that had been in
his flock. The trial was before two judges who wore
very large, well-powdered wigs, having large ringlets.
One of the learned judges, doubting that the boy could
identify the sheep, asked him how he could distinguish
his sheep from others with such certainty as to be able
to swear to it. The boy hesitating a little, looked

ANECDOTES. 99

steadily at their lordships, and answered the question
by another — ' An' how de ye ken ane anither ? ' the
translation of which is, And how do you know one
another ? Now this question at once demolished the
doubt raised by that of the judge ; for it was well known
to those in the court that shej^herds know perfectly well
so as to be able to identify the sheep in their charge."

And it is equally certain that the colley knows his
sheep, for if two droves of sheep meet on the road and
they get intermixed, one of the dogs, sent in to bring-
out the sheep thus intermixed, never fails to perform
this duty to the satisfaction of his master. The follow-
ing anecdote is related by Captain Brown : — " A shep-
herd had driven a part of his flock to a neighbouring
farm, leaving his dog to watch the remainder during
that day and the next night, expecting to revisit them
the following morning. Unfortunately, however, when
at the fair, the shepherd for-got both his dog and his
sheep, and did not return home till the morning of the
third day. His first inquiry was whether his dog had
been seen ? The answer was. No. ' Then he must be
dead,' replied the shepherd in a tone of anguish,
' for I know he was too faithful to desert his charge.'
He instantly repaired to the heath. The dog had
sufficient strength remaining to crawl to his master's
feet, and express his joy at his return, and almost im-
mediately after expired." Captain Bro^wn relates another
interesting anecdote of a shepherd's dog which displays
great sagacity. He heard it from Mr. Peter JMacarthiu',
of the Island of Mull. " Upon one occasion a cow had
been missed for some time and no trace of it could be
foimd ; and a shepherd's dog, called Drummer, was also

100 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

absent. On the second or third day the dog returned,
and taking Mr. TNIacarthur's father by the coat, pulled
him towards the door, but without being attended to.

" He then went to his grandfather, and pulled him in
the same way by the coat, but without being attended to ;
he next went to one of the men-servants, and tugged him
also by the coat. Conceiving at last there was something
particular which the dog wanted, they agreed to follow
him ; this seemed to give him great pleasure, and he
ran barking and frisking about before them till he led
them to a cow-shed in the middle of a field. Thert-
they found the cow fixed by the horns to a beam, from
which they immediately extricated her and conducted
her home, much exhausted for want of food. It is ob-
vious that but for the sagacity of this faithful animal she
certainly would have died." Blaine gives the following
description of the colley of Scotland, which he says is
a dog deservedly prized, though much smaller than
either the English sheep dog or the drover's cattle dog.
" The ears are never wholly pendent in any of the race ;
but in the British varieties, and many others also, they
are half erected or half pricked, as it is called. The
colour also is very generally grey, more or less dark.
The natural tail of the British breeds is bushy, some-
what pendent and recurved, such as is seen in the colley ;
but in England the custom has so long prevailed of
cutting off the stern that many of these dogs are now
actually born with less than half a tail * : which
serves to show that even the bony structure, in other
instances the most permanent of the whole, bends to

* I had a breed of pointers which, when horn, never had tails more
than two inches or two and a-half inches in length, which, I must con-
fess, did not add to their beauty.

ANECDOTES. 101

circumstances, arbitrarily imposed, and continued witli
regularity. The visage of the shepherd's dog is more
or less pointed ; in the coUey it is much so, but is least
so in the large drover's dog. Of the colley from little
more than twelve inches in height, to the Apennine of
nearly three feet, one common character pervades the
whole group, — that of fidelity, indefatigable industry,
and intelligence, with a deportment singularly grave
throughout the race.

102 REMIXISCEXCE>S OF A SPOETSMAX.

CHAP. XXXVill.

THE INSTINCT OP BOGS. — HOITE AT LAST. — AXECDOTES. — LORD
ELDON's PIXCHER. — NERO'S PERSTJIT. — CARTOrCHE. — CARD-
TRICKS. — ADTEXTERES OP MOESTACHE. — THE FOER-LEGGED
POACHER.

"Strill soimds are breaking on tlie startled ear,
The shriek of agony, the ciy of fear ;
And the sad tones of childhood in distress
Axe echoing through the snow-clad -wilderness.
And who the first to waken to the sound,
And quickly down the icy path to bound ;
To dare the storm with anxious step and grave.
The first to answer and the first to save ?
'Tis he, the brave old dog who many a day
Hath saved lost wanderers in that dreary way,
And now, with head close crouched along the groiuid,
Is watching eagerly each coming sound :
Sudden he starts — the cry is near —
On, gallant Bruno ! know no fear ;
On, for that cry may be the last,
And human life is ebbing fast !
And now he hurries on with heaving side,
Dashing the snow from oif his shaggy hide :
He uears the child ; he hears his gasping sighs.
And, with a tender care, he bears away the prize."

Mrs. Houston.

The instinct that leads dogs to find their Avay back to
their master's house through a country in which they have
never before travelled, and even to a very considerable

THE INSTINCT OF DOGS. 103

distance, is very difficult to be accounted for. A re-
markable instance of this instinct was once displayed
by a setter dog belonging to me. ]Many years ago, when
on the staff in Ireland, I purchased at Waterford a very
handsome blood-red setter. In a few days I eml)arked
in the packet which sailed from Waterford to Milford
Haven with my dog. At the latter place I remained
only a few hours at the inn, and then ordered a post-
chaise to pay a visit to an old friend who lived about
fifteen miles off, in Cardiganshire, the road passing
through rather an intricate and mountainous country ;
the setter I took inside the carriage. On my arrival
at my friend's house I begged him that he would give
particular orders to his groom to look well after the
dog, to prevent it escaping from the stable.

On the following morning I was going to visit my
setter, when I met my host, who informed me with regret
that the dog had slipped his collar and left the stable,
but added, You may depend upon it he is only
running about the premises. I entertained the same
opinion ; but two or three hours having passed away
without the dog making his appearance, my friend told
me that he would send his groom on horseback to find
out whether the dog had returned to the inn ; remarking
that he had heard such wonderful stories of the instinct
of dogs in finding their way back to places under the
most difficult circumstances, that he really should not
feel satisfied in his mind if I did not allow the servant
to go to the place where I lauded. The man went,
found the lost dog at the inn, and to my great astonish-
ment returned with him next morning. This animal
had only been on shore a few hours, crossed a moun-
tainous country inside a post-chase ; yet amidst all these

104 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

apparently insurmountable difficulties, the dog had
found his way back. I think this is a problem to puzzle
the brains of most philosophers.

There is an instance of a dog finding his way home
from Cambridge, a distance of upwards of a hundred
miles ; and it appears evident that the dog was induced
to undertake this journey because he felt the ennui of
an idle life with his young master at the college, and
that he wished to return home to enjoy his field
sports.

" In 1823 a gentleman took a Sussex spaniel eighteen
miles in a gig, from near Market Easen in Lincolnshire
to Louth in that county, and then got on the Boston
and London mail, going some 110 miles on it to
Cambridge. The dog rode with the guard behind ; his
master, as an under-graduate, had no means of taking
him out shooting, but merely for a walk. The dog was
left asleep one day under his master's table while he
went to hall : on his return the dog was gone, and
could never be found. Some three weeks after old Suss
was seen coming across the fields in a contrary direction
to which he had been taken, very rough on his coat, as
if he had slept out of nights, but otherwise in very
tolerable condition, giving reason to suppose from his
keen sporting propensities, (for he was as good a dog as
ever was shot to) that sundry rabbits and hares had
furnished his commissariat.

In 1850 Conductor Tanks, of the Bengal Ordnance
Department, was sent in charge of a fleet of powder
boats from Ishapore to Futteghvir. He had on board an
English spaniel. Anchoring the boats one evening, (as
is the custom) he went on shore to take a walk on the
banks of the river, accompanied by his dog. On his

LORD ELDOX'S PIXCIIER. 105

retui-n he missed his canine companion, who had strayed
into the scrub, probably in pursuit of jungle fowl, or
some other game. He was obliged to sail without him.
Three months after, in passing the very same spot where
he had taken the dog ashore, he found him lying almost
a skeleton, bitten and scarred all over; the dog was
almost convulsed with joy when beholding his master
once more. On inquiry, he learnt from some natives
living near the spot, that, commiserating the poor beast,
they had flung him a little rice, fish bones, and other
offal from time to time, which he had eaten ; but though
constantly attacked and bitten by jackals ani pariah
dogs, they could never induce him to come and live
in any of their houses, where he would have been pro-
tected from these assaults. But why all this exposure ?
but because he had been with his master before, knew
that he must return by the same route, and that if he
left the river side the fleet might pass down without his
being observed. This dog was repeatedly seen after-
wards by my daughter at the Ishapore Powder Works,
near Calcutta ; and though he recovered in a great
measure from the effects of his starving, yet he suffered
ever afterwards more or less from the bites of the wild
animals : he was a strong black spaniel.

\Mien the eldest son of Lord Chancellor Eldon died
he left to his father the care of a favourite terrier
called Pincher. Lord Eldon's servant, walking with him
in the streets of London, lost the dog, and his lord-
ship advertised a reward of 3^. for his recovery.
After a short time a note was sent to Lord Eldon,
stating that if he would send a servant with a 5/. note,
the dog would be restored. The servant went, and soon
after he reached the place, a man appeared and said he

VOL. II. I

106 EEMIOTSCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN".

supposed he had come about the dog, and asked if he had
the 51. note. The servant replied that he had the note, but
would not give it until the dog was produced. To which
the man said, " Trust to my honour ; give me the money,
and you shall immediately have the dog." This he did,
after some hesitation, and poor Pincher soon made his
appearance in very lean condition. The man then
said : " Take your dog back in a cab, for if you do not,
the chances are that he will be again stolen by some of
our gang, as we carry something about us that will
induce any dog to follow us." The dog-stealer further
added : " I was once a resurrection man, but the law is
now so severe against this offence, that I have been
obliged to change my trade." At Lord Eldon's death, he
left a small annual sum for the support of Pincher.

When I was in cantonments near Alicant, in the pro-
vince of Valencia, in 1812 (I then commanded ten
companies of Baron de Rolles' and Dillon's regiments),
I had with me one of the largest and finest dogs I al-
most ever saw. He was called by the Spanish shep-
herds who grazed their flocks on the Pyrenees the
wolf-dog, as he protected their sheep from the attacks
of this ravenous animal. This noble creature I pur-
chased of a Spanish artillery officer for twenty dollars.
In his shape and make every part of his body combined
strength and activity. In height he was upwards of
three feet ; he had rather a fierce but intelligent coun-
tenance, large dark eyes, and sharp pricked-up ears,
like those of a fox. He was rather of a blueisli dun-
colour, and his hair was perfectly smooth, being about
two years old. The Spanish officer told me he had pur-
chased him of a shepherd in the mountains of Cata-
lonia. This gentleman recommended to me that I

" NERO. . 107

shonld have a muzzle made for him, to be put on wlien
he followed me ou horseback or on foot ; which I did,
and which I subsequently found was very necessary,
as will be proved by the rather ludicrous circum-
stance which I am about to relate. I was walking one
evening with this dog near a large monastery, in which
my regiment was quartered, and were then turning out
for the evening parade. I had only proceeded a few
hundred yards when a quartermaster of a Sicilian regi-
ment of cavalry passed by me at full gallop. This, I
conceive, immediately irritated Nero, for, starting off at
full speed, he soon overtook the quartermaster, and such
was his surprising agility that I saw him several times
leap right over the horse at the back of the frightened
rider, who, instantly drawing his sword, made repeated
cuts at the dog, but without effect. I did all in my
power to call off Nero, in Spanish, but all in vain ; but
as the dog was muzzled the rider and his horse were in
no danger from his teeth. When the quartermaster
arrived where the regiment was in line, several of the
sergeants rushed forward with their halberts and beat
the dog off. \Mien I came up I found the Sicilian in
a most violent rage, swearing in Italian that he would
make a complaint to the general commanding the army,
and make every exertion to have the dog destroyed. I
now began to think that Nero, from his ferocity, might
get me into some unpleasant scrape, and my friend the
late Sir Eobert Travers being anxious to possess the
dog, I made him a present of him. Poor Nero came to
an untimely end from making an attack upon one of our
artillerymen, who drew his bayonet and ran it through
his body. I really think I never saw a finer specimen
of the canine race than Nero was.
I 2

108 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

I shall conclude my anecdotes of the canine species
with some details of a particularly intelligent and hand-
some small Swiss poodle which was given to me when a
puppy by Lord Mahon, when I was student at the senior
department of the Military College at High Wycombe.
Some dogs, from their natural intelligence, show much
facility in learning a variety of tricks in imitation of
human actions. Of this class v^^as my charming little
Cartouche, whose countenance and eyes beamed with
intelligence. Cartouche was about two or three months
old when I received him from his lordship ; his coat jet
black, with curls all over his body, which was well pro-
portioned, and when full grown he was generally al-
lowed to be a handsome poodle. In the training of
dogs I had much practice, having broke in most of my
pointers and spaniels, and to succeed well in this I
strongly recommend kindness and patience, although in
some instances, with a very high-spirited dog, the whip
must be occasionally made use of. When Cartouche
was about four or five months old, I taught him to fetch
and carry, and when out walking to bring me my glove,
which I left at some distance on the road. The next
lessons were to sit up, ring the bell, and shut the door ;
when he did this to my satisfaction, I sent him upstairs
to my bedroom to fetch my slippers, the door of course
being left open. At first he brought down only one
slipper, but finding it rather troublesome to go up for
the second, he placed one on the other and brought
them down together. This proved to me at once that
I might almost teach him anything.

On my putting up a stick for him to jump over, and
saying, " Cartouche, jump for an old woman," he was
motionless; but when I said "Cartouche, jump for

" CAETOUCIIE.' 109

a pretty girl," be sprang over it like a deer.
" Cartouche, let the ladies and gentlemen hear you
preach a sermon," he instantly leaped into the chair,
sat on his hind quarters, began barking violently till
I told him to stop. I had a small bow made
for him in wood, in the semicircle of which was
fixed three small lanterns, one at each end and one
in the centre, having wax tapers. In the part which re-
presented the string of the bow the centre was padded
with leather, that the dog might not be annoyed when
carrying the three lanterns attached to the bow, which
hung perpendicular over his head. When the tapers
were lighted, Cartouche took the padded part carefully
into his mouth, and walked steadily before me from my
lodgings to the college during the winter evenings, to
the no small amusement of the persons who met him.
At dinner, if you put a piece of meat on his nose when
he was sitting up, he would not touch it till you said,
" Make ready, present, fire I" when he caught it in his
mouth. If you offered him anything with the left
hand he would not take it, but as soon as you changed
to the right he immediately seized it. One of his
tricks, which surprised any party who witnessed its per-
formance, was done with cards. (I was tolerably skilful
in sleight-of-hand tricks with cards).*

I always prefaced this trick by telling the company
that I would show part of a pack of cards to a lady or
gentleman, and on one of them fixing on a card I would
throw them with their faces upwards to one end of the
room. Cartouche lying by my order at a considerable

* I leivraed sereral of these tricks from the late General Le Marchant,
Lieut.-Govemor of High "Wycomlie, -who was killed at the battle of
Salamanca.

I 3

110 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

distance. Having taken about fourteen or fifteen cards,
with one court card in the middle, I covered the others
in such a way that their numbers, such as 6, 7, 8, or 9,
could not be made out, and the knave, queen, or king,
stood most consjiicuous in the centre. Then passing the
cards quickly before a lady, I begged that she would
fix on one, and as she could not make out the numbers
of the others, I was quite certain that the court card
would be her choice. As soon as I had thrown the cards
on the carpet, with their faces upwards, I told Cartouche
to go and find the lady's card. In doing this he kept
his eyes fixed on me, and the signal I gave him when
he came to the right card was by jerking slightly the
tail of my coat, when he took it up in his mouth, car-
ried it to the lady, sitting up with his back towards her.
A general exclamation of astonishment was sure to
follow this performance of my poodle, who received
many caresses from the ladies, to which he had
no dislike. I rarely had this trick performed more
than once, although it was never found out, and during
the time my dog was pretending to look for the card all
eyes were fixed on him, so that there was not the slightest
chance of any one perceiving the signal I gave him.
Cartouche's education was all in French and Grerman.
He was with me in garrison at Malta, Gribraltar, and
the citadel of Messina, and was such a favourite with all
the officers of the regiment that he had the free entree
of the mess-room, whereas for all other dogs found there
belonging to any officer the master was fined a bottle of
wine. Poor dear Cartouche died at Messina of an in-
flammation in his inside when not more than three years
old. The doctor of the regiment, who was particularly
fond of him, did all he possibly could to save him;

SLEIGHT OF HAND. Ill

and the death of my favourite and accomplished poodle
cost me some tears. I felt his loss for a considerable
time, and then made up my mind never again to have
a favourite dog ; but my Spitz hound Malbrook has from
his strong attachment for me become a worthy substi-
tute for my departed poodle.

" I have taught hiin even as one -would say precisely, ' thus I would
teach a dog?' " — Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act iv. se. 3.

Addison says that the dog has been the companion of
man 6000 years, and has only learned one of his vices ;
that is, to wony his species when he finds him in
trouble. Tie a saucepan to a dog's tail, and another
dog will fall on him. Put a man in prison for debt,
and another will lodge a detainer against him.

The French poodle is a quiet and sagacious creature.
The life and adventures of the following are highly
interesting. Moustache was born at Calais, 1799. At
the tender age of six months he was disposed of to an
eminent grocer at Caen, who treated him in the kindest
manner. But, strolling about the • town one day not
long after his arrival. Moustache hapi^ened to come upon
a parade of grenadiers. They were brilliantly equipped.
Their spirits were high, and their drums loud. Mous-
tache, instantly smitten with their fine appearance,
cut the grocer for ever, slunk out of the town, and
joined the grenadiers. He was dirty and tolerably
ugly, but there was an intelligence, a sparkle, a bright-
ness about his eye that could not be overlooked. " We
have not a single dog in the regiment," said the petit
tambour, " and at any rate this one looks clever enough
to forage for himself." The drum -major assented, and
Moustache attached himself to the band, and was soon

I 4

112 REMINISCEXCES OP A SPOETSMAX.

found to possess considerable tact and talent. He had
already learnt to carry admirably, and ere three weeks
were over he could stand with as erect a back as any
private in the regiment, act sentinel, and keep time in
the march. Soldier-like, he lived from paw to mouth.
He endured the fatigues of Mont St. Bernard with as
good a grace as any veteran in the army. They were
soon near the enemy, and Moustache, having become
familiar with the sound of musketry as well as of drums,
seemed to be inspired with new ardour as he approached
the scene of action. The first occasion on which he
distinguished himself was this. His regiment being
encamped on the height above Alexandria, a detachment
of Austrians from the Vale of Balbo attempted a sur-
prise during the night. The weather was stormy, and
the French had no notion that the Austrians were ad-
vancing so close. The camp was in danger, but Mous-
tache was on the alert, walking his rounds as usual,
with his nose in the air. He soon detected the Grer-
mans. He gave the alarm, and the Austrians rapidly
retreated. Next morning it was resolved that Moustache
should thenceforth receive the ration of a grenadier. He
was now cropped a la Tnilitaire, a collar with the name
of the regiment was hung round his neck, and the
barber was ordered to comb and shave him once a week.
In a skirmish which occurred. Moustache received a
bayonet wound in his left shoulder. He was not per-
fectly recovered from this accident when the great
battle of Marengo took place. Lame as he was, he
could not keep away from so grand a scene. He kept
close to the banner, which he had learned to recognise
among a hundred, and never gave over barking until
the evening closed upon the combatants. The sun of

ADM^XTUEES OF MOUSTACHE. 113

Austerlitz found him with his chasseurs. In the heat
of the action he perceived the ensign, who Lore the
colours of his regiment, surrounded by a detachment of
the enemy. He flew to his rescue, barked with all his
might, did all he could, but in vain. The ensign fell
covered with wounds, but not before, feeling himself
about to fall, he had wrapped his body in the folds of
his standard Five or six Austrians still remained by
the ensign to obtain possession of the colours he had so
nobly defended ; Moustache having thrown himself
on the colours was on the point of being pierced
with bayonets, when a timely discharge of grape-
shot swept the Austrians into oblivion. The moment
that ]Moustache perceived he was delivered from his
assailants, he took the staff of the French banner
in his teeth, and strenuously endeavoured to disengage
it, but ineffectually. He succeeded, however, in tearing
away the silk, and with this glorious trophy returned to
the camp limping and bleeding. One day a chasseur,
mistaking the dog, hit him a chance blow with the flat
side of his sabre. Moustache, piqued to the heart, de-
serted from his regiment, attached himself to some
dragoons, and followed them into Spain. On the 11th
March 1811, he was killed by a cannon ball at the
taking of Badajoz. He was buried on the scene of his
last glories, collar, medal, and all. A plain stone, wath
the simple inscription, ' Ci-git le brave Moustache,'
was placed over his grave ; but the Spaniards afterwards
broke the stone, and the bones of the poor animal were
burnt by order of the Inquisition."

WTien I was staying, in the autumn of 1857, at the
house of a friend in Sussex, he told me that his game-
keeper had been much annoyed by a notorious poacher

114 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOKTSMAK

who resided in his neighbourhood. This man, when he
went on his poaching excursions, had always with him
a kircher, and before he commenced setting his snares
for hares and rabbits, allowed the dog to hunt the fields
to drive them in ; he trained him to make a reconnais-
sance round all the hedgerows and small covers adjacent
to where he intended to carry on his poaching opera-
tions. This duty the dog did so effectually, that the
gamekeeper or watchers were sure to be discovered by
this sagacious animal, who immediately barked two or
three times, and then returned to his master to let him
know the enemy was on the watch ; in consequence of
this they were never able to detect the poacher in the
act of setting snares or taking the game. Death at
last relieved my friend from this cunning and trouble-
some poacher."

The kennel is of infinite importance to sportsmen —
and the general management of sporting dogs to
keep them healthy and in good condition, ready to
take the field when the shooting season commences.
To attain this object, it is of great consequence that the
person who has these duties to perform should be par-
ticularly attentive to them, not of that class termed an
eye-servant, but one who can be relied on to keep the
kennels at all times clean, and most careful in preparing
the food for the dogs ; if this should be neglected the
master may rest assured that neither he nor his friends
will return home with well-filled game bags. I should
also recommend that the gamekeeper, or, if there is more
than one, the head gamekeeper, should occasionally visit
the kennel and boiling-house, and if he perceives that
anything is neglected, he should report it without delay
to his master. One of the first things to be considered

SITE FOR A KE^^NEL. 115

in constructing a kennel is to select an eligible site ; the
soil should be dry and the situation oj^en and airy.
Somerville says on this subject —

" Upon some little eminence erect,
And fronting to the ruddy da-\vn ; its courts
On either hand wide opening to receive
The Sim's all-cheering beams, when mild he shines,
And gilds the momitain tops."

This is excellent instruction for the site of a kennel ;
but as it is to be placed on an eminence, there would be
great difficulty in procuring a small stream of water to
run through its courtyard or playground of the dogvS,
which is certainly very desirable, more especially during
the summer months. A kennel for four or five brace of
dogs, should be of the following dimensions, the dormi-
tory or place where they are to sleep, should be in length
about sixteen feet and ten feet in breadth, and, of
height to allow a person to go in and out without
stooping; the roof should be sloping, — a thatch one
is certainly the warmest, but it is apt to harbour the rats
and fidget the dogs ; a wide bench should be placed for
the dogs to sleep on, which in the winter should be Avell
provided with straw; in the front I would have two
folding doors, which in very cold weather should be
kept shut, and an opening made in one of them suffi-
ciently large for a good sized pointer to go in and out ;
the floor should be bricked, and a small door made in
the back part ; a small window should be made on one
side the kennel to open and shut ; the courtyard or
playground should be rather spacious, about twenty feet
from the doors of the kennel. It shoidd be bricked, and
if possible have a small stream of water running through
it. On one side of this courtyard there should be a large

116 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

bench for the dogs to lie on and Lask themselves in the
sun when the weather is not too hot or sultry. To carry
off the urine, outside of the courtyard a gutter should
be made, and a small drain to receive it: a door must
be made on one side of the courtyard for the feeder,
or any person wishing to see the dogs. The feeding
troughs should be on the opposite side to where the bench
is placed. A pump or a well near the kennel is very
handy for washing out its courtyard, which should
be frequently done, or, what is much better, it should
be done every day, more especially in the summer ;
the dormitory I would have whitewashed, to prevent
ticks and other insects harbouring about the place. No
lunghill or heap of rubbish should be too near the
kennel productive of a bad smell, as this might prove
injurious to the scent of the dogs ; and for the same
reason the greatest care and attention should be paid
in keeping the kennel perfectly clear ; by doing which
all bad odours will be avoided. The place where the
dogs' victuals are cooked should not be too near the
kennel, as the smell of it often makes the dogs uneasy
from their being anxious to get at it : the boiler should
be of cast iron, and in size proportioned to the number of
dogs you have to feed. There should be a large box to
contain the oats or barley meal, or ship biscuit which
has been a little damaged. The coppers should be
daily cleansed : feeding troughs, ladles, knives, forks,
&c., should have the same operation performed upon
them ; and as I have already said, the gamekeeper should
see that all this is done by the man w^ho feeds the dogs.
During the spring and summer, I gave my dogs little or
no flesh. Barley meal, milk, vegetables, and now and
then some cracklings, to make the food more palatable,

PLAX OF KENNEL. 117

witli their usual diet ; and in the shooting season barley
meal and horse-flesh, the latter thoroughly boiled, and
some biscuits, is a good addition to this food. Barley
meal does not require so much boiling as oatmeal ; with
the latter hounds are always fed, as it is better food
when much speed in the animal is required. Some-
times I have given my dogs in the spring, and when
the weather was not very hot, a few sheep paunches
well boiled and mixed with barley meal ; these they are
very fond of. I recommend during the summer months
dog boxes to be placed in a grass field : here the dogs
enjoy fine fresh air; and if the weather should be very
hot and sultry, let the boxes be placed under the shade
of trees : of course the dogs must be chained to the
box. At night they should retrun to their kennel, for
if they remain out you run the risk of having them
stolen, I had once three of my best dogs stolen in
the night from their boxes, about a fortnight before
the 1st of September; and although I omitted no
exertions to recover them they all proved fruitless, and
I suppose they were sent abroad. A\Tien the man, the
feeder of the dogs, is sent to fetch some horse-flesh, he
should make strict inquiry whether the horse was killed
by some accident or died of some common disease of
old age. In these cases the flesh would be wholesome
for the dogs ; but if the horse died of the glanders or
farcy, or any other infectious malady, decide at once
to purchase none of the flesh. The gallows on which
to hang your horse-flesh should be in a retired shady
place. When the dogs return from shooting, the feeder
should be careful to have their food ready for them, for
if once they lie down to sleep they become careless
about it. In the spring and during the summer months,

118 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

or every other day, taking them out three or four miles
so as to give them a walk of six or eight. If young dogs
are troublesome and attempt to range in the fields
adjacent to the roads, let them be coupled with some
steady dogs. If the weather should be very hot, the dogs
should be taken out early in the morning, and be
careful they have plenty of water. I shall finish this
treatise on the general management of sporting dogs,
by the subjoined directions given by Langly in an old
work called " The Mayster of the Cfame." " I wyll
hym learne that onyce in the day he voj'de the kennel
and make it all clene, and remove her strawe and put
agayn fresh strawe, a great dele and right thicke, and
ther as he lieth it the hounds shuld lye ; and the place
where they lye shuld be made of tree a foot high fro
the ground, and then the strawe shuld be lied upon,
because that the moystness of the erthe shuld not make
hym morfound nor engende other sickness, bi the which
their myght be the wors for hunting, or ellis her litter
or couche is unclene kept, or ellis the strawe is not
removed and her water fresh, and shortly the hound is
unclene, I hold, and evil kept or long waterles, havyn
comonly this murmewe."

119

CHAP. XXXIX.

SPOET I>^ SARBIXIA. A PISCirLE OF ST. HTTBEKT. AX lETSH

EEXEG.VBE. — COMJIEXCrNG OPERATIONS. — KING VICTOR EM-
MANUEL. — A PLEASANT PARTY. — A BOAR HUNT. — GOOD SPORT.

AN ACCIDENT. — A STAG FOR A GUN. — THE MrFFLON. — PRO-

DrCE OF SARDINIA. MALVOSIA DE BUDA. — THE VENDETTA. —

BANDITTI. — DEPARTURE.

" Adieu, ye joys of La Yalette,
Adieu, sirocco, sun, and sweat ;
Adieu, ye cursed sti-eets and stairs,
(How surely he M^ho mounts them sweai's ! ") — Byeox.*

" I hate to learn the ebb of time.
From you dull steeple's drowsy chime;
Or mark it as the sunbeams crawl
Inch after inch along the wall." — Ladij of the LaJce.

WnEX writing respecting quails and quail shooting at
^lalta, I mentioned, that after waiting with the greatest
impatience for an invitation to Sardinia, I at length em-
barked from Malta at the end of October 1810, on a
shooting expedition to that island. In the preceding

* Lord Byron arrived at Malta in a transport that was sent to Athens
to bring dowaa Lord Elgin's Marbles. Three of&eers of my regiment
had gone in this vessel to see the ruins, and our doctor, one of the party,
became extremely intimate with Lord Byron, who was taken ill on the
passage. On his lordship's arrival at Malta he became an honorary
member of oiu- mess, and I foiuid him the character I had always heard
of him : at times he was in the highest spirits, and would sit drinking till
one or two o'clock in the morning; at other periods gloomy and desponding,
as if he was going to be hung at Tyburn. He had, as the Scotch say,
" a bee in his bonnet."

120 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAIT.

month of September Major Sutton visited Malta. From
having been schoolfellows at Rugby, we naturally re-
sumed our intimacy, and he frequently dined with me
at the mess of our regiment. Just before quitting
Malta he announced his intention of going on a visit
to the Hon. William Hill (afterwards Lord Berwick),
also a Eugbean, who was British Minister at the
court of the King of Sardinia, and resided at Cagliari,
where the king held his court, the French republic
having deprived him of his Piedmont ese dominions
and the Duchy of Savoy. Major Sutton expected,
from what he had heard of the shooting in Sardinia, to
have first-rate sport. I confess I envied him this grati-
fying prospect, being then a decided disciple of St. Hu-
bert. Observing my anxiety to be of the party, and
to escape from the " little military hot-house," he pro-
mised as soon as he arrived at Cagliari to ask jNlr. Hill
to send me an invitation, certain that he would do so,
and that we shoidd have some capital shooting together.
He kept his word, and succeeded in his embassy, for, to
my great joy, I received a letter from the major, -svith a
most friendly invitation from ]Mr. Hill.

Having obtained two months' leave of absence from
the late Greneral Sir Hildebrand Oakes, an excellent
officer and a most hospitable man, and having made
all my preparations for the shooting expedition,
amongst them an excellent Joe Manton gun, I em-
barked on board a king's packet arrived from Con-
stantinople on its way to England with despatches,
and which was to touch at Cagliari to receive those
of our Minister there. Nothing could be more un-
propitious than the commencement of this voyage.
For nearly a week w^e had a strong wind right in our

A PIRATICAL SQUADEOX. 121

teeth, and were beating about in the channel between
Malta and Sicily. What would I not have given had
steam vessels been in existence ! This was a sad trial of
patience, as nearly an eighth of my leave of absence had
been thus consumed ■without having made much progress
towards my destination. At last we got a south-east
wind, and went along merrily, as those packet vessels
were remarkably fast sailers as well as well manned and
armed.

On the second day after the wind proved favourable,
an event happened which might have proved more fatal
to my expedition than the contrary winds. I was shav-
ing in my cabin about eight A.m., when the captain came
down with anything but a cheerful face, to announce
that an Algerian squadron, consisting of a large frigate
and a sloop of war, was bearing down upon us ; and
added, by way of comfort to me, that the pirates would
insist on his sending a boat alongside of the frigate to
examine his papers, and that if they obliged the mate to
go on board we should certainly be put in quarantine for
ten days or a fortnight at Cagliari. This extraordinary
communication made me feel most uncomfortable. Mais,
que voulez vous ? There was no help for it. I hastily
dressed and went on deck, when I saw the piratical
squadron with all sail set approaching vis ; and in a short
time I could perceive crowds of dark faces and turbans on
board the frigate. She had already fired a gun ahead
of us for the packet to lay to, and soon after a second
gun was fired over the packet. The captain gave orders
to back the sails and lay to, telling me if there was any
fm-ther delay those black piratical scoundrels 'would
probably j5re a broadside into the ship. When the
frigate had got wdthin a short distance, a man hailed us

VOL. II. K

122 KEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

in English, with a strong Irish brogue, through a speaking
trumpet, ordering us to send a boat alongside the frigate
with the ship's papers. This was soon done ; and the
captain desired the mate to avoid, if possible, going on
board, and to inform the Irish renegado that the ship
was a king's packet with important despatches from our
ambassador at Constantinople ; and that if he insisted on
his going on board, the vessel would be subject to quaran-
tine. On the boat reaching the frigate the mate de-
livered the above message to the Irishman, and handed
him the ship's papers ; he soon returned, giving the
papers back to the mate, saying all was right, and wish-
ing us a good voyage. He inquired if we had recently
seen any Tunisian, Sicilian, or Sardinian vessels. The
mate replied in the negative, which was untrue, as we
had observed two or three the evening before. The
Deys of Tunis and Algiers were at war, which prompted
the inquiry, and the Algerines were constantly at war
with the Sicilians and Sardinians, sometimes at night
landing on the coasts of these islands to surprise a vil-
lage, and carry off men, women, and children as slaves,
leaving only the old and infirm, whom they sometimes
murdered after having pillaged the village. But the day
of retribution for all these outrages was approaching.*

* In 1830 a considerable expedition sailed from Toulon for the
capture of Algiers. The pretence of the rupture between the French
and Algerines was the Dey striking the French consul with his fan.
The army consisted of 37,500 men, with 180 pieces of artillery, and a
fleet of ten sail of the line, twenty-three frigates, and numerous trans-
ports. The army was commanded by General Bourmont, who had a
son killed in one of the actions ; but Algiers, after a short siege, was
obliged to surrender unconditionally. The Dey was sent to Constantin-
ople, and thus ended tlie power of these pii-ates, who had been so long
the scourge of the Mediterranean Sea, and the country became a French
colony.

AX irxISII REXEGADE. 123

I was highly delighted when I perceived the mate re-
turning to our vessel, and the Algerian squadron steering
their course t j the eastward. Towards evening we entered
the celebrated port of Agrigentum, and lay to for some
hours to receive despatches from Lord William Bentinck,
our ambassador at Palermo.

The town of Agi-igentum (now called Grirgenti), is
about four miles from the port, and after breakfast we
went to see the remains of Agrigentum, which prove of
what importance this place was in the time of the
Eomans. Those antiquities are considered the most
considerable and interesting of any in Sicily ; but our
time was too limited to allow us to make a close inspec-
tion of them, and my head was too full of the prospect
of sport amongst the stags, wild boars, partridges, &c.,
in Sardinia to appreciate properly those ancient ruins.
In short, I was no antiquary. Our guide showed us
the Temples of Venus, Concord, and Hercules. The
last shov/n us was that of Jupiter, the largest of
the four. The to-s\Ti of Girgenti is a poor miserable
place, and the streets narrow and dirty. We now ob-
served the blue peter hoisted, and made the best of
our way to embark, and the wind being favourable,
directed our course to the Gulf of Cagliari. On our ar-
rival at the entrance of the gulf, (which extends from
Pulor on the west to Cape Bartonaro on the eastern side,
a distance of twenty-four miles across, and about twelve
miles in depth), we were completely becalmed, and I
found the old adage verified, " Misfortunes seldom come
alone." The captain, who was as anxious as myself to
arrive at Cagliari, ordered the sweeps to be got out, and
all hands set to work to row the vessel to the port. Some
of the passengers assisted the crew, and I amongst the
K 2

124 EEMINISCENCES OP A SPORTSMAX.

number worked like a galley slave, until my hands were
so blistered I was obliged to give in. A light breeze
springing up, to my great satisfaction, we soon reached
our destination. Finding that we had a clean bill of
health, I was allowed to land with my servant, baggage,
and brace of pointers, and made the best of my way to
Mr. Hill's house. He received me most kindly, and in-
troduced me to his Secretary of Legation, who was par-
ticularly prepossessing in his appearance. I had also a
cordial greeting from my friend ^Nlajor Sutton. Twenty-
four hom-s under the hosiDitable roof of our minister
were sufficient to convince me that I was in clover. Mr.
Hill's establishment was on the most liberal scale, and a
bon vivant would have been puzzled to find any fault
with his cuisine, a first and second French cook forming
part of it, and his wines, being of excellent quality. I
brought with me an ample supply of ammunition for the
field, which in Cagliari was of a very inferior description.
As our daily excursions sometimes extended to seven or
eight miles from the capital, I purchased a strong cob.
The Sardinian horses may be had at moderate prices, and
are in general strong, clever, active nags.

We now prepared for an attack on birds and beasts ;
and our party first commenced operations within three
or four miles of Cagliari. On some days we had toler-
ably good sport, bringing home a few brace of red-legged
partridges (which I had never before seen), quails,
snipes, and occasionally a brace or two of woodcocks.
Hares were scarce in this part of the country ; I sus-
pect they were snared, and I never saw a rabbit in the
island. A month earlier the shooting must have been
much better, for Mr. Hill, Sutton, and the Secretary had
rather thinned the game in this district. It was a cham-

KIXG VICTOR EMM^\JS"UEL. 125

paign couutry, well cultivated with vineyards and corn
fields, and here and there swampy grounds, where we
found plenty of snipes, which were never shot at by
the gentry or the lower class, ammunition being scarce
with the latter. The first red-legged partridge I shot at
I only winged ; he ran into a strong fence of prickly
pear, and not being aware of the reception I should
meet, its motto being "Nemo one iriipune lacessit,^^ I
rushed into the fence from my eagerness to catch him.
However, I was glad to make a hasty retreat to avoid the
sharp thorns, which had already wounded me in several
parts, but one of the dogs caught the bird. I believe
the noblemen and gentlemen who reside in the capital
take no pleasure in field sports, for I never once
met any of them, excepting when we went wild-boar
hunting on horseback with Mr. Hill's large rough grey-
hounds in the plains. They were too idle to walk.

Our minister informed me that the king, Victor
Emmanuel, had fixed a day for the reception of those
persons who wished to be presented to him and the
Queen, and that he should have much pleasure in
introducing me. Having brought my regimentals, and
therefore prepared for the ceremony, I accepted the
obliging offer, and was most graciously received by
his Majesty. He made many inquiries respecting our
army, the strength of our garrison at Malta, and whe-
ther our men-of-war had brought many prizes to that
island.*

* "UTiilst I was ill garrison at Malta the late Su- Robert Barry, -n-ho
was a particular friend of mine, then commanding the Pomone frigate,
was informed that Lucien Bonaparte and his family had left Genoa
on a Toyage to the United States, with the intention of residing there,
having quarrelled -with his brother the Emperor. In consequence
of this, Capt. Barry kept a sharp look-out, and captured the American
K 3

126 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

The king was rather short, well made, and having an
intelligent countenance. He appeared to be about fifty.
There were also present two young Princesses, twins,
about the age of seventeen^ both extremely pretty, — one
of them was married the following year to an Archduke
of Austria. Victor Emmanuel, late Duke of Aosta,
remained in Italy in the hope of regaining his Continenal
dominions through the British Cabinet ; but the peace
of Amiens, 1803, being broken, the French advanced to
Naples, which obliged him to embark for Sardinia,
where he arrived, 17th February 1806, secured from
sudden attacks by his close alliance with England.

The king paid much attention to the improvement of
the militia of the island, and to the encouragement of
agriculture. An attempt was also made to correct the
principal vice of the island, assassinations, by disarming
the lower class of the people, and enacting other salutary
reforms ; but the means at the king's disposal were very
limited. I heard that the British Grovernment allowed
the king 20,000/. per annum, chiefly for the maintenance
of a regiment of Guards, and a small cavalry corps.
As I mentioned, the Sardinian horses are very compact
and well made, and as the Sardes are excellent riders,
this small corps, above 250 men, had a very martial
appearance. Some of the most wealthy families of
Piedmont had been reduced almost to a state of penury,
their estates having been confiscated by the French
Eepublic and Bonaparte.

vessel oiF Sardinia, and brought Lucien and his family prisoners to
Malta, where they were treated with much kindness by the governor,
Sir Hildebrand Oakes, and subsequently sent to England. Lucien
had a fine collection of paintings of the Italian school, and considerable
property on board. Sir Robert Barry, his officers and crew, very
generously gave up the whole to Lucien.

A PLEASAXT PARTY. 127

Mr. Hill had three country houses in different parts
of the island. One of these was a Bishop's palace,
although, to say the truth, it scarcely deserved so grand
a denomination. Nevertheless, as sportsmen, it afforded
us a comfortable lodging. As Mr. Hill was exceedingly
fond of shooting and boar-hunting, he was in the habit
of going to his different chateaux de chasse, and after
thinning the game in one district, he repaired with his
friends to another.

On these occasions a four-wheeled carriage on springs
accompanied him, carrying the two French cooks, the
batterie de cuisine, and an ample supply of provisions
and wanes which were not to be procm-ed in the country,
depending on our guns for the addition of game, wild
fowl, &c. It may naturally be concluded that after the
day's labours we did justice to the French cook's talents,
and enjoyed the hospitality of our host. After having
paid our respects to the royal family, Mr. Hill pro-
posed that we should go to one of his country houses on
the eastern side of the Grulf of Cagliari, distant about
ten miles, where he said we should have tolerable
shooting at red-legged partridges, and as there were
extensive swamps in that part of the country, the snipe
shooting would be excellent. What was very conducive
in affording us good sport when in pm-suit of the red-
legged partridges, was, that there were low covers of the
wild myrtle, prickly pear, and other shrubs. These
cunning birds, taking refuge in these asylums, afforded
us good shooting when we had scattered the covers,
and we sometimes brought home seven or eight
brace of birds. The snipes were in such abundance that
we were frequently obliged to desist shooting, in order
K i

128 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

to economise our ammunition. On one occasion when
shooting alone, the snipes lay well, and I selected my
shots, and killed with my Joe Manton gun nineteen
snipes following, and I began to think that no snipe
would escape me ; but in this I reckoned without my
host, for I then missed two or three. These birds are
very fine and fat, as they find here abundance of food.
Woe be to the person who attempts to shoot in these
morasses before the latter end of October or beginning
of November, by which time the great heat has sub-
sided, for the chances are two to one he will be attacked
with the dangerous intermittent fever, arising from the
malaria of those swamps. The people of this island
were very partial to the English that formed the
Embassy, and the peasantry frequently walked with us
to show us the game ; but when alone I took especial
care to keep them at arm's length, having been cautioned
to be on my guard, for to procure an English gun was
too great a temptation for a Sard to withstand : they
were highly gTatified by a present of two or three loads
of English powder, and although I never met them out
shooting, there can be little doubt but that many of
them had their guns concealed. We did not find many
Avoodcocks in this part of the country, but sometimes
bagged a brace of hares ; there was not cover enough for
either wild boai- or deer.

After passing about ten days very agreeably at
this shooting-box, we returned to Cagliari, where we
had a pleasant addition (but not of sportsmen) to our
party. Sir Kobert Barry, with the Pomone frigate, a
first-rate naval officer, came into the port, also two
diplomatic travellers, the late Mr. Taylor and Mr.

A BOAR-IIUXT. 129

Wynne *, who arrived with the intention of making a
few exciu'sions into the interior of the island; but they
were cautioned by Mr. Hill to avoid some parts where
strangers were almost certain of catching the often fatal
intermittent fever, and medical aid was difficult to be
procm-ed. For a day or two we now devoted ourselves
to our visitors, and did ample justice to the bonne
chere of Mr. Hill's table. Our plat de resistance was
frequently a roast joint of the wild boar ; and as these
animals were fattened on the sweet chestnuts of the
forests, the flavour of the meat was excellent. On
market days at Cagliari, it was amusing to see some of
the farmers coming in on horseback with a wild boar
strapped behind them in a large black leather case, the
head protruding on one side and the hind quarters on
the other. The farmer wore a sheep-skin dress with
the wool outside, and on his head a velvet cap very
similar to those worn by the Spaniards in the south of
Spain f, short breeches, and black leather gaiters, with
silver or black buttons; their complexions extremely
dark, piercing and rather savage black eyes, moustache
and large black whiskers. Their saddles like those of
the Hussars, high before and behind, generally covered
■with a sheepskin, and on the pommel of the saddle a
long Spanish carbine, as a protection against an attack
on the road, — for this island has always been notorioas
for being infested with ruffian banditti.

As Mr. Hill had been informed that in a wide exten-
sive plain intersected with wild myrtle, arbutus, and

* The former -was subsequently our minister at Berlin, and 3Ir.
WjTine OUT minister at Copenhagen,
t This island once belonged to Spain.

130 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

other brushwood, about ten miles from the capital,
several wild boars bad been seen, he decided that we
should have a grand hunt on horseback, with our guns
and a leash of his large rough greyhounds. Early next
morning we mustered a strong party, having been joined
by some Piedmontese noblemen, and all in the highest
spirits in the anticipation of a good boar hunt, and we
soon arrived at the champ de hataille. Being all drawn
up in a straight line about twenty yards apart, they
commenced beating, and half an hour had scarcely
elapsed before a wild boar was started from his lair.
As soon as the greyhounds got sight of him, away we
all went helter-skelter like madmen, hooting and halloo-
ing. For a short time the boar ran with such extraor-
dinary speed that he fairly outstripped the greyhounds ;
but his wind at last failing him, they came up with their
prey, and a fierce conflict took place between the grey-
hounds and the boar. Those horsemen who arrived first
watched a favourable opportunity to fire at the boar
without wounding the dogs. This I also did, taking
aim at his head, but one of the greyhounds having
seized him by the ear, I unfortunately knocked out the
eye-tooth of one of Mr. Hill's best greyhounds, but at
the same time I wounded the animal in the head. I
felt exceedingly annoyed at this accident, but Mr. Hill,
with his usual good nature, received kindly my apologies,
saying only that he was sorry it had happened to his
favourite dog, who was always so fierce and resolute in
his attack on wild boars. In the course of the day we
found another boar, but we did not derive much sport,
for soon after he was started he was shot by one of the
party. We returned to Cagliari highly satisfied with

GOOD SrORT. 131

our day's diversion. As well as I can recollect, we had
subsequently two more days' boar bunting, and never a
blank day.

Our two diplomatists, INIessrs. Taylor and Wynne,
having left us, and Captain Barry sailed from the island,
our party was once more reduced to four, and we heard
A\"ith much satisfaction from Mr. Hill that we were to
start in a couple of days to' the Bishop's palace which
he rented about twenty-five miles from Cagliari, and
where on former occasions he had found woodcocks
numerous. We started at the time appointed, attended
by our commissariat ; and as we were to remain ten
days or a fortnight at the palace, an ample stock of
everything for the good fare of the sportsmen was, as
usual, provided. We took our guns and pointers for
the chance of getting some shots on the road-side. I
certainly did not expect to fill the game bags, which
turned out to be the case, for although we occasionally
saw partridges, quails, and snipes, we had not time to
follow them, as we were anxious to get to our journey's
end.

For a few miles round Cagliari in this direction, the
country is also well cultivated, vineyards and corn-fields
being seen in most parts. After proceeding ten or twelve
miles, the appearance of the country began to change,
and the features hilly and undulating. Many parts
were covered with evergreen shrubs, and here and there
-^^ild vines. We passed through several villages which
on the whole had a comfortable appearance ; the pea-
sants in general warmly clad, some of them wearing the
sheepskin. We crossed a solid stone bridge over a con-
sideralile stream ; but I had no opportunity of ascertain-
ing whether there was any good fishing in it. From all

132 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

I could learn, I do not think there was any trout in the
mountain streams, but on the sea-coast they have a
variety of good fish: red and grey mullet, the tunny-
fish, which enters the Straits of Bonifacio, and round the
south coast of Sardinia, and remains there from April to
July. The sardine, a small delicious fish, is also taken
on this coast. As we approached the village which was
to terminate our journey, we saw on an eminence the so-
named palace of the bishop. It was a moderately sized
house built of stone, but to call it palace was certainly
a very inappropriate name. However, we found com-
fortable quarters for sportsmen ; and although the furni-
ture was rather scanty, and not of a luxurious description,
we contrived to carry on the war merrily with the assist-
ance of Mons. Louis, chef cle cuidne, and his assistant
Franpois. There was a delightful view from the garden
which looked down on the village, through which passed
a little rapid rivulet, and in the distance a very extensive
plain, which appeared to be here and there covered with
wild myrtle, juniper, and dwarf oaks.

This plain was to be the scene of our shooting for a
few days, as it was well stocked with red-legged par-
tridges, woodcocks, and quails, but few snipes. The
large and small bustard are frequently seen in this dis-
trict ; they are extremely shy and wary, and difficult to
get within shot; at all events we never bagged one.
Om* expectation of good sport in this plain was realised,
and we had most days our bags well filled with the par-
tridges, woodcocks, &c. Hares were still scarce. They
are rather smaller than the English hare and not of so
good a flavour, which may be owing to the climate. I
sometimes took rather a wide range alone, and on one
occasion I discovered a very pretty secluded valley, with

AN ACCIDENT. ]33

a small stream running through it, and thickly studded
with a variety of low cover. I had scarcely entered it
when I flushed a couple of woodcocks, which I brought
dowTi, and to my agreeable surprise I saw at least ten
couple of them in beating the ground close. On this
occasion I shot very badly ; perhaps I had drank rather
too much the preceding evening of Mr. Hill's strong and
excellent Lafitte claret : however, I did manage to bag
four or five brace, and when we went there two or
three days afterwards we found the valley nearly de-
serted by the woodcocks, and returned home quite dis-
appointed. When these birds are much disturbed, they
look out for fresh quarters. Another day I went to a
hilly country where I was told I should probably get a
shot at a wild boar or stag, as there was a large wood in
its neighbourhood. I loaded one of my barrels with
ball and the other with swan-shot, entertaining a strong
hope that I should bring one or the other to the bishop's
palace. But, alas I as -wall be subsequently seen, this
was building castles in the air.

I started for the place one fine morning in the begin-
ning of December, with the thermometer about sixty
degrees. Having walked nearly five miles and reached
a ravine, both sides of which were rather steep and
rugged, and covered with low brushwood, a small
stream running at the bottom, I found a short distance
on my right the large wood before mentioned. I
was walking very gently along the ridge of this
ravine, having no dog with me, and on examining
the ground I distinctly saw the fresh marks of a
boar. Proceeding cautiously, and looking towards the
stream, I discovered a wild boar wallowing in some
mud, and apparently sleeping. He was rather too far

134 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

off for me to fire at him, and whilst I was turning in
my mind how to approach him, he suddenly turned his
head, got sight of me, and started off at full speed. I
was almost certain that he would direct his course up
the steep ridge on the side where I stood, with the ob-
ject of entering the forest; and observing that he ran a
short distance up the stream before he began to ascend the
height, I made all speed to meet him at the top and
salute him with my two barrels. But in my hurry and
excitement, keeping my eyes fixed on the spot where I
hoped to intercept him, and not looking on the ground,
I came in contact with a large piece of rock, over which
I tumbled headlong. My gun flew out of my hand, and
I experienced the most excruciating pain from a bad
wound on my right shin, which completely disabled me
from further pursuit, and I lay for some time in a most
uncomfortable state on the ground, sadly vexed at
having missed my intended victim. After the pain
in my leg had in some degree subsided, my first
care was to regain my gun, and I received some
consolation by finding that my Joe Manton had not
been damaged by the concussion. I had now no
alternative but to hobble home and recount my 'mis-
fortune to my brother sportsmen, who regretted much
the accident and my failure in providing them with
some of the wild boar for our commissariat. As I was
then in excellent condition, the wound soon healed;
and in three or four days I was able to take the field
again. Shortly after, as I was shooting in this neigh-
bourhood, I met a considerable flock of sheep, and
amongst them, to my no small surprise, a fine full-grown
stag. On inquiry, the shepherd informed me that the
flock and stag belonged to the priest of the parish, who

A STAG FOR A GUN". 135

lived in a village about three miles off; that the stag
had been taken when young, and became completely
domesticated, and went regularly to feed with the sheep.
As Greneral Sir Hildebrand Oakes had a menagerie of
birds and beasts near La Valette, I determined to call
on the priest, and endeavour to purchase the stag of
him, hoping I should be able to get him conveyed to
]Malta by some man-of-war, as a present to Sir Hildebrand.
The next day I made him a visit, and on asking him if
he would sell the stag, he replied, " Non, Signor, per
dinero non; but as I feel a great desire to have an
English double-barrelled gun, I will make the exchange,
the stag for a gun." Luckily I had with me an old
double-barrelled gun which had seen much service, but
with gold pans and touchholes and some ornaments of the
same kind on the breach, which I felt sure would be a
great attraction to the padre; and on my next visit I
showed him the gun, and had nearly completed the
bargain when I expressed a wish to have another view
of the stag, and we walked to where the flock was feed-
ing. Amongst the sheep I saw a fine ram with most
singularly-shaped horns tmsted round two or three
times; it struck me this would be a valuable addition to
the Grovernor's menagerie : I therefore told the priest
that I must have the ram as well as the stag in exchange
for my gun. This proposal at first startled liim, and he
made some difficulty at parting ^\"lth the ram. But as
I continued obstinate in this respect, and he made a
second inspection of the gun — I always suspected that
the gold touchholes and pans decided the affair in my
favour — I got both the animals, which arrived safe
at Cagliari. I afterwards sent them to Malta by the
late Captain Digby, who kindly took them on board his

136 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

frigate, the " Lavinia," with a barrel of the best wine of
the island, called " Malvosia de Buda," a sweet and
highly flavoured wine. They were all landed safely at
Malta, and subsequently I frequently partook of a glass
of the malvosia with Sir Hildebrand Oakes when din-
ing with him at the palace. Most of this wine was sent
to Cagliari for the king's table.

After remaining about a fortnight at the bishop's
palace, waging war chiefly against the feathered tribe,
we returned to Cagliari. Our time was so fully occupied
in the sports of the field, that we could devote but a
small portion to the fair sex that adorned the court. A
marchioness, whose name I have forgotten, had some
handsome daughters, and we sometimes spent some
pleasant mornings in their society. The young ladies
were musical, and, like their mother, spoke French
fluently. They were, like many others of the nobility,
very poor. It was a painful sight to witness the
courtiers going to the king's receptions and evening
parties, walking through the dirty streets of Cagliari :
for, excepting the king, the Archbishop of Cagliari, and
Mr. Hill, no one kept a carriage, and I never recollecc
seeing a sedan chair.

The forests and woods in Sardinia abound with a
variety of game : stags, wild boars, spotted deer, muf-
flons, &c. The stags are not so large as those in the
western countries of Europe, and are chiefly found
in the forests of Nurra, Sateis, Barbagia, and Gal-
lura. The daino, or deer, is a beautiful little animal,
and one of the chief objects of chase for those persons
who are allowed to carry firearms ; they are generally
found in herds of twenty or five and twenty, and are less
wary than the stag. The mufflon is a ruminating animal.

THE MUFFLOX. 137

and is to be found only in the highest and most secluded
woods, where, from its great shyness and fleetness, it is
difficult to approach within shot. The male is called
Murvoni and the female Murva, but the usual name
of these animals is " Mufflon." The form of the ears,
head, legs, and hoof, identfies the mufflon with the sheep,
although in size it is rather larger, and the body is
clothed with hair instead of wool. The horns are hol-
low, and exactly similar to those of the ram, while the
bleat is the same. It propagates also very readily with
the sheep, the mixed produce being called " Umbro."
Although so very shy in its wild state, if taken young it
soon becomes domesticated, and feeds with the sheep.
Captain S ' says that he saw a mufflon belonging to

the Archbishop of Xavoni, Primate of the Island, which
was singularly tame and playful.

In the course of last century the island of Sardinia
frequently changed masters ; first belonging to Austria,
secondly to Spain, and in the beginning of the last
century to the House of Savoy. To the latter it has been
most faithful, and that under trying cu-cumstances.
In the early part of the French Eevolution, when the
thirst of conquest was in full vigour, the French Conven-
tion i-ecommended the conquest of Sardinia as an easy
enterprise. Without even a declaration of war, a fleet and
army were ordered to effect this ; but the Sards were pre-
pared for the attack ; the Grovernor had time to assemble
4000 volunteer infantry and 6000 irregular cavalry.
The forts, however, were deficient in guns; of regular
troops there were only three battalions, and one company
of artillery. The first expedition failed in consequence
of the French fleet being destroyed by a violent storm ;

VOL. II. L

138 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

but on the 22nd January 1793 the fleet re-assembled and
entered the Bay of Cagliari, and the Admiral bombarded
the town without effect. On the 11th of February 1200
men were landed from the Bay of Gruaster with the
intention of occupying the heights to the eastward of
Cagliari. This detachment was attacked with most
determined bravery by the three battalions and some
militia, and driven back to their ships.

There is one serious evil appertaining to this capital ;
— water is so scarce as to be sold at the doors of the
inhabitants. The castle is supplied with water by a well
of great depth, by the continual labour of men and horses.
Cagliari has an imposing appearance from the sea, stand-
ing on an eminence which commands the bay. But on
landing the steep narrow streets, paved with small pointed
stones, the effluvia from the drains at each dooi', and the
clothes lines covered with linen reaching from every
house to the opposite window, destroy altogether the
illusion. There are some good public buildings, and a
considerable number of churches. The population con-
sisted at that time of about 25,000. In the castle are
the vice-regal palace, the Cathedral, the University, and
the seminary. There is also a strong citadel. Cagliari
has a busy appearance until noon, when the shops are
closed until three o'clock, the intervening time being
employed in dining and indulging in the siesta. There
can be no doubt that the climate of Sardinia, particu-
larly during the excessive heat of the summer months,
is in many parts extremely unhealthy. The disease
with which persons are attacked is termed " Intern -
perie," whicli arises from malaria about the swampy
districts: even in the time of the Eomans it was

PRODUCE OF SARDINIA. 139

considered insalubrious.* However, if measures were
taken to drain the marshes and keep the rivers
within their beds, many thousand acres might be brovight
into cultivation, vines flourish, and abundant crops of
corn grown, where at present, in the summer season,
only a pestilential atmosphere is to be inhaled. In some
parts of the island this malai'ia is so dangerous that a
foreigner who, ignorant of the fatal effects, should be
imprudently out after simset, would be almost certain
to take this malignant distemper. A young English
baronet who went to Sardinia to enjoy the sports of the
iield, about four or five years ago, was attacked by the
above disease, and died at Cagliari. The natives who
reside in the neighbourhood of these noxious vapours,
diu-iug the hot months, never venture out until an hour
after sunrise, and take care to be at home before sunset,
closing their windows and doors.

A party undertaking a shooting expedition in Sardinia
for a month or two should be provided with a man cook,
an ample supply of dried provisions, such as hams, tongues,
&c., and what is of most importance, a stock of port,
sherry, brandy, and rum, all of the best quality ; also bark
in case of ague. This would secure their health in most
parts of the island, if they do not commence operations
before the end of October. I should also recommend
their getting letters to some of the nobles residing at

* Daute mentions tlio Island of Sardinia as a pestilential climate : —
" Qual dola fora, sedegli spedati
Di Taldichiana tia'l Luglio el SettemLre,
E di Maramma, e di Sardina, i mali
Fossero in una fassa tutti insiemlire ;
Tal era quivi ; e tal pnzzo nusciva,
Qual suole iiseio etatte marcite membre."

140 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

Cagliari or at their chateaux, which would assist them
much in procuring good shooting.

These letters could, I think, be easily got through our
minister at Turin. I had some conversation with a
gentleman who, with a friend, an officer in the Guards,
went on a shooting tour to Sardinia, totally, in my
opinion, unprepared for such an undertaking. The re-
sult was as might have been expected : they got little
or no shooting, and in some parts were obliged to have
two or three soldiers to protect them from the numerous
banditti ; the officer caught the malaria fever, and had
a narrow escape of his life. This gentleman related
to me what he had heard from a Piedmontese officer in
a village where he and his friend slept. One of the
inhabitants had been outlawed for committing an as-
sassination, and vras at that time a chief of banditti.
He left in the village a young and handsome wife, and
it was notorious that she was the mistress of the padre
or priest of the parish ! At the time this gentleman
was in tlie island, a regiment of Piedmontese Cacciotores,
quartered in some of the towns and villages, were
frequently employed in the pursuit of the banditti.
These officers were very gentlemanly men, several of
them nobles. They expressed a great dislike to their
present quarters, and would be heartily glad when they
should be relieved by another regiment, which I believe
takes place every two years. One regiment of light
infantry, composed of Sards and raised by conscription,
is sent to Piedmont.

Provisions in Sardinia are very cheap, particularly
poultry ; a dozen fowls might be purchased for seven
shillings. Many parts of the island are well cultivated,
producing Indian corn, wheat, barley, and rye. Some

MALVOSIA DE BUDA. 141

of the wines are highly esteemed, particularly one I
have already mentioned, Malvosia de Buda.

The olive tree is also cultivated, and the oil almost
equal to that of Italy. All the corn is left in the field
until it is threshed, an operation performed by the tread
of mares and colts on an area previously prepared, called
Agosto. Cattle, sheep, goats, and swine are divided into
two classes : the 'manro, or those which work, or yield
milk, wool, &c., and which are therefore carefully tended
and kept in the best pastures; while those kept for
breeding are allowed to range over the hills and wastes
till they become almost wild. All those animals that
run wild in the extensive wastes, excepting horses, must
have a mark on the ear, or they are liable to seizure.
The horses are in general free from vice, and will go
through much fatigue on moderate food. WTiat is
rather singular, there are no mules, although they have
asses, which are only used as beasts of burthen. There
are fine forests in the mountainous parts of Sardinia.

There is an extensive flat called su Sarcidaini,
clothed with fine oak, beech, chestnut, and cork trees,
and the inhabitants of these districts have the pri-
vilege of allowing swine to range in the woods.
Amongst the fruits of this island are figs, grapes,
melons, apples, apricots, peaches, almonds, and the
prickly pear.

The wild grape grows profusely, and a tolerable
wine is made from it. These are universally met with,
but walnuts and chestnuts are only to be had in certain
districts, as also oranges, lemons, and citrons. The
magistrates have been enjoined to impress on the minds
of the farmers to plant and cultivate the mulberry-tree
for the introduction of silk worms; but little or no

L 3

142 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

attention has been paid to those injunctions, and these
cultivators of the soil are in that respect like the old
race of farmers in England, who were generally hostile to
all modern improvements in agriculture. A dwarf
mulberry-tree grows wild in abundance in every part of
Sardinia, and the wild olive is found on the more
elevated grounds. I was told that in the spring the
plains are covered with a mixture of flowers of peculiar
beauty. Amongst the most flourishing plants may be
observed the myrtle, juniper, arbutus, woodbine, jas-
mine, acanthus, &c. Tobacco is a royal monopoly ;
its culture and preparation were introduced by the
Austrians in 1714, and have been attended with much
success.

One of the greatest blots in the character of the
Sards is their insatiable desire of revenge, and this,
frequently, for the most trifling injuries. As a proof of
this, when you travel in the interior you may see every
four or five hundred yards, by the side of the road, a
pile of stones, to denote that a murder had been there
committed, which the peasantry, on passing, cross them-
selves, and throw a stone on the heap. I was told on
good authority that in the feuds between villages and
families, enmity and bitterness are carried on for a
number of years, and that in the course of the last
twelvemonth before I visited the island, nearly 300
persons had been assassinated. Probably some of this
number fell victims to the banditti who infested the
mountainous parts and large forests, but generally
plunder was more their object, and unless resistance
was made, they did not proceed to extremities. In
many of the villages in these dreary wastes they were
sure to meet with an asylum, and be put on their guard

THE VEXDETTA. 143

if any military were in pursuit of them. Although the
Sards possess some good and amiable qualities, to returu
good for evil is a doctrine quite unknown to them.*
Their mode of gratifying their revenge may be compared
to tliat which formerly occurred in the southern and
western parts of Ireland. A Sard determined to wreak
his vengeance on his enemy does not do so by open
challenge, but by lying in wait, frequently for several
days, in some secluded spot until the object of his hatred
passes near. He then fires from his long Spanish carbine,
which is almost sure to be fatal, as they are in general
remarkably good shots.

" I do not know
Wherefore my father should revengers nvant,
Having a son and friends." — Shaxspeaee.

The widow of a murdered man takes care to keep his
bloody shirt, and every now and then shows it to her
young sons, to stimulate their vengeance on the assas-
sins of their father.

A curious circumstance was stated a few months ago,
1857, respecting a chief of banditti. In an article in
the Gazetta Popidari of Cagliari an account is given
of a solemn reconciliation effected between the villages
of Perfugas and Bertigadas in Sardinia, the inhabitants

* The Ga~ctta FopuJari of Cagliari, in 1858, aunoimees the arrest of
the oldest bandit of the island. He was named Melhida, and had been
theteiTor of the district of Oroni since 1829, and had up to this time
defied everj' attempt to arrest him, he having chosen one of the most
inaccessible mountains of Sardinia, called De Su Angui, for his strong-
hold. He was at length arrested, about midnight, by a party of cara-
bineers, who had the boldness to ventiire among the precipices of the
mountain in question in utter darkness, the rocks and paths being
slipper}- with frost. Melluda had many miu-ders and other crimes to
answer for.

L 4

144 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

of which had lived in perpetual feud (vendetta) for up-
wards of a century. " What makes this event most sin-
gular is, that it has been brought about by a notorious
bandit named Pietro Manas, a native of Perfugas, who
has been the terror of the country for the last twenty-
two years. He obtained a safe conduct from the
Grovernment, in order to be present at the ceremony of
reconciliation, and it was intimated to him that if he
would constitute himself a prisoner and submit to a
trial, he would obtain a pardon, in consideration of the
important service he had rendered to his country ; but
he refused and returned to the woods immediately after
the banquet which closed the proceedings, saying that
*' birds like the forest better than a cage."

The most dangerous robbers are about the east coast,
where the passes are so difficult that troops cannot act
with success against them. An Englishman who was mak-
ing an excursion was met in one of these passes by four of
them, but finding he was an Englishman, they requested
only some gunpowder, and withdrew peaceably on the
request being complied with. One would scarcely
have imagined them to be outlaws of the savage cha-
racter which they bore, though this gentleman's guide
was dreadfully alarmed at the rencontre. When he
found himself in safety he devoutly crossed himself, and
then gave his tongue unbridled license in their abuse.
Their guns are extremely long in the barrel, with a
very narrow bore, like those of the Spanish guerillas.
The bullets are of course very small, and carry to a con-
siderable distance. But since I was in the island in
1810, the revocation of the privilege of sanctuary, and
the prohibition of the lower classes having firearms in
their possession, must certainly have diminished the

BAXDITTI. 145

crime of assassination. By the Grovernment decree
none but militiamen and persons duly authorised by the
" porta d'armi " or license can carry a gun under a
penalty of seven years to the galleys. However, in
many lonely unfrequented mountainous parts the in-
habitants are necessarily allowed firearms to defend
themselves from the nightly attacks of banditti. The
nobles are of course allowed this privilege, considered
a mark of distinction, much in the same way as when
gentlemen in England in part of the last century
always wore their swords. In most of the cities the
Italian language is spoken ; the peasantry about Cagliari
could generally speak Italian, but I was told that the
lower classes use a dialect a mixture of Italian, Greek,
and Arabic words, but chiefly of the former.

As we were close on Christmas Day, I was anxious to
see the king and royal family attend the cathedral at mid-
night to hear the Archbishop of Cagliari perform high
mass. On this occasion the royal family went in a car-
riage drawn by six horses, running footmen on each side
carrying lighted torches. The whole court was present,
and the cathedral thronged with people of all classes.
Mr. Hill, as British INIinister, had an excellent situation
appointed for him and his suite, from which we had a
good view of the ceremony. The cathedral was bril-
liantly illuminated, and the performance, which I had
never before ^vitnessed, was altogether a very imposing
sight. The Archbishop of Cagliari is styled Primate of
Sardinia and Corsica. There are two other archbishops,
and I believe eight bishops. The established religion is
Roman Catholic. The canons and beneficed clergy
amount to between three and four hundred, and chiefly
reside in the large towns ; the spiritual business of the

146 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

smaller towns and villages being perforemd by priests,
who I have heard are particularly attentive to their
flocks. But how much it is to be regretted that they
have not sufficient power over the minds of their parish-
ioners to convince them of the atrocity of the crime
of assassination.

As my leave of absence was now nearly expired, I felt,
on being obliged to return to '• the little military hot-
house," in much the same state of feeling as a boy who
leaves a kind home to return to school; for Mr. Hill's
urbanity of manner, his hospitality, and his anxious de-
sire to afford his English friends good field sport, made
this separation a cause of great regret to me.* I took
an affectionate leave of my friends at Cagliari, not one
of whom is now alive. It is one of the most distressing
circumstances of old age that you see gradually one old
friend after another dropping off: —

" Now kmdred merit fills the sable bier,
Now lacerated fi-iendship claims a tear ;
New forms arise, and different views engage,
Superfluous lags the veteran on the stage."

Johnson — Vanity of Human Wishes.

I was now anxiously seeking some conveyance to
Malta, as I had no time unfortunately to remain for a
grand battue about to take place in some of the forests,
in which wild boars, stags, spotted deer, &c., were ex-
pected to afford much sport. The packet from England
would not arrive for some time, but Mr. Hill kindly
procured me a passage on board a brig of w^ar on her

* Some years after I saw Mr. Hill in London, and at that time he
was om- minister at Naples, whore, I have understood, he was as popular
as he had been at Cagliari. He has now been dead for several years,
and hie brother succeeded to the title of Lord Berwick.

DEPAKTUKE. 147

way to iNIalta, aud I received every attention from the
captain. I was welcomed on my arrival there by many
old friends, especially the governor, Sir Hildebrand
Oakes ; but to a man passionately fond of field sports a
small island like INIalta was uncongenial to my nature,
and I might exclaim, like the chief of banditti, " I
prefer the forest to the cage." ]My regiment was after-
wards removed to Sicily, and stationed in the citadel of
Messina.

In the early part of the summer of 1812 a large
expedition from our army, under the command of
the late Greneral Maitland, was ordered to proceed
to the east coast of Spain, as a diversion in favour of
the Duke of Wellington, and thus to prevent the army
under Marshal Suchet from joining the French army
which was then opposed to the Duke. I made an offer
of my services to Lord William Bentinck, which was ac-
cepted, and gave up the command of the garrison and
castle of ]Malazzo, and joined the expedition at Palermo.
On our arrival at Minorca I was appointed to the com-
mand of ten companies of De Eolles' and Dillon's regi-
ment, having the four flank companies of these bat-
talions. As we remained six weeks at Minorca, the
troops being on board the transports, and the weather
very hot, in order to insure their health the fleet sailed
to the north-west coast of Sardinia. Here I landed one
day at Patmos with the late Sir Eobert Travers for the
pm-pose of shooting, but the day was so intolerably hot
we had little success. The reason of our waiting so long
at ^Minorca was that we expected a large Spanish force to
join us there from Majorca ; part of it was under the
command of the late Sir Samuel WTiittingham. The
blue rock pigeons are numerous on the coast of Minorca,

148 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

and I went one day alone to shoot some. I succeeded
in killing one, which fell over the ridge of the cliff.
I determined to make an attempt to recover it. I had
not descended the precipice more than a few feet,
which I accomplished with much difficulty, when I
beheld with terror through a small crevice the yawn-
ing gulf three or four hundred feet below me, the
waves washing its base. To describe my feelings at
this moment is impossible. Eecovering in some degree
I examined minutely my position and the safest way
of retracing my steps, I observed in one place a small
projection of the rock, and was convinced that if I
got a steady footing on it I should be able to reach with
my hand a large projection of the cliff, and gain my
ascent to terra hrma. I fortunately succeeded, but if I
had missed or lost my balance I must have gone head-
long down the precipice into the sea. Although this
occurred five and forty years ago, I cannot reflect on my
dangerous situation without a sensation of terror.

149

CHAP. XL.

DEER STxVLKLNG. — THE SCOTCH FOREST. — THE FOREST OF MAR. —
THE DEER-HOtTND. — A HUNT. — ANECDOTE OF DEER-STALKIXG. —
EXTRAORDINARY SHOT AT A DEER. — ANTISEPTIC QUALITY OF
PEAT. — NO HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPE.

" The antler'd monarch of the waste

Sprung from his heatheiy couch in haste ;

But ere his fleet career he took,

The dew-cli'ops from his flanks he shook;

Like crested leader, proud and high.

Tossed his horn'd frontlet to the sky ;

A moment gazed adown the dale,

A moment snuff d the tainted gale,

A moment listen' d to the ciy,

That thieken'd as the chase drew nigh ;

Then, as the headmost foes appeared.

With one brave l30und the copse he cleared ;

And, stretching forward free and far.

Sought the wild heaths of Uam-Var."

Lady of the Lake, canto 1.

In writing on the subject of deer-stalking, I do not
pretend to have any practical experience of this ex-
ceedingly exciting field sport. But in a work of this
kind, which comprises a variety of field amusements,
I cannot omit the subject of deer-stalking, particulars
of which I have gathered from friends and from having
had read to me the interesting work by Mr. Scrope.

Deer-stalking may certainly be esteemed one of the
most splendid and exciting of our field sports, and we

150 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

now find it pursued with much ardour by many
noblemen and gentlemen, who pay very high rent
to the Scotch landlords for the indulgence of their
taste. I have heard that Lord Henry Bentinck
pays for two forests nearly 3000/. per annum. This
sport requires the full development of muscle, sinew,
and wind, as well as all mental energies. Both deer-
stalking and fox-hunting are excellent schools for
a military man, for to be successful in either requires
skilful tactics and a sharp and keen eye in examining
the features of the country, and the latter to be a good
horseman. I have heard it more than once mentioned,
that the Duke of Wellington considered officers who
had been thorough fox-hunters best adapted for the
duty of the outpost. There can be no doubt that stag-
hunting is a more social sport, provided the country
will admit of this chase ; but in the Highlands of
Scotland, where the country is so wild and precipitous,
and presents so many obstacles to the chase, hunting
the stag with hounds is quite impossible. Yet in some
parts of Scotland the harts are coursed with deer
hounds, and I have mentioned a most interesting
account, in which two famous deer-hoimds succeeded
in capturing a stag after an arduous chase. I have
always understood that the grandfather of the present
Duke of Athol *, who introduced the larch tree into

* I had the honoiir of dining -flath the Duke when he resided in
Great George Street, "Westminster. At that time he was about eighty
years of age. He had lived to see a frigate built of the timber of t|ie
larch which he had planted. She was called the " Athol." A curious
circumstance occurred when the Duke fu-st imported the young larch trees
from Norway. His gardener, conceiving they should be kept warm,
put them in a hot-house, when, having apparently died, they were thrown
on a dung-heap. The gardener wrote to his Grace to announce their fate,

THE SCOTCH FORESTS. 151

Scotland, was the first noLlenian who found sucli a
fascinating charm in deer-stallving, and by his perse-
verance in planting several thousand acres witli this
tree, had an ample field for indulging in his favourite
sport. I have Leen told L}- persons acquainted with
him that he was a most expert shot with a rifle.

In many of the newspapers great complaints liave
heen made at so many thousand acres being given up
to deer-stalking and grouse shooting which formerly
afforded pasturage to large flocks of sheep, and in some
of the valleys and more fertile parts to the small black
cattle, and that in the indulgence of these field sports
the community suffers considerably by the loss of this
pasturage. But I verily believe this has been much
exaggerated, and as a proof I will give an extract from
what a gentleman, who is an experienced deer-stalker,
says on this subject. " Some forests are entirely cleared
of cattle, others only partially so ; thus, for instance, in
one forest the agi-eement was that the sheep and cattle
were to be removed by the 11th of August from that
portion not entirely reserved for deer ; part of it was
always for deer."

Deer will not remain where there are cattle and
sheep, but where cattle and sheep are, it is not properly
a deer forest. The usual plan, however, is to have a
sanctuary, and the sheep and cattle removed during the
stalking season. The large forests, such as the Mar
Forest, and Invercauld, Blair, Ardvarkie, and one or
two others are reserved for deer.

M-lien the Diike informed him that they should have been phnited in the
open air. A short time afterwards the gardener passing the dung-heap,
observed that the discarded phmts were alive and throwing out green
shoots, and immediately followed the Duke's recommendation, and these
plants formed the fii-st plantation on the Athol estate.

152 KEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

It is these great forests, you may say, that feed the
others, which are not strictly speaking regular deer
forests. No doubt there is a certain amount, but it
is very trifling, of waste in having deer forests. The
rental probably of the deer forests might be more for
the public good if turned into sheep walks ; but as
I said before, this chiefly applies to Lord Breadalbane,
Duke of Athol, Lord Fife, Mr. Farquharson, Lord
Henry Bentinck, Prince Albert, Lord Lichfield, and a
few others, who either sacrifice their oiun territory to
their deer, or pay for them as a sheep walk, and reserve
them for deer.* Now the few people who can do this
can do very little damage to the country, and are a great
benefit to Scotland, where they spend their money freely.
In one forest was paid 550^., and you may always reckon
expenses just about double the rent. Then you must re-
member that a great portion of a deer forest is only fit for
deer, and would not feed anything but a goat. Scrope is
the great authority, but his experience is confined to the
Blair forest alone. It certainly is the most splendid of
all sports. " Ask any of the farmers of Leicestershire
or Northamptonshire whether they dislike having packs
of fox-hounds in their country ; their answer will be,
' Certainly not ; for although the sportsmen may do us
a little damage in riding over our fields, it is amply
compensated by the large sums these gentlemen expend
in our counties, many of them keeping their ten or
twelve hunters, or perhaps more, and the forage for
these animals purchased of the farmers.' Independent
of this, the noblemen and gentlemen belonging to these
-hunts spend much money in the neighbourhood in the
expenses of their establishments, and many of the

* Part of the Duke of Athors forest kept for deer-stalking amounts
to 51,708 imperial acres.

THE FOREST OF MAR. 153

respectable farmers keep a good hunter, and when the
hounds come within reach, thoroughly enjoy the sport.
The liigher classes in this country are certainly entitled
to indulge in these manly amusements, which afford
vigour to the mind and robust health to the body, and
in this respect makes a marked distinction between the
same classes of other European nations."

The Forest of Mar, though much less extensive than
many others, is averaged at fifteen miles in length and
nine in breadth; but here, instead of the deer being
destroyed for sheep-walks, the Earl of Fife preserved
strictly the grouse and black game. He also introduced
from Norway the capercailzie or cock of the wood,
which increased to a small number, but when the forest
was let these noble birds soon disappeared. The wild
boar was also turned out in this forest, but the want of
acorns was so severely felt by these animals that they
likewise one after another also died. In wild and un-
cultivated countries like these, the wild boar could cer-
tainly do little damage, and if by care and attention
and artificial feeding for some time the forest could be
stocked with wild boar, a battue for shooting them
would add greatly to the excitement of the sportsman,
although not always unattended with danger. For when
the wild boar is wounded he becomes exceedingly fierce
and savage, and vnll then rush on man and dogs.*

The purest specimens of the deer-hound now to be
met with are supposed to be those belonging to Captain
M'Xeil of Colonsay.

\Mien I was about sixteen years old (then a subaltern

* "When I -was in the then Electorate of Hanover, a gamekeeper in
the neighbourhood lost his life in a battue from the attack of a wounded
■wild boar. He had his thigh ripped open, and before medical advice
could be procured he bled to death.
YOL. II. M

154 EEMINISCEIS^CES OF A SPOETSMA^-.

in the Scotch Grreys) I resided during part of a summer
at the country house of a gentleman, in whose family I
boarded, in the Duchy of Brunswick, for the purpose of.
learning the Grerman language. In the vicinity were
extensive forests belonging to the Duke of Brunswick.
I soon made the acquaintance of one of the Duke's
jagers (gamekeeper), whom I found on all occasions
particularly civil and obliging. One evening the jager
called on me, and informed me that if I could be at his
house the next morning at five o'clock, he would go with
me, accompanied by another gamekeeper, each having
their large rough bloodhound in slips, to the spot where
he had wounded a stag with his rifle that evening. I
was punctual to the time, and found the keepers ready
to start with their dogs for the forest. Wlien we arrived
at the place where the jager had wounded the stag, they
examined the ground closely with the dogs to discover
some drops of blood. Having succeeded in this, the
dogs, still in their slips, went on tracing the deer, always
by its blood. After pursuing our route slowly for about
two miles, we arrived at part of the forest where the
underwood was of three or four years' growth, and the
blood very fresh. The jagers then felt certain that the
stag, from exhaustion from the wound he had received,
had lain down among the adjacent cover. My friend the
jager, having directed me to a rising ground a short
distance from a sheet of water in the valley, told me
that the stag when roused by the dogs would certainly
make for the water ; and letting them out of their slips,
they rushed full speed into the cover. I was now all
expectation and excitement, from the hope that the
wounded stag would soon make his appearance. This
hope was shortly realised, for the noble animal came

THE DEER-HOUXD. 155

limping out of the cover, pursued by the dogs, and
directing his course to the sheet of water, as had been
anticipated by the jager. He dashed into it, closely pur-
sued by his enemies. Before he had swam a few yards
the dogs overtook him and dragged him to the shore.
The two jagers, who had run full speed to the side of
the water, soon dispatched the stag with their couteaux
de chasse. His antlers were very large ; and he was a
full-grown deer. I returned home much pleased with
my morning's adventure.

The following circumstance will prove the exquisite
sense of smelling possessed by the Highland deer-hound.
One of this kind, named Bran, when held in a leash,
followed the track of a wounded stag, and that in most
unfavourable rainy weather, for three successive days, at
the end of which time the deer was shot. He was
wounded first within nine miles of Invergarry House,
and was traced that night to the estate of Glenmoriston.
At dusk in the evening the deer-stalkers placed a stone
on each side of the last fresh print of the hoof and
another over it, and this they did each night following.
On the succeeding morning they removed the upper
stone, when the dog discovered the scent, and the deer
was that day traced over a great part of Grleumoriston's
grounds. On the third day he was retraced to the lands
of Glengarry, and there shot.

A remarkable instance of the sagacity displayed by a
deer-hound is illustrated in the following anecdote. "A
gentleman walking along the road to Kingston Hill, ac-
companied by a friend and a noble deer-hound, which
was also a retriever, threw his glove into a ditch ; and
having walked on for a mile, sent his dog back for it.
After waiting a considerable time, and the dog not re-

156 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

turning, they retraced their steps. Hearing loud cries
in the distance, they hastened on, and at last saw the
dog dragging a boy by his coat towards them. On
questioning the boy, it appeared that he had picked up
the glove, and put it into his pocket. The sagacious
animal had no other means of conveying it to his master
than by compelling the boy to accompany him."

The accoimt of deer-stalking by Mr. Cooper will be
found exceedingly interesting to most persons, but more
particularly to those who are partial to field sports.
"There is no describing," says this ingenious writer,
"the irresistible fascination of this pursuit to the true-
bred Highlander. Day after day will he traverse the
haunts of these noble animals, or sit with inexhaustible
patience, wrapped in his plaid behind a grey stone upon
some well-known commanding height, watching for a
sight of them ; or creep for miles together on his belly,
like a worm, to approach them undiscovered. The lapse of
time and the severity of the weather arealike unheeded ;
he only thinks how to circumvent his wary prey. If suc-
cessful, he is richly repaid ; if he fails, it is but to renew
the tedious and toilsome quest until his perseverance is at
length rewarded." He now proceeds to detail the opera-
tions of the persons he accompanied to deer-stalking : —
" Cautiously creeping up the little hillock until their eyes
could just peer above the topmost heather, Glenvallich
and the forester, throwing themselves on their faces,
scrutinised with their glasses the brown expanse before
them ; nor was it till more than a quarter of an hour had
elapsed in the inquiry that they arose from their recum-
bent position. ' Nothing is stirring or in sight, as far as
we can make out,' said Glenvallich ; ' let us move for-
ward. Eemember, Tresham, we shoot at nothing but

A HUNT. 157

stags. The hiuds with calves at their foot are not in
condition ; and the yell hinds, as they are called — those
which have either had no calves or have lost them
— your eye is not practised enough to distinguish from
the others. You may see plenty of roe-deer here, for the
wood is full of them ; but don't shoot at them, for you
might disturb and lose a stag worth fifty roes who
might be lying a few yards off us.' Instead of abruptly
ascending further, they now slanted along the face of
the hill till they reached the water-course, a deep gash
worn by a rapid and perennial torrent quite through the
soil into the living rock of the mountain side. The
rugged banks were covered with dense thickets of the trees
common to such situations, which overhung the stream
or interrupted its comse with their fallen and withered
boughs ; the torrent itself dark, foaming, and impetuous,
leaping from rock to rock and ledge to ledge in many a
pretty fall, and sometimes in cascades of considerable
height and grandeur. The pass led by a pool between
two of these falls ; a deeply furrowed ledge of rock af-
forded stepping-stones when the stream was low, by which
an active man might spring across. Having overleaped
this obstacle, they soon emerged from the wood upon the
more open hill, where the heather, although still long
and thick, was less tangled than in the forest, and the
more solid and less broken ground afforded firmer footing.
The change was very comfortable to Treshara, w'ho now
soon recovered his failing wind, and felt his sinews re-
cover a firmer tone, and they cautiously approached the
crest of the height to which they had won their way
with so much toil. Grienvallich now stealing forwards,
began with curious and jealous eye to scan through his
glass the broad hollow which rose gradually above them.
u 3

158 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

After continuing this survey for some minutes in silence,
he beckoned Tresham to his side. ' Antlers, by Jove ! '
said he, in a half whisper ; ' I have them, and in no bad
place either. This will be our game, or I'm mistaken.
See — take the glass ; look to the left of that white stump
below the rock there, close to a small single white stone ;
there he lies ; I can see him with the naked eye.' ' And
I can't catch a glimpse even with the glass,' replied
Tresham, after peering through the telescope ; ' I see no-
thing, Charles.' ' Why, don't you see that brown spot ?
You can't have found the place. By heavens ! there's
more of them ; give me the glass. Yes, faith, there are
one, two, three hinds feeding, and their calves too ; see,
look again.' But it was in vain Tresham's unpractised
eyes wandered over the brown waste, until, as by chance,
the field of the telescojoe traversed the place, a slight
movement of what he had taken to be the withered
branch of a tree caught his eye." After a little con-
sultation as to the best mode of getting at the deer, the
author proceeds: — "One or two roes passed the sports-
men, and several blackcock, the sight of which tempted
Tresham sorely to exercise his skill at a flying shot ; but
if there were any deer in the wood, they took other passes
than those watched by the two gentlemen. The forester
now came up, and Grlenvallich informed him of the stag
and hinds he had seen. The methods of best approach-
ing them unobserved were eagerly discussed ; and having
decided that it was at all events advisable to reconnoitre
them from a shoulder of the hill above them, the party
set their faces boldly to the brae, and began to breast it
straight up. And now once more was Tresham made
sensible of his own deficiency, and of the superior vigour
of his companions. Pride and * pluck,' however, bore

ANECDOTE OF DEER-STALKING. 159

him on, though his knees bent under him, and his head
swam with the sustained exertion. The signal to halt
and reconnoitre was at the moment as gratifying an in-
timation as he could have received. Five hinds with
their calves, and two stags, were now distinctly visible
full eight hundred feet beneath them, as they stood or
rather lay perched upon the brink of a giddy precipice
which rose above the hollow. 'Well, Maccomlnch,
what is next to be done ? — must we climb the hill and
go round the scour ?' ' Ay, deed that ye must,' re-
sponded the forester. 'See,' continued he, throwing
some light particles of grass into the air, 'the wun's a
up the hill, and there's no a burn or corrie that'll hide
us. It's doon yon burn, below Craigcoirllichdhu, we
must go, and tak the hollow a' the way to thon bit
hillock, and then we'll at them easy ; they winna stir
the day anyhow, we're sure o' that.' As Duncan made
these observations he was cautiously retreating from the
brink of the rock from whence he had been observing
the deer, when all at once his person became fixed in
an attitude of eager attention, which might have sup-
plied the sculptor with an admirable study ; and strain-
ing his eyes towards the upper extent of the corrie, he
exclaimed in an earnest whisper, ' Oh, Grlenvallich !
we're in luck the day ; there he is I there's the ver}^ stag
your honour was aftei the last time ye cam up ; him
that ye touched on the side, and we couldna' get sicht
o' again. I've seen him twice since yon, and a grand
one he is. Oh, Trochcodnilorst, but we'll hae you the
day, or the mischiefs in't. We must go clean round
the scour noo anyhow, for we'll hae to come down the
Glaig — noo you're on him.' This information set the
party into instant motion. Off they started in high

160 EEMINISCENCES OP A SPOETSMAN".

spirits, leaving Kenneth to watcli the deer below them,
lest any accident should startle them, or lest they should
feed away from the spot. The ascent proved most ar-
duous, for they had to pass round the peak of one of
the loftiest mountains in Scotland, at a height scarcely
two hundred feet below the smnmit. Tresham was once
more forced to abandon his rifle to his gilly, and still
he found himself lagging behind; for Maccombich,
stimulated by a sight of the animals he loved, forgot
the inability of others, and glided up the hill with the
swiftness and sure-footedness of a goat. Even Glenval-
lich at length found it expedient to call upon him to
slacken his speed ; and Tresham, breathless and reeling,
was absolutely forced to make frequent halts. Youth
and spirits, and good English bottom themselves failed
at length, and the young man came to a stand-still.
* You were right,' said he, ' about this cursed jacket ;
it is too heavy for such work — by the Lord man ! a
fellow to climb this mountain should go in a querpo ;
the kilt's youi' only — to the devil with the velveteen !'
and he threw it from him, remaining in his shirt sleeves
and waistcoat. * Stay, stay, Harry I those white arms
will never do ; they would give alarm at two miles dis-
tance. Here, here's the jacket you despised in the
morning.' * Thank you ; this is a relief ; and now
have at it once more.' The highest point was reached
at length, and a descent little better than a precipice
lay before them. But though Tresham, in cooler
moments, might have shudderfed at the danger he ran,
his mind was too highly excited to scruple at following
his daring companions, who bounded downwards at a
rate which soon brought them to the bottom. * Now

A^^ECDOTE OF DEER-STALKING. 161

for it, Harry ; now for it in earnest/ said Glenvallicli,
after a moment's halt to recover breath. ' Double-
quick wliile we may — we shall soon have to go slow
enough ;' and entering the a body of shallow water-
course, they descended its rough bed at a rapid pace.
The waft of a hand from Duncan, who led, stopped the
party, and crouching low, they changed their quick
step for a stealthy pace, with which they rounded a
height, and under its shelter remained until their exact
position with regard to the object of their quest should
be ascertained. * Look here,' whispered Grienvallich,
taking Tresham by the arm, after having made a short
examination himself, ' what think you of Duncan for a
pilot?' Kaising his eyes to a level with the heather
top, Tresham could see, at the distance of not more
than three hundred yards, the horns of a noble stag
just arising between two braes. No other part of the
animal was visible; but the moving of the antlers,
which slowly turned from side to side, proved suffi-
ciently that he maintained a vigilant look-out after his
own safety. ' We'll match him yet, I think,' said Grien-
vallich, retreating a few yards to get further under cover
of the rising ground. Maccombich, followed by the rest
of the party, crept upon all fours from the water-course
across thirty or forty yards of long heath-covered
moor until they reached a maze of peat-bog cracks of
little depth, but sufficient to cover a man creeping flat
upon his belly. This, although the moss was moist and
muddy, they were forced to submit to, as the only way
to cross unseen by their intended victim, and in this
manner they gained about a hundi-ed and fifty yards
more upon the deer's position. The forester alone was

162 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

now sent on to ascertain the means of further progress ;
and after an absence of more than ten minutes, which to
the sportsmen seemed a full hour, he returned creeping
like a worm, and beckoning the party to follow in the
same manner. This they did, and at length, keeping
along the peat cracks, got a chasm deep enough to afford
sufficient cover for the whole body. ' He's no a hunder
yards from you this moment, Grlenvallich,' whispered the
forester, in scarcely audible accents, ' and the wind is
strong from him. Ye must climb this knoll ; if ye can
get him within eighty yards, dinna seek to get nearer,
for he's in a wide green bench, and he's very jealous. I
dinna think ye'll mak muckle better on't, but ochone,
sir ! tak time and be canny ; I wudna for ten pounds he
got awa'.' * Never fear me, man ; but here's Mr. Tresham
must take the first chance ; I'll fire only if he misses.
Come along, Harry.' The forester cast a look of mingled
disappointment and remonstrance at his master, but it
was disregarded. Tresham also, who still shook from
head to foot with recent exertion and present excite-
ment, would have excused himself from interfering with
the anterior rights of his friend in this particular
animal; but Grlenvallich would not listen to him.
* Have done with this debating,' said he ; ' we shall
lose the deer ; follow me, Tresham.' Cautiously, like a
cat stealing on its prey, foot by foot, inch by inch, did
Glenvallich, grovelling in the heather, advance towards
the crest of the knoll in front of him ; when the deer's
antlers moved, he was still ; when they took their na-
tural position, he moved forwards. Tresham followed
in his track, stopping or advancing as he did, until
they had reached some twenty paces onward from
the ravine. Grlenvallich then signed to him to raise

A^^ECDOTE OP DEER-STALKIXG. 163

his head with caution. He did so, and saw, with a
sensation of eager delight which increased his agitation
to a painful pitch, the noble stag lying amongst some
rushy grass, apparently in the most unsuspicious tran-
quillity, occasionally scratching a part of his hide with
a fork of his antlers, and driving away the insects
which appeai-ed greatly to torment him. *Take him
as he lies, Harry ; aim low, at the shoulder,' whispered
Grlenvallich. The heart of Tresham beat more audibly
than ever it had done in going into action, as he care-
fully extended and levelled his rifle. Whether it was
the slight click of cocking, or some movement made in
the heather as he stretched out the piece to take aim,
is uncertain ; but the stag started, and made a move-
ment as if about to rise, just at the moment when
Tresham was pressing the trigger. The circumstance
j)robably unsettled his aim, for the rifle exploded, but
the ball flew over its intended object. But not thus
was the unfortunate animal to escape ; for scarce had
the report of Tresham's shot made him start from his
lair when the rifle of Grlenvallich gave forth its fatal
contents, and the stag, making one high bound from
the earth, tumbled headlong forwards, and lay strug-
gling in the agonies of death. He had anticipated the
possibility of his friend's failure, and prepared to remedy
it, which he did effectually, for the ball had struck the
animal just behind the shoulder and went clean through
his heart. ' Hurrah ! capital ; grand ! by Jove he has
got it,' shouted Tresham, starting up ; but the arm of
Grlenvallich pulled him do^vn again. ' Hush ! be quiet,'
whispered he ; ' never do so ; there may be twenty more
deer near us of which we yet know nothing ; such a
halloo would send them all off. Load your piece — load

164 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

quicldy.' \\Taile they were performing this necessary
operation Maccombich, who had joined them, and was
keeping watch around them, touched his arm, and point-
ing with one hand showed him three fine stags moving
off to the further hill, alarmed, no doubt, by the re-
ports of the rifles, and probably by the exclamations of
Tresham. * Grod bless me ; this is a lesson I shall not
forget,' said the mortified young man. The hunters
advanced to break the deer, as it is called, by cutting
the throat and disembowelling it ; and while Maccom-
bich was performing this sportsmanlike duty, it was
amusing to watch the rapture to which, when unre-
strained by habitual caution, he now gave full way on
the glad occasion of a successful shot. Apostrophising
it in Graelic, he addressed to it every reproachful epithet
he could think of as a villain which had so often baffled
their murderous efforts. It was a scoundrel and a
rascal, and a devil, to whom he wished a bad end, and
whose soul, heart, and liver he gave to the devil ; then
changing his tone, he lavished upon it every expression
of endearment. It was his dear, his darling, his bonny
beast, his cattle, his love. He seemed to abandon him-
self to the intoxication of delight, and it was singular to
see a man, habitually grave and reserved, acting as if he
was deprived of reason."

Glenfeshie, in Badenoch, affords very good deer-stalk-
ing, a party having killed in one day seven stags, all in
very good condition. At Grarrick a Mr. Littledale had
three to his own rifle in one day. Lord Alexander Rus-
sell accomphshed a similar feat in one day at Rothie-
murchus. A correspondent in Perthshire says : " There
has lately been a large party at his Grrace the Duke of

EXTRAOEDIXARY SHOTS AT DEER. 165

Athol's, who have killed a great many fine stags.
In Glenfiddoch, on the 28th October, Lord Arthur
Lennox killed a stag of seven points. On Wednesday
the Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar killed one of nine
points ; and on Friday Lord March knocked down a
noble animal of eleven points. At Balmoral the Prince
Consort has not killed so many deer as he did up to this
time last season ; he is shooting very indifferently, and
it is said the prince has lost his nerve when deer-stalk-
ing." " Lord Lovat has an extensive deer forest in
Eosshire ; he is an expert rifle shot, and active and
zealous in the preservation of deer, which will tend to
give perpetuity of deer-stalking, a most exciting and
manly amusement." Mr. Scrope mentions an extraor-
dinary shot made by the Hon. Edward Lascelles,
who killed a stag on the trot at three hundred and
twelve yards' distance near Loch Maree, and what makes
it very singular it was the first he had made at deer.
" The Duke of Grordon possesses a vast tract of deer
forest, extending more than seventy miles, but with the
exception of Grlenfiddoch and Gaick, where the deer
are preserved, the remainder is principally devoted to
pastm-age." The forest of Corrichbah, which belongs to
the Mai-quis of Breadalbane, is in Argyleshire. It had
undergone a change like many of the other forests of
the Highlands, and most parts of it were converted into
sheep-walks. About forty years ago the noble marquis
had thirty-fi\-e thousand acres entirely given up as a
deer forest, and I have been told that he succeeded well
in stocking this forest withthe capercailzie or cock of the
wood, and I much regret the wild boar has not become
a denizen of this wild tract of countrv ; but I conclude

166 KEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

that until the oak tree will suit itself to some parts of
the soil the sportsman must be content with stalking
deer and shooting the roebuck and capercailzie.

It is very dangerous to persons unacquainted with
the nature of the bogs in Scotland, and the same may-
be said of those in England and Ireland, but custom will
soon enable the sportsman to traverse these morasses.
They may be traversed vnih perfect safety whenever
stones lie about them, although the ground may look
ever so bad. Peat has many antiseptic qualities, and
Mr. Scrope says, " many instances are recorded of bodies
long buried being found fresh and imimpaired after a
lapse of years." He mentions particularly the body of
a woman who was found six feet deep in the Isle of
Anxholme in Lincolnshire. The antique sandals on her
feet afforded evidence of her having been there for
many ages, yet her hair, nails, and skin, are described
as having shown scarcely any marks of decay. I have
seen at Bordeaux in a considerable sized vault nume-
rous bodies of persons who had been buried for man}-
years in the adjacent churchyard, which, on being dis
interred, were found in perfect preservation, from the
antiseptic nature of the soil. On entering the vault ]
saw a man placed upright against the wall, full seven
feet in height, who had been porter to some French
nobleman. A little on his right was a French marquis
who had been killed in a duel, and the sexton showed
me the wound which he had received on his right side.
In another part of the vault was a man, with his wife
and six young children, all in good preservation. I felt
the skin of some of these bodies, which was like dried
parchment. Besides those I have mentioned, there
were many others which did not interest me. I have

ANTISEniC QUALITY OF PEAT. 167

also seen those dried bodies of the monks in one of the
convents at Palermo, dressed in their monkish habits,
but these had been previously embalmed. No females
ai-e allowed to visit these receptacles of the dead.

Mr. Scrope says, " The most perfect shots and cele-
brated sportsmen never succeed in killing deer without
practice ; indeed, at first they are quite sure to miss the
fairest running shots. This, I think, arises from their
firing at distances to which they have been wholly im-
accustomed, and is no reflection upon their skill. It ia
seldom that you fire at a less distance than a hundred
yards, and this is as near as I would wish to get. The
usual range will be between this and two hundred yards,
beyond which, as a general rule, I never think it prudent
to fire, lest I should hit th% wrong animal, though deer
may be killed at a much greater distance, particularly
with the present inventions and improvements in rifles.
Now, the sportsman who has been accustomed to shot
guns is apt to fire with the same sort of aim that he
takes at a grouse or any other common game ; thus he
invariably fires behind the quarry, for he does not con-
sider that the ball having three, four, or perhaps five
times the distance to travel that his shot has, will not
arrive at its destination nearly so soon ; consequently,
in a cross shot, he must keep his rifle more in advance.
The exact degree, as he well knows, vdll depend upon
the pace and remoteness of the object. Deer go much
faster than they appear to do, and their pace is not uni-
form, like the flying of a bird ; but they pitch in run-
ning, and this pitch must be calculated upon. Firino-
at a target is a very necessary practice in the first in-
stance, partly to gain steadiness and confidence, but
principally to ascertain the shooting of your rifle at all

1B8 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

distances. You can make no use of a change of eleva-
tion in your sights when deer are running. The best
way, therefore, is to have one sight alone slightly ele-
vated, the less the better, and to make the variation de-
pend upon your aim. Having once become a fair shot
at a target, I would advise no one to continue the prac-
tice. It is apt to make one slow and indecisive. One
step often brings you into sight of the deer, conse-
quently one spring makes them vanish from it, so that
you must frequently take snap shots. Indeed, it is
quite wonderful (as any experienced person can bear
witness) how suddenly and unexpectedly they disappear,
either by sinking under a hill or running amongst the
deep channels of a moss, or by a hundred means of
concealment that the rugged nature of the ground af-
fords them.

" In faring down hill you must be very careful to keep
your face low down to the sight, which sportsmen do
not pay sufficient attention to, and think, therefore, that
the ball mounts, which is a great mistake. When your
head is too high, the line of vision does not follow the
line of the barrel, but crosses it, and has a downward
tendency, whilst the barrel perseveres in a more hori-
zontal direction; and this is the doctrine of elevated
sights.

" You will often have to stop suddenly and fire in the
midst of a sharp run, or when you are dead blown ;
stand as steadily as you can, and be at once collected :
practice alone can give you this power, and it will give
it, for I myself was as sure at these sort of shots as at
any other, provided the deer were running. I found it
more difficult to take a quiet shot w^hile lying on my
stomach in the heather. Sometimes the wind is so

NO IIAIR-BREADTII ESCAPE. 1G9

tempestuous that you have no power over the direction
of your rifle. There are no means to counteract this,
and you had better go home ; Lut if it be not too vio-
lent, you can kneel on one knee and get a rest by sup-
porting your left elbow on the other.

" Take care that the ramrods to your rifles be large
and strong ; they will otherwise be broken in the hurry
of loading. I recommend you, moreover, to make one
of your hill-men carry a very long and stout one in his
hand, having a mark made in it at the length of your
barrel, that you may ascertain the exact load. I used
no other when this was at hand. As for the sport
itself no one can have a proper perception of till he is
chief in command, and able to stalk the deer himself;
and this he cannot do without long practice, and a
thorough knowledge of the ground and habits of the
animal. Novices, therefore, having very necessarily a
deer-stalker allotted to them from the forest, who very
properly keeps the devoted rifleman in due subjection,
he will not permit him to show a hair of his head above
the heather on certain ticklish occasions, and the miser-
able 3'outh IS always totally unconscious of what is
going on. This not showing a hair of his head
is rather cruel to the poor stag, as it does not
allow him a hair-l)readth escape." Mr. Scrope enters
into all the details of the apprenticeship of an aspirant
to deer-stalking, which may also be learned by perusing
that very entertaining story by Cooper in the conversa-
tion between Glenvallich and Tresham. As to poachers,
Scrope states one never hears of such ruffians as infest
the preserves in England; men who screw up their
courage at the beer-houses, asserting with imprecations
that they will shoot any keeper rather than be taken.

VOL. II. N

170 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

A vicious set they are, bringing up their families in
idleness and profligacy ; proceeding from crime to crime,
till at last their career ends either on the gallows or in
transportation. Your Gael, on the contrary, has a fine
rough sort of humour about him ; peculiar enough, to
be sure. Thus the man who refused thirty thousand
pounds for betraying his prince was hanged at last for
stealing a cow.

171

CHAP. XL.

FAICONEY : ITS HISTOEY. — KOTAL UAWKIN^G. — HAWKUTG IJ^ PERSIA

A>'D MOROCCO. — MARCO POLO. THE n\-\VK IX HERALDRY. —

HAWKING IN SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND. — DECLINE OF THE SPORT,
THE GAMEKEEPERS'S ANNOYANCE. — THE LITERATURE OP FAL-
CONRY. — HAWKING ESTABLISHMENTS. GREENLAJSTD HA-\VKS. —

NOBLE aUALITIES OF THE FALCON.

" As when a cast of falcons make their flight
At an liernshaw that flies aloft on wing,
The whiles tliey strilve at him with heedless might,
The weary fowl his bill doth backward wring;
On which the first, whose force doth liring
Herself quite through the body, doth engore,
And fiilleth down to ground like senseless thing ;
But t'other, not so swift as she before.
Fails of her souse, and passing by, doth hurt no more."

Spencer, F. Q. canto 7.
" But the hound bayeth loudly,

The boar 's in the wood,

And the falcon longs proudly

To spring from her hood ;

On the wi-ist of the noble.

She sits like a crest." — Byron.

" A merlin sat upon her wrist,
Held by a leash of silken twist."

iffw of the Last Minstrel, canto 6, stanza 5.

I ENTEPx on the subject of falconry with much pleasure
and satisfaction, not from any practical knowledge of
this manly field sport, for in the present age few persons

172 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

can boast of possessing it, in consequence of the art of
falconry being so little to the taste of the higher classes
in this country, and for some other substantial causes
which I shall hereafter explain.

It is generally supposed by those who have treated
on falconry, that this field sport was introduced into
Europe from the East ; and from a recent discovery made
by the learned antiquary, Mr. Layard, we have good
authority to conclude that falconry was known in the
East 4000 years ago. In this author's work on Nineveh
and Babylon, he mentions that upon his visiting the
ruins of Khorsabad, he found a bas-relief in which there
appeared to be a falconer bearing a hawk on his wrist.
We know that at the present time falconry still retains
its ground as one of the favourite field amusements of
the princes and nobility ©f Asia. " It seems highly
probable," says Pennant, '-' that falconry had its rise in
Scythia, and passed thence to the northern parts of
Europe." Tartary is even at present celebrated for its
fine breed of falcons ; and the sport is in such general
esteem, that, according to Olearius, there was no hut but
what had its eagle or falcon. The boundless plains of
that country are finely adapted to that diversion. " In
our own country," says Pennant, "I cannot trace the
certainty of falconry till the reign of Ethelbert, the Saxon
monarch, in the year 760, when he wrote to Germany
for a brace of falcons which would fly at cranes and
bring them to the ground, as there were few such in
Kent. We may infer the common use of the diversion
from a king of Kent forbidding his monks to hunt in
the woods with dogs, and from haviog hawks and falcons.
Alfred the Great is commended for his early proficiency
in falconry, as well as other field amusements. Winifred
or Boniface, Archbishop of Mons, himself a native of

ITS HISTORY. 173

England, presented to Etlielbert, King of Kent, one hawk
and two falcons, and a king of Mercia requested the
same Winifred to send to him two falcons trained to kill
cranes.*

To the Eomans this diversion was scarcely known in
the days of Vespasian, yet it was introduced soon after.
Probably they adopted it from the Britons, but they
greatly improved it by the introduction of spaniels into
the island. In this state it appeared amongst the Bri-
toas in the sixth century. In after times hawking was
the chief amusement of the English. A person of rank
scarcely stirred without his hawk on his hand, which in
old paintings is the criterion of nobility. Even the
ladies constantly carried on their gloves the merlin or
sparrow-hawk ; and it is mentioned that one of these
birds was such a favourite with a bride, that at her
nuptials she carried it to the altar. Harold, afterwards
king of England, when he went on an embassy into
Normandy, is painted embarking with a hawk on his

* The foUowing superstitious ceremonies are mentioned in a book on
falconry, supposed to be in the time of Edward the Confessor : — -After
a hawk has been ill, and is sufficiently recovered to pursue the game,
the owner has this admonition given to him : " On the morrow tyde,
when thou goest oute to hawkj'ing, say, ' In the name of the Lord, the
birds of heaven shall be beneath thy feet.' Also, if he be hurt by the
heron, say, 'The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of Da-\^d, has
conquered. Hallelujah.' And if he be bitte of any man, say, ' He
that the wicked man doth bind, the Lord at his coming shall set
free.' "

t Martial, the Eoman poet, thus alludes to hawking : —

" Prsedo fuit volucrum, famulus nxmc aucupis ; idem
Decipit ; et captas non sibi moret aves : "

which a learned friend of mine thus translates : — " He was the preyer
upon birds, now he is the servant of a fowler, but this same hawk
is a deceiver, and regrets that the birds are not caught for himself."
N 3

174 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

hand, and a dog under his arm ; and in an ancient
picture of the marriage of Henry VI. a nobleman is
represented in the same manner ; for in those days " it
was thought sufficient for noblemen to winde their horn,
and to carry their hawk fair^ and leave study and learning
to the monks and clergy."

We learn from the book of St. Alban's that every
degree had its peculiar hawk, from the emperor do^vn to
the holy-water clerk. Vast was the expense that some-
times attended this sport. In the reign of James I.,
Sir Thomas Monson gave 1 OOOZ. for a cast of hawks* :
we are not then to wonder at the rigour of the laws made
to preserve a sport that was carried to such an extrava-
gant pitch, resembling in this respect the present battae
shooting.

In the 34th of Edward III. it was made felony to steal
a hawk ; to take its eggs, even out of a person's own
ground, was punishable with imprisonment for a year
and a day, besides a fine at the king's pleasure. In
Queen Elizabeth's reign the imprisonment was reduced
to three months ; but the offender must find security for
seven years, or be in prison till he did. In Doomsday
Book a hawk is considered among the most valuable
articles of property, which proves the high estimation
these birds were held in at the commencement of the
Norman government. No persons but such as were of
the highest rank were permitted, under the Norman
government, to keep hawks, as appears from a clause
inserted in the Forest Charter. This charter King John
was compelled to sign ; and by it, the privilege was given
to every freeman to have eyries of hawks, sparrow hawks,
falcons, eagles, and herons in his own woods. In the
34th year of the reign of Edward III. a statute was made
* About 2000/. of the present money.

NORWEGIAN HAWKS. 175

by which a person finding a falcon, tercelet, laner, laneret,
or any other species of hawk, that had been lost by its
owner, was commanded to carry the same to the sheriff
of the county wherein it was found. The duty of the
sheriff was to cause a proclamation to be made in all the
principal towns of the county, that he had such a hawk
in his custody, and that the nobleman to whom it
belonged, or his falconer, might ascertain the same to be
his property, and have it restored to him, he first pa}'ing
the costs incurred by the sheriff: if in the space of four
months no claimant appeared, it became the property of
the finder ; if he was a person of rank, upon his paying
the costs to the sheriff ; on the contrary, if he was an
unqualified man, the hawk belonged to the sheriff: the
person who found it was to be rewarded for his trouble.
If the person who found the hawk concealed the same
from the owner or his falconer, he was liable on discovery
to pay the price of the bird to the owner, and to suffer
two years' imprisonment ; and if unable to pay his fine,
his imprisonment was extended to a longer term. In the
same year the Bishop of Ely excommvmicated certain
persons for stealing a hawk that was sitting upon her
perch in the cloisters of Bermondse}^, in Southwark ; but
this piece of sacrilege was committed during divine
service, and the hawk was the property of the Bishop.

The Norwegian breed of hawks were in old times in
high estimation in England. They were bribes worthy
a king. Greoffrey Fitzpierce gave two good Norway
hawks to King John * to obtain for his friend, Walter

* King John was particiilarly attached to the sports of the field,

and his partiality for fine horses, hounds, and hawks is evident from

his frequently receiving such animals by way of payment instead of

money for the renewal of grants and forfeitures belonging to the Crown.

N 4

176 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

Madena, the liberty of exporting a hundred weight of
cheese ; and Nicolas the Dane was to give to the king a
hawk every time he came to England, that he might
have liberty to traffic throughout the king's dominions.
They were also made the tenures by which some nobles
held their estates from the Crown. Thus Sir John
Stanley had a grant of the Isle of Man from Henry IV.
to be held of the king, his heirs, and successors by
homage and the service of two falcons, on the day of his
or their coronation ; and Philip de Hastings held his
Manor of Combertown, in Cambridgeshire, by the service
of keeping the king's falcons. Sportsmen in the train
of the great were so onerous on lands as to make the
exemption of their visit a privilege. Hence a king
liberates some lands from those who carry with them
hawks or falcons, horses or dogs. The mews at Charing
Cross, Westminster, were so called from the word mew,
which in the falconer's language is the name of a place
where the hawks are put in moulting time, when they
cast their feathers. The king's hawks were kept at this
place as early as the year 1377, Eichard II. ; but in
1537, the 27th year of Henry VIIL, it was converted
into stables for that monarch's horses, and the hawks
were removed.* In the reign of Edward II. this favourite
amusement was reduced to a science, and regular rules
established for its practice. These rules were afterwards
extended by the master of the game belonging to King
Henry IV. and drawn up for the use of his son Henry
Prince of Wales. Edward III. took so much delight in

* The mews at Charing Cross showed wliat edifices were formerly
erected for the reception of the hawks, and officers of certain rank
were appointed to take care of their welfare, and train them for their
functions.

EOYAL IIAWKIXG. 177

liunting, that even when engaged in war with France,
and resident in that country, he had with him in his army
sixty couples of stag hounds and as many hare hounds,
and thirty falconers to take care of his hawks, and every
day he amused himself with hunting or hawking. It
also appears from Froissart that many of the great lords
in the English army had their hounds and hawks as well
as the king.*

Tlie indulgence of these pursuits at that time was
destructive to the fortunes of many young noLlemen and
gentlemen, from a desire of emulating those establish-
ments of theu- superiors in fortune. The propensity of
the clergy to follow the secular pastimes, especially those
of hunting and hawking, is frequently reprobated by the
poets and moralists of the former times. Chaucer, in his
" Canterbury Tales," makes the monk much better skilled
in riding and hunting than in divinity. The prevalence
of these excesses occasioned the restrictions contained in
an edict in the reign of Eichard II. which prohibits any
priest not possessed of a benefice of the yearly amount
of 10/. from keeping a greyhound, or any other dog, for
the purpose of hunting. The dignified clergy were not
effected by this statute, but preserved their ancient
privileges, which appear to have been very extensive
Walter, Bishop of Eochester, who lived in the 13th
century, was an excellent hunter and haw^ker, and so
fond of the sport that, at the age of fourscore, he made
hunting his sole employment, to the total neglect of the

* A curious tenure, by which Bertram cle Criol held the manor of
Sotene, or Seaton, in Kent, from Edward I., was to provide a man
called Veltarius, a hunting man, to lead the greyhoimds when the king
went to Gascony, so long as a pair of shoes valued at fourpence shoidd
last him.

178 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

duties of his office. The citizens of London were
permitted to hunt and hawk in certain districts, Fitz-
stephen, who wrote in the reign of Henry II. says " the
Londoners delight themselves with hawks and hounds."
The common hunt of the citizens is ridiculed in an old
ballad, published in D'Urfey's collection, one stanza of
which runs thus : —

" My Lord Mayor takes a staff in hand, to beat the bushes o'er,
I must confess it was a work he ne'er had done before ;
A creature bounceth fi'om a bush, which made them all to laugh,
My lord, he cried, ' A hare, a hare !' but it proved an Essex calf."

Field sports lost nothing of their relish in more modern
times. Sir Thomas More, who wrote in the time of
Henry VIIL, describing the state of manhood, makes a
young gallant to say :

" Manhood I am, therefore I me deliglit.
To himt and hawke, to nourish up and fade
The greyhounds to the course, the hawk to th' flight,
» And to bestryde a good and lusty stede."

Hawking was performed on horseback or on foot, as
occasion required. On horseback when in the fields or
open country, and on foot when in the woods and covers.
In following the hawk on foot, it was usual for the
sportsman to have a stout pole to assist him in leaping
over little rivulets and ditches which might otherwise
prevent him in his progress. And this we learn from
an historical fact, related by Hall, who informs us that
Henry VIIL pursuing his hawk on foot at Hitchen, in
Hertfordshire, attempted with his pole to jump over a
ditch that was half full of muddy water ; the pole broke,
and the king fell with his head into the mud, where he
would have been stifled had not a footman named John

HAWKIXG CEKEMOXIALS. 179

INIoody, wlio was near at hand, seen the accident, leaped
into the ditch, and released his iNIajesty from his perilous
situation ; and so says the historian, " Grod of his good-
nesse preserved him."

When men of high rank travelled to different parts of
Europe they carried with them their hawks ; sometimes,
even when they went to battle ; and it is related that
such was their attachment to a favourite bird that when
made prisoners they would not part ynth their hawk to
obtain their liberty.* These birds were considered
ensigns of nobility ; and no action could be considered
more dishonorable to a man of rank than to give up his
hawk. Thomas a Becket had hounds and hawks of every
kind with him when he went to the court of France.
Froissart says that the Earl of Flanders was always at
the river, where his falconer cast off one falcon after the
heron, and the Earl another. We may also mention
that the ladies not only accompanied the gentlemen in
pursuit of this diversion, but often practised it them-
selves.

The following is an account of the ceremony observed
in former times in Persia, when the great falconer of the
Shah jiresented a well-trained falcon to his Majesty.

" He dressed himself in the richest apparel, over which
he threw the magnificent badges of his office, and walked,
accompanied by all his inferior officers, to present it to
his sovereign. The Sophi, advertised of his coming,
received him sitting on his throne, surrounded with many
a prostrate lord, and took the noble bird on his fist, where
he surveyed her with looks of joyous satisfaction. The

* If a gallant vrere in prison he -would draw falcons on the -wall ; if
in court or in church, he would bear them on his glove ; if in the grave
they would be figured on his tombstone.

180 KEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

moment bis smiles announced Lis felicity, the palace
resounded with a concert of violins, hautboys, clarinets,
trumpets, bassoons, flutes, and kettle-drums, in which
the calls and hallooings of falconers were artfully inter-
woven with the music, and expressed with surprising
loveliness by the instruments. The nobles about the
throne then rose up, and copied into their faces the
alacrity which brightened and endeared that of the
prince ; and each of them, having admired and praised
the wonderful hawk, according to their rank, the last
returned it to the great falconer. Then they offered his
Majesty their humble felicitations on the fortunate event,
and prayed that every hour may dance onward to him,
scattering such and greater instances of good fortune.
The value of most things depends on the light and
situation wherein they are viewed, not on what they
are themselves, at least with regard to the Sophi's
falcon this is the case. The ceremony of the falcon
being ended with infinite delight to every mortal whc»
shared in the honour of it, the first secretary of state
dispatched couriers to every part of the monarchy to in-
form the lieges of the inestimable acquisition made by
his sovereign that they might mingle their joy with his.
This news fires the loyalty of the different provinces, and
they delay not a moment to send ambassadors who have
approved wisdom and discretion in making bows and
compliments to congratulate his Majesty on this
immense addition to his royal bliss. Universal mirth
prevails over the Persian dominions demonstrated by
bonfires, illuminations, and feasts. These rejoicings con-
tinue nine days, and on the tenth the Sophi, in his royal
robes, and attended by all his court, rides on an Ara-
bian courser, with furniture of green velvet curiously

HAWKING IX PERSIA. 181

embroidered with hawks, to the beautiful plain of
]Malervaneria, where he is received amidst the loud ac-
clamations of thousands of his subjects, assembled from
all the provinces of the empire to see the ceremony of
swearing fidelity to the royal hawk solemnised. The
prince alights from his horse and passes through the
ranks of his guards to a glorious throne of the finest
workmanship, on which he deliberately places his royal
body. As soon as he is seated, he is enclosed by his
nobles. Now the gi'eat falconer advances, tall, erect,
and firm, and placing the hawk on the top of the
sceptre, pronounces a learned harangue on the excel-
lence of falconry in general ; but expatiates in par-
ticular on the high qualities of the bird which he had
the honour to present to his sovereign lord. He ends
his oration ynth a solemn and confidential wish that the
dominion of the hawk may be as extensive and absolute
over the forests of deer as that of the sceptre whereon
it sits is over the Persian realm. Then the Sophi,
holding out the hawk, orders him to lay the forefinger
of his right hand under its pounces, and swear the fol-
lowing oath : " I, Pashur JNIirza, JNIottaleb, Fulman,
Great Falconer of Persia, do swear by the beard of the
Sophi, by the pounces of the hawk, and by Tebadar
Sabyed, her guardian angel, that I shall be a true and
faithful slave, providing her, to the best of my know-
ledge and belief, in the most wholesome food, and most
entertaining sport. But if I shall at any time so far
neglect my charge as that she may in the least suffer
by my cai'elessness, may I become the victim of her
vengeance in this world, and drop at the last day from
the narrow bridge into the blue foaming billows, which
boil for the torture of all slothful and heedless falconers."

182- EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOKTSMAN.

This oath is aftei'wards administered to all the under
falconers and other officers of the royal mews. Then
he who is appointed body physician to the hawk comes
forward, and having undergone an examination of all
the diseases and cures of hawks, he is also sworn in his
place. The ceremony being finished, the spectators are
dismissed by the sound of trumpets.

This potentate flies these noble birds in vast forests
well stocked with deer, which they attack with incre-
dible impetuosity as soon as they descry their prey from
the heights of air. They stoop on it with the rapidity
of lightning, and taking their stations between its horns,
aim directly at its eyes. The creature finding itself
thus assailed, runs, and bounds, and tosses its head in
order to shake off its enemy ; but the well trounced
falcon keeps her hold amidst all these agitations. At
last she not only tears out the eyes but penetrates even
to the brain, and it is the amusement (and a horridly
cruel one) of the spectators to mark the varying turns
of the struggle between the deer and the hawk till the
former is killed. Nothing can exceed the care and assi-
duity wherewith the falconers and physicians look after
the royal hawks ; for the penalty of their oath, what-
ever may be their fate in the next world, is inflicted
with the utmost severity in the present. If it appear
that the loss or death of any of these birds is occa-
sioned by their negligence, the offender is sewed up in
deer skins, with horns fixed on his head, and thus
turned out to the rage of the falcons. These, mistaking
the disguised criminal for a deer, fly at him with their
usual fierceness, pull out his eyes, and put him to the
most excruciating death. The dread of this horrible
fate renders the officers of the royal mews remarkably

THE SULT.A:^ SOLIMAN. 183

attentive and skilful in their duty, and guard the hawk
from perishing by any ailment except old age.

Bajazet, the conqueror of Constantinople, was with
his captives at Brusa in the year 1397, when the money
for their ransom arrived. Before he dismissed them he
gave them an opportunity of witnessing both his bar-
baric magnificence and his barl)aric justice. Froissart
thus relates the two scenes, and the haughty leave taking
which the Sultan awarded to the Christian lords. " The
Sultan had at this time seven thousand falconers and
as many huntsmen : you may suppose from this the
grandeur of his establishments. One day, in the pre-
sence of _ the Count de Nevers, he flew a falcon at
some eagles ; the flight did not please him, and he was
so wi'oth that for this fault he was on the point of
beheading two thousand of his falconers, scolding them,
exceedingly for want of diligence in the care of his
hawks, when the one he was fond of behaved so ill."

The falconry establishment of the Sultan Soliman
the Magnificent consisted of a train of six thousand
falconers. Each falconer is able to take care of three
hawks, and these require three spaniels to spring the
game, and six lads to beat the covers ; multiply these
numbers by the number of falconers, and you will see
that the august protector of Mahomet's religion has in
his pay forty-two thousand men ; in his mews eighteen
thousand hawks, and in his kennels the same number
of spaniels. The subsistence of one falcon, six lads,
three hawks, and as many spaniels is cheap at nine
shillings a day. The product of this moderate sum,
multij^lied by the number of falconers, amounts to two
thousand seven hundred pounds sterling a daj^ Mid-
tij)ly this daily expense by the days of the year, and

184 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

you will find that the Commander of the Faithful an-
nually lays out nine hundred and eighty-five thousand
and five hundred pounds.

An extraordinary story is mentioned by Charles
d'Arrossia, Seigneur d'Esparron de Pallieres et de
Courmes, in the history of Mahomet, Emperor of the
Turks, that being out hawking two of the birds at-
tacked an eagle, and having for some time buffetted
him, they brought it down to the ground by their
violent blows. The falconers, proud of the exploit,
thought to please his Majesty by extolling the courage
and the boldness of the hawks. The Ottoman monarch
ordered that they should be killed, saying, it was not
allowable to attack their king ; and accordingly, he had
their heads cut off, not because they deserved it, but as
an example to his attendants.

Amongst most of the tribes of Algeria, the pastime of
hawking is pursued with much ardour and ceremony ;
it is, however, exclusive, and is enjoyed only by the
autocrats. Four kinds of hawks, one of which is the
far famed Barbary falcon, are used for the purpose, and
they are trained with consummate craft and ability. Of
course the open and trackless plains of the Sahara afford
facilities for the enjoyment of this sport such as few
countries could supply. No Englishman who has time
and means at his disposal, and who has any predilection
for field sports, should visit Algiers, without going to
see the noble falcons of the tribes of Oulad Sidi Sheikh,
or those of the Hamerian Gharaka tribe, in the south-
western extremity of the Little Sahara. The docility of
the birds, the ra,pidity of their flight, and the fatal
swoop, as I have been informed by an eye-witness, is a
marvel of perfection.

HAWKING IN MOEOCCO. 185

In some countries in the East, where they have a large
species of falcon, they train these birds to attack the
wolf, wild boar, leopards, and other large animals in the
follo\\dng manner.

They are accustomed, when young, to feed from out
of the sockets of the eyes of a wolf or boar's head, the
skin of the animal being stuffed to make it appear alive.
While the bird is feeding the falconer begins to move
the figure gradually, in consequence of which the bird
learns to fasten itself, so as to stand firm, notwithstand-
ing the precipitate motions which are gradually given
to the stuffed animal. He would lose his meal if he
quitted his hold, and therefore he takes care to seciu-e
himself. When these first exercises are finished, the
skin is placed on a cart drawn by a horse at full speed.
The bird follows it, and particularly while feeding ; and
when they come to fly him in the field, he never fails
to dart on the head of the first beast of the kind he
discovers, and begins to scoop out the eyes. This puts
the animal in such distress, that the hunters have time
to approach and despatch it with their spears.

In the empu-e of Morocco, the eagles have been
seen to attack the deer, and even stags, by fixing them-
selves on their heads, and by flapping with their wings
the eyes with such force as in a short time to blind
them ; and the animal soon becomes exhausted from
the violent struggles he makes to get rid of his enemy,
falls to the ground, and becomes his prey.

Tytler, in his History of Scotland, mentions that
in the reign of Alexander III., 1268 — 9 : there " Hap-
pened an accident of a romantic natm-e with which
important consequences were connected. A Scottish
knight of high birth, Robert de Bruce, son of Eobert

VOL. II. 0

186 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN?.

de Bruce, Lord of Annandale and Cleveland, was passing
on horseback through the domains of Turnberry, which
belonged to Margery Countess of Carrick. The lady
happened to be at the moment pursuing the diversion
of the chase (hawking) surrounded by her retinue of
squires and damsels, when they encountered Bruce.
The young countess was struck by his noble figm-e, and
courteously entreated him to remain and take the
recreation of hunting. Bruce, who in those feudal
days knew the danger of paying too much attention to
a w^ard of the king, declined the invitation, when he
found himself suddenly surrounded by the attendants,
and the lady riding up, seized his bridle, and led off
the knight with gentle violence to the castle of Turnberry.
Here, after fifteen days residence, the adventure con-
cluded as might have been anticipated. Bruce married
the Countess without the knowledge of the relations of
either party, and before obtaining the king's consent,
upon which Alexander seized her castle of Turnberry
and her whole estates. The intercession of friends,
however, and a heavy fine conciliated the mind of the
monarch. Bruce became in right of his wife Lord of
Carrick, and the son of this marriage of romantic love
was the great Eobert Bruce, the restorer of Scottish
liberty."

We have another anecdote connected with falconry,
of the escape of Charles II. after the Battle of Wor-
cester. After a variety of perilous adventures, in which
Charles II. experienced the greatest fidelity from the
lower classes of the Eoman Catholics in the counties of
Staffordshire and Worcestershire, he arrived, by the
assistance of Lord Wilmot and Mr. Huddlestone, a
Benedictine monk, at the house of Mr. Lane ; and the

AJv^ECDOTES. 187

priest informed him that though Mr. Lane was a zealous
Protestant, yet he lived with so much civility and frank-
ness towards Eoman Catholics, that they had all the
greatest confidence in him, and he knew of no place where
his Majesty could be in more perfect security. Here the
king remained concealed for several days. It was now
time to devise some means by which he could approach
the coast, and make his escape to the Continent. Mr.
Lane had a niece married to a Mr. Norton, a gentleman
of 500/. per annum, who resided within four or five
miles of Bristol, which was at least four or five days'
journey from ]Mr. Lane's house. It was resolved that
Miss Lane should visit this relation, who was known to
be well affected to the royal cause, and that she should
ride behind the king, who was fitted with clothes and
boots as a servant, and a servant of her father's in his
livery should wait upon her. A good house was easily
fixed on for the first night's lodging, where Lord Wilmot
had notice to meet him. In this manner the king
began his journey, and a son of Mr. Lane, who had
been a colonel in the king's service, keeping him com-
pany at a distance, with a hawk upon his fist, and two
or three spaniels, which, where there were any fields at
hand warranted him to ride out of the way, keeping
his company still in his eye, and not appearing to belong
to the party. In this manner they came to their first
night's lodging, where they were joined by Lord Wilmot.
Here an arrangement was made for the remainder of
the journey, and they were rarely seen together on the
road, and never slept at the same house at night. In
this manner the colonel hawked for two or three days,
till he brought them within aday'sjourneyof Mr. Norton's

188 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN-.

house, and then gave his hawk to Lord Wilmot, who
continued the journey with the same fiekl sport.

IMarco Polo*, the great Venetian traveller, states that
when he was in Tartary, the Great Khan took particular
delight in falconry, and that the country which afforded
him the best sport was the Changa-ner, or the White
Lake, the numerous waters and extensive plains here,
furnishing aquatic and land fowl in abundance. He
here found herons, cranes, swans, wild geese, and ducks
of various kinds, as well as pheasants, partridges, and
other birds indigenous to those countries. The Grand
Khan had the gyr falcons, and other hawks well trained
by his falconers for this ancient field sport in the East.
This traveller further informs us, that at another palace
near the City of Chandu, in Tartary, the Grand Khan
kept upwards of two hundred hawks, which during his
stay there he always visited and inspected in person
at least once a week. The mews were pleasantly
situated in the park, where a variety of animals of the
deer and goat kind were pastured to serve as food for
the hawks and other birds employed in the chase.

* Marco Polo, a famous traveller of the thirteenth centiuy, son of
Nicolas Polo, a Venetian merchant, accompanied by his brother Matthew
Nicholas, penetrated to the court of Kublai, the Khan of the Tartars,
when this prince, highly entertained with their account of Europe, made
them his ambassadors to the Pope. They therefore proceeded to Eome,
and having obtained a couple of missionaries, visited Tartary, accom-
panied by the yoimg Marco. He was employed by the Sultan on various
embassies, imtil, after a residence of several years, the three Venetians
returned with immense wealth to their own countiy in 1295. Marco after-
wards served his country at sea, and being taken prisoner by the
Genoese, remained many years in confinement, which he beguiled by
composing the history of his travels. Polo not only gave a better ac-
count of China than any previoiis one, but furnished an account of
Japan, &c. The period of his death is not known.

MARCO POLO. 189

According to ]Marco, the Khan had reclaimed also eagles,
which he trained to stoop at wolves ; and such were
their size and strength that none, however large, could
ever escape from their talons. This Grrand Khan, who
was once Emperor of Tartary and China, had two court
officers of the highest dignity called " masters of chase."
In relating the number of his falconers and the pomp
ynili which he took the field, the Venetian might incur
suspicion were he not fully confirmed in all he says by
several accounts of the imposing establishments and
sports of the Mogul Tartars. Marco, who was a keen
sportsman and falconer himself (as became a well bred
Italian of that period), may have often accompanied the
Grrand Khan, or Emperor, with whom he stood in high
favour. He says, that after residing the usual time at
the uietropolis of China he always proceeded to enjoy
the field sports in the plains of Tartary attended by full
ten thousand falconers, who carried with them a vast
number of gyr falcons, peregrine falcons, and others, as
well as many vultures, in order to pursue the game along
the banks of the river. He said that this host of
falconers was not kept altogether in a body and at one
place, but separated into parties of from one to two
hundred men each, who followed the sport in various
directions, and brought the greater part of the game
they killed to the Emperor. In these extensive plains
it may naturally be supposed that great losses must
occur by the wildness of the hawk and the long flights
of the game pursued, were it not for precautions as great
as the mischances were numerous. Ten thousand guards,
we are told, were employed to keep watch, and a signal
station, or tent, was raised on an eminence to receive
whatever bird had strayed, or whatever other matters

O 3

190 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

miglit be lost in the chasings. These annual hawking
expeditions were also attended by the wives and ladies
of the court, who had their own hunting retinue, in-
dependent of that of the Grand Khan. What with the -
attendant courtiers, physicians, servants, and falconers,
the multitude must have been immense. In China and
Tartary the system of exclusiveness in the practice of
field sports prevailed as much as in the dark days of
European history. Certain ranks only were allowed the
privilege of sporting, nor might a nobleman, without
permission, presume to hawk near the residence of the
ruler.

In Persia, falconry still continues to be practised.
The Sketches of Sir John Malcolm offer very interesting
proofs of this. He says, " We were kept several weeks
at Abusheher, and amongst the amusements by which we
beguiled the tedium of our sojourn at this dull seaport
was that of hawking. As the mode of killing the game
differs essentially from that of other countries, I will
describe it, that sportsmen may judge of its merits.

" The sportsmen proceed to a large plain, or rather
desert near the sea side ; they have hawks and grey-
hounds ; the former carried in the usual manner on the
hand of the sportsman, the latter led in a leash by a
horseman, generally the same who carries the hawk.
When the antelope is seen, they endeavour to get as
near as possible ; but the animal, the moment it observes
them, goes off at a rate that seems swifter than the
wind, the horsemen are instantly at full speed, having
slipped the dogs. If it is a single deer, they at the
same time fly the hawk ; but if a herd they wait till
the dogs have fixed on a particular antelope. The
hawks, skimming along near the ground, soon reach the

FALCONRY IN PERSIA. 191

deer, at whose head they pounce in succession, and
sometimes with a violence to knock it over ; at all events
they confuse the animal so much as to stop its speed
in such a degree that the dogs can come up, and in an
instant, men, horses, dogs, and hawks surround the
imfortunate deer, against which their united efforts have
been combined. The part of the chase which surprised
me most was the extraordinary combination of the hawks
and the dogs, which throughout seemed to look to each
other for aid. This was, I was told, the result of long
and skilful training. The antelope is supposed to be
the fleetest quadruped on earth, and the rapidity of the
first burst of the chase I have described is astonishing ;
the run, however, seldom exceeds three or four miles,
and often is not half so much. A fawn is an easy
victory ; the doe often runs a good deal, and the buck
is seldom taken : the Arabs are, indeed, afraid to fly
their hawks at the latter, as these fine birds in pouncing
frequently impale themselves on its sharp horns.

" The hawks used in this sport are of a species that I
have never seen in any other country ; the breed, which
is called Cherkh, is not large, but is of great beauty
and symmetry. The novelty of the amusement I saw
interested me, and I was further pleased, on accompany-
ing a party to a village about twenty miles from
Abusheher, to see another kind of hawking, peculiar,
I believe, to the sandy plains of Persia, on which a
hubara, a noble species of bustard, is found on almost
bare plains, where it has no shelter but a small shrub,
called Geetush. When we went in quest of them, we
went in a party of about twenty, all well mounted : two
kinds of hawks are necessary for this kind of sport :
the first, the cherkh (that is flown at the antelope),

192 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

attack tliem on the ground, but will not follow them
on the Aving. For this reason the chyi-ee, a hawk well
known in India, is flown the moment the hubara rises.
" As we rode along in an extended line, the men who
carried the cherkhs every now and then unhooded and
held them up, that they might look over the plain.
The first hubara we found afforded us a proof of the
astonishing quickness of sight of one of the hawks;
he fluttered to be loose, and the man who held him
gave a whoop, as he threw him off his hand, and set off
at full speed. We all did the same ; at first we only saw
our hawk skimming over the plain, but soon perceived
at a distance of more than a mile the beautiful speckled
hubara, with head erect and wings outspread, running
forward to meet his adversary. The cherkh made several
unsuccessful pounces, which were either evaded or repelled
by the beak or wings of the hubara, which at last found
an opportunity of rising, when a chyree was instantly
flown, and the whole party was again at full gallop.
We had a flight of more than a mile, when the hubara
alighted, and was killed by another cherkh, who attacked
him on the ground. This bird weighed ten pounds.
We killed several others, but were not always successful,
having seen our hawk twice completely beaten during
the two days following. When at Shirag, our author
observes, the Alchee had received a present of a very
fine shahbrey, or royal falcon. Before going I had
seen Nutee Beg, our head falconer, a man of great
experience in his department, put upon his bird a
pair of leathers, which he fitted to its thighs with as
much care as if he had been the tailor of a fashionable
horseman. I inquired the reason of so unusual a pro-
ceeding. ' You will know that,' said the consequential

HAWKING IN THE EAST. 193

master of the hawks, 'when you see our sport.' I was
convinced, at the period he predicted, of the old fellow's
knowledge of his business. The first hare seized by the
falcon was very strong, and the ground rough. While
the bird kept the claws of one foot fastened in the back
of its prey, the other was dragged along the ground,
till it had an opportunity to lay hold of a tuft of grass,
by which it was enabled to stop the course of the hare,
whose efforts to escape, I do think, would have torn the
hawk asunder if it had not been provided with the
leathern defences which have been mentioned. The
next time the falcon was flown it gave us a proof of
that extraordinary courage which its whole appearance,
and particularly its eye, denoted. It had stopped and
quite disabled the second hare by the first pounce,
when two greyhounds, which had been slipped by
mistake, came up and endeavoured to seize it; they
were, however, repulsed by the falcon, whose boldness
and celerity in attacking the dogs, and securing its prey,
excited our admiration and astonishment. We had
some excellent sport also with smaller hawks at par-
tridges. I was particularly pleased with one bird, which
kept hovering over our heads till the game was sprung,
and then descending like a shot, struck its prey to the
ground."

The practice of falconry seems to have been as pre-
valent in China among the Moguls. The monarch of
Persia, with an embassy to the Emperor of China, sent
some very fine horses, who returned several shankers,
which appear to have been hawks, held in very high
estimation. In India also falconry was no less common,
and the native princes of the country from time im-
memorial have pursued it with undiminished ardom*.

194 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

In eastern countries falconry appears even yet to retain
much of its sway. There it commenced its boldest
flight, and there it was that the eagle was taught to
stoop at the stag, gazelle, antelope, and wild boar, and
there it is, according to jNIr. Johnson's account, that the
native Indian gentry still travel with their hawks ; the
largest of which are yet trained to kill deer, by pitching
on their heads, and pick out their eyes, as I have
already stated, was the case in Persia. This gentle-
man's account of the hunting retinue of the Nabob
Vizier of Lucknow, of which he was himself an eye-
witness, makes it equal to that of the Grand Khan in
both numbers and grandeur.

Frederick IL Emperor of Grerman}^, who lived early
in the thirteenth century, was also a falconer, and wrote
a book on the subject, bearing for its title "de Arte
Venandi cum Avibus," which was printed at Augsbm-g,
1596. The French also were early devotees to hawk-
ing, but whether they preceded us in their knowledge
of it is doubtful, although an authority supposes such
to be the case, from the fact that many of the tech-
nical terms in old English falconry are of French ex-
traction, but many more derived from the Saxon masters,
rather than from our French neighbours, who were
in those days not much more advanced in the arts
than ourselves. If, however, they were not coeval with
us in falconry, there is good reason to believe they were
not far behind us. This sport is often noticed in the
capitularies of the eighth and ninth centuries, at which
time, says Strutt " the grand fauconnier of France
was an officer of great eminence. His usual salary was
4000 florins. He was attended by fifty gentlemen and
fifty assistant falconers ; he was allowed to keep 300

A WORD OF ADVICE. 195

hawks. He licensed every vendor of hawks in France,
and received a tax on every bird sokl in the kingdom,
and even within the verge of the conrt : and the king
never rode out upon any occasion of consequence without
this officer attending upon him." We are however,
warranted in stating that falconry in France is now
less practised than even in England. During many
centuries hawking appears to have been the all-absorbing
piu'suit, not only in England, but equally so throughout
Europe ; indeed, it might be said that a hawdcing mania
raged universally ; kings and princes not only engaged
in the actual chase itself, but they also voluntarily un-
dertook the drudgery themselves of training and feed-
ing hawks. When employed in their most important
offices, they were often seen with a hawk on their hand;
indeed, they seldom moved without them *, their hawks
being apparently considered as much their familiar
acquaintance and attendants as pet dogs with us at the
present day.

In d'Accussia's French book on falconry, published in
1599, he gives the following advice to those who would
exercise falconry. " Celui qui voudra s'exercer a la Fau-
connerie, doit avoir trois choses principalement en recom-
mendation, et les garder de tout son pouvoir. La pre-
miere, c'est de ne se mettre jamais en colere etant a la
chasse, pour faute qu'nn oiseau y puisse faire ; comme font
quelques-uns qui se laissent dominer au trop d'affection,

* At Mr. Ward's bird-stuffing shop in Tere Street there were about
150 different species of hawks and owls belonging to Prince Jideeb Singh,
an Indian prince. These birds were taken in his principality. He had
also several live hawks in London, which were taken care of by his
servants, and frequently broiight to him at his hotel, where thej' re-
mained sometimes two or three hours, vnth. the object of getting domes-
ticated. This prince had pursued falconry in Scotland,

196 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

et pour peu d'occasion, ils sortent hors des limites de la
raison, si bien qu'ils ne se contentent pas seulement de
dire des injures a leurs domestiques, mais encore ils
offensent tous ceux qui se trouvent a la chasse aupres
d'eux. Comme recite Paul Josse, du Pape Leon X,*
qui etait grand fauconnier. La seconde^ c'est de ne
partir jamais pour aller aux champs sans premierement
avoir oui la messe. La troisieme, c'est de conserver les
fruits du prochain tant qu'il sera possible, et penser a la
peine que le pauvre laboureur a prise tout le long de
I'annee, pour I'esperance qu'il a de se pouvoir par son
travail, lui et sa famille ; et que par notre seul plaisir,
vous ne devrez gater son ble ou ses vignes." The
same author states : " On ne doit jamais donner des
oiseaux a ceux qui ne les aiment et qui ne les con-
naissent pas. Comme vous en avez I'exemple d'un
Ambassadeur de Venise, lequel allant vers le Koi, passa
par la maison d'un gentilhomme franpais, la ou il fut
repu avec tout honneur, et bon traitement. Ou voyant,
ce Venitien, des oiseaux sm* la perche en la maison de
ce gentilhomme, il demande s'ils etaient bons, auquel
on repondit, qu'ils etaient des meilleurs. Le lende-
main au grand matin, voulant ce Monsieur 1' Ambassadeur
partir a la fraicheur, il prit conge de son bote, lui
demandant encore un de ses oiseaux : le gentilhomme

* Le Pape Leon X etait si chaud a la Faueonnerie, que pour vent,
pluie, tempete, ijicommodite, ou autre sujet quel que ce fut, il ne se
gardait d'etre ordinaii-ement aux champs, et si etant de sa nature doux
et paisible en toutes ses autres actions, etait neanmoins si apre etant a
ce deduit, qu'il n'epargnait son couitoux a I'endroit de personne, fut
etranger ou domestique, lors qu'il contrevenait au deyoir de la Faueon-
nerie. Et au mois d'Octobre, il ne manquait jamais d' aller a Viterbe
trois lieues apr^s de Eome pour Toler, etant ce lieu fort propre a toutes
voleries.

A WORD OF ADVICE. 197

n'osant refuser la demande, lui donna un lanier qui
commenyait a bien voler. Ainsi JMonsieur I'Ambassa-
deur partit bien joyeux s'attendant de manger a son
diner un des oisons, auxquels il avait trouve si bon
gout le soir precedent. Par quoi, ayant fait trois lieues
de chemin, il commande a son maitre-d'hotel d'aller
devant, et lui faire accommoder Toiseau duquel le
gentilhomme lui avait fait present; ce qui hit fait.
Quelque temps apres, s'en retournant a Venise, il repassa
par la meme voie; et n'oublia d'aller visiter celui qui
I'avait festoye. Oii apr^s avoir ete refu honorablement,
entre autres discours, ce gentilhomme lui demanda,
s'il avoit trouve bon I'oiseau qu'il lui avait donne
I'autre fois, auquel il repondit en sa langue, Era huono
se ne fusse tin poco dureto ; ce qu'oyant le gentil-
homme se mit a rire de la sottise de ce Yenitien.

' LeeteiiT ce discours represente,
Que celui qui n'est Fauconuier,
Prise plus, quand on lui presente
Un bon chapon, qu'un beau lanier.' "

Archbishop Becket could not go to the French court
on an embassy without his hawk. The gentle sex also,
w^e are led to believe, were equally affected w^ith the
hawking mania as the gentlemen. Thus, in the " Lay
of the Last JNlinstrel " : —

" The ladye by the altar stood,
Of sable relvet her array.
And on her head a crimson hood,
With pearls embroidered and entwined.
Guarded with gold, with ermine lined:
A merlin sat iipon her wrist,
Held by a leash of silken twist."

198 REMINISCENCES OP A SPOETSMAN.

A sparrow-liawk or merliu was generally carried by
ladies of rank, as a falcon was in times of peace the
constant attendant of a knight or baron. Grodcroft re-
lates that when Mary of Lorraine was regent, she pressed
the Earl of Angus to admit a royal garrison into his
castle of Tantallon. To this he returned no direct an-
swer ; but as if apostrophising a goshawk which sat on
his wrist, and which he was feeding during the queen's
speech, he exclaimed, " The devil's in this greedy glede ;
she will never be full!" Barclay complains of the com-
mon but indecent practice of bringing hawks and hounds
into churches. Indeed, the hawking mania of these
times had no bounds ; thus Frederigo, the hero of Boc-
caccio's ninth novel, although he had spent all his
substance refused to part with his favourite hawk ; and
when his mistress is importuned by his son to beg it of
him, she replies, " How can I offer to take away from a
gentleman all the pleasure he has in life?" Strutt intro-
duces some prints of ladies going hawking ; and further
observes on the subject : " The ladies not only ac-
companied the gentlemen in this diversion, but often
practised it by themselv^es; and if we may believe a
contemporary writer of the thirteenth century, they
even excelled the men in knowledge and exercise of
the art of falconry. The jioet Spenser, in praising
Sir Tristam for his skill in hawking, says :

" Nor is there hawk which mantleth on her perch,
Whether high tow'ring or aceoasting low,
But I the measure of her flight doe search,
And all her prey and all her diet know."

In Bishop Earle's character of a proud knight, it is also
said, " A hawk is esteemed the true burden of nobility.

THE HAWK m HERALDRY. 199

and is exceeding ambitions to seem delighted in the
sport, and to have his fist gloved with jesses." The re-
strictive character of hawking in olden times is well
exemplified in the list which j^rescribes the hawks that
in the reign of Henry VII. were allowed to be nsed by-
each person according to his rank. That presented to
us in the book of St Alban's is as follows :

" The eagle, the niltiire, and the merlin for an emperor ;
The ger falcon and the tercel of the ger falcon for a king ;
The falcon gentle and the tercel gentle for a prince ;
The felcon of the rock for a duke ;
The falcon peregrine for an earl ;
The bustard for a baron ;
The sacre and sacrel for a knight ;
The lanare and laneret for an esqnii-e ;
The marlyon for a lady ;
The hobby for a young man ;
A goshawk for a yeoman ;
The tercel for a poor man ;
The sparrow-hawk for a priest ;
The musket for a holj'-water clerk ;
The kestrel for a laiave or serTitor."

In Scotland, also, as the legends bear testimony, fal-
conry had its votaries, and that for the encouragement
and protection of the practice it was enacted in the
fifteenth century *, " that nane destroy Heronise wis for
three yeris. Item, it is statute and ordanit that quahair
ony heronise biggis on his nestis eggis or birdis, endur-
ing the three yeris, with certifications that it sal be a
punct of dictay ; and they that beis convict thairof salt

* It was enacted in the loth centmy by a statute that for three
years any person destropng the nest, eggs, or yoimg of the heron
should be iined ten pounds Scots, that is two hxmdred pence, and that
the preseiTors of the same shoidd be equally rewarded by the king.

200 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

pay ten punds of vulau to the king, and dictay to be
taken be the justice clerkis thairupon. And quhair it
beis understandin that for the pleasure of the king's
hienes ony persounnis keipes the said nestis, and suffers
no persounnis to destroy them, they sail have thankes
and favouris of our soverane Lord as effairis, and ane
vulan to be guvin thairfor." Distances were sometimes
calculated by the flight of an arrow, or that of a hawk.

Kenneth III. of Scotland, to reward signal services
in the battle field performed by a peasant and his two
sons gave them so much land on the river Tay as a
falcon from a man's hand flew over till it settled.
The tract, which was six miles in length, and was after-
wards called Errol, forms the patrimonial estate of
the Earl of Errol, whose coat of arms, as directed by
Kenneth, consists of three escutcheons, gules, to inti-
mate that this trio had been three shields of Scotland,
with a falcon as a crest and two ploughmen as sup-
porters. An interesting proof of the popularity of fal-
conry in this country is related in an anecdote of Sir
Ealph Sadler, that while he had the unfortunate Mary
Queen of Scots under his care, he indulged his royal
prisoner in the gratification of hawking the river.
The birds used in Scotland in the end of the thirteenth
century were almost exclusively the falcon and tercel
gentle, a bird that breeds in the islands and Highlands
of Scotland, viz. the island of Arran and in the Craig
of Ailsa.* Falconry was a favourite sport in the south-

* A very distingiiislied officer, a friend of mine, -who sei-ved in all the
campaigns of the Duke of Wellington in Spain and Portugal, and was
on the staff at the battle of AVaterloo, was so kind as to give me the
information respecting hawking in Ayrshire, and the interesting ac-
count of the Craig of Ailsa, from which the Marciuis of Ailsa takes his
title.

IIAWKIXG IX SCOTLAND. 201

west of Scotland * (Ayrshire) up till late in the 18th cen-
tury, auil the grandfather of the present Lord Eglinton,
■\vlio had large estates in Ayrshire, was particularly
partial to hawking, and had an expensive establishment

for the training of his hawks. The falcon and tercel

*
gentle were tlown at herons, gi'ouse, partridges, wood-
cocks, wild ducks, crows, woodpigeon, and snijDe ; the
merlin at snipes and larks. They are both beautiful
birds, and readily trained (although requiring great care
and most attentive management). The falconers of
Ayrshire get eyesses (young hawks) of the falcon and
tercel gentle from eyries in the island of Arran, the
high country in Ayrshire towards the sources of the
Doon and the Grirvan, and from the extraordinary rock
called the Craig of Ailsa. The eyrie of the falcon and
tercel gentle is never found but in some precipitous and
high rock, always difficult and dangerous of access.
Upon the rock of Ailsa there is an eyrie every year,
from which may be obtained three or four eyesses.
This rock is the property of the jMarquis of Ailsa. It
rises from the sea to a height of 1098 feet, the first
400 feet being a cylindrical rock, consequently com-
pletely precipitous, with only some exceptions, and the
remaining 698 feet is of a nearly conical form. It is
accessible only on the north-east side. It is, of course,
only on the precipitous rock of the first 400 feet that
the eyrie is to be found, and the difficult operation of
reaching it, to take out the eyesses, is performed by

* Peter Fleming, of Baroclian Tower, Renfrewshire, hnd ancestor of
the present Fleming family, and who for several generations have been
falconers, received a hawk's head set -w-ith jewels from James IV. of
Scotland, for beating the Iting's falcon with his tercel. This interesting
relic is careftdly preserved in the family.
VOL. II. P

202 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAK

fixing a rope about a person who is let down, while
others hold the rope above ; and it is generally neces-
sary to visit the eyrie more than once to see the state
of the eyesses. Ailsa Craig is ten miles distant from
Girvan on the Ayrshire coast, tvventy-five miles from
the Mull of Cantyre in Argyleshire, and thirty-five
miles from Tor Point. The lower 400 feet consists of
columnar syenitic trap, being formed of successive
tiers of immense columns. Its columnar cliffs on the
west and south sides are literally covered during the
summer months by myriads of Solan geese, cormorants,
puffins, links, gulls, and other sea birds. About two-
thirds up the craig is a very fine spring of fresh
water, and it is a problem how this passes under the
sea, and rises at such a height above its surface. The
principle of the Artesian well seems immediately to
solve this question. Supposing water to be percolating
at a great depth, and as it does under Rouen or Paris,
and that in the rock of Ailsa there is a fissure extending
from the water to the surface, this acts on Ailsa pre-
cisely as the Artesian wells of Eouen and Paris. No
doubt the great number of water-fowl may afford some
resource to the falcon and tercel gentle to feed their
young upon at Ailsa, but they constantly pass to the
mainland for game and other land birds. The merlin
makes its nest in the heather, and is constantly to be
found in the high mooi'land counties of Scotland. The
falcon of this bird is like that of the falcon gentle, larger
than the tercel.

The falcon and tercel gentle and the merlin are called
red hawks until they are more than one year old ;
after their first change of feathers they are called white
hawks. During the first year they are of a reddish brown

HAWKIXG IX EXGLAXD. 203

colour, but afterwards of a much lighter colour, with a
very considerable tinge of blue. The falcon gentle,
when she becomes what is called a white hawk, is a
very beautiful bird.*

In Ireland, like^\^se, hawking was much and warmly
protected, where, as early as 1481, it was enacted that
'■ Whatsoever merchant should carry a hawk out of Ire-
land shall pay for a goshawk 13s. 4d., for a tercel 6s. Sd.,
for a falcon 10s., and the poundage upon the same price ;
and the person who bringeth any such hawk to the king
shall have a reasonable reward of the king, or else the
same hawk or hawks for his laboiur." The accession of the
Tudors was equally marked with the love of hawking.
Henry VII. pati'onised it both by precept and practice,
and, as I have already stated, Henry VIII. nearly lost
his life when engaged in this field sjaort. In the
twenty-seventh year of the reign of Henry VIII. this
king issued a proclamation reciting his great desire to
preserve the partridges, pheasants, and herons from his
palace of Westminster to St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, and
from thence to Islington, Hampstead, Highgate, and
Hornsey Park, and that if any person presume to kill
any of these birds they were to be imprisoned, and also
to suffer such other punishment as his Serene Highness
shoidd deem meet. In this reign also it became com-
mon to import hawks and herons from other countries,
which paid fixed duties on being landed. Queen Eliza-
beth was also a practical patroness of falconry. The

* Towards the close of the eighteenth century, Lord Oxf(5rd and Colonel
Thornton did all in their po-sver to rerive hawking in England, and for
this ohject they introduced the Dutch system of falconrj- : but this
Dutch school of falconry never extended into Scotland, which always had
its own native falconers.

P 2

204 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

second parliament held after her accession to the throne
passed an act which recites that, " Whereas her Majesty,
as also the noblemen, gentlemen, and divers other per-
sons, of great dominions and possessions, had breeding
within their woods and grounds divers eyries of hawks
of sundry kinds, to their great pleasure and commodity,
that if hereafter any person shall unlawfully take any
hawk's or other eggs out of the woods or grounds of any
persons, and be thereof convicted at the assizes, on in-
dictment, bill, or information at the suit of the king or
of the party, he shall be imprisoned for three months."'
The last statute, which limits the time of hawking at
pheasants and partridges, was promulgated in the 23rd
Elizabeth, and it is gratifying to remark that it savours
of an improvement in the spirit of the times. By this
" no person was allowed to hawk on another man's corn,
till it was carried, under pain of paying forty shillings,
or being imprisoned a month." In Tuberville's treatise
on falconry is a representation of Elizabeth on horse-
back on a hawking expedition. James I., after the
fashion of those days, was, while yet a boy, portrayed
with a small hawk on his hand, but his chief field
amusement was hunting with stag hounds. In his book
of advice to his son Henry Prince of Wales, after re-
commending strongly hunting and hounds, and other
manly exercises, he adds : " As for hawking I condemn
it not ; but I must praise it most sparingly, because it
neither resembleth the warres so near as hunting doeth,
in making a man bardie and skillful rider in all grounds,
and is more uncertain and subject to mischance, and
which is the worst of all, is an extreme stirrer up of
the passions."

The decline of hawking appears to have taken place

THE DECLINE OF THE SPORT. 205

in the middle of the seventeenth century. Ah-eady in
the sixteenth century it had been forbidden to hawk
from Easter until the corn was reaped ; and althougli
Hentzer, who wrote his Itinerary in 1598, affirms that it
was in his time generally practised by the English no-
bility and gentry, yet it was evident that flxlconry was
then on the decline, and not pursued with its former
characteristic enthusiasm.

One of the most deadly blows given to this field sport
was the introduction of fire arms. As soon as the gim
had reached a certain point of perfection, and the sports-
man discovered how much more readily* a more exten-
sive warfare might be carried on against game, the
falconer gradually gave up his hawks, and the gun,
pointers, and sj^auiels took their place. Another ob-
stacle to hawking on a grand scale was in some respects
the great improvement in agriculture and the enclosure
of fields, waste lands, and commons ; but there are
still very extensive tracts of mountains and plains in
England, Scotland, and Ireland where hawking may be
pursued with infinite pleasure and satisfaction to the
falconer ; and I entertain a sanguine hope tliat the time
may yet arrive when this manly field sport may once
more be revived, and the mania of battue shooting be
considerably diminished, which really has little to re-
commend it except the outrageous passion of sportsmen
of the present day. Hawking has this great advantage
over the gun ; with the peregrine and some larger
species of hawks, you fly them at the heron, the wood-

. * Although game -was destroyed readily, it was not slaughtered by
■wholesale, as at the present period, at battues, where cart-loads of hares
and pheasants strew the floor of the hall of the mansion at the end of a
day's sport.

P 3

206 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

cock, the snipe, the woodpigeon, the wild duck, and a
variety of water-fowls, most of which show excellent
sport in their manoeuvres to avoid the stoop made by
their pursuing enemy. With the short winged hawks,
such as the merlin, gos- and sparrow-hawk, you may
fly them at pheasants and partridges ; and when they
are well trained to the fern they will make successful
attacks on hares and rabbits. Almost all the feathered
tribe that hawks are trained to fly at do little or no in-
jury to the farmer, and tliose districts of the country in
which the falconers can best enjoy their sport is on
moors, plains, downs, and the sides of rivers where
there is little or no cultivation. Besides, the expense
of hawking is usually much less than that of preserving
game. I know from pretty good authority, from a
practical falconer in Scotland, that for the annual expense
of from one hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds, a
man may keep two or three casts of hawks, a horse, and
a couple of spaniels, with the understanding that he de-
votes much of his time to training his birds, and without
this sacrifice it is in vain to expect a successful result in
the flight of your hawks at your quarry.

In the introduction of " Falconry in the British Isles,"
several districts are mentioned in the United Kingdom
suited for falconr}', which I shall here state. The
best grass districts are to be met with about East Ilsley
in Berkshire, Amesbur}^, Warminster, and Leamington
near Devizes, all in Wiltshire, and the Curragh of
Kildare, near Newbridge, in Ireland. There must be a
good hawking country upon Dartmoor in Devonshire ;
also in the vicinity of Portsmouth, Southampton, Win-
chester, and Bagshot Heath. About Hitchin in Hert-
fordshire the ground is sufficiently open. The neigh-

DISTRICTS SUITED FOR THE SPORT. 207

lx)urhood of Peterborough, Northamptonshire, is a fine
suitable district, as also the country about Fettwell,
Hockwold, and Didlington in Norfolk ; about New-
market iu Cambridgeshire, Sleaford in Lincolnshire,
and about Rainford, near Wigan, in Lancashire. There
is an excellent country for this sport almost all along
tlie east coast of Scotland, as far as to Inverness ; as
also in the south-west, in Renfrewshire, Ayr, Wigton, &c.
There are also immense tracts of moorland highly
fitted for grouse hawking in particular, such as the
neiglibourhood of Strathvennan in Ross-shire, where
Lord O'Neil, and after his day Colonel Bonham, kept
their hawks diuing the autumn months. In Ireland, at
Castle ^lartin, half way between Kildare and Monaster-
even, there is a heronry, and a marsh on which herons
have been taken by Mr. O'Keefe. In the arable cultiva-
tion of those soils which are composed of chalky and
gravelly nature, the fields are generally of large dimen-
sions, and in these lands, after the harvest has been got
in, hawking may be pursued with the short winged
hawks, and the falconer, if his hawks are well trained,
may calculate on good sport in flying them at the fur
(hares and rabbits) and at pheasants and partridges.
Where the latter are preserved, you may be certain of
finding some in the large turnip fields of Suffolk, Nor-
folk, and Cambridgeshire. In the early part of a mild
winter the woodcocks retire, after feeding in the swampy
grounds, to the mountains of Scotland, Ireland, and
Wales, where is a short cover for them, and where they
can lie dry. In the extensive grass fields of Northamp-
tonshire and Leicestershire, some of them containino-
forty or fifty acres, good sport may be derived b}' flying
your hawk at game. Within the last few years the im-
p 4

208 REMIXISCE^X•ES OF A SPOETSMAN".

provement of land by drainage lias been the cause of
depriving the falconer of first-rate hawking, in flying the
peregrine at the snipe. From the rapidity of the flight
of this bird, and quick evolutions, the falcon is necessi-
tated to make use of all its strength of wing and various
manoeuvres to succeed in making its stoop on the bird.*
I knew a nobleman wlio complained that his gamekeeper
rarely brought him in any snipes for his table, in conse-
quence of some lands being drained where the snipes
used to be found in considerable numbers ; however, his
lordship consoled himself by remarking that if he had
been deprived of the snipes he had been amply repaid for
this loss by the increased rent he received. In another
part of the introduction to " Falconry in the British
Isles," the author thus expresses himself on battue
shooting : " The battue system, in Vv^hich hundreds of
pheasants, reared almost by the hand of the keeper,
and scores of hares enclosed within nets, are driven into
the very faces of sportsmen posted in advantageous
situations, and slaughtered by wholesale with the
smallest possible expenditure of trouble to the slayers,
may be styled in a newspaper paragrajih ' a glorious day's
sport,' but has certainly nothing in common with that
description of sport which brings into play the qualities
of energy, perseverance, endurance of fatigue, great self-
command, and calmness of nerve in times of difficulty,
and which has given to the national character its title
to respect, in the sportsman by flood and field at
home and the warrior abroad," — exactly corresponding
with the opinion of the late Duke of Wellington re-
specting officers who were good and keen sportsmen.

* Colonel Thornton, in Lis " Northern Tour," d\^scri1:'es a ringing
snipe flight which lasted nine minutes.

A DESCRIPTIOX. 209

James Campbell* gives a lively description of the flight
of a peregrine after a woodcock : —

" The sprightly falconer, animated by the love of sport,
bursting the silken bands of sleep, rises early as the
lark and as full of glee, and hastens to the forests in
([uest of health and manly diversion. His spaniels,
snuffing the scent of game in the breeze, traverse every
thicket with eager impatience, and mingling their bark
with the encouraging voice of their master, rouse the
echo into joyous clamour, from every hill and valley.
Cheeful hope plays light in his heart, while his eye en-
compasses with watchful look the scene of sport; and
his hawk testifies, by her half spread trembling wings,
her keenness for the-. aerial chase. Mark ! the dogs have
sprung a woodcock : the eager falconer unhoods the
bold-eyed bird, and with a cheerful whistle slips her at
her prey.

" The cock, impelled by the dreaded presence of his
enemy, flies to his utmost speed. See ! he mounts ■ -
he mounts — he mounts to the height of the air, direct
as the feathered shaft from the twanging bow. The
hawk pursues him, rap, rap, rap, on sounding pinion,
and now breathes with open beak on his train, ready to
rise above him. The cock acquires new strength and
rapidity from the urgency of the danger behind him,
and darts more impetuously towards the sky, by the
force of terror. The hawk, enraged by his escape, re-
doubles her speed, and feels herself in\agorated by the

* James Campljell, -n-ho -vrrote on falconry about the micUUe of last
century, was a Scotch gentleman, and not one of Lord Eglinton's fal-
coners, as erroneously stated in Blaine's " Encyclopedia of Eiu'al
Sports." In his work on falconry ]\Ir. Campbell states that he kept
hawks for forty years. He dedicated his work to Lord Eglinton.

210 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

warmth which her resentment has kindled in her breast.
Now, now, they are no higger than wrens ! now they
vanish, now the falconer and his company, prostrated on
the ground, with reverted looks, in vain search for them
in the expanse of air. The cock, no longer able to urge
his upward flight, stretches away in a gentle declining
direction, while the hawk takes the opportunity which
fatigue compels him to give her of mounting above him,
and then they again appear to the longing sight of gaz-
ing spectators. How rapidly the hawk stoops — how
nimbly the cock buckles ! See the hawk, hoAv quickly
she regains the sky ! there she stoops like a thunderbolt :
but the cock has once more eluded the blow of death.
He makes for the cover, and, ah ! will certainly escape
her. No I no ! do\^^^ she comes, souse, on him again.
His good fortune has deserted him, he drops dead near
the thicket, which the instant before he viewed as his
refuge from his foe. The falconer and his company,
pleased with their diversion, take their way home, agi-
tated by the lively pleasure of such a noble and glorious
flight."

The anxious desire of noblemen and gentlemen in
general to have their estates abounding with game, has
induced their gamekeepers to destroy the feathered and
fourfooted race with unceasing zeal and activity. Any
bird or beast who may be regarded in any way as an
enemy to game, from the eagle to the hedgehog,
cannot escape from the gun or trap of a gamekeeper.
In the hope of increasing the zeal in their game
preservers *, many gentlemen have regular books in

* A gentleman sportsman, in the neighbourhood of Clonmel, in the
course of a fe^y weeks, in the winter of 1856, with a peregrine hawk,
destroyed 160 magpies and carrion crows, affording him excellent sport.

THE GAMEKEEPER'S AXXOYANCE. 211

which is inserted the list of different birds of prey aud
foiirfooted vermin that have been killed during the year,
and for whicli they are paid so much a-head, in propor-
tion to the destruction they are supposed to cause amongst
the hares, pheasants, and partridges. There is no doubt
that some intelligent gamekeepers, who by constantly
watching the flight and movement of birds of prey, are
able to discriminate and discover that some of these
birds, such as the peregrine and goshawk, are of infinite
service to them, by the war they wage against the roy-
ston, carrion crow, and magpie, which it has been fully
ascertained destroy great numbers of eggs of pheasants,
partridges, and grouse, and also many of the young-
broods. Thus, putting in the scale the good and harm
these hawks do by killing a few grouse and partridges,
it certainly cannot be the interest of the sportsman to
endeavour totally to destroy the race of these noble
birds.* This guerre a oidrance against bird and
beast is also a serious annoyance to the naturalist, and
in the course of the last fifty years the species of many
of these have become extinct; among which I must
mention that noble bird the bnstard, the marten cat, the
eagle, the raven, and kite, in England. In Scotland
and Ireland the king of birds is becoming very scarce.
I know one county in England where fifty or sixty
years ago badgers might be found in most of the large
covers, and at the present time you rarely hear of one
of these animals being dug out. Gramekeepers say they
suck eggs and destroy young leverets, which I do not

* I -was told that a gamekeeper of Lord M.'s, in Oxfordshire, trapped,
last summer, t-«'enty-six hawks of different species. He placed a post
on a down where there were no trees in the neighbourhood. The top
of the post being made concave, a ti-ap was seciired in this hollow with-
out a bait, and the hawks coming to perch thereon, were thus taken.

212 RSMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

believe. In our rivers in England otters are become
very scarce, the bunting of which was a favourite pas-
time of our ancestors. On an estate where the game-
keepers have totally destroyed the owls, stoats, weasels,
and also the small short winged hawks, it has been found
that rats and mice have increased so prodigiously as to
do infinite mischief by the quantity of grain they de-
vour in the corn stacks ; so that the farmer has sometimes
two annoyances to complain of, in the loss of his crops
from his premises being overrun with the above vermin,
and in his fields by being overstocked with game.

It would be absurd to suppose for a moment that the
mania for falconry which existed all over Europe three
or four centuries ago could have the slightest chance of
returning ; but let us hope that this delightful and
manly sport may once more be revived, and that the
falconer with his hawk and spaniel may again be seen
in search of his quarry.

Another cause of destruction to many rare . species of
animals and birds is the employment of persons to pro-
cure them for public and private museums ; however,
this is trifling when compared to the unceasing war car-
ried on by gamekeepers. As a proof of this, it -was
mentioned in the " Field " newspaper that in Devon-
shire, where the nightingales never migrate, in the spring
of 1858, a gentleman, to his great siirprise, heard one
singing melodiously in a bush near his house. One
would naturally suppose that he would have been
enchanted with the melody of the charming songster ;
but such was not the case, for he went into his house for
his gun, and shot the nightingale, merely to have him
stuffed ! !

In 1686 Blome published a work under the title of

THE LITEKATUEE OF FALCONRY. 21.3

" Gentlemen's Eecreation." In the article on falconry
may be ol)tained much useful information. In Blaine's
" Encyclopedia of Rural Sports" this subject is most ably
treated, and for much of the information I have acquired
on hawking I am indebted to this work ; for, in the
present time, very few men are able to write on hawking
from practical experience ; but now that I am become
acquainted with the theory of this field sport, I regret
much that in my younger days I had no opportunity of
seeing a peregrine flown at a heron or a woodcoc\.* A
curious treatise on falconry was that attributed to the
Lady Juliana Berners, daughter of Richard Berners, of
Berners Roding, and sister of Lord Berners, born at
Rodin in Essex about the beginning of the 14th cen-
tury. She has been celebrated by various authors as
very learned ; and doubtless had the best education that
could be obtained at that age, as she was appointed
Prioress of Sopewell Nunnery, near St, Albans, about
1460, or rather earlier. She was very beautiful, and
fond of masculine exercises, such as hunting, hawking,

* It is stated, in " Falconrj' in the British Isles," that hawkinp: for
landrails ceased only some forty years since, by the introduction of a
new system of agriciiltitre into the county of Dorset, -which has banished
the landrails previously abounding there. About fiftj'-four years
ago, -when I wa.s in the Greys, I was quartered in almost every to-mi in
Dorsetshire, and hunted and shot in most parts of the coimty, but I
never recollect hearing or seeing any hawking establishment, or sparrow-
hawks kept to be flown at the hmdrail, except that I once saw, as I
have elsewhere stated, when quartered at Bridport, a blacksmith go by
with a sparrow-hawk on his fist, and a spaniel, to fly his hawk at land-
rails, and that he foxmd them chiefly in the fields of flax, which at that
time was much cultivated in that neighbourhood ; and as I have already
stated, I consider Dorsetshire, taken altogether, one of the best counties
for field sports, if it has not imdergone a considerable change since tlie
beginning of the present century.

214 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSilAX.

&c., writing treatises on these subjects, as well as upon
heraldry, which were so popular that they were puhlished
in the very infancy of printing. Her treatise on hunting
is written in rhyme, and affords strong evidence of the
barbarity of that age. The treatise on hawking in this
extraordinary work, we should think, from concurrent
circumstances, was the veritable production of this
learned lady, and was not, as supposed by ]Mr. Hazel-
wood, the compilation of a monk, from the hawking
manuscript being deposited in the Abbey ; for we
need not state that in these times it was common
to make these places the sanctuary of learning as well
as religion. A veiy interesting account is given by Mr.
Knox, in his work, " Game Birds, their Friends and their
Foes," which shows the great length of flight taken
sometimes by the peregrine hawk, and the unfortunate
fate that befel a peregrine that was particularly dex-
terous in taking woodcocks, which belonged to Mr. John
Sinclair.

This gentleman went to pay a visit to the Hon.
E. Westenra, at Eossmore Park, county Monaghan, in
Ireland, and whilst there Mr. Sinclair had a most extra-
ordinary flight with this hawk. When Mr. Sinclair and
his falconer, JNIr. McCulloch (afterwards falconer to
Colonel Bonham), were hawking woodcocks in Eossmore
Park, a woodcock was flushed, which took the air, closely
pursued by the falcon, which had Mr. Sinclair's address
on the varvels. In a short time both hawk and quarry
had attained such an elevation that is was only by lying
down on their backs, and placing their hands above their
eyes, so as to screen them from the rays of the sun, and
at the same time contract the range of vision, that the
spectators could keep the birds in view. At last, just as

ANECDOTE. 015

they had become mere specks in the sky, they weie
observed to pass rapidly towards the north-east, under
the influence of a strong south-west wind, and were soon
entirely out of sight. 8ome days elapsed without any
tidings of the truant falcon ; but before the week had
expired, Mr. Sinclair received a letter (forwarded from
his home), bearing a Scottish post mark. The letter
contained the varvels, and the closing chapter of the
poor hawk's history from the hand of her destroj^er, a
farmer who resided within ten miles of Aberdeen. He
w^as walking through his grounds, when his attention was
attracted by the appearance of a large hawk, w^hich had
just dashed amongst his pigeons, and was then in the act
of carrying off one of them ; running into the house, he
returned presently witli a loaded gun, and found the
robber devouring her prey on the top of a wheat stack.
The next moment the unfortunate falcon's wanderings
were at an end; but it was not till he had seen the bells
on her feet that he discovered the value of his victim,
and upon a more careful examination perceived the
name and address of the owuer ; and whilst making him
the only reparation in his power, by sending the account
of her fate, he unconsciously rendered the story w^orthy
of record in a sporting as well as ornithological point of
vieAv ; for upon a subsequent comparison of dates it was
found that the bird had been shot near Aberdeen, on the
eastern coast of Scotland, within forty-eight hours after
she had been flowm at a woodcock in a central part
of the province of Ulster in Ireland !

We know that falconry is practised in Eussia, and in
the work on " Falconry in the British Isles " it is
there related how Colonel Wilson Patten witnessed the
way in which the Eussians, l)y the aid of haw^ks,

216 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

managed to approach the partridges in the extensive
plains of that country. Horsemen, accompanied by-
hawks on the wing, and bearing poles, at the top of
which are fixed small round platforms, where the hawks
have been taught to look for their food : from time to
time they fix these poles in the earth, and allow the
hawks to light on them, which they readily do in the
absence of all trees, and upon the approach of the
shooters they proceed forwards as before. The game,
being terrified at the sight of the hawks, lie beautifully
to the dogs of the advancing sportsmen. The same
gentleman also mentioned that when the falcons happen
to be lost near a forest, they are brought up by the
sound of a large bell, to w^hich they have been accustomed
at feeding time. Didlington, the residence of the late
Lord Berners*, near Brandon, Norfolk, has long boasted
of its heronry, which,"! am happy to say, is still care-
fully preserved. It was near this, at High Ash, that
Lord Berners kept his heron hav/ks for many years. Lat-
terly they became subscription Lawks, and were retained
until 1836, when they were given up. These falcons
were " passage hawks " from Holland, and the stock was
kept up by obtaining fresh birds from that country.f

* I knew the late Lord Berners about the year 1798. He was then
Colonel Wilson. He was passing tlirough Bedford, where we had a
squadron of the Greys : as he was very intimate M'ith the late Colonel
Gillon of that regiment, he politely invited all the officers of the Greys
to dine with him at the Bedford Hotel ; and we certainly had a most
jovial party, which was not an unusual affiiir at that period. I met
his lordship afterwards a few years ago at Bath, where he came to
drink the waters; he died shortly afterwards. He was devoted to
falconry, and was descended from the Lady Prioress Berners.

t On one occasion, soon after the breaking out of the war with
France, the falconers, who were bringing a supply of falcons to Didling-
ton, were taken prisoners, and sent to the Hague, and subsequently to
Paris. — Falconry in the British Isles.

HAWKING ESTABLISHMENTS. 217

In Scotland, about 1819, the Eenfrewshire subscrip-
tion hawks were kept by Mr. Fleming. Among the various
sportsmen who patronised falconry with Mr. P'leming
were Sir John INlaxwell and the late Mr. Wallace of
Kelly.

During the spring of 1843 Mr. Newcome had a cast
of passage hawks of such excellence that their perfor-
mances are w^ell worth recording. These hawks, named
Sultan and De Euyter, had been flown for a season at
Loo before being brought to England. Each year, as
soon as they had finished their moult, they were entered
and flown at rooks, previous to the commencement of
the heron season. During their third year they took at
Hockwold in Norfolk and at Loo fifty-four herons, and
in the following season of 1844 they took in the same
localities fifty-seven herons.

The bittern was formerly a favourite quarry at which
to fly 1 -on hawks, L it in England they are now become
very scarce. About the year 1770 several noblemen
and gentlemen had large hawking establishments in
England ; probably, independent of the enjoyment they
derived from this field sport, with the view of once more
introducing falconry amongst the sportsmen of the
L^nited Kingdom, but up to the present time the un-
sportsmanlike battues have proved a serious obstacle to
its revival. The Earl of Oxford and Colonel Thornton
had regular hawking establishments about the above
period, as also ]Mr. Colquhoun*, of Whitham, near
Thetford, about 1785.

Towards the end of last century the late Captain Stm-t,
R.N., who was then the o\vner of Brownsea Island,

* I was well acquainted with ilr. Colquhoun's son at the university
of Guttintiou. I heard that he afterwards shot himself.

218 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

near Poole, had there a hawking establishment. His
trainers and his hawks came from Holland.* The exten-
sive backwater which flows from the sea towards War eh am
is in the winter well stocked with wild-fowl, which
afforded excellent sport to the falconer. I have before
mentioned that Captain Sturt first introduced the
peregrine falcon into this part of the country, to the
great annoyance of the gamekeepers.

Mr. Newcome recently had a considerable hawking
establishment for flying the merlins at skylarks. This
may in some respect be compared in miniature to heron
hawking, as the larks soar very high in the air, and it
requires much skill and rapid flight to capture this small
prey.f

From information received from travellers, it would
appear that the raven is a favourite quarry of the Ice-
land falcons. This is somewhat confirmed by an anec-
dote told by an old keeper (now dead) who had been
in Colonel Thornton's service. The account was that
when the Colonel lived at Thornville Eoyal, he flew an
Icelander at a raven which had passed over the park
towards Harrogate. The country was then open and
the raven making down wind, was captured at Almer-
cliffe, about nine or ten miles from Thornville Eoyal.

* In 1858 a grey heron was shot in the Habra, a sub-division of Gran
in Algeria. Attached to one of its legs was a copper ring, bearing the
royal crown of Holland, and in English the inscription, " Eoyal Hawk-
ing Club, 1850, Loo, Netherlands."

•*• A cruel operation was performed formerly by the falconers in Scot-
land, to make the skylark mount high in the air, which is termed sciling.
"Pidl out one of the train feathers, strip the plume oflp one side of it,
and then put it through the one under eye-lid over the beak, and
lastly through the other under eye-lid; thus the plume of the other side
of the feather standing out under the eyes of the bird hinders it from
looking below, and as it can see only above, it will fly iipwards as high
as it can reach." — James Cam-pbell.

GEEEXLAXD HAWKS. 219

The Iceland falcon is the species usually referred to
by the old writers when speaking of the ger-falcon, and
is certainly the one most easy to be procured in the
present day. With steam communication between this
country and Iceland there would be no difficulty in
procuring the young birds every season, as they may be
purchased in the country at a moderate rate. Unfortu-
nately great numbers are sacrificed annually for the pur-
pose of supplying the cabinets of ornithologists, even to
such an extent that excellent skins of these birds may
be purchased in this country for less than the cost of a
peregrine.

INIany of these, however, come from Grreenland,
whence it might not be so easy to obtain them alive.
These falcons were formerly, we believe, considered the
property of the King of Denmark, and numbers of
them were yearly obtained from Iceland to be presented
as royal gifts to the other courts of Europe. Mr. Lloyd,
in his " Scandinavian Adventures,'' informs us that in
the year 1754 a ship brought one hundred and forty-
eight of these falcons from Iceland to Copenhagen.
The same author also says " the nests of the Norwegian
falcon were leased by the King of Denmark to a family
in Flanders." He remarks further that " he has seen
in an old Swedish newspaper for October 1761, a para-
graph stating that some falconers from Anspach in
Germany passed through the town of Linkoping with
forty-four live hawks, which had been taken between
.Tutland and Norway." At the present day the Iceland
fjilcon, when well trained, might be used for grouse and
blackgame hawking, as also for herons, wild geese, and
ducks, and probably also for gulls and rooks.

When employed for taking hares it was customary to

Q2

220 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

use a dog also, in order to prevent the hare from squat-
ting. The general training is the same as the peregrine
requires, and nothing but experience will teach the
falconer the best mode to accomplish this. As they are
natives of a very cold climate, they should not be ex-
posed to the full heat of the sun. It is stated in Bufifon
that the falcons carried from the north of Eussia as far
to the south as Persia do not lose any of their vigour or
strength.

At the present time one cannot help feehng com-
miseration for the poor falcons, at least in this kingdom.
" How are the mighty fallen." Three or four centuries
ago the peregrines and other hawks were the constant
companions and pets of emperors, kings, princes, and
nobles; and even the noblest of the fair sex were de-
lighted to carry the merlins or sparrow-hawk on their
hand. Now these birds, which in former times were with
the eagle classed as the kings of birds, are in general
looked upon as the destructive enemies of game ; and
those men who have the preservation of it wage an un-
relenting war with gun and trap against the falcons,
which in past ages afforded to our ancestors such manly
and enjoyable field sport ; and it may be truly said that
to have your hawk well trained to the different species
of quarry at which they were flo\vn required much pa-
tience and perseverance, great activity of body in the
field, and contributed by the healthy exercise in the
open air to give health and vigom-.

In the w^ork on falconry I have already quoted,
written in the sixteenth century by Mons. Charles
d'Arcussia, dedicated to Henri IV., he thus expresses
himself on the noble and amiable qualities of the falcon.
" As kings and princes," as he flatteringly observes, " are

NOBLE QUALITIES OF THE FALCON". 221

to be distinguished from the lower orders by a milder,
more noble, and tractable uatm-e, so the birds of which
I am about to write are known for the same qualities as
superior to all the feathered tribe, and to confirm this
opinion observe all their species. There are none that
can equal the falcons in fidelity, swiftness, either to
mount and approach the sky, to look steadfastly at the
sun, for battle, for good temper when you treat them
with kindness. All these qualities generally belong to
royalty, for which reason they are called kings of all
the birds. In fact, try to tame a crow, a kite, a screech
owl, or other wild birds which have been in a free
state for a year, and having kept them a month, take
them to the field, and try if they will be faithful to
their master. It is totally a different case with falcons.
It is not from necessity or want of food that they are
subject to us ; their prey is always at hand in the field
as it was when they had their liberty ; their wings are
as good as they then were ; they have the same vivacitj^,
and the same swiftness to pursue their prey. Is it not,
then, by their good nature and by the admirable talents
we have received from Grod, that we are able to subdue
such animals, which are the wildest of all others ? and not
only are we masters of their bodies, but of their every
motion and wills."

Q3

EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAK.

CHAP. XLI.

KATXJUAL HISTOKT OF THE FALCON'. — THE MALE PEEEGRINE EALCOIf.
— THE FEMALE PEREGEINE. — DAEING OF THE FALCON. — BLOME'S
DESCEIPTION. — THE PLUMAGE OF THE FALCON. — THE SAKEE. —

THE TANNER. THE GOSHAAYK. THE FEANCOLLN. — HOW TO

MANAGE THE FALCON. — THEIR HABITS. — THE SPAEEOW-HAWK:. —
HOW TO TEAIN IT.

The peregrine falcon (F. Peregrinus, Linn.) and the
common falcon, are by modern naturalists considered
the same bird, but disguised by yearly changes of
plumage. As its name signifies, this is a bird of pas-
sage, and it is that which Cuvier describes " as big as a
fowl, and always known by a sort of triangular black
spot on the cheek." The slight falcon, which is the
usual name by which falconers know the peregrine, is
one of the most important agents in the falconry of the
present day. Under these circumstances I shall extend
the account relative to its qualities, characteristics, &c.
" At every successive change," observes Mr. Bennet, the
ingenious naturalist, " the plumage undergoes a fresh
modification, not in colour alone, but even in the distri-
bution of the markings. It is only after the first moult-
ing that it assumes anything like permanence of cha-
racter. In the first year it is generally of a light brown
on the upper parts, with an ash-coloured tinge on the
middle of the feathers. Its head and neck are whitish,
with a tinge of red, and numerous dark brown spots ;

THE MALE PEREGRIXE FALCOX. 223

its throat and under parts dirty white, with longitu-
dinal spots of bro\\Ti ; its cere bluish horn colour, and
its legs yellow. As it advances in age the upper parts
become greyish bro^vn, with lighter transverse bars.
This conversion takes place in a gradual manner, and
affords a certain means of distinguishing the young
from the adult bird, not only in the present sj^ecies,
but throughout the whole of the hawk and falcon
tribes. At the same time, in the peregrine falcon
there is a character not very distinct in the youug
peregrine, and is somewhat more faintly marked in
the female than in the male, but which may be re-
garded as one of the best diagnostics of the species.
It consists in a broad black streak, passing downwards
obliquely over the cheeks from the inner angle of the
eye, and giving to the bird a very peculiar expression
of countenance. WTien perfectly full-grown the beak
is lead-coloured, with a dark tip ; the cere has a
greenish tinge, and the irides are yellow. The upper
parts of the head and neck are bluish-black ; the
black has a lighter tinge of lead colour, crossed by
scarcely perceptible blackish bars, and the black
whiskers are strongly developed. The quill feathers of
the wings and tail are of a dusky black ; the latter
crossed by numerous ash-coloured bars, and yellowish
white at the tip. All the under parts are white ; a
series of transverse brownish bars commence on the
lower part of the breast, and extend to the tail ; the
upper part of the breast is marked by a few longitu-
dinal streaks; but the throat is entirely free."

The male peregrine falcon, distinguished by fal-
coners from the female, by the term tiercel, tercel, or
tassel, is thus described by Mr. ^Nlacgillivray — " form,

Q 4

224 RKMIXISCENCES OF A SPOKTSM.\X.

full and robust, its neck rather short, its head large and
round. The bill is shortish, thick and strong; the
upper mandible with the edges sharp, slightly inflected,
with a distinct process towards the curvature, having on
either side a rounded sinus : the tip triagonal, descend-
ing obliquely, and acute ; the lower mandible involute
at the edges, the tip directly trvmcate, the notch distinct.
The legs are robust and short ; the torsi, which are
feathered more than half way down, are covered all
round with reticularly-arranged scales; the toes are
robust, covered above with scutella, scabious and tuber-
cular beneath ; the second and fourth toes are nearly
equal, the hind toe shortest, the third longest; the
third and fourth connected by a membrane at the base.
The claws strong, rounded on the ridge, rather com-
pressed, acute, narrow, and marginate beneath ; -^dngs
very long and pointed." It measures in length, from
the head to the end of the tail, sixteen inches and a half;
the extent of its wings thirty-six inches ; but it must be
observed that it is occasionally larger.

The female 'peregrine is more highly prized by many
practical falconers than the male, and is by some of
them for super-eminence exclusively called the Falcon.
Others of the fraternity, on the contrary, will not allow
such superiority to be at all considerable between the
female and the male, either in size, strength, or daring.
Contrary, likewise, to the natm-e of predacious birds in
general, in the peregrine neither the size of the sexes
nor their plumage, particularly the latter, differ very
much. The dimensions of the female are twenty-one
inches and a half to the end of the tail ; to the end of
the wings thirty inches and three-quarters. It is a sup-
position, not only among natiuralists, but also among

THE FEMALE TEREGRIXE. 2!25

falconers, that the lanner and female peregrine are
identical ; such are the mystifications attendant on the
subject.

The peregrine falcon is found in most mountainous
and rocky situations throughout the temperate and
colder parts of Europe ; it is also common in North
America and in New Holland. Its migratory character
we believe to be only fully developed in cold countries ;
with us there is reason to consider it stationary, or at
least its migrations are not uniform. From our own
experience we agree with the learned editor of INIontague's
" Ornithological Dictionary," that there is not a spot on
any part of our coast, from north to south, w^here the
cliffs rise to the height of three or four hundred feet,
but they are scattered on during the breeding seasons,
and from which they seldom wholly retire, although
they force their young, when fully fledged, to seek
fresh quarters. We can affirm that they breed every
year on the rocky precipices on the south of the Isle
of Wight ; they are not uncommon in the Shetland and
Orkney Islands, and are seen on the cliffs of the
Hebrides. Throughout the Scotch coasts, particularly
on the eastern rocky precipices, they breed annually.
Pennant was witness to their existence in Wales, and
he particularises the rock of Llandudno in Caernarvon-
shire as supplying a very favourite spot for the nidi-
fication of peregrine falcons. It is further insinuated
that the breed produced here was, in the falconer's
phraseology, of "a generous kind," i. e. excellent at
plunder and destruction, which character is borne out by
a letter extant in the Grladdacth Library, from the Lord
Treasurer Burleigh to an ancestor of Sir Eoger Mostyn,
in which his lordship thanks him for a present of a

226 REMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

fine cast of hawks taken on those rocks, which belong
to his family. Sir John Sebright observes that "slight
falcons take up their abode every year, from October to
November until the spring, upon Westminster Abbey,
and upon other churches in the metropolis ; this is well
known to the London pigeon fanciers, from the great
havoc they make in their flight." We ourselves know
that one was killed in the neighbourhood of the metropolis
in 1837. The lanner and lanneret are without doubt the
male and female peregrine falcon. The action of the
peregrine falcon is thus described by Mr. Macgillivray :
'^ Its direct flight is extremely rapid, is performed by
quick beats of the wings, and is very similar to that of
the rock pigeon. When proceeding in haste from its
breeding place, or roosting station, towards a distant
part of the country, it very seldom sails, or moves
forward at intervals with extended wings ; but when
sauntering, as it were, about its retreat, it employs both
modes of flight, as it also does in common with any
other hawk, when searching for prey. Yet it is hardly
ever seen to float or sail along in circles, as eagles,
buzzards, and harriers are wont to do, but performs its
short gyrations as if in haste, and the moment an oppor-
tunity occurs comes down upon its prey, either in a
curved sweep or like a stone falling from the air. In
the choice of its food this author hints that he shows
a decided predilection for wild game, seldom regaling
upon' the feathered produce of the farm-yard. It riots
among the moor fowl ; and as a proof of its powers the
keeper of the Bass Eock informed Mr. Macgillivray
that he had found an entire blackcock in the nest of
this falcon. From the remnants left around their nests,
it appears that grouse, partridges, plovers, ducks, auks.

DARIXG OF THE FALCON. 227

guillemots, and the smaller varieties of the giiU breed
form their principal prey ; but although they will strike
at rabbits or hares, they are unable to kill them unless
they are young." A peregrine cannot carry a black-
cock, so that the keeper's story to JNIr. Macgillivray is at
least doubtful. The daring of the peregrine falcon
equals, if it does not surpass, that of most others of the
falcon tribe.

" A female in Colonel Montague's possession, which
had never enjoyed its native habits of destruction, having
been taken before she could fly, and had never been
much used to slaughter, except with an occasional small
bird, was suffered to be a whole day without food, at
the expiration of which time an old male heron was
introduced into the room where the falcon was at liberty,
the point of the heron's bill having been previously
sawed off. As soon as the heron was in motion, the
falcon, who was also deprived of the means of flight,
took post on a stool which was at one end of the room,
and as the heron, regardless of his enemy, traversed
the apartment, the falcon, motionless, kept her eyes
fixed on her destined prey, till, after several turns round
the room, she judged the heron was sufficiently near
to effect her purpose, when she sprung at the head, in-
tending to seize that part with her talons. In this,
however, she failed, the stool not having given her
sufficient elevation to reach the high-erected head of
the heron. This failure might probably have cost the
falcon her life, had the bill of her antagonist been
perfect ; for she received a blow on the body that must
otherwise have inflicted a severe wound, if not mortal,
from so pointed an instrument, m-ged with such power.
Baffled in this attempt, and having received a severe

•228 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAX.

blow, it was conjectured no further attack would be
made until the call of hunger became urgent. The
falcon, however, soon regained her station, and it was
not long before they perceived the heron, regardless of
his foe, again pass very near, when the falcon, in a
second attempt to seize her prey as before, was equally
foiled, and again received a severe check from the bill
of the heron. Finding her efforts failed her for the
want of the advantage nature had assigned her, instinct
directed the falcon to a box that stood on the opposite
side of the room, which was somewhat higher. Here
she seemed to meditate another attack, by watching
every motion of the heron, who continued his rounds
with a view to make his escape ; and it was not long
before an opportunity offered for the falcon to make an
assault from her elevated station. Here she found a
humble substitute for those powers with which nature
had amply provided her, but of which she had been
deprived, and at last succeeded, by springing from
her perch, and seizing the unfortunate heron by the
head and upper part of the neck with her talons, which
instantly brought him to the ground. Now the unequal
contest was soon determined, for in vain did the superior
weight and strength of the heron drag and flounder
with his enemy across the floor ; in vain did he flap
his unwieldy pinions to shake off the tyrant of the air,
nor could even his gigantic legs force her from the
bloody gripe. The powerful and only dreaded arms of
her antagonist were secured, and thus disarmed, he
became a sure and easy prey. Scarcely was the gigantic
bird prostrate on the ground, than death ensued; for
in this noble race, destined for blood and slaughter,
torture makes no part of its nature ; but like what we

BLO^rE'S DESCRIPTIOX. 2-J9

are told of the generous lion, exulting in death hut
disdaining cruelty. In less than half a minute did the
falcon tear out the gullet and windpipe of the heron,
and regale on the head and neck " (jNIontague's " Orni-
thological Dictionary "). Colonel Thornton asserts that
in his hawking career he could never obtain a tiercel
(male) that would fly at ducks but from Hambledon,
in Yorkshire, although he had tried many others. The
female peregi'ine, he observes, is a match for herons and
wild geese, and will also stoop at lesser game equally
well, and that where perseverance is necessary she excels
the tiercel or male.

This falcon was also known as the hag rjarcl falcon of
most of the older writers, and was, according to Latham,
the chief of all falcons. Tuberville ranks her as the
second only in importance ; but it must be noted that
he does this under the impression that the slight or
peregTine fr'-^on, and Latham's favourite, known to
Latham as the haggard falcon, are distinct species, which
there is every reason to believe is not the case. Blome's *
description of the peregrine is to the following effect.
" The faulcon or slight faulcon is of several shajDes, viz.
some large, some small ; others long shaped, and some
round trusst ; so are they of several mailes, as white,
black, brown, and russet. The principal sorts of faulcons
are by all agreed to be the intermewed haggard and the
lentiner faulcon, now much in use. Those that are
excellent are thus shaped, viz. broad-shouldered, and
carrjnng her breadth down to her tail, wide and strong,
with short arms and a large foot, a short beak, and a
large naze, and close plumed ; high thighs with white in

* Blome's book -was published in the latter end of the seventeenth
centmy, and is in my possession.

230 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

the inside, great full-black eyes, a large breast, her head
plumed dark or black, with a white wreath. In her
flight she is known from another hawk by her quick and
nimble getting up to her place, by her strong stirring,
and by her skill in her stooping and killing her game.
She is very bold and hardy, of great strength and courage
to endure both wind and weather, gaining her prey by
main wing, and into what place she cometh she is victor.
By nature she is very hot, and consequently better able
to endure cold weather — witness her high soaring in the
air; and likewise, when once she begins to cast her
feathers, she meweth with more expedition. Her greatest
fault is, she is more difficult to be reclaimed than any
other hawk. From this bird the faulconer is said to
derive his name, as well as the art itself ; for that it
seems the chief end of a faulconer, and the art of
faitlconry, is to reclaim and man the faulcon, for she
fleeth at all game, both at field and river, but most
proper the river ; so that he that thoroughly understands
how to bring this faulcon to that perfection that she is
capable of, may well deserve the name of a master of
this art. This hawk is a great pains-taker, no weather
discouraging her from the game, if possible to be found ;
and although she hath laboured two or three days together
in ill weather, yet she will not be tired; and indeed
every hawk requireth exercise. But old staunch hawks
should have more rest."

ImjDortations of the slight falcon are annually made
from the open grounds around Falconsward for the use
of British falconers in flying herons, in lieu of the
ger-falcon, which is more expensive and difficult to
obtain.

Hawks are divided into two classes, viz. the lonsf

THE PLUMAGE OF THE FALCON. 231

winged and short winged. The long winged are called
falcons, the short winged simply hawks ; but the female
goshawk seems to be allowed b}' courtesy to assume the
more noble title, though she is not generally spoken of
by that name. The only short winged hawks used by
falconers (at any rate in Europe) are the goshawk and
sparrow-hawk ; both the male and female of the former,
the female only, as a general rule, of the latter. These
birds are termed " hawks of the fist," because they fly
from it at their quarry, not stooping from a height as
the falcons do, and as they are trained to expect food
from the hand, to which they should come readily.

Long-winged hawks are called " hawks of the lure,"
because they are taught to fly to it when necessary. The
falcons have an immense advantage over their less noble
kinsmen m temper and in disposition, as well as in
power of flight ; and they are trained with much greater
ease, and are flown ^dth more pleasure, and generally
with more effect than the short -snnged hawks.

The weight of the Iceland falcon is generally three
pounds and a half ; its length from bill to tail about
twenty-three inches ; the spread of the wings being
above fovu- feet ; the length of the male bird is about
thirty inches. The colour and marking in both sexes are
alike, as well in the young as in the adult states ; indi-
viduals differing only as they assume the light or dark
variety of plumage, with the intermediate gi-adations.
The tarsi are feathered about half way down, and the
naked parts are in the young birds of a blue lead colour,
as are also the cere and skin about the eyes. This
colour changes to yellow in the mature bird, and deepens
with age. The young birds are all of them, in the
upper parts of the body, of a dark greyish brown colour,

232 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMA^".

each feather being margined with dusky white ; the
under surface of the same dusky white, marked thickly
with longitudinal blotches of the dark colour of the
upper parts ; the under tail coverts and thighs having
long streaks, which, in the adult plumage, are changed
into transverse bars, similar, though not so distinct, as
those in the peregrine. The colour of the irides is dark
hazel.

GrREENLAND FalCON.

This is the most beautiful of all the family. It ap-
pears to be more widely distributed than its closely allied
neighbour, as it is found in all the northern regions of
the old and new world. It occasionally visits these
islands, where, from the whiteness of its plumage, it is
very easily recognised. Many notices of its appearance
are found in different works on ornithology. A beau-
tiful adult bird, presented by Sir J. Johnston, Bart.,
to the Scarborough Museum, was shot during November
1854, near Harkness in Yorkshire. It is a finely marked
old bird ; in size and proportions it is similar to the
Icelanders, and even in colour some of the adult birds
approach very closely to each other, viz. the darkest of
the Greenland and the lightest of the Iceland birds.
The young birds of this species are sometimes as white
as their parents, differing only from them in the colour
and shape of the markings. The legs, cere, &c. in this
species are, when young, of a light bluish lead colour,
changing into yellow with age, but of a lighter tint than
in the Iceland birds. These birds, like all the falcons,
assume their perfect plumage at the first moult, and do
not, as has been supposed, become lighter in colour each
successive year.

THE SAKER. 233

The Norway Falcon.

This is the third and least known of the three species
that come under the head of the ger falcon. Of the older
writers, Buffon appears to have been aware of its exist-
ence, and speaks of the Norway species as distinct both
from that of Iceland as also from the white or Greenland
birds, and as being held in highest estimation by the
falconers of his day, in consequence of its possessing more
corn-age, activity, and docility than any of the other
species. This bird might be procured from Norway at
the present time, and would most likely pay well the
expense of bringing it over. This hawk is usually of
the same size as the Grreenland and Iceland species. The
tarsi are partly feathered, similar to the other northern
falcons, and in colour also it is intermediate between
the adult peregrine and the darker varieties of the Ice-
lander. The legs and cere in the young bird are blue
lead colour, becoming yellow when adult. These species,
though possessing great power of wing, appear to be very
local, and we have never heard of a specimen in any
stage of plumage having been met with in these islands.

The Saker — Long-Winged.

INIonsieur Charles d'ArciLssia *says with regard to the
saker, " It is called sacer in Latin, from having been
held sacred to Jupiter, according to the ancient poets.
Its nature is to be cowardly, though it is a superb
bird ; he is obstinate, but with patience he becomes
tame, and so jealous of his master that he does not
know him if he changes his clothes. This bird will go
through much work. He is good for flying at part-

TOL. II. R

234 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

ridges, and for hawking of every kind, such as the
heron and even larger game. Pierre Belon says that
the saker has the body of the crow, the head of the
merlin, the bill between that of the eagle and the crow,
the talons between that of the crow and the falcon.
The saker is in danger of dying when moulting, because
he gets too fat. In "The Grentleman's Eecreation"
we observe it stated. " The saker is a bird of passage,
for her eyrie has not been found in this country.
They are met with in the isles of the Levant, C}qorus,
Rhodes, and Candia.

" She is somewhat larger than the haggard falcon, her
plumage rusty and ragged. She is hardy to all kinds
of fowl, more disposed to the field than to the brook,
and delights to prey on great fowls, as the heron, wild
goose, &c.

" The saker is also good for lesser fowls, as pheasants,
partridges, &c., and is nothing so dainty in her food as
liawks long winged.

" The hawk will make excellent sport with a kite, who,
as soon as she sees the saker cast off, immediately be-
takes herself to and trusts to the goodness of her wings,
and getteth to her pitch as high as possibly she may,
by making many turns and wrenches in the air ; which
if well observed, together with the variety of contests
and bickerings that are between them, it cannot but be
very pleasant and delightful to behold. I have known,
in a clear day and little wind stirring, that both the
saker and kite have soared so high that the sharpest
eye could not behold them, yet the saker in the en-
counter conquered the kite, and both come tumbling
down to the ground with a strange precipitancy. Of
all birds the saker has the longest train.

THE LANNER. 235

The Lanner, Lanneret, and Tunisian.

The lanner is a hawk common in all countries, espe-
cially in France, making her eyrie in high trees, in
forests, or on high cliffs near the sea side. She is less
than the falcon gentle, fair plumed when intermewed
(when a hawk is moulted in confinement), and of shorter
talon than any other falcon. Those who have the largest
and best seasoned heads are the best lanners. With
the lanner or lanneret you may fly the river, and both
also are very good for the laud. They are not very
choice in their food, and can better away with gross
victuals than any other hawk. Mewed lanners are
hardly kno\vn from the soar hawk (and so likcAVTse the
saker), because they do not change their plumes. You
may know the lanner by these three tokens : 1st, they
are blacker hawks than any other ; 2nd, they have less
beak ; 3rd, and lastly, they are less armed and pounced
than any other falcons. Of all hawks there is none so
fit for a young falconer as the lanner, because she is
not inclined to siu-feits, and seldom melts grease by
being overflown. Thej-e are a sort of lanners which
eyrie in the Alps, having their heads white and flat
aloft, large and black eyes, slender nazes, short and
thick beaks, and less than the haggard or falcon gentle.
They are of different sizes.

Their tail is marble or russet, their breast feathers
white, and full of russet spots ; their sails and tail
long. They are short legged, "vvith a foot less than that
of the falcon, marble sered, but being mewed the sere
changes to yellow.

" The lanner never lieth upon the wing after she hath
flown to mark, but after once stooping she maketh a

R 2

236 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

point, and then, like the goshawk, waits the fowl. If
she miss at the first down fall and kill not, she will
consult her advantage to her greatest ease.

" These kinds of hawks are highly prized in France
and Italy, neither is she despisable in England ; but we
look upon her as slothful and hard mettled, and there-
fore if you intend to have any good of her keep a strict
hand over her, for she is of an ungrateful disposition,
and will slight your kindness, contrary to the nature of
the falcon gentle." The lanner is even in France be-
come a scarce bird, which may easily be accounted for,
as I have already stated of the kite and some other
birds of prey, which are very rarely seen in England,
their ravenous propensities leading to their destruc-
tion.

Baebart Falcon.

This beautiful little falcon in colour and markings is
a perfect miniature likeness of the peregrine, and might
be taken for a dwarf variety of that bird were it not
for its proportional difference. It forms in our eyes the
beau-ideal of what a falcon should be, and is a perfect
model of strenglh and speed combined. For although
smaller by nearly a fourth than a peregrine, it has the
organs of destruction, such as the beak, feet, and talons,
fully as large, united to longer and much more pointed
wings in proportion to its total length ; in this respect
almost rivalling the hobby. Little mention is made of
this bird by the old authors.

The GrosHAWK.

The goshawk and its miniature neighbour, the sparrow-
hawk, were the only true haivks ever used in this country

THE GOSHAWK. 237

in falconry, and probably the whole of the short winged
species similarly employed elsewhere will be found to be
members of the two genera Astur and Accipiter, which
these two birds individnally represent. They are termed
the short winged or true hawks, in contradistinction to
the longer winged falcons, from which more noble race
they materially differ, both in disposition and greatly
diminished powers of flight ; they are also called hawks
of the fist, because it is from thence and not from a
lofty pitch they start in pursuit of their game. From
this circumstance it is absolutely necessary that the fal-
coner should approach very close upon the quarry before
springing it, otherwise these hawks will not even attempt
to follow. The goshawk is at the present day seldom
met with in England or Scotland, and can only be
regarded as a mere visitant. Young birds for training
must be obtained from Grermany or Sweden. There is
not the same necessity for flying young goshawks at
had', which exists as regards peregrine falcons and
merlins. The goshawk in the east is very highly prized.
In this country it is found so deficient in speed, com-
pared with that of our game, that it is evidently not so
well suited to the west, since it can only be flown suc-
cessfully at hares, pheasants, rabbits, and the young of
other birds, or at coots and moor hens.* Perhaps it
would be better to keep this hawk chiefly at the fur.

* Buifon, who brought up two young goshawks, observes, that " though
the male was much smaller than the female, it was fiercer and more
vicious. They feed on mice and small birds, and eagerly devour raw
flesh. It plucks the birds very neatly, and tears them into pieces before
it eats them, but swallows the pieces entire, and frequently disgorges
the hair rolled up in small pellets. Its breeding places are in trees
and sometimes in rocky excavations ; lajdng from two to four eggs, of a
bluish white, with brown spots, and streaks of the same."
r3

238 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSM.iX.

One great point in its favour, however, is the fact that
it may be used even in a thickly enclosed country,
where it would be useless to attempt to fly the pere-
grine. The peculiar flight of the goshawk, combined
with the great elasticity of its feathers, enables it to
make its way through thick cover without injury to it-
self. Above the eyes there is also an additional protec-
tion in the shape of a projecting cartilage, which is
stronger and more prominent than that with which the
falcons are provided. If, combined with this degree of
speed, the bird has sufficient strength to hold a full
grown rabbit, as much may be done with it as can be
expected from any goshawk. The male of this bird is
far more active than the female on the wing ; it has
even been sometimes known to take strong partridges.*

Some years ago, Mr. Birch, of Bretham in Norfolk,
had a bird of this description. One of the authors of
" Falconry in the British Isles " was induced by the en-
couragement and assistance of Mr. Barker to try one of
the birds. This gentleman, during a residence of many
years in Syria, where this species is in higli favour, was
accustomed to use the goshawk, and has taken in one
day three hares with an old favourite female bird, which
he kept for several years. With the same bird also he
has taken in a couple of days as many as forty-two
francolins in the second flight.

The francolin, it must be remarl^pd, however, is not
nearly as strong upon the wing as our English partridge,
nor are the hares so large. To sum up the good and

* In the spring of 1850, a newspaper gave an account of the courage
of a hen in defending her brood of chickens against the attack of a hawk.
The hawk made a stoop at the chickens, folly expecting to carry off one
of them, when the hen made a furious attack, and killed him on the
spot. This occurred on the fai-m of ]Mr. Thomas Nelson, of Dial House.

THE FEANCOLIN. 239

bad properties of the goshawk, we may say that in an
enclosed country, where no better species can be used,
this bird is well worth the trouble of training to rabbits,
or, in the case of a strong female, for hare hawking, as
also for flying pheasants ; other points in its favour are
a hardy constitution, and a readiness to thrive upon any
coarse sort of food, as also the power of flying repeatedly
during the day, with a less chance of being lost (because
it does not fly far at a time) than when a falcon is used.
On the other side, the goshawk, however well trained,
will not work at all in good temper and proper flying
order, termed in the East " yarak," * but will probably
take perch in a tree, where it may remain a long time,
and then fly off to other trees, paying no attention to
any hares, or a live rabbit, or a pigeon in a string, which
is of course most annoying to those whose chance of a
day's sport depends upon its will ; neither will it return
(like the peregrine) to its master, after an unsuccessful
flight, but requires him to go in search of it. It has
always the appearance of an unwilling slave, being both
timid and suspicious. Training consists in accustoming
it to sit quietly on the fist, which can only be accom-
plished by constant " carriage," and " maning " it, or
accustoming it to the presence of strangers. In this
respect it is to be treated in the same way as we shall
hereafter describe when speaking of the passage hawk,
with the exception of the use of the hood, the hood
being never put upon the hawk except when travelling.
"When at the perch, it should be fastened to a low perch
upon grass. From this perch it must be taught to come
to the fist for food ; as soon as it will do so readily, it

* An eastern term to signify when the short winged hawks ai-e in
hunting condition.

K 4

240 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

should be carried out at feeding time, secured by a
creance, and accustomed to do the same from the
ground, or from a gate, and afterwards from the bough
of a tree. It is a good plan also to give the bird live
mice and rats to kill amongst the grass, in order to make
it eager and easy of approach ; the latter also tend to
break it from the fault of carrying, which it will not do
for fear of being bitten. As the most tempting lure for
a goshawk (which unfortunately is not in yarak) is
a live pigeon, a goshawk should be acquainted with
pigeons, by being allowed to kill and eat two or three,
thrown out to it in a string. A stock of live rabbits
must now be laid in, which are easily secured by means
of a net and ferrets; two or three of these rabbits must
be given to it in a string ; if it seizes and holds on the
rabbit should be killed, and the bird allowed to feed on
it. As soon as the hawk can be trusted at large, and
has already taken some of the rabbits in the way
mentioned, it should be belled upon the tail and taken
out, sharp set, and offered a rabbit to the neck of which
is attached, by the means of a slight collar, about a yard
of single string ; this string is then doubled, and each
string, divided into the form of a V is tied to the end of
a light piece of cane. This splinter-bar-like contrivance
to a certain extent impedes the animal, and the strings
drawing the cane straight, prevents the rabbit escaping
into a hole. It must be remembered that one great
point in the successful training of young hawks is to
avoid as far as possible disappointment in their early
attempts ; this necessitates the sacrifice of some few un-
fortunate birds or beasts, which have no chance of es-
cape given them, but is in reality little more than what
other sports demand, such as cub-hunting with fox-

now TO MAXAGE THE FALCOX. 241

hounds, and the numbers of young grouse or other game
annually destroyed in t^ie process of dog-breaking be-
fore the shooting season.

As soon as a young goshawk will take rabbits treated
as above described, it may be considered ready for the
field. Should it be a strong female bird and intended
for hares, it must first be entered at rabbits as just
described, and then at leverets found in the field ; it
should afterwards be kept at hares alone, if it be ex-
l^ected to take them well. The male birds are not
strong enough to hold a hare ; in fact, it is only a few
of them that will take rabbits. Colonel Thornton was
accustomed to make use of the goshawk along with
spaniels for taking pheasants. This the bird was trained
to do, either from the perch or upon the wing ; for the
former mode a bagged cock pheasant in a creance was
placed upon the bough of a tree, and the hawk allowed
to seize it, when both were lowered to the ground
amongst the dogs. The male bird is more suited to
this game than the female. In former days wild ducks
were taken with this hawk ; this could only have been
done by coming suddenly upon them in a brook with
deep banks, or old marl pits filled with water, as, when
fairly upon the wing, these birds can easily outfly the
goshawk. Water-hens and coots it can take easily.
"When flying the female goshawk at hares, the nearer
she is brought to the seat the better will her chance be,
though she may come upon them from a tree. For
taking rabbits these birds are perfect, and from eight to
a dozen of these animals may be killed during the day
with one hawk. They show the best sport in a rough
rocky country, where the rabbits may be found sitting
out at some distance from their holes, with the assist-

242 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

ance of a good dog or two that will set tlie quarry.
The goshawk is perhaps the most difficult of all the
hawks to manage well, in consequence of its sulkiness
as well as its great powers of abstinence. When, how-
ever, it is in good flying order, it may be worked for a
longer time than any other hawk. It is quite useless to
take the bird out except when in " yarak." This happy
condition may be known by the erect crest, eager look,
and puffed-up plumage, together with the peculiar cry
of hunger. If, combined with these signs, it sits per-
fectly still upon the fist, moving only its head about, in
watch for the expected game, there is little fear of the
result. Should it, however, on the contrary, draw in its
feathers and utter a chirp-like twitter, it had better be
returned to its perch, for these are certain signs that it
will not fly. It requires about ten days to get this
hawk into " yarak." When, however, this point has
once been gained, it may be retained so for a long time
by judicious feeding and constant attention. In order
to accomplish this, the bird should be carried for an
hour or two, or more, each morning, and fed only to the
amount of a quarter of a crop upon small pieces of
beef, from which it must come to the fist from the
ground or perch, or it may be allowed to pull at a very
tough piece while on the hand. After about a week of
this drilling, should the bird manifest the proper symp-
toms, allow it to kill something and make a full meal,
The following day it must be carried a good deal and
fed very lightly, and the day after taken to the field
for regular work. When in full work it should have
daily from half to three quarters of a crop, with a good
gorge on Saturday.

Goshawks do not require so much food as peregrine

THEIR HABITS. 243

falcons, and will thrive upon a coarser description ;
rabl)its and rats, with a little beef, being perhaps the
best diet they can have. They can be moulted very
well upon the low perch ; and as this hawk generally
baits in one direction, a bath made from a large earthen-
ware cream bowl should be sunk in the ground, within
reach of the leash, on the side towards which it does
not go when baiting. In the field this hawk wall not
always come readily to the fist ; as, for instance, in a
sulky fit upon missing its game : under these circum-
stances a lure of a dead rabbit or bird may be used to
advantage. Although it is a bad habit to indulge its
obstinacy in any way, beef is the most attractive bait
to offer this or any other hawk. With the dogs em-
ploj-ed in hunting with the goshawk the bird shoidd
be well acquainted, as it is very shy of anything strange ;
or if a ferret is used for bolting the rabbits from their
holes, tire bird must be equally well acquainted with it ;
if kept and fed in each other's company, this acquaint-
ance is soon effected. Immediately upon the capture
of a rabbit the falconer should go up and kill it, re-
warding the hawk with morsels from the head, such as
the eyes, tongue, brains, &c. This will induce the
bird to seize its game by the head, the only part it can
fix upon. Goshawks do not appear to suffer from
standing idle for a long time, as after a week or ten
days' drilling they work as well as ever. They should
never be flown when at all wet, as they are almost sure
under such circumstances to take perch. As they are
very powerful in their feet, and when feeding are apt
to use their talons indiscriminately, it is advisable that
the hand be well protected by a strong buckskin glove.
The colour of the young goshawks differs considerably

244 REMINISCENCES OP A SPORTSMAN.

from that of the mature state. During the first year
the whole of the under portion of the body is of a
rusty salmon colour, marked with lanceolated streaks of
blackish-brown ; while the upper part is liver-brown,
each feather being margined with reddish-white. At
first the eyes are grey ; this colour gradually changes
with age to lemon-yellow, and eventually becomes
orange. The cere is wax-yellow, with the tarsi and
feet of a deeper tone. At the first change the whole of
the under plumage becomes light grey, striped trans-
versely with narrow bars of a dark brown colour ;
the top of the head, back, wings, and tail becoming a
uniform hair brown, with fine distinct bars of a darker
colour on the latter. There is also a streak of light
grey over each eye ; speckled, as are the cheeks, with
minute brown splashes. The bars on the breast of the
adult birds differ considerably in width in different
individuals. The under tail coverts are pure white.

The Spareow-Hawk.

Montague describes the male as being five ounces in
weight, and the female nine, so great is the disparity
between the sexes in this species. In lengih the former
is twelve inches, the latter fifteen ; bill bluish, cere
yellow, irides orange yellow, and furnished with bristles
at the base, the orbit offering an unusual protecting
projection. The plumage of both sexes is somewhat
variable, being sometimes of a deep bluish -grey, and
at others inclines to a brown tinge edged with ferru-
ginous markings. The breast of the male is of a rust
colour, that of the female approaches to white. On
the back of the head both male and female present a

THE SPAREOW-IIAWK. 245

broken patch of white, which tends to characterise this
species particularly.

The sparrow-hawk is a familiar type of the true
hawk. The wings of this bird are short, rounded, hardly
reaching to the middle of the tail, which, however, is
long. In form it is slender, but elegant. Its flight,
Avhen in pursuit of prey, is rapid in the extreme ; but
when searching for food, Mr. Macgillivray observes, " it
moves along gently and silently, with easy flappings,
alternating with short sailings or glidings, its head re-
tracted, its tail extended and slightly spread. It often
stops, hovers over some spot in a field, supporting itself
in the air by a quick but gentle motion of the wings,
then moves onwards a himdred yards or so, and again
stops to survey the subjacent objects, sometimes remain-
ing for a considerable time almost motionless. On some
occasions it will perch on a stump tree, or wall,
patiently explore the neighbourhood for awhile, until,
finding its search v^ain, it will fly off, or, observing a
bird, will glide rapidly towards it, and secure it in an
instant." "NVilloughby informs us that this bird was used
to be trained to the sport, and Bellarius also details a
common and familiar way of taking these hawks about
the Strait of Propontis, in these words : " Not far dis-
tant,*' saith he, " from the outlet of the Euxine Sea, at
the entrance of the strait leading to the Propontis,
having climbed up a very high hill that is there, by chance
we found a fowler on the top, intent upon catching
sparrow-hawks. "VNTiereas it was now past mid April,
at which time all sorts of birds are wont to be very
busy in building their nests or breeding, it seemed to
us wonderful, strange, and unusual, to see such a multi-
tude of kites and hawks coming flying from the right

246 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

side of the sea. This fowler did with such industry
and dexterity lay wait for them, that not so much as
one escaped him. He took at least twelve hawks
every hour. The manner thus: " he himself lay hid
behind a little basket, before which he had levelled
a square flat or floor, about two paces long and broad,
being two or three paces distant from the basket ;
in the borders of this floor he had pitched down,
or thrust into the ground, sis stakes at due dis-
tances, of about the thickness of one's thumb. On
the top of each, was a nick cut in, upon which was
hung a net made of fine green thread. In the middle
of the floor stood a stake a cubit high, to the top of
which a cord was bound, which reached as far as the
fowler who lay behind the basket. To this same line,
lying loose, were many little birds fastened, which picked
up grains of corn on the floor. Now, when the fowler
saw a hawk coming from afar off from the sea-coast,
shaking the line, he made these birds to flicker up and
down; which the sparrow-hawks (as they are notably
long sighted) espying at least half a league off, came
flying full speed, and rushed upon the nets with that
force to strike at the birds, that, being entangled, were
taken. The hawks being allured into the nets, and
caught by this artifice, the fowler thrusts their whole
wings up to the shoulders into certain linen cloths, sewn
up for that purpose, which our falconers call mayling
or trussing of hawks. Thus niayled or trussed up,
he left them on the ground, so unable to help them-
selves that they could not stir nor struggle, much less
disengage or deliver themselves. No man could easily
imagine whence such a multitude of sparrow-hawks
could come, for in two hours' time that we were spec-

now TO TRAIN IT. 247

tators of that sport, we saw more than thii-ty takeu by
this deceit, whence one may conjecture that one fowler,
in the space of one day, might take more than a hun-
dred." These hawks do not usually stay so long in
one place as falcons, but are often changing place,
whence it is more difficult to take them with a net.

The sparrow-hawk may be taught to fly at partridges,
landrails, quails, and all the smaller birds ; and as she
is very industrious and not intractable, it is to be
wondered that, so easily as she may be procured, she
is not used more. Perhaps it is because she will not
follow birds high in the air. As a short winged hawk
she is reclaimed and manned after the manner of the
goshawk, which she so much resembles. To prevent
her being baulked at her first essay at partridges, enter
her either to a young bird, or otherwise to one shortened,
i. e. with one wing or both wings clipped. Blome says,
" When you enter your sparrow-hawk, hold your left
hand aloft, that she may the better watch both the
spaniels and prey ; you must give her some small re-
ward, after every flight, especially if she kill ; and if at
first entering she miss, be sure to have some young-
partridges or birds in your bag for her to kill. After
she is well entered and poussled, then hold down your
fist, whereas formerly you held it up. You should like-
wise be sure to let your spaniels range near together,
and on your right hand, that she may the better discern
her game, and flee to the most advantage; for which
purpose you should be as near the dogs as possible, and
carry jowx hand low, that she may not bear at the game,
before they spring. He that is not quick of sight and
nimble of hand with his sparrow-hawk, shall soon spoil
her, but with care and due attendance there are few

248 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

hawks of more pleasure, for you may flee her at such
times of the year as you can't the goshawk. Her keep-
ing ought to be delicate, and in regard she is so small
and weak, be sure to keep her high and lusty, yet with
due regard to the preparation of her stomach before
you take the field with her. She will kill, according to
the several seasons, diversity of game. She generally
delights to flee close to the ground, and will stoutly
attack the lapwing, ring-dove, jay, magpie, blackbird,
and the like game, and she may be made to hold out
all the summer. You should flee her from the hood,
and not let her spend her little strength, and disorder
herself, by unruly baiting, which happens by being
carried bare." Both the sparrow-hawk and goshawk,
be it remembered, must come to the field sharp set.
The short winged hawks do Viot fly iox flying sake, nor
fight like the ger-falcon and slight falcon with the heron,
for the very love of fighting; they, on the contrary,
must be stimulated by hunger to make them fierce.
It is mentioned in " Falconry in the British Isles "
that the chase of a blackbird with a sparrow-hawk
lasted twenty minutes. In its wild state the sparrow-
hawk is so determined in the pursuit of its quarry that
it has been frequently known to dash through a window,
in order to seize some cage bird ; and one has been seen
to force itself to such an extent into a blackthorn
bush, where it had killed a linnet, as to require to be
cut out.

249

CHAP. XLII.

NAXrRAL raSTORY OF THE FALCON CONTINFED. — THE HOBBY. —

THE KESTREL : ITS HABITS. — THE MERLIN. — THE KITE.

ANECDOTES.

The hobby is a long winged hawk, and though small in
bulk, his length of wings and form of beak and talons
rank him high in the list of both naturalist and
falconer. He is thus described : length, twelve inches ;
spread of wing, twenty-six ; tail, five and three-quarters,
rather rounded, and furnished with twelve broad accu-
minated feathers ; tips of the wings, which reach
beyond the extremity of the tail, are narrow, and rather
pointed towards the extremity. The first primary is
notched out on the inner web, and is but little shorter
than the second, which has its outer web slightly cut
out. The bill is blue ; cere and orbit of the eye, yellow :
irides, orange ; a light-coloured streak passes over each
eye ; the top of the head and back are bluish black ;
wing coverts the same, but in some are edged with
rust colour ; the hinder part of the neck is marked
with two pale yellow spots ; a black mark from behind
each eye is extended down on the neck ; the breast and
belly are pale, marked with dirty streaks ; wings brown ;
the two middle tail feathers deep dove colour, the
others barred with rust, and tipped with white ; the
legs and feet are yellow. The female is larger than the
VOL. II. s

250 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

male, which, in falconers' vocabulary, is her jack or robin.
The length is thirteen inches ; extent of wings, twenty-
eight ; bill and feet the same colour as the male;
feathers of head margined with brown, throat and neck
white ; hinder part of the neck brownish white ; breast
and belly reddish white, striped with brown ; the spots
on the breast more conspicuous than on the male. The
hobby breeds with us, lays three or four bluish-white
eggs, u-regularly spotted with grey and olive, and is
said to emigrate in October. It was, we are informed,
formerly used in the taking of larks and other small
birds in the following singular manner, known by the
term darings : when the hawk was cast off, while hover-
ing on the wing, she was sure to tix larks, and whatever
small birds were there, immovable to the ground through
fear, which thus paralyzed, became an easy prey to the
fowler, who drew a net over them. Buffon says " the
hobby was also regularly flown at partridges and quails."
These birds migrate in winter, and retm-n in the spring
for the purpose of breeding.

" The hobby builds its nest," says Colonel Montague,
" in trees, and sometimes takes possession of a deserted
crow's nest. The number of its eggs is usually four, of
a bluish white, with olive-green or yellowish-brown
blotches. We have seen three young ones taken from
a nest which were not of so dark a colour as the old
birds. Small as this species of falcon is, it is inferior
to none in point of courage, while its flight is wonder-
fully rapid, and supported with undiminished vigour
for a considerable time. It will frequently pounce on
partridges, but its favourite game seems to be the lark,
to which it is a great enemy, and it is frequently taken
in pursuit of them by birdcatchers in their nets" " We

THE HOBBY. 251

have often," continues the same authorit}^, ^' witnessed
its flight in pursuit of this bird, and it is astonishing
how dexterously the little creature avoids the fatal
strokes until it become fatigued. A hobby, in pursuit
of a lark, was joined by a hen harrier, who, not being
so rapid on the wing, was usually behind, and ready to
avail Inmself of the sudden turns the unfortunate lark
was compelled to make to avoid the talons of the hobby»
However, after numberless evolutions, the hen harrier
relinquished, being unequal to the chase, and left the
deadly stroke to one better adapted for rapid and
durable flight and aerial evolutions. The country was
open, and as far as the eye could discern the chase
continued, but doubtless without a chance of the lark
avoiding the fatal blow." The hobby, both male and
female, though naturally impatient, yet with much care
and perseverance may be trained to wait on, and will
afford some sport, small as their size is, when flown at
blackbirds, thrushes, larks, &c.

These minikin falcons were great favourites with
some of the most reputed old falconers. Blome is
loud in their praise. " This hawk," he says, " next
the merlin, is the least of all hawks, j-et held in good
esteem, being observed to follow the falconer and dog
in the field ; and when she espies any lark or other
small birds, she makes at them with great courage, few
escaping her. She affords very good diversion with
nets and spaniels, which is thus done. Cause your
dogs to range and beat about the field, to spring tlie
larks ; but the poor birds, espying the hawk soaring
aloft, dare not betake themselves to their wings, think-
ing to lie close, and so you draw the net over them
and take them. The hobby lieth indifiereut well

252 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN".

upon her wings, and when she follows the spaniels as
they range about, will make divers turns on them, so
that when the game is sprung she may the more ad-
vantageously stoop from her wings, and being well
manned, she serves for several sorts of game. The
hobby must be taught and trained in each particular
like the falcon ; and observe not to flee her in the day,
for then she is apt to soar and be lost (although for a
time being to be found again) ; but about two o'clock
in the afternoon begin to flee her, and so hold on till
near sunset, and longer is not good for fear of losing
her ; and if you order her according to the directions
given for the falcon, she will make a hawk of great
delight, for you may flee her oftener and when you
can't any other. She is often made to flee the partridge
at the first season of the year ; also the quail, wheat-
ear, and the like. In plain champaign fields, where
great and tall bushes grow, the hobby will make abun-
dance of stoopings (while resting sometimes) ; and if the
bushes stand at some reasonable distance, the birds will
be so terrified at the sight of her as to suffer you almost
to take them up with your hand, but may easily kill
them with a cross-bow. And this they will do seven or
eight times, making their stooj^ings with rest between,
so that the sport will last three or four hours. The
eyess hobby is best for the mount, and I hold this way
the best for retaining and preparing them. You must
take her out of the nest a little before she is able to
stand on the side thereof; then provide some other nest
on any tree in your garden or orchard seven or eight
feet from the gi'ound, and there at set times feed her
with bits from the sharp end of a stick ; and when she
is able to stand stifl" on her legs, and to tus: hard for her

THE HOBBY. 253

meat, then teach her to come from thence by yom- art
in luring and calling her, though it be but a foot at
first, and so by degrees further and further until she
will come from the nest to you, as far as she can well
hear you, and there must she attend on her wings until
you take her in. When she is full summed she must
have her jesses, bewits, and bells, with other usual
ornaments and dressings ; then must she be made
acquainted with the hood and carriage on your fist all
day; she must also be accustomed to men, horses, and
dogs ; and she must be trained with larks, which had
need to be let loose with a great deal of caution, that
she perceive not them let go from your hand : her first
train should be let loose in a creance of brown thread,
and mounted forty or fifty feet high before you unhood
her ; three or four trains thus killed will be a sufficient
introduction. When she is thus thoroughly made, you
may flee her at the lark with advantage of the wind and
near approach, and afterwards you need not use so
much care, for she will soon gain strength, and under-
stand her business. At such times when you do not
use nor flee her, you need to look after her only at feed-
ing times, remembering to draw her by your lure and
voice at least a quarter if not half a mile from home,
and then feed and leave her ; for when she hath once
fed, feaked and rejoyced, she will soon find the way home
to the place where she was bred and trained up. On
resting days, when she is gorged, you may find her in
the heat of the day flying and soaring aloft, whereby
she becomes acquainted with the adjacent places. — -
(" Grentleman's Recreation.")

6 3

254 EEMES^ISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMA^.

The Kesteel.

The kestrel, or stonegall, stamel hawk, or the wind
hover, so called from its habit of hovering in the wind,
though it is one of the most common of our hawks,
is yet one of the most elegant, uniting in an emi-
nent degree lightness with strength in its structure.
The wings, when closed, do not reach to the end of the
tail by two inches. The body is ovate in shape, the
bill short and strong, having the tooth-like process and
medial festoon very distinct ; thus gaining in one, the
requisite characteristics of rank, what it loses in the
other. The male and female differ so considerably that .
a description of each is necessary. The female, accord-
ing to JNIontague, is considerably longer than the male,
his measurement being thirteen inches and a half, extent
of wing twenty-seven ; of the female, length fourteen
inches and a half, extent of wing thirty.

The male kestrel is thus described by Bewick from
one he had in his possession. Length fourteen inches ;
breadth two feet three inches ; bill blue ; cere and eye-
lids yellow ; eyes black ; forehead dull yellow ; top of the
head, back part of the neck and sides, as far as the
points of the wings, lead colour, faintly streaked with
black ; back and coverts of the wings bright cinnamon
brown, spotted with black; quill feathers with dusky
edges ; inside of the wings white, beautifully sjDotted
with brown on the under coverts. The under part of
the body is pale rust colour, streaked and spotted with
black, and the tail feathers fine blue grey, with, black
shafts ; legs yellow ; claws black. The principal food
of the kestrel is said to consist of field mice, and, by
examining the contents of the stomach of such as have

ITS HABITS. 255

been shot, the exiivia of beetle ; parts of dung beetle
being found in considerable numbers show that it is also
insectivorous as well as carnivorous. The kestrel is
also accused in Scotland of carrying off young chickens.
Mr. Macgillivray's translation of Buffon's notice of
the predatory habits of this bird, is too interesting to
be omitted. " The cresserele," says he, " is the most
common rapacious bird in most of the French provinces,
and especially in Burgundy. There is not an old castle
or a tower which it does not frequent and inhabit. It is
particularly in the morning and evening that it is seen
flying about these old buildings, and that it is heard
more frequently than seen. It has a hurried cry of
' pli, pli, pli,' or ' pri, pri, pri,' which it incessantly re-
peats as it flies, which frightens all the little birds, on
Avhich it darts like an arrow, and seizes with its talons.
If it happens to miss them at the first plunge, it pur-
sues them into the houses, fearless of danger. I have
more than once seen my people take a cresserelle, and
the little bird which it was pursuing, by closing the
window of the room, or a door of a gallery which was
more than two hundred yards from the old tower whence
it had issued. When it has seized and carried off the
bird, it kills and plucks it very neatly before eating it.
it does not take such trouble with mice, for it swallows
the smaller whole, and tears the others to pieces. All
the soft parts of the mouse are digested in the stomach
of this bird, but the skin is rolled up so as to form a
little pellet, which it voids by the mouth, and not by
the intestines, for its excrements are almost liquid and
whitish. On putting these pellets, which it vomits,
into hot water to soften and unravel them, you find

256 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

the entire skin of the mouse, as if it had been flayed.
It at first feeds the young with insects, and afterwards
carries to them plenty of field mice, which it perceives
on the gromid from the greatest height in the air, when
it slowly circles, and then remains stationary to spy its
prey, on which it falls in a moment. It sometimes
carries off a red partridge much heavier than itself. It
often also catches pigeons which straggle from the flocks ;
but its most common prey, next to field mice and rep-
tiles, consists of sparrows, chaffinches, and other small
birds." Though Buffon's account is interesting, it is
erroneous ; the kestrel never kills birds when they are
on the wdng. It kills them as it does mice, when they
are running or at rest on the ground. The propaga-
tion of the kestrel begins about the end of March, the
male and female remaining together through the year.
This bird may be met with in any part of Great Britain,
equally on cultivated as in wild localities. The nest it
makes is simple, as it may be said to be rather laid
than built in the excavations in the cliffs on the sea
coasts. Cavities in trees are not unfrequently made
use of for the purpose, and occasionally kestrels occupy
the deserted nest of one of the pie tribe. Four or five
eggs are usually deposited, rather of a short elliptical
than round form, uniform, or almost uniform at both
ends, of a pale orange colour, dotted or splashed with
dirty red. The flight of the kestrel is singular, yet
graceful. It appears like suspension in the air without
effort. If observed steadily a slight motion of the
wings may be noticed, which fans the air, and thus
supports the bird, who at the same moment, and with
little effort, fills her whole body with air. The kestrel

THE MERLIN. 257

was formerly used in Great Britain in hawking par-
tridges and otlier birds of straight flight. Although it
is easily reclaimed, more efficient agents have led to the
discontinuance of its use. Nevertheless, some of the
old writers describe it as a good field hawk, and praise
it for a fast goer aforehead. The kestrel is found
throughout Europe and North America. Selby says
that the kestrel hawks go after cockchafers in the
evening. He has seen this bird dart through a swarm
of them, carrying one in each claw, and eat them while
on the wiag.

The Merlin.

The merlin is the smallest of the hawks, but it is
also one of the most active and beautiful ; little longer
than the blackbird, it can kill a partridge at a single
pounce, such is its power and determination. The
" Field " newspaper says a merlin in pursuit of its prey,
viz. a robin, flew into a cottage through the open win-
dow, when the old dame of the cot seized the tongs, with
which she actually killed it. The robin escaped.

This was the favourite hawk of the ladies ; and when
hawking was so general a field amusement this bird
was on these occasions carried on the hand of the
female falconers. The wings reach to -within two inches
from the tip of the tail, which is marked with alternate
dusky and pale bars. The male merlin, called by the
older falconers the jack of the female is, it would
appear, less rammish than most hawks. Colonel Mon-
tague tells us that one taken in a trap cage, into which
he had entered in pursuit of a bullfinch, proved very

258 KEMINISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN".

docile ; and what was remarkable, was very fond of
drinking water, and indeed showed signs of much
distress when it was not at hand, with which it was
apprehended was occasioned by fever, as it died of in-
flammation of the chest. There is a quickness and
general liveliness of manner in both the male and
female merlin, very different from the grave deport-
ment of the hawk tribe generally. All their move-
ments bespeak volatility and hurried purpose ; on the
wing both are rapid in the extreme. In external
markings the male is distinguished, according to Mr.
Macgillivray, by having the upper parts tinged with
dark bluish grey, each feather having a black central
line ; the lower parts of the body are of a light reddish
yellow, with oblong dark-brown spots. The upper part
of the head is of a brownish-grey, the lower part of a
greyish- white. The bill is of a pale blue at the ball,
bluish-black at the end ; in figure it is short and strong,
its upper mandibles being sharply curved at the base ;
the tomia sharp anteriorly, with a slight central festoon,
having the angular process characteristic of the genus
very distinct.

The lower mandible has a truncated tip and semi-
circular notch directly behind it. In length the merlin
ranges from ten to twelve inches ; its weight about four
ounces. The female merlin differs from the male in
being somewhat larger, and somewhat differently marked
and coloured. Length twelve and a half inches ; extent
of wings, twenty-eight inches. In both male and female
the legs, which are slender, are feathered before more
than a third of the length, and are compressed behind
and covered with scales.

The flight of the merlin, we are told by the accurate

THE KITE. iJ9

authority just quoted, " is very similar to that of the
sparrow-hawk, being rapid, protracted, and devious.
But it generally flies at a greater height than that bird,
although you may also see it skimming over the field
or copses, and gliding along the hedges. It often
captures small birds by thus coming upon them un-
awares ; but it may be as often seen pursuing one in
the open sky, and ultimately securing it, sometimes
after a long chase. It perches on a stone or crag,
apparently for the purpose of inspecting the neighbour-
hood, and from its situation, should a flock of small
birds come up, it pounces upon an individual, from
the pursuit of which it is not drawn by the presence of
others. Its prey consists of larks, chaffinches, thrushes,
pipers, and partridges, though very rarely.

Some authors also state that it occasionall_y feeds on
beetles and other insects, which is a habit common to
all the small hawks as well as most owls. The merlin
is by no means a common bird; it is perhaps more
frequent in Scotland than in any other part of the
British dominions, where it appears to be a constant
resident. It visits England in October, about the time
the hobby retires, but even then seldom penetrates far-
ther south than Cumberland, where Dr. Latham informs
us it has been found more than once with four young
ones placed on the ground. " In the middle of a high
clump of heath there were found, on the moors of
Northumberland, three young ones about half grown,
but no nest. They were well concealed, and could not have
been discovered but by a setting dog making a point
at them. The eggs are said to be of a plain choco-
late colour, and an instance has been known of the
bii'ds depositing them in a deserted crow's nest."

260 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOKTSMAN.

the contrary, says its nidification is usually in trees or
on the ground, where it lays five or six eggs of a whitish
cast, except one, which has a green tinge. Notwith-
standing which discrepancy both writers are probably
correct. Quails, blackbirds, thrushes, snipes, and larks
are taken with this minikin hawk, and she has been
successfully flown at partridges ; we have heard, but
should doubt it, woodcocks noticed as being her quarry
occasionally. This hawk, when young, is reclaimed by
the same methods as are used towards the slight falcon.
Blome says " it is usual to fly a cast at a time, which
is very pleasant, for the birds are so terrified at the
sight of them that they choose rather to take shelter
under the horses' legs than to rely on their wings,
and a cast of merlins makes excellent sport with the
snipe in the winter, being much like the flight of the
heron and the ger-falcon. To order this aright, do
thus : — When your merlins are thoroughly manned
and made gentle, carry them into the field, and having
found a lark, or some small bird, make loose their hoods,
and go as near as you can into the wind to the bird,
and as soon as the bird riseth unhood them and cast
them off to flee, and when they have beaten down the
game, let them feed theron for their reward ; as first
you must flee them with the most advantage you can,
that they may not be over- wrought."

The Kite.

The kite, provincially the forked-tail gleed, or buttock,
notwithstanding it ranks low in the falconer's estimation,
is yet an object of admiration to the naturalist, and

ANECDOTES. 261

indeed to every common observer. Although the fe-
male weighs less than three pounds usually, yet her
wings extend beyond five feet. The male, according to
Colonel jNIontague, " weighs about two pounds six
ounces ; length two feet two inches. The bill yellowish,
point dusky ; cere, yellow ; irides, the same, but of a
light colour. Head grey, streaked do\vn the middle of
each feather with dusky ; back and wing coverts dusky,
edged with ferruginous marks ; the upper parts more or
less ferruginous, streaked with dusky ; lightest on the
breast ; quill feathers dusky black ; the legs are yellow,
claws black.

" The tail of this bird at once distinguishes it from all
others of the genus, being much forked; the exterior
feathers are twelve inches in length. The female is
somewhat larger, measuring in length two feet four
inches, breadth five feet six inches ; in colour much
resembling the other six, but in general not so ferru-
ginous." We must, however, observe that the kite
varies much by age, more so than is generally known.
Of its habits we may remark, that though common in
some parts, it is scarce in others. It is more frequent
in woods than in champaign countries ; it seemed, how-
ever, somewhat of a rover, as we have known a pair
to have been seen almost daily, and then to be altogether
missed for some months. In some parts of Scotland it
is frequently met with, in others not at all. Mr. Mac-
gillivray says, " I have observed it in the counties of
Aberdeen, Stirling, and Arg3de ; but in the Hebrides
and in the southern division of Scotland I have never
met with it. As a proof of its rarity in the latter
district, I know of only one specimen that came through
the hand of the bird-stuffers in Edinburgh in the course

262 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

of eight years." Though not worthy of the trouble of
training to hawk at command, it does not want for
predacity in search of food. " At a farm-house," says
Colonel Montague, "in the neighbourhood of Hastings,
a servant girl was alarmed by an unusual uproar among
the poultry, and on looking out she saw a large bird
hovering close to the window over some coops where
several broods of ducks and chickens were left. She
accordingly sallied forth to drive the bird away ; but he
took so little notice of her that she snatched up a
broom, and actually knocked him down and killed him.
It proved to be a kite, which had probably a nest in tlie
neighbouring wood." A circumstance similar to that
just related we witnessed in one of this species, that
afforded us no small amusement.

" A poor woman was washing some entrails in a stream
of water, part of which extended a few yards out of the
basket, placed in the water ; the hungry bird had long
been hovering over, viewing with anxious eyes so delicious
a bait, and took the opportunity of pouncing upon and
carrying off a part, in spite of all the woman's efforts
with hands and tongue, the latter of which might have
alarmed a more powerful enemy. We remember an
instance of two male kites in the spring of the year
being so intent on combat that they both fell to the
ground, holding firmly by each other's talons, and
actually suffered themselves to be killed by a wood-
man who was close by, with his bill-hook."

In England it is chiefly observed in the more
wooded districts, where timber-trees abound ; it is
also common in the eastern parts, but is rare in the
north, and even more so in the west ; for in twelve
years' residence in Devonshire, we never observed but

ANECDOTES. 263

one in the soutliern district of that county. The
kite, it may be perceived, is by no means very choice
in its food, being ready, when living prey is not at hand,
to satisfy the cravings of its nature with reptiles, worms,
and any garbage or oflfal that may fall in its way ; nor
is it inapt at such times to attack the young lambs,
though hares, rabbits, grouse, partridges, and domestic
fowls of all kinds are the usual objects of its choice.
In truth, the kite is by no means an epicure, and there-
fore will put up with coarse food rather than none.
The flight of the kite is peculiar, and is thus described
by Bufifon : " One cannot but admire the manner in
which the flight is performed ; his long and narrow
wings seem immovable ; it is his tail that seems to
direct all his movements, and he moves it continually ;
he rises wathout effort, comes do^vn as if he were sliding
along an inclined plane ; he seems rather to swim than
fly ; he darts forward, slackens his speed, stops, and
remains suspended or fixed in the same place for whole
hours, withovit exhibiting the smallest motion of his
wings."

The spring is the season for the propagation of kites,
who usually build their nest in the fork of some large
tree. Pieces of wood, crossed with twigs, are surmounted
by moss, feathers, wool, and hair, so as to make a more
comfortable place for nidification than is usual with the
large raptorial bu'ds. Our information was gained from
an old gamekeeper, who professed to have examined
three or four "glead nestesses," as he termed them. The
kite would appear, from Shaw's account, to have been
very plentiful formerlv. " In the days of King Henry
the Eighth, as appears from the observation of the cele-
brated Elusius (L. Ealuse), the British metropolis itself

264 KEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN".

swarmed with kites, which were attracted by the various
kinds of offal throwu into the streets, and were so fear-
less as to take their prey amongst the greatest crowds, it
being forbidden to kill them.*

* In South America the small black vulture is never molested by the
inhabitants of the towns or villages, as they perform the duty of sca-
vengers, by devouring all the offal and filth that is left in the streets,
and they become so tame that you may approach within a few yards of
them without their showing any fear.

265

CHAP. XLIII.

MEinOD OF TAKrXG FALCONS. — HAWKS. — ETESSES. — MODES OF
CAPirRE. — IN ICELAND. — TECHNICAL TERMS, — TRAINING OF
HAWKS. — QUALITIES OF THE FALCONER. — TRAINING RULES. —
HOW TO FEED THE HAWK. — TRAINING THE HAGGARD. — THE

LIVING QUARRY. THE WORKING HAWK. SHORT WINGED

HAAVKS. — EXTRACT FROM BERT. — HERON HAWKING. — KITE AND
PHEASANT HAWKING. — WATERFOWL HAATKING. — PARTRIDGE
HAWKING. — A PLEA FOR THE PEREGRINE.

Hawks may be obtained as eyesses from the nest, or
they may be caught just after leaving the nest, when
able to fly only from bough to bough. They are also
entrapped or netted after they are full grown, either as
permanent residents, or more generally during their
migrations as passage hawks.

The t akin a and reaeing of Eyesses.

The eyess must be sought after in such places as
accord with the habits of nidification of the parent birds ;
and as the mature falcons and hawks generally return to
the same spot to breed, the seeker may be pretty sure of
finding them. jNIost of the falcons build in cliffs ; hawks
also sometimes make their nests in cliffs, others in trees,
some on the ground, and not unfrequently they make
use of the old nest of some other bird, as the magpie or
crow, for the puipose.

Of unfledged eyesses it must be remarked that, when
discovered, the prudence of either taking them at once,

VOL. II. T

266 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

or suffering them to remain until a little further ad-
vanced, must depend on circumstances. When it can he
done, they should be left as long as possible with the
parent birds, because they will thrive with them much
faster than under the best care of the falconer. But
first there is the chance of their being taken by some
other person ; and next, when more advanced in growth,
there is a greater chance that their quill-feathers may
be broken in removing them, from the greater resistance
they then make, particularly if they have far to be car-
ried. When the young are not immediately abstracted
from the nest, but are either met with as branchers, or
are purposely suffered to remain imtil they can clamber
among the boughs, the usual method of taking them is
by means of springs of green silk, set on the small
branches among the foliage. The young eyess is ren-
dered much more obedient and attached by its early
domestication than either the tabler or trapped hawk
can be, with equal trouble ; however, the artificial rear-
ing of the eyess is in some degree against its perfect
development, consequently the effective qualities are
more powerful, and they are more valued by most fal-
coners than the former. Haggards, or native hawks, are
entrapped in various ways, but the most important
varieties are generally taken during their migrations,
and are thence called passage hawks. Among the
methods of taking native hawks, is that which is effected
by the aid of the ash-coloured snipe, popularly the
butcher bird. The method is thus described by Mr. J.
D. Hoy : " The village of Falconsward in North Brabant
has been long famed for its falconers ; it formerly sent
out men well practised in the art to every part of Europe,
and the few efficient falconers still remaining (as this

MODES OF CAPTURE. 267

diversion has been laid aside of late years on the conti-
nent as well as in this country,) are natives of the village
of P'alconsward. The hawks are generally caught during
the months of October and November, Avhen they are on
their passage towards the southern parts of Europe. The
falconer constructs a low turf hut in an open part of the
country, with a small opening on one side ; at about a
hundred yards' distance a light-coloured pigeon is placed
in a hole in the ground covered with tiu-f, with a string
attached to it which reaches to the hut ; another pigeon
is placed at a similar distance on the opposite side. At
ten yards' distance from each pigeon a small bow net is
fixed on the ground, so arranged as to be pulled quickly
over by means of a piece of small iron wire, made fast
to the net, and reaching to the hut. The string by
which the pigeon is held passes through a hole in a
piece of wood, driven into the ground in the centre of
the bow net. The falconer has also a decoy pigeon in
a string a short distance from the hut, and several tame
pigeons on the outside, who on the sight of the hawk
immediately take shelter within. The butcher bird is
fastened by a leather thong on a hillock of turf a yard in
height ; and a few yards' distance of the hut a small hole
is made, and a piece of turf laid over for a place of retreat
in case of danger. The falconer, employing himself in some
sedentary occupation, observes every motion of his little
watch ; and it is almost incredible at how great a distance
he will point a falcon in the air. If it approaches, he
shows symptoms of alarm in his feathers, fixing his eyes
in the same direction ; on a nearer approach he screams
aloud, the falcon being then not less than three or four
hundred yards' distance; on its closer approach he retreats
under the tiu-f, and quite conceals himself. It is then that

268 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

the falconer draws out the pigeons where, the nets are
fixed, which flattering round, generally tempts the hawk
to make a stoop at one of them, which if it takes, it is
inevitably ensnared. While the falcon is near, the
shrike continues in his hiding-place, hardly daring to
show his head at the entrance of his retreat : should the
falcon be taken, or pass over without attacking the
pigeons, he cautiously creeps out, yet almost afraid to
trust himself on the hillock, looking on every side ; and
does not during some time recover from his alarm. He
is even more terrified at the sight of a goshawk, scream-
ing and endeavouring to escape, as this hawk would seize
him in his hiding-place should it get sight of him, which
the falcon would not. He does not show much alarm
at the sight of a kite, nor at the different species of
buzzard, unless they are very near him ; so that by the
motions of the butcher bird the falconer can tell almost
with certainty the species of hawk which is approach-
ing. Were it not for the penetrating eye of the watchful
bird, the falconer would sit many hours to no purpose,
for he would not know when to draw the pigeons out to
lure the hawk."

The manner in which the Icelanders capture falcons
is thus related by Herrebon, in his " Natural History of
Iceland." " They strike two posts into the ground at a
little distance from each other ; to one they tie a part-
ridge or pigeon by a small line two or three yards long,
that they may flutter about a little and that the falcon
may sooner observe them ; to the leg of the partridge
or pigeon they tie another string a hundred yards* length
or more, which goes through a hole in the other post, in
order to draw the bait to that post, where a net is fixed
like a fishing net, with a hoop in a semicircle of six feet

IN ICELAND. 2G9

diameter ; this being pulled down, it goes over and covers
the post, for which purpose there is another string
fastened to the upper part of the hoop, which goes
through the first post to which the bait is tied : these
two strings the falcon-catcher has hold of, that he may
pull the bait where he pleases, as also the net over his
prey. These nets they fix near a nest, or where they see
a flight of falcons approach. As soon as the falcon sees
the bait fluttering on the ground, he takes a few sweeps
about in the air, just over the place, and looks about to
see if there be any danger ; then he strikes with such
violence as to take the pigeon's head off as clean as if
cut off with a knife. The moment he has struck the
bait he generally flies up again, unless very hungry, to
look about if any danger be at hand, or anything to
interrupt him in the enjoyment of his prey. Whilst he
is in the act of flying up, the falcon-catcher pulls the
string and the dead bait to the other post close under the
net, which the falcon not observing, presently darts to
devour its prey ; the other string being pulled, he is
caught in the net." Mr. Anderson also says, "the falcon
is taken by means of a bird (the shrike, I presume) in a
cage put near the place where the net is fixed, which
bird can see the falcon at an incredible distance, and by
a certain noise give notice; whereupon the falcon-catcher,
who conceals himself in a bush, throws out a jjigeon to
flutter about, which as soon as the falcon espies, he
strikes down upon, and immediately the net is pulled
over him. He is taken out Avith great caution, for
fear of breaking any of his feathers in the wings or tail,
and has a cap clapped over his eyes. The falconer is
generally hid behind some stones or bushes, or else lies
flat on the groimd, a hundred yards or more ofi", where

270 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAK

even if the falcon sees bim, lie lias no mistrust, being at
sucb a distance."

The short winged hawks, as the goshawk, buzzard,
and sparrow-hawks, are netted, according to Sir John
Sebright, after the following manner : — A net eight feet
depth, and of sufficient length to enclose a square of
nine feet, is suspended by means of upright stakes, into
which transverse notches are made, and on which notches
the meshes of the net are loosely placed ; so that as soon
as the hawk strikes against it, the net readily disengages
itself and falls. The enclosure is of course open above,
and within, a living bird, a pigeon usually, is fastened as
a Im-e. It is likewise necessary that the net should assi-
milate as much as possible with the surrounding objects ;
by this process the larger falcons also, when hungry, are
occasionally taken, though the occurrence is rare ; but
in taking the common hawk, the merlin^ and the hobby,
the square net is effectively employed. The call-birds
or baits are varied, according as the one variety or other
of the hawk is sought for. The shrike we have already
stated to be used as an aide-de-camp to the capture of
the long winged hawks, and would be equally so in cap-
turing the short winged hawks.

Owling is also another method of bringing falcons to
the net. Any owl may be employed for the purpose,
but Griffith informs us that the great horned owl is the
usual bait, and is made use of in the following manner :
" The owl confined between two wooden stands or rests,
is taught to fly from one rest to the other without
touching the ground ; between the rests a cord is tightly
stretched, on which a ring plays, and to which a slacker
cord is attached by one end, the other being fastened to
the jesses on the legs of the owl, whose movements are

TECHXICAL TERMS. 271

thus confined to flying from one block or rest to another.
To this change of position he is accustomed by present-
ing him with food on the opposite side to that on which
lie may be resting, until he becomes completely habitu-
ated to this method of exercising himself. A saloon is
now formed in the midst of a copse of boughs, in the
centre of which a log or rest stands, and without the
saloon another is placed at a hundred paces' distance, the
intermediate space, on which the owl is placed, being
cleared away. It is necessary that the top and sides of
this saloon should be covered with boughs in such a
manner that, altliough the outside is distinctly seen,
there is no opening that will admit any bird to enter
with unfolded wings. Nets are placed against the toja
and sides, leaving open that part only opposite the rest-
ing-place of the owl. The fowler, now concealing himself,
keeps watch, and when he observes the owl lower his
head, and turn it to one side, he becomes certain that
some bird of prey is in the air. The hawk now marking
the owl for his own, follows him into his retreat, when,
becoming hampered in the meshes of the net, he is
easily secured."

TechxNical Terms tsed by Falconers.

The redundancy of sporting terms in days of old
was very great, and the use of certain technicalities
was essential to the character of every true sportsman.
The parts of the body are thus named by early fal-
coners : —

In the head, the upper mandible was called the beak ;

the lower, the chops ; coping, was paring both beak and

talons ; the yellow bare spot at the base of the bill,

which naturalists term cere, the hawker knew as sear

T 4

272 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

or sere ; and the nostrils as the nares. The legs, from
above downwards, were called arms, the toes petty
singles, and the claws pounces. The wings of the hawk
were its sails, as their long feathers were beams. A
subdivision of the wing feathers gave to the two longest
in each wing the term of principal feathers, and to the two
next that of flags. Imping of these feathers was artificially
mending them. The tail was called the train, as the
feathers underneath it, and behind the thigh, are called
the pendant feathers. The craw or crop in hawks, as
rather a distension of the gullet than a distinct pouch,
was called the gorge. The stomach was known as the
pannel, and the fsecal matter within the intestines the
glut. It may be prudent to observe that gorge is more
particularly used to imply abundant feeding. Summed
or unsummed were terms applied to the complete or
mature and the immatiued plumage, bearing the same
signification as mewed or unmoulted, and intermewed
and moulted. Seamed was a want of condition, as in-
seamed was perfect condition. Put in ; the game, when
it takes to a hedge to evade pursuit, was said to put in :
vjaiting on — to teach a hawk to well wait or, i. e. to
readily attend to her master, is the very feather in the
master's cap, when, soaring aloft in the air, the hawk
bends herself to watch all his motions.

The age of a hawk has its vai-ious designations. The
fijst year it is a soarage; the second an interview, the
third year a ivhite haivk, the fourth year a hawk of
the first coat. Bate, is when the hawk fluttereth ^\ith her
wing, either from the perch or fist ; as it were striving to
get away. Bewits, are the leather, with bells, buttoned
about the hawk's legs. Binding is when a hawk seizeth.
Boicet is when a hawk draweth anything out of her nest,

TECHNICAL TEKMS. 273

and covets to clamber on tlie bouglis for more. Branch,
or stand, is to make the hawk leap from tree to tree,
till the dog spring the partridge. Boivsing is when
a hawk drinketh often, and yet thirsteth. Brancher
is a yoimg hawk newly taken from the nest. Cadge
is that circular piece of wood on which hawks are
carried when they are exposed to sale. Canceleer, is
when a high-flown hawk, in her stooping, turneth two
or three times upon the wing, to recover herself before
she seizeth. Carry, is flying away with the quarry.
Cast your hawk on the perch is to put your hawk on the
perch ; castinrj, is when you give your hawk anything
to cleanse and purge her gorge. Carvist ; a hawk may
be so called at the beginning of the year, and signifies
as much as to carry on the fist. Caivklng time is tread-
ing time. Crabbing, is when hawks, standing too near,
fight with one another. Creance is a fine long small
line of even wound packthread, which is fastened to
tlie hawk when she is first lured. Check, is when a
hawk forsakes her proper game to fly at pie, crow, or
the like, crossing her in her flight. Coursing is when
young hawks quiver and shake their wings in testimony
of obedience towards the old ones. Crinets are small
black feathers like hairs about the cere. Disclosed, is
wdien the young just peep through the shell. Dropping,
is when the hawk meeteth directly downwards in several
drops, not jerking it straight forward. Endew, when
the hawk digesteth her meat, that she not only dis-
chargeth her gorge thereof, but likewise cleanseth her
pannel. Enter a haivk is when she first begins to kill.
Eyess, is a young hawk, newly taken from the nest, not
able to prey for himself. Eyrie is a place where hawks
build, and hatch their young. Fecddng, is when a

274 KEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

hawk wipeth her bill after feeding. Fly on head is
missing her quarry, and betaking herself to the next
check, as crows, &c. Formale is the female hawk.
Formica, a disease in hawks. Frounce is a disease
common in the mouth or throat of the hawk. Gleam,
after a hawk hath cast, she gleameth, or throweth up
filth from the gorge. Glut is the slimy substance that
lies in the hawk's pannel. Gorge is called in other fowl
the crow or crop. Hack is the place where the hawk's
meat is laid. Hern at sedge is when you find a heron
standing by the water's side watching for prey. Jack is
the male bird. Jesses are those short straps of leather
which are fastened to the hawk's legs. Imp, is to insert
a feather into the wing of a hawk in the place of one
that is broken. Juke is the neck, from the head to the
body, of any bird the hawk doth prey upon — jouketh,
is when she sleepeth. Lure, is when a young hawk is
called by the falconer thereunto, and is made of feathers
and leather, not much unlike a fowl, which he casts up
in the air. A make-haivk is an old staunch hawk,
which, used to fly, will easily instruct a young hawk.
Make out, is when the hawk goeth at check. Manning
is making a hawk endure company. Brail, a thong of
soft leather in which there is a slit for securing hawks'
mngs. Cadger, the person who carries the cadge.
Cast, a pair of hawks. Clutching, taking the quarry
in the feet, as goshawks and sparrow-hawks always do,
also falcons occasionally. Cor^w to, to begin obeying the
falconer. Deck fecUhers, the two centre feathers of the
tail. Falcon, the female peregrine and goshawk, on
account of their superior quality ; also the general term
for the long-winged hawks. Fur fly at, to fly at hares
and rabbits. Haggard, a wild-caught hawk. Jerkin,

TRAIXIXG OF HAWKS. 275

the male of the ger-falcon. Mashef, the mock sparrow-
hawk. Passage, the flight of herons to and from the
heroniy dming the breeding season. Fassage-Jiaivks,
another term for haggards taken upon the passage or
migration. Felt, the dead body of any bird the hawk
has killed. Pitch, the height to which a hawk rises in
the air. Plume, to fly at birds. Pull through the head,
to eat through the aperture in the front of the hood.
Put in, is when the quarry is driven to cover. Quarry,
the game flown at. Rake, to fly too wide. Raldng, to
strike the game in the air. Ramage, wild, difficult to
be reclaimed. Reclaim, to make a hawk gentle and
familiar. Red haivk, a peregrine of the first year.
Robin, the male hobby. Ruf, to strike the game
without seeing it. Serving a haivh, assisting to put out
the quarry from a hedge, bush, &c. Sharp set, very
hungr3^ Standing, remaining in idleness on the block.
Stoop or sivoopj, the rapid descent of a falcon from a
height on to its prey. Swivel, used to prevent the
jesses and leash becoming twisted. Take the air, to
mount aloft. Tiercel, the male peregrine or goshawk.
Tiring, the leg or pinion of a fowl (from which the
flesh has been cut), at which the hawk in training may
pick at the little that remains. Truss, to clutch the
quarry in the air ; to place the hawk unhooded in the
open air. Yaral', an eastern term, to signify when the
short winged hawks are in hunting condition.

Training of Hawks.

When one reflects on the wild and ferocious nature of
falcons and hawks, it appears quite surprising that by
constant and steady discipline these birds should be

27G REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSM.\N.

reclaimed to such a state of obedience as is absolutely
necessary for the purposes of falconry. That which is
most essential to ensure good sport is for the falconer
to take especial care that his hawks and falcons are in
a healthy condition. This the experienced falconers
easily ascertain by their general appearance, which
should consist of glossy plumage, a full clear eye, ac-
companied with excellent appetite ; which condition is
only to be attained by good food, great cleanliness,
abundance of fresh air, and regular exercise ; in short,
you may say that falcons require as much care and
attention, on a small scale, as the stud of a keen fox-
hunter. With hawks, as with other animals, you some-
times find sickly birds, and it may be accounted lost
labour to endeavour to train these birds for the sports of
the field. By feeling the muscle of the breast or thigh
of a falcon or hawk, you will easily judge of the state of
health of the bird, which should be round and firm. As
long as the hawks are kept in good discipline, and
obedient to the person who trains them, they cannot be
well in too high a condition ; there can be no decided
rule laid down for getting yom- hawk into fine condition,
for what is one man's meat is another man's poison, and
it is well known that some hawks attack with the
greatest vigour their quarry when in high condition,
whilst others require the stimulus of hunger to make
them exert themselves in the pursuit of their game.
However, it is decidedly preferable to lose now and then
a hawk from his being in too high condition, than to
bring into the field hawks in so low a condition as to be
unable to pursue their quarry with success, and frequently
remain hovering about the falconer. To ensure perfect
health to your hawks, they must be kept as much as

QUALITIES OF THE FALCONER. 277

possiLle in the open air ; not too much exposed to cold
winds, and during rainy weather under a shed in a
sheltered situation. Some falconers prefer keeping their
falcons or hawks in a house, or mews, made expressly
for them. These places should be kept entirely dark ;
and it would be advisable for a falconer to remain with
the birds until they are settled for the night, in order to
prevent their halting off their block or perch. Early
in the morning they should be taken out of the mews,
and placed upon blocks in the open air, without their
hoods, which in falconer's language is termed iveoMiering.
The dog boxes in which the spaniels used for finding the
quarry are kept, should be placed near the spot, to
accustom the hawk to their presence in the field when
hunting for game. One most essential quality in a
falconer is to have much patience and great command
over his temper, for an ebullition of anger or impatience
displayed towards the hawk may have the effect of
retarding the process of reclaiming for a considerable
time, and with some hawks render fruitless all attempts
to reclaim them. One great object is for the falconer to
impress on the minds of his falcons that they are
entirely dependent on him for their food and
sustenance during the period of their training : marked
attention should be paid to serving their meals regularly,
taking care to supply them with bits of fresh raw beef,
or parts of a pigeon or rabbit ; for these birds, when
hungry, are not over nice, still are epicures in their way,
and when the feeder indulges their palates it increases
their attachment to him, and they more willingly obey
his commands when led into the field to attack their
quarry.

278 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOKTSMAX.

Of the Manning, Luring, Flights, and Mewing of
A Falcon, with othek things belonging to an

OSTRAGER.

A newly-taken hawk or haggard ought to have all
new furniture, as new jesses of good leather, mailed
leashes with buttons on the end, and new bewits. You
must have a small round stick-like wire, hanging in a
string, with which you must frequently stroke your
hawk ; the sooner and better you will man her the
oftener you do it. She must have two good bells, that
she may the better be found and heard when she either
strieth or scratteth. Her hood must be well fashioned,
raised and bossed against her eyes, deep and yet straight
enough beneath, that it may better fasten about her
head without hurting her, and cope a little her beak
and talons, but not so near as to make them bleed. The
food for the hawk should be good and warm, twice or
thrice a day, till she be full gorged, which food must be
either pigeons, larks, or other live birds ; and the reason
is, because you must break her by degrees from her
accustomed feeding. When you feed her you must
whoop and lure her, as you do when you call a hawk,
that she may know when you give her meat. You must
unhood her gently, giving her two or three bits ; and
putting on her hood again, you must give her as much
more : and after three or four days, lessen her diet, and
when you go to bed set her on some perch near you,
that you may awaken her often in the night. This you
must do till you observe her tame and gentle; and
when you find that she begins to feed eagerly, then
give her a sheep's heart ; and now you may begin to
unhood her by daytime, but it must be far from com-
pany, first giving her a bit or two, then hood her

TKAIXIXG RULES. 279

again gently, and give her as much more. Be sm-e
not to affright her with anything when you unliooJ her,
and when you perceive her to be acquainted with com-
pany, and that she is sharp set, unhood her, and give
hej some meat. You must bear her continually on the
fist till she be thoroughly manned, causing her to feed
in comjoany, giving her about simrising the wing of a
pullet, and in the evening the foot of a coney or hare,
cut off above the joint, flayed and laid in water ; which
having squeezed, give it her with the pinion of a hen's
wing. For two or three days give her washed meat,
and then plumage, according as you think her foul
within. If she cast, hood her again, and give her no-
thing until she gleam after casting. If the feathers
of her casting be foul or slimy and of yellowish com-
plexion, then be sure to cleanse her well with washed
meat and casting; if clean within, give her gentle
castings, as the pinions of an old hen's wing or the
neck-bone, chopped four or five times between the joints,
and steeped in fair water. Having well reclaimed her,
thoroughly manned her, and made her eager and sharp
set, then you may venture to feed her on the lure. But
before you show her the lure, you must consider these
three things : first, that she be bold in and familiar
with comj)any, and no ways afraid of dogs and horses ;
second, that she be sharp set and hungiy, regarding the
hour of the morning and evening when you will lure
her ; and lastly, that she be clean within, and the Im-e
must be well garnished with meat on ])oth sides, and
you must abscond yourself when you intend to give her
the length of a leash. You must first unhood her, giv-
ing her a bit or two on the lure as she sitteth on your
fist ; afterwards take the lure from her, and so hide it
that she see it not ; and when she is unseized, cast the

280 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

lure so near her that she may catch it within the length
of her leash ; when she hath seized it, use your voice
according to the custom of falconers, and feed her upon
the lure on the ground, with the heart and warm thigh
of a pullet. Having so lured her, in the evening give
her but a little meat, and let this luring be so timely,
that you may give her plumage and a pick of a joint.
In the morning betimes take her on your fist, and when
she hath cast and gleamed, give her a little bit of warm
meat. Towards noon take a creance and tie it to her
leash, and go into some pleasant field or meadow, and
give her a bit or two on the lure : and if you find she is
sharp set, and seized on the lure eagerly, then give her
to some one to hold to let her off to the lure ; then un-
wind the creance, and draw it after you a good way, and
let him that holds the hawk keep his right hand on
the tassel of the hawk's hood, in readiness, so that you
may unhood her as soon as you begin to lure ; and if
she come well to the lure, and stoop upon it roundly,
and seize it eagerly, then let her eat two or three bits
thereon; then unseize her, and take her off the lure,
hood her, and deliver her again to him who held her ;
and going further off lure her, feeding her as before
with the accustomed voice. Thus lure her every day
farther and farther off, till she is accn.stomed to come
freely and eagerly to the lure. After this lure her in
company, but have a care that nothing affright her. Sir
John Sebright recommends that as soon as eyesses of
either falcons or hawks are taken, they be at once put
into a large hamper, which must be firmly fixed on its
side about breast high in the branches of a tree, in a
retired situation ; the lid of the hamper, when properly
supported, will serve as a platform for the birds to come
out on to be fed. The food should be given to the high-

now TO FEED THE HAWK. 281

flpng birds by the feeder on a plank, but for the short
winged hawks it is commonly fixed on the ground, as
soon as they are strong enough to descend and re-ascend.
To increase the nutritious properties of their food, raw
eggs are sometimes added to it : Sir John Sebright re-
commends that some bits of meat should be placed on
the ground, having springes dexterously set around the
meat, so as to entangle the legs of a hawk which has
become rather wild and difficult to be taken uj). What-
ever should, however, be at hand to prevent their injur-
ing themselves by baiting, Latham, the great advocate
for casting says, that he does not fail to give plumage
every night to a hawk when in full condition, to promote
castings. The following lines are in Blome respecting
casting : —

" Wash'd meat and stones will cause a hawk to fly.
Long fasting and great easting will cause a hawk to die."

Celandine and other herbs were given by the older fal-
coners when an active emetic was wanted. Purgatives
are much less frequently administered to hawks than
castings ; a few grains of rhubarb, jalap, or aloes, as three
or five, may be given, encircled by a slice of beef. Should
it be refused when thus offered, it must be forced down,
which must be done Avitli great nicety, or the hawk may
be injured, and at least some of the wing or train fea-
thers may be injured. jMarkham directs that a piece of
aloes, as large as a horse bean, is a proper purgative for
a hawk ; but we should recommend a smaller dose to be
first tried. When hawks are relaxed in their bowels,
and their evacuations present an appearance of mucus
or yellow glair, and particularly if they be mixed with
undigested food, give rhubarb. If the mewtings are
black, then in preference give a grain of calomel, three
YOL. II. u

-282 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

grains of gum myrrh, and two grains of aloes. Vermin
sometimes torment hawks, and prevent their thriving.
In these cases fumigations of tobacco or sulphur must
be resorted to, or sulphur finely levigated and mixed
with a fifth part of stavesacre, equally finely powdered,
may be forced through the feathers in moderate quantity
by means of a powder puff, observing to have the hawk
hooded at the time. Mr. Huber directs that when a
falcon or hawk agitates herself very much, proving ex-
tremely refractory, and actually attempts to use her bill,
in such cases, lowering her food, let cold water be thrown
over her head, or a stream may be allowed to drop from
a wisp of hay or straw held over her, by which means
she may be eventually rendered completely tame. En-
tering the falcon to her game may be commenced as
soon as she comes readily to the lure : when thus ad-
vanced we will suppose her soaring aloft with her head
inclined inwards, and ready to come to the lure ; at
which time the practice is to fly a partridge, confined
however with a creance. This the falcon brings to the
ground, where she is allowed to eat it, the trainer walk-
ing round her, and encouraging her during the time.
The same process is to be repeated a few times, when
she may be flown at game unrestrained ; but to prevent
her being cowed by any failure in her early attempts, it
is recommended that a live partridge in a bag be kept
in reserve, ready to throw up to her should she have
failed in her first flight on other game. Sir John Se-
bright, however, observes, that " although this is the
method of breaking eyesses to the lure practised by fal-
coners generally, yet he is of opinion it might be better
done, and with infinitely less trouble, by using the young
hawk, when flying at hack, to feed always on the lure."

TRAIXIXG THE HAGGARD. 283

Training the Haggaed and Mature Hatvk.

Training of passage and mature falcons is somewhat
more fatiguing than the training of eyesses. With them
it will he expedient to weaken their powers of making
their resistance hurtful to the trainer. To effect this, let
the heak and talons be coped, i. e. somewhat blunted by a
knife or file ; this done, trail the wings, and proceed to
put jesses, bell, and leash. As, however, there is a pro-
bability that the striving against the rufter hood may
be considerable, it will be prudent not to attempt put-
ting it on until the wildness is in a great measure gone
by the subduing means already pointed out ; as night
watchings with water drippings, and very slight diet by
day. The meat also which is given to such should be
washed in water, to render its exhilarating powers
weaker, by depriving it of its nutritive juices; and
they likewise should be fed in the evening only, that
being sharp set in the day they may make their
initiatory lessons more readily : neither must this treat-
ment be relaxed until all rammishness has ceased, and
until the subjects of it will suffer their feathers to be
stroked down with a quill, and other marks of familiarity
allowed without resistance or baiting off. They should
likewise seldom be left alone, for if the trainer has not
always got them by his side, he should at least visit
them for the first two or three weeks several times
during the night. Hard as this may seem, yet to re-
claim either the Icelander or haggard slight falcon it is
actually necessary.

Obedience having been unconditionally and fully
exacted, indulgence should follow. The rufter hood
should now be occasionally removed, and the subject,
c 2

284 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN".

under trainer, be allowed to look about her a little, at
first in an obscure light only, gradually, however,
increasing it, until they can bear the full light without
annoyance. Putting on the full hood is next to be
attempted, and in general in this state it is not very
difficult to effect ; however, there is sometimes so much
resistance that there is danger of injuring her body or
plumes.

To make a refractory hawk to the hood, Blaine's
directions are : " You must be provided with a hood of
some light colour, as green, red, or yellow, which hangs
on your little finger of the same hand whereon you
carry your hawk, and let it hang so that it may be
always in sight, especially at such times as you feed
her. This do for about a week, or until you find her
acquainted with it so well as to search through the hood
for meat." If you interpose it when she does this boldly,
you may essay to bear a little hard with the hood against
her head, by which means she will, in about a month,
come to hood and unhood herself as often as you please;
and whereas before you used to restrain her from eating,
let her now eat moderately with the hood on, and never
but then, nor should you take off her hood until feeding
time. Being now effectually restrained, your falcon
must be accustomed to take to the hand when pre-
sented: she must also be familiarised to noise and
bustle, as well as to the sight of men and horges in
motion, and the hood, now rendered familiar to her,
should be frequently put on and off; nor must these
ceremonials be relaxed until she is thoroughly re-
claimed. It is in the persevering and vigorous parts of
this discipline, over and above those practised towards
eyesses, that the difference between their trainings
principally consists.

THE LIVING QUARRY. 285

To make the passage hawks to the lure, it is enough
if they will fly to it, when swung round at a distance,
as it would not only be difficult, but it would also be
unnecessary for the purpose to which they are applied
to teach them to wait on. What has been said on the
luring of eyesses will also apply here, but this is quite
certain, that a more rigid training is required for the
haggard ; and the more northward the habitation of the
falcon is, the more strict must every part of the dis-
cipline be, and for the ger-falcon most of all. Little has
been said about practising the passage hawks to the
hand ; but, as already observed, more close training is
undoubtedly requisite for the haggard. Though techni-
cally they are not hawks of the fist, but hawks of the
lure, they are to be familiarised to the hand almost as
much as the others, and therefore must be taught to
leap from the stand on the ground to the hand as soon
as presented, where they must receive the same attentions
and the same rewards as the hawks of the fist.

Training the passage hawks and northern falcons
to fly at their game, follows the exercising just de-
scribed. Initiatory lessons now follow at fl}ing at
living quarry. A pigeon is generally the first game
they fly at, one or more of these birds having already
been given to be raked from the hand. Proceed, there-
fore, to throw one up to her in a creance, and if she
shows herself ready at this, shorten the flight of another,
either by taking out two quill feathers from each wing,
or by clipping off a portion of the whole ; and having
done this, throw it off before her, she being now wholly
at large. The game that the falcon in training is in-
tended to fly at should be made particularly familiar to
her ; which is best done by using a representation of it
u 3

286 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

before her during her initiatory practisings. Thus by
the perch trainers a black hen is attached to a stake to
teach the hunting of crow ; a red hen is used to imitate
the kite, and a grey turkey hen to represent the heron.
The bills and talons of the former are blunted, and the
beak of the latter being eased, or much shortened by
the saw (a much less cruel practice is that of inserting
the point of the bill firmly within the branch of a piece
of elder, as suggested by Sir John Sebright), one or the
other, as the case may be, is fastened to the stake, and
of course soon sacrificed; after which the hawk is
practised at either of these at liberty, but at minor
elevations at first. JMany of these hawks, however,
require some trouble Ijefore they can bring even their
rapacious courage up to the sticking point to attack a
heron. Sir John Sebright tells us, nevertheless, that
they may be brought to it by flying them at a barn-
door cock of a light colour ; and still more effectually
by tying meat upon the heron's back, and practising
them daily in feeding on it there, observing to guard
the heron's beak by the humane method just noticed.
In the early flying practices, should the falcon fly un-
successfully at its game, it is recommended not to take
the hawk down with the common lure, but by a live
pigeon held in a creance — as a disappointment of this
kind, without a kill, is apt to damp the ardour of the
bird in the pursuit of his game.

The treatment of working hawks requires also some
mention. Whenthemaniaof falconry prevailed in Europe,
the falconers of those times indulged in this field sport
five or six days in the week, but in modern times three
days are considered sufficient for the flying of your
hawks at the quarry ; indeed, as many of the nobility
and v/ealthy gentlemen had two or three centuries ago

THE WORKIXG HAWK. 287

large and expensive hawking establishments, there
would be no difficulty in their devoting a few hours
every day in this delightful sport, and still not over-
working tiie birds. In the working of the hawks the
condition and the habits of each bird must be con-
sidered, and that the feeding be proportioned accordingly.
It is only the strong or very high-conditioned hawks
that should be allowed to fly two successive days. Only,
when this is the case, a more plentiful allowance of
food should be apportioned to each day's meal than at
other times. On the day that a hawk has been flown,
she should afterwards have a plentiful meal, and it
should be given immediately she has done it. When
she is gorged, it is proper that she remain two whole
days at rest, as it would be injurious to fly her in less
time. In this respite we only imitate the natural habits
of these birds, which incline them to solitude and
almost total inactivity after they have gorged. The
gorge (so called) is a very full meal given once in four
or five days, it being supposed that in the intervening
days a moderate but sufficient meal is to be given. It
is essentially necessary to keep up the working hawk
in full bodily condition, as it is that it should not be-
come too full and gross ; about the third of a pound of
beef a day is a fair quantity for a slight falcon, but in
this respect, or as regards the feeding of falcons and
hawks, the trainer must be altogether guided by the
size and condition of his birds ; in short., nothing but
great experience, much patience and attention, as has
been before observed, can bring the hawks into the field
in such good condition as to ensure sport to the fal-
coner and his friends when the birds are flown at the
quarry.

U 4

288 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN.

TRAININa OF THE MeRLIN AND HOBUY.

The training of the merlin, from a natural docility
in her nature, is not attended with much difficulty.
All the usual training processes are employed, which in
a week or two will prove so successful, that the merlin
will fly to the hand, held out at a considerable dis-
tance. Having made the progress, she must be made
to the lure by the following manner: — A lark, secured
by a string, is thrown off at fifteen or twenty yards'
distance, which being seized by the merlin, she attempts
to fly off with it, which it is the object of the trainer to
prevent ; he therefore jerks the string fastened to the
lark, and if luckily the body is pulled away, the head
only being left with the merlin, the lesson is accom-
plished. The body of the lark is now buried at the
feet of the trainer, and the hawk retiring thence to
possess herself of it, which not being able to do, but on
the contrary finding herself rewarded with meat instead
of the bird, soon learns to carry off her game is un-
availing, but to return with it to her master as a certain
means of obtaining a reward. The old falconers were
used to fly merlins with much success, but a cast was
usually employed, and a cast is also used for hawking
snipes, which afford very excellent sport. The training
of the hobby is essentially the same with that of the
merlin, but it usually requires time to accomplish : as
a field hawk it is used for the same game as the merlin,
but not so effectually, not being equal to the merlin at
mount, although larger. It is sometimes flown at
partridges, but it is better matched with quails, landrails,
snipes, larks, blackbirds, thrushes, &c. Colonel Mont-
ague asserts that the hobby has been principally

SHORT WINGED HAWKS. 289

employed in a sport called " daring,''' by which par-
tridges, quails, snipes, larks, &c., are taken. The hobby
being cast off, so alarms the birds that they will suffer
a net to be drawn over them sooner than rise. Both
the hobby and the merlin breed in England, although it
is asserted by some naturalists that they are passage
hawks.

Teainixg of Short Winged Hawks.

Training of the goshawk may be considered the head
of the short winged hawks, and like the long winged,
may be taken from the nest, or be procured by netting
or trapping, when full gi'own, the latter being generally
preferred. Our present subject is a hawk of the fist, and
is consequently not to be hooded only when travelling,
or during its initiating, to keep her quiet. About the
fifth or sixth day the hood may be finally removed, as
many of these birds soon become reconciled to confine-
ment, and will readily take food from the hand. Gros-
hawks, and other short \vinged kinds, rest on a perch
formed from a pole, about an inch and a half in diameter,
which Sir John Sebright recommends to be placed hori-
zontally at four feet from the ground, imder a tree in
fine weather, and to be placed under shelter when it is
foul. A piece of woollen cloth* or matting should be

* With regard to the -woollen cloth, a French author, Mods. D'Es-
panon, -who -wrote on falconrj^ in 1599, mentions a curious circumstance
of a hawk that had s-wallo-wed a piece of the woollen covering. He says :
" The bird had a s-welling in his crop as big as a hen's, and -was given
me by a person -who thought it -would not live, having remained in this
state from July to March. I was resolved to spare no pains in the
endeavour to recover him. The aceumidation had become so lai^e and
hard that he covdd not throw it up, and every morning at feeding time he
suifered great pain. I had tried pills of musk, hiera, aloes, -vitriol, alum,

290 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

nailed to its surface and should hang to the ground, so
that she may raise herself up by it when she has left
the perch or baited off. She is to be fixed to this perch
by a short leash of six or eight inches in measure, the
swivel of which is to be tied close to the top of the
perch. The shortness of the leash, and the presence of
the matting by which she can creep up, prevents her
injuring herself by passing under it, and by so doing to
twist her leash round it.

As these hawks are carried unhooded, and are not
brought to the lure but to the fist, it is evident that a
singular degree of obedience must be taught them, which
fortunately their nature inclines them to submit to with
much more facility than the long winged hawks. The
same means are also made use of to make them very
docile, by frequently feeding them by the hand, giving
them very small quantities at a time, and by constantly
carrying them about on the fist, with the precaution of
having the jesses wound round the fingers. The absolute
necessity of keeping the wild hawk without sleep, and
instantly on hand, is always insisted on in the old hawk-

&c., and every remedy I conld devise, but without effect. They did more
harm than good, as he could not cast them, but retained some part :
even pebbles I gave. At length I resolved on a kill or cure. I got a
piece of wire, with which large pins are made, half a yard long, and
made a hook at the end of it. I got three persons to hold the bird : one
to keep it on its back, one at the talons, and the third held the bill open
and the neck stretched. I put my hook by his beak into the throat as
dexterously as I could, trying to catch hold of the ball which occasioned
his illness, and which I succeeded in doing, not the first or second time,
but at the thii-d attempt. When I had accomplished it I took a live
pigeon, pulled off his head, and put the bleeding neck into the throat of
the hawk, so that the warm blood ran in his crop ; and every two hours
I did the same with live pigeons, because he was so weak he could not
swallow meat, and he became an excellent bird,"

EXTEACT FROM BERT. 291

ing instructions. Bert's treatise on hawking, published
in 1619, has the following: —

" I have heard of some who have watched, and kept
their hawks awake seven nights, and as many days, yet
they would be wild, rammish, and disorderly." This
gentleman was remarkable for the training of his hawks,
and as a proof of it, he sold a simple goshawk and
tiercel of his training for one hundred merks. From his
own account, the greatest part of his time, almost the
whole of it, except when he slept, must have been occu-
pied with his birds. " There cannot," he says, " be too
much familiarity between a man and his hawks." No-
thing familiarises a hawk more than tempting her from
the perch to the hand, by offering her some favourite
food, as the stump or pinion of* a fowl. By persevering
in this treatment, the wildest goshawk may be taught to
come readily to the fist when held out to her, and from
almost any reasonable distance. Sir John Sebright
appears to value very little the services of the goshawk
as regards falconry. He allows that they may be em-
ployed against landrails and pheasants, but for par-
tridges he considers them too slack mettled to fly with
keenness at any, and that most, except very young birds,
will distance them, but he acknowledges that the very
worst will take rabbits and hares. One great point in
its favour, however, is that it may be made use of in a
thickly enclosed country, where it would be useless to
attempt flying the peregrine. The male of this hawk is
decidedly more active on the wing than the female. The
goshawk has this advantage, that it will thrive upon any
coarse food, as also the power of flying repeatedly during
the day.

292 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAK

The Spaerow-Hawk.

We have little to say respecting the training of the
sparrow-hawk, having already written largely on the
subject. Its flight is very rapid for a short distance,
which is easily perceived in its attack on small birds,
on which occasions every one must be struck with the
velocity of its stretches. She may be entered at partridges
with effect, and particularly in the early part of the
season, when the birds being not so strong on the wing;
and Sir John Sebright declares it is the best of all birds
for landrails. In Iceland the gentlemen make use of
this hawk with great success in flying it at the quails.
Sir John Sebright once captured a partridge with a
sparrow-hawk of his own training, ten days only after
the bird itself had been taken wild from a wood.

This is a most convincing proof that Sir John under-
stood thoroughly the training of hawks, and is at the
same time an equally convincing proof of the occasional
tractability of this hawk. On the general training and
hawking of the short winged hawks. Sir John makes the
following remarks : " That to be effective, they must be
kept in high condition ; that they cannot fly when any
wind is stirring ; and also, that upon the whole they are
more difficult to manage than stronger birds."

The Gtame flown at by Beitish Falcons.

The quarry at which amateur falconers fly the birds
are either the plume or fur ; and although some falcons
are taught with success to fly at both, yet either from
want of sufficient patience and dexterity in training, it
rarely succeeds, and is therefore not often undertaken.
It is usually remarked that the quarry that the hawk

IIEROX IIAWKIXG. 293

was first broken to she or be is apt to fly best at. But,
nevertheless, there is no great difficulty to Ijreak hawks
from flying at any accustomed game, and make them
keen in the pursuit of another. We have observed that
almost all hawks are trained with pigeons. It will, there-
fore, be expedient to break them from these before they
are entered at their intended game, which must be thus
managed. Have ready a live bird or beast of the
kind the hawk is intended principally in future to fly
at ; if you wish to shorten its flight, take out some of
the quill feathers, or otherwise retain it loose in a
creance. Xow let a pigeon fly so distant from a hawk
that she will not be able to overtake it. On the retm-n
of the disappointed hawk, let fly another in the same
way ; and by adopting this method a few times, she
will be completely cured from flying at that bird.

This may be laid down as a fixed principle, that
nothing can be done with hawks without engaging their
confidence and regard.

Heron Hawking.

It is imnecessary to enter into any particular descrip-
tion of the heron, which is in general so well known.
From the abundance of the plumage, when flying it has
the appearance of being a large bird, but when stripped
of its feathers it rarely weighs more than four or five
potmds' weight, although its wings extend from tip to tip
more than five feet. Its bill is six inches in length, very
strong, and very pointed, and its edges slightl}^ sei rated
to give it a firmer hold upon the fish it takes ; the
middle claw of each foot is also notched, for the same
purpose.

The plumes of the heron were in olden times used as

294 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

ornaments for the caps and helmets of the nobility ; and
they still appear as part of the costume of the Grarter.
Chardin informs us that they were equally in request in
Persia, and, to obtain them, they entrapped and turned
them out again. In the breeding season herons con-
gregate, and are ranked under the term of jjlatform
builders ; for although they make a slight depression in
the centre of the nest, which is lined with some sort of
soft material, such as grass, wool, or feathers, the prin-
cipal dimensions of the nest is quite flat, and supported
by sticks that are crossed between the branches of the
tree. All this species of birds are social, like the rooks ;
and as regards their nests, where they congregate to
breed, it is usually termed a heronry. Belon says the
flesh of the heron was royal food in France ; and that it
was in ancient times equally prized in England. Esta-
blished heronries were originally very numerous, and
kept up with the greatest care, and every inducement
was held out to attach the birds to the locality. The
heronries of this country, according to the author first
quoted, are, " in Windsor great park, on the borders of
Bagshot Heath ; at Penshurst Place, Kent ; at Hutton,
the seat of Lord Carnarvon ; in Grobay Park, on the road
to Penrith, near a rocky pass called Tyen Coag, on the
north side of the romantic lake of Ulswater ; at Cressi
Hall, six miles from Spalding, in Lincolnshire ; at
Downington, in the same county ; at Brockly woods, near
Bristol ; at Brownsea Island, near Poole, in Dorsetshire ;
at Didlington, in Norfolk. Colonel Montague notices a
heronry of Scotland, on a small island in a lake : there
being only a scrubby oak, much too scanty to contain
all the nests, many were placed on the ground. " Be-
sides these," he says, " we are acquainted with a small

IIEKOX IIAWKIXG. 205

one in the parish of Craigie, near Kihiiamock, in Ayi--
shire." Small heronries may be found in many parts of
the United Kingdom ; for few birds are more gene-
rally diffused, more especially where there are large
rivers, lakes, and swampy morasses, in which they are
able to obtain an ample supply of the food congenial
to their palate. In former times the herons were
strictly protected by government, and legal enactments
were made for this object; but those times are gone by.
However, a relentless war is not waged against them,
as is the case with the unfortunate hawks ; for al-
though they are great poachers in rivers and pools, they
cannot be accused of destroying game. Taking young
herons from their nest was pimished by a fine of ten
shillings (a considerable sum in former times) ; and to
kill a heron, an additional fine of twenty shillings was
paid by the offender.

The daily visitations of the heron to its feeding-places
are watched by the falconers, who station themselves to
the leeward, or down wind, of the heronry, so that the
heron, on its return, must fly against the breeze, which
gives a great advantage to its enemy. As soon as one
is seen on its return, a cast of falcons is let loose, who,
catching sight of the quarry, rise in pursuit. The heron,
instinctively aware that its life is at stake, prepares for
the fray by disgorging the contents of its stomach, to
lighten the weight of the body. The coursing falcons
ascend the airy vault by spiral g}a'ations, by which the
atmosiDheric resistance to their flight is lessened. These
circliugs, it has been observed, have sometimes the
curious effect of presenting the three birds flying in
different directions ; whereas the object of the two
hawks are steadily directed to getting above the quarry.

2D6 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

all whose efforts are steadily engaged in avoiding them.
To accomplish this, the heron makes strenuous efforts
to rise above the falcons, again knowing by instinct
that these birds of prey can only make their stoop on
their quarry when elevated above them. The hawks, by
the superiority of strength of wings, usually succeed in
getting the upper station, from which one of them soon
makes its stoop; and fortunate it is for the poor heron if
he can avoid the blow, which sometimes happens either
by shifting its station, or turning on his back, and receiv-
ing the falcon on his sharp bill. This sometimes proves
fatal to his enemy. The second hawk, if the first fails,
stoops in his turn ; and even this is now avoided by the
same manoeuvres of the heron. The trio then still
rising higher and higher, the struggle of the heron to
escape these birds of prey becomes highly interesting to
the spectators. After a short time another stoop is
made, with success, whilst the other binds to its fellow,
and all three quickly descend together, but not with a
dangerous rapidity, as the action of their wings breaks'
the fall, and the hawk has the caution to quit his prey
just before reaching the ground. Now it is the
mounted horsemen make the best of their way to the
assistance of their falcons, and their first efforts must
be to secure the head of the heron, that the sharp bill
may not take effect on either of the hawks. To effect
this, the best plan is to put the foot on the neck of the
heron : this is decidedly the safest way, as the wounded
bird becomes very fierce and savage in his attacks on
the falcon. In the book of St. Alban's is the following
note : " The heron is a fowl that liveth about waters,
and yet she does so abhorre raine and tempeste, that
she seaketh to avoid it by flying up on high. She hath

IIEROX HAWKING . 297

her nest in very loftie trees, and shewetb, as it were, a
natural hatred against the gossehawk, and other kind of
hawks ; and so likewise doth the hawk seek her destruc-
tion continually. When they fight above in the air,
they labour both especially for this one thing, that the
one might ascend and be above the other. Now, if the
hawke get the upper place, he overthroweth and van-
quisheth the heron with a marvellous earnest flight ;
but if heron getteth above the hawk, then with his
dung he defileth the hawk, and so destroyeth him :
for his dung is a poison for the hawk, rotting and putri-
fying his feathers." Herons are taken for hawking
purposes by placing around their nests strong nooses, so
arranged that when they come to visit their eggs their
legs may become entangled therewith. About sunset,
a man placing himself to leeward of the nest in close
concealment, having the line or lines to which the
noose or nooses are attached, by drawing them tight
can usually succeed in taking one. It is necessary,
however, to preserve the life of the heron, not only that
food should be forced down its throat, but also from
disgorging it should be prevented by placing a bandage
round the neck sufficiently tight to prevent vomiting,
but not so much so as to interfere with respiration.
Without this precaution, such is the sulkiuess of this
bird, that it will infallibly starve itself. Nevertheless,
sucli also is the power which skill and perseverance have
in taming the most intractable animals, that even the
heron has been brought to assume all the fondness of a
pet; in proof of which Sir John Sebright offers the
following fact, which occurred within his own know-
ledge : " A full-grown heron was taken in a decoy, and
brought to J. D. Downes, Esq., at old Grunton Hall.

VOL. II. X

298 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAX.

At first he was obliged to treat it as above described,
and tying down the food ; but at length it became so
tame as to follow him on the wing to the distance of
some miles ; to come into the house when called ; and
to take food from the hand."

In the reign of Henry VIII. herons were imported
for the amusement of hawking with them ; and some
idea may be formed of the value of these birds at that
period by the importation duty, which was 13s. 8d. on
each heron, no trifling sum in those days.

Kite Hawking.

The fork-tailed kites have been long flown by fal-
coners. In the course of the last half century Lord
Orford, Colonel Thornton, and others, have practised it.
Lord Orford, particularly, pursued it in the neighbour-
hood of Alconbury Hills, which, being a champagne
country, abounded with kites. To the leg of the great
owl, when it could be procured, or in default of that to
the leg of the common white owl, was apj)ended the
brush of a fox : thus dressed, the owl was thrown up
within view of a kite, who, so lured, descended to its
destruction, for it was itself immediately attacked by
the falcon in waiting, and quickly raked. For this
sport the ger-folcon was preferred, her size and strength
making her the ablest antagonist for such a quarry.

Blome gives the following description of kite hawk-
ing :— The day being warm and clear, you will soon see
a kyte cooling herself in the air ; then let your owl fly,
and the kyte will not fail to make near her to gaze upon
her, and when the kyte is ascended pretty nenr let fly
your hawk, and the kyte perceiving the surprise, doth
endeavour to preserve herself by mounting up and

KITE AND PHEASANT IIAWKIXG. 299

wiuding tlie most she can. Aud here the combat
begius, but oftentimes none can see where it ends, both
mounting out of sight ; but in the end the hawk be-
comes victor, and by main strength and courage beats
down the kyte, yet not without many turns and wrenches
in the air, to the great pleasure of the spectators."

PnEA,sANT Hawking.

A goshawk is generally employed to fly at pheasants,
aud it is necessary that she be extremely well reclaimed
for this particular sport, which is essentially different
from the hawking of partridges, and it only can be pur-
sued with any chance of success in low covers two or
three years old, and where there is sufficient space for
the hawk to pursue his quarry. A brace or a leash of
vv^ell broken spaniels must be employed to raise the
pheasants, and a couple of men emplo3'ed to mark
down the pheasants will contribute much to the sport.
Pheasant hawking is sometimes pm\sued in high covers ;
but this cannot take place with any chance of success
unless the foliage is off the trees, and even then it is
attended with much difficulty and danger to the hawk
from the impediments he meets with in his flight. As
soon as a pheasant is sprung your dogs are called in,
and your hawk cast off; if she succeeds in raking her
prey, proceed cautiously, the dogs being strictly kept
from her, but walking round her ; encourage her with
the several tones of voice when she behaves well. ^Vhen
she is quietly pluming her prey, stoop down, and cutting
off the head of the pheasant, allow her to retain that, and
draw the body away. When you desire to fist her, have
a small piece of meat in readiness on a lure ; w^hen,
having put on the hood, reward with some nice bits of

300 REMIXISCEXCES OP A SPOETSMAX.

meat, Avhich on these occasions you are in the habit of
giving her. To take a pheasant from the perch, Blome
recommends the following initiatory process : — " Provide
a dead pheasant, or in preference a living one, which
take along with you into the wood, and when you are
disposed to call your hawk for her supper, and as she
is drawing and attending after you for the same (having
a convenient pole ready for that purpose,) call your
spaniels about you to make them bay, and suddenly
breaking the neck of the pheasant, lift it upon a bough,
that the hawk may have a sight thereof, and with your
voice calling and encouraging her to come and seize it,
and if she pulls it down be sure that you so rebuke the
dogs and keep them at command,- that at her descending
they may give her way, and that she plume and take
her pleasure thereon, which in a short time will em-
bolden her, that when she seeth a pheasant take, she
will immediately pull it down."

Waterfoavl Hawking.
Brook hawking, formerly made use of, was much
in fashion in olden times ; but this kind of hawk-
ing was not confined to small streams, but extended
to rivers, sea shores, moors, and lakes. According to
Blome, " By the ger-falcon, the haggard falcon, and the
tassel gentle, waterfowl of every description were made
the prey of ; but some particular birds according with
the training of the hawks, were more especially sought
for." Water spaniels were chiefly employed to flush the
birds, more particularly where there was strong cover of
reeds, rushes, &c. The spaniels were directed by men
on foot to those quarters which should probably be the

WATERFOWL IIAAVKIXG. 501

retreat of ^vild fowls, wliile horsemen with the hawks
on their fists ready to fly them at the quarry.

A heron or mallard would require two, while the
smaller species, such as widgeon and teal, would onl}^
require one. Blome's directions of brook hawking
begin with the following hints on the training of
falcons to this sport : —

" In many places there are ponds enclosed with woods,
bushes, and the like obscurities, so that they w^ere con-
cealed from passengers ; and such places ducks do much
resort to. Now, for the training of your hawks to take
them, observe these directions : your hawk being in all
points ready to fly, be j^rovided with two or three live
train ducks, and let there be a man, w^ho must lie con-
cealed in a bush by the pond with them, so that, coming
to the place, having your hawk prepared for a sudden
flight, beat the bush with your pole W'here the man
lieth concealed with the ducks, who must cast forth one
of them, to the end the hawk may think it was put up
by you, and if with a courage she takes it, reward her
well ; and this is the w^ay to train up a goshawk to catch
a wild duck at sui':re. Having trained your hawk to
this, you may boldly go with her to the ponds where
the fowl lies, and creeping close to the place, raise them
up by beating about with your pole, and when an}^ rise
let go your hawk from your fist, and if she seizes it, let
her take her pleasure thereon and reward her well ; nor
will she be fearful of the dogs, for when they are once
managed and brought into good subjection, they will
know their duty, and be fej^rful of transgressing; but
be sure you have no strange dogs, for one may spoil
your sport, drawing the rest into errors, and cause them

302 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

to hunt after anything. Nor is it convenient to hunt
with many spaniels, for two or three couples are enough
to beat and range about a large wood and to perch a
pheasant."

EooK AND Magpie Hawking.

Some persons are very partial to rook hawking. It .is
passage falcons that it is practised with, and sometimes
eyesses, with falcons which have long flown a hack, and
have been accustomed to prey for themselves. Sir John
Sebright states he has likewise experienced excellent
sport The rooks, strong in flight, are equally bold
and wary; and his stratagems to elude his pursuers,
which are usually a cast, are great, as the resistance he
offers is worthy of its size : but notwithstanding this,
the swoop being once made, he is usually broiight to the
ground.

Magpie hawking is practised with passage hawks, hack
hawks, or well-trained eyesses : on an}^ open ground
which presents a scattering of low trees and brushwood,
excellent sport is often afforded by them. But as this
bird is most dexterous at shifts and turns, two hawks
should be taken out, accompanied by several helpers, to
succeed in capturing this cunning bird. As soon as a
magpie sees a hawk, he instantly makes his retreat to a
thick I'.edge or a large bush, from whence it is no easy
matter to drive him out ; and he makes a loud chatter,
prompted from fear of an attack of this enemy. When at
last he is driven out, the hawk makes a stoop on him on
his flight to another bush ; if the magpie is fortunate
enough to escape the first hawk, the second is cast off,
and poor Mag soon becomes their victim. But, how-
ever, this does not always happen, for if the country

PARTRIDGE HAW KING. 303

afifords much cover to the magpie, by his skilful
manoeuvres he now and then saves his life, and it has
been known, that, shy and cautious as this bird is on most
occasions, he will, when in extreme danger, seek for pro-
tection among the men and horses, or he wall sneak into
any nook or corner. Sir John Sebright enters into an
animated detail of this sport, which he considers superior
to every other kind of hawking.

PaRTEIDGE HAWKI^-G.

Hawking of partridges is more common than that of
pheasants. As pheasants are chiefly found in woods, and
a variety of other covers, there is much more difficulty
in flying the hawks at this quarry with success. In par-
tridge hawking both long and short-winged hawks are
made use of, and where this sport is practised, large
fields are usually the places resorted to, where those
persons mounted and on foot are enabled to beat in line,
where the falconer or master being well mounted, can
ride forward and be in readiness to receive the quarr}-.
Either pointers or spaniels may be made use of to find
the game. Sir John Sebright is of opinion that high
ranging pointers are the best dogs for the sport,
for the birds will often lie closer to dogs, especially
spaniels, when they will not allow horsemen to approach
them. Neither, when the hawk is well trained, is it ne-
cessary that they should be close to the dogs when they
point, or near birds when they take wing; and he further
observes, that if the hawk be within two or three hun-
dred yards it will be near enough, if her soar be high
and directs her view inwards. If she should not do this,
she must be lured by the voice. It is, however, remarked,
that it is better a flight be lost by the hawk ranging too

3C4 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN.

far, than that she should be lowered or confined Id her
pitch by too much luring. Sufficient time should by all
means be allowed the hawk to mount well before the
game is sprung, for being sufficiently elevated, she will
be able to see all around her, and incline her to watch
the moving scene more attentively than if she Vv^ere
nearer. The partridge being flushed, the hawk will
stoop with surprising rapidity and seize on it, at which
time none of the party should press forward, except the
falconei", who, cautiously approaching the hawk, must
walk quietly round her, when, gently kneeling down with
his arm extended, as though in the act of feeding the
hawk, he should lay hold of the partridge, when by the
hawk's grasp on the bird he should place her on the fist.
This done, put on the hood, and reward the hawk with
the head of the quarry, and if it is not intended to fly
her again, she must be fed immediately. Should the
hawk, however, have missed her quarry, and if on the
contrary it should ]ia.veptit in — that is, driven to a bush
or hedge, and if it cannot be quickly retrieved and re-
flown, then in such case the hawk must not be disap-
pointed, particularly if it should happen to be its first
bird : she will most likely carry it also, i. e., from a fear
of having it taken away from her. When having missed
her quarry, if a live partridge (of which there ought to
be two or three in readiness when new-made hawks are
flown,) be thrown up, then having raked it, she must be
allowed to eat it also ; and having done this, in her next
flight strenuous exertions must be made to avoid a
similar disappointment. A somewhat different method
of partridge hawking is practised in the latter end of the
season, when the country is very bare, and when the
partridges are in general very wild, and rarely lie well

A PLEA FOR THE PEREGRIXE. 305

to the dogs. On these occasions, the company draw up
in line at fifty or sixty yards' distance from each other,
and gallop across the fields with a hawk upon wing;
the falconer being in the centre of the line, that he
may regulate the space by the situation of the hawk.
Su' John Sebright says that this method of partridge
hawking afforded him more sport than any other, and
that when the face of the country had so little cover
and the birds so wild as to make it impossible to ap-
proach them in the usual way.

A Plea for the PEREaRiNE.

" There was a time when the large bustard, immea-
sm-ably the finest and most valuable bird of his class,
stalked at the head of five or six hens over Salisbury
Plain, or the swelling chalk downs of Wiltshire. There
was a time when the kite, a bird of exceeding beauty,
unequalled in the richness of his uniform j)lumage, was
familiarly recognised by the most indiscriminating ob-
server, as he steered with forked tail in narrow circles
through the clear blue sky. There was a time when the
raven and the chough abounded on the southern coasts,
and when the wild cat, the badger, and the marten were
not fabulous, but real and frequent denizens of our
Kentish and Sussex covers. But those were days when
our forefathers tm-ned into these rough woodlands with
stout hearts and strong legs, and, after breathless blun-
dering efforts to work up to two or three couple of wild
spaniels, generally reached the brow of the stony bank
in time to catch a glimpse of an old cock pheasant, or
to hear his war note — happy indeed if it were his last.
In those days there were no clear cuts, straight, broad
rides — no trodden bean and barley straw — no breech-

TOL. II. Y

306 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAX.

loaders — no serried ranks of fattened pheasants, shortly
to darken the air, and then to be consigned wholesale to
the dealers at Leadenhall; above all, there was no
" keeper's tree," no kennel weather-boarding suspended
from those gibbet-like branches, or impaled upon those
slovenly damp slabs. How many a splendid specimen,
alas ! of our rarer fauna has mouldered into a wet
sodden skeleton, till the race has become extinct. There
is a bird, rare indeed now, but not so rare but that any
one who can see the lovely things in heaven and earth
may perchance at times gladden his eyes with the sight
— whose generation is yet with us, though fast passing
away. If you are out and up on some of our open table-
lands when the first streak of dawn is in the east, you
may see his form glide like a falling star, dashing, per-
haps, at the earliest rook, or chasing, more in play than
in earnest, some lark, who sings as he shifts at the stoop ;
or it is just possible, 0 partridge shooter, leg-weary and
crest-fallen, tried beyond endurance by that wild, un-
ruly, and most wilful setter, who now for the thirtieth
time runs up his birds, your last chance as the still sha-
dows lengthen, that your soul may be stirred by the
sweeping stoop of the falcon, cleaving the air with fatal
energy of wing, striking his game to the earth, and then
gone as he came — whence, whither ? We have in
these islands of ours but one hawk that can do this,
and he does it but seldom ; for neither partridges nor
pheasants form the staple food of the peregrine falcon.
Under the overhanging ledge of some Scandinavian
rock, midway between the cold sky and the surge, on
Ailsa Craig, or inland perhaps, on the granite peaks
of Arran, his eyrie is placed There you may see
the old birds in turn chasing the sea-fowl, the gull.

A PLEA FOR THE PEREGRINE. 307

the tern, the rock-pigeon, or the jack-daw, foraging
early and late, each as he comes back to the nest filling
the air with his screams ; or earlier, when the falcon is
sitting on some hot spring day, you may see the tiercel
(the male) take to the soar and play off in search of
purer currents. Watch him, watch his marvellously
lovely form, made for speed and strength ; his small head,
broad shoulders, long wing, strong arm (thighs). See how
close he flies ; he rises ; you cannot now see the mottled
mosaic of his under wings ; he grows smaller and smaller,
your eyes water, you have lost him. If you could *look
into the eyrie when its young are hatched you would
see the high-born little falcons, well described by a
writer in the Zoologist as " white balls of down, with
strong yellow legs and noble black eyes." Noble indeed !
where can you match that bold, keen, searching, daunt-
less glance, or the dignity of that erect carriage ? Well,
if you train him (for train him you may, and you can
with patience and time), you may take the young nest-
lings for the love you will bear them hereafter. But
if not, spare the eyrie, samphire gatherer, spare the
eggs, sea boy ; but above all, by whatever name you
may call him — " blue-hawk," " partridge-hawk," " pi-
geon-hawk," "great hawk," when he visits your stony
hills, your chalky downs, even if in his passage he
should strike do\\Ti a partridge before your very face,
0 keeper, 0 game preserver, spare the noble peregrine.
Believe me you may, with very little damage to your-
self. At home among his own preserves, the gull and
the sea fowl I have said are his — inland, the rook ;
abroad on his forage, he will not, he cannot hm-t you
much. The pheasant is at all times perfectly safe from
his stoops ; he cannot enter a cover. He is pre-eminently

308 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN-.

the lord of open wolds; tie must have scope for his
long strong wing, and even the partridge is comparatively-
safe, for he can only strike his game when on the wing.
Your real enemies are ground vermin ; the stoat, the
polecat, and especially your neighbour's " tabby " who
breaks out at times. They, indeed, will damage you.
But the harmless mousing kestrel, pass him by; the
white owl, do not rejoice to nail him up. I remember a
keeper (and an artist too in his way) who, on being
remonstrated with for his bump of destruction, replied,
" What ! white owls do no harm ? They do'ant do any
good. What business has white things like them flying
about, nobody knows what hours ? " Be above such
vulgar prejudices ; do not lend a hand to exterminate the
race of our falcons, fast declining, but spare the noble
peregrine, spare him, even if you neither could be nor
would be a disciple of " The Hood and the Leash.''''

THE END.

LONDOlf

FEINTED BY SPOITISWOODE AND CO.

KEW-SIBEET SO.UAEE

lOHNSTON'S GENERAL
PRESENT TIME.

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