runs, is the frequency these deer crossed and recrossed over water, which shows the predilection they have for it; and which even earliest history makes mention of, and two lines in the Psalms are not inappropriate—

"As pants the hart for cooling streams,

When heated in the chase."

I have been hanging so long in the forest that I seem to have forgotten the "Invincibles," and our old friend Jem Hills. Game as a chicken and unrivalled as a huntsman, he clearly comes within the definition of the prince of song" That all the world might point to him and say, He is a man!" See him at the head of the table in those happy convivial moments at the hunt dinner, or the earth-stoppers' feast; and where is the man who would not be proud to say, "Hurrah for my friend, and a bottle to give him." Cunning as the fox, he still loves the chase with all the ardour of youth; although, like some of the rest of us, he begins to show that time has been handling him a little, and that he wants "new thatch" to make him look as young as he once did.

The wet weather (of which we had unfortunately so much in the carly harvest time) enabled him to get to work in the forest, with his young hounds, much earlier than is usual even with him; and they killed a brace of foxes before the end of the first week in August. It affords the double advantage of entering the young hounds previous to the commencement of the hunting season, and also of driving the cubs out into the open country.

The forest generally abounds with foxes, and this year there is quite an average show it is their home, and their favourite resort; and they are remarkable for their stoutness and intrepidity. In the chase, some of the most brilliant runs on record have taken place up to it, from the open country, not only with the "Heythrop," but often with other packs of hounds, bringing their fox from a very long distance into this forest. Once landed there, pug has a great pull in his favour; not only from the numerous earths being perhaps all open, but from the chance of the hounds changing, and many a good fox has thus saved his life. It requires great skill to kill a fox there; nevertheless it is frequently done by the "Heythrop." It occasionally happens, also, that on a fox reaching it, he finds himself running to the tune of "Bellows to mend," and is too much blown to try the earths; he then sometimes fights his way through it. This took place twice last season. The last time, when

We found a fox in Bruern Wood,

And bursting fair and free,

After many twists and turns,
To Lyneham straight bore he.

To Sarsden then, and Chadlington,
Like arrow swift he flew ;
And speeding on a burning scent,
The clamorous pack pursue.

He cross'd the river Evenlode,
He cross'd it at a bound;
While thunder'd in his listening car,
The noise of horn and hound.

He cross'd the river Evenlode,
And after him cross'd we;
A merry band of sporting men—
What fairer sight to see!

The horn's shrill tone, with mingled cries,

The gentle west wind brings;

And loud and deep, along the vale,

The thrilling music rings.

Then glorious horses dash'd along,
An hundred sportsmen bold,
With red coats glittering in the sun,
With spirits as of old.

He cross'd the vale of Evenlode,
"View halloo !" rent the sky;

And diving into Wychwood's glades,
With his pursuers nigh—

near the ranger's lodge, passing straight through it to Ramsden Heath, and then through the Chase Woods to Asthally, where he was killed. Many a brilliant run, however, has closed within its shades; and the hero of the day has sent his tired followers and their horses back again to some of

"Those blessed homes of England,

As beautiful they stand;
Amid their tall, ancestral trees,
O'er all the pleasant land."

Where, after a rattling day's sport, how merrily engaged are the respective owners thereof in old English hospitality and friendship, doing the honours of the table to hunting guests, in talking over the exciting occurrences of the day, or turning a retrospective glance to old times and old friendships; for in sporting matters, as in everything else, there is a satisfaction in looking back upon days long spent by the veteran, who can amuse, and "set the table in a roar," by recounting a thousand anecdotes of the past, and like the old soldier, "show how fields were won," and particularly if other duties have not been neglected, and

"Honour, the sacred tie, the law of kings, The noble mind's distinguishing perfection," has been his guide and polar star through life.

The plentiful supply of foxes in this country arises as well from the shelter afforded by numerous coverts, as from the good feeling and desire of providing sport existing amongst all classes; especially amongst the tenant-farmers, who are always valuable allies, particularly in the open country, where the coverts lie so much within their care and keeping. There is more importance than some are aware of, attached to a jolly, fox-preserving farmer; one who sees that the feathered tribe are well secured, and not left in hovels or insecure out-houses, to become an easy prey to two-legged hen-roost robbers, by whom such depredations are more frequently committed than by our old friend the fox, although the latter too often, in character and otherwise, unjustly suffers for it. Yet he cannot be quite excused in moonlight" raids," or in the dark midnight hour, when the short, quick, sonorous bark of the dogfox, answered by the sharp, wild scream of the vixen "piercing the dull ear of night," tells distinctly and dismally upon the auricular organ of the traveller and carouser "late at e'en, as they sail along with quickened step "homeward bound." His well known propensity to good fare then tempts him to invade (with consummate craftiness and daring) the then silent precincts of the farm-yard; and, after selecting a good fat goose, and hoisting it on his back, is off before one could say "Jack

Robinson." Now and then, in the course of a long lifetime, followed by "my man John," who having "smelt a rat" from the " row in the rookery," follows after, not with " bottle and bag," but a tremendous cudgel in the shape of a besom stick, or some such weapon; and giving chase to poor pug, who cannot run so fast now as "he is wont," from the load he carries on his shoulders, gains upon him; when, having the fear before his eyes of a hearty whack from the "dam ogly tool," as Sambo would call it, flourished behind him, drops his precious burden, and in his tardy flight "oft looks back, unwilling to be gone." But sometimes they will, after being heavily laden inside and out, and a favourable opportunity for resting presents itself, "then and there, at the time aforesaid, in the place aforesaid," if "the coast is clear," like a gentleman as he is, take a short nap upon the half-cut hay-rick, or other good position for reconnoitering the surrounding posts-according to the maxim, I suppose, of "after dinner sit a while;" yet if he sleeps it must be "with one eye open," for on the slightest summons he is ready in a twinkling, and

Such a man as I am speaking of treats a fox as he would one of his own flock, and will not permit him to be harried by Bob the sheep-dog, or watched for by the shepherd, and popped at and crippled with the old firelock, made for more honourable warfare in some bold trooper's hand

"In the good old days when George the Third was king."

No, he delights in seeing the enjoyment of others, if he cannot participate in it himself so much as he would like; he has too much of the good old English yeoman in his composition (if he is anything like my honoured father, of blessed memory, peace to his ashes!—

*

*

* For he sleeps well,
Near that fair spot, whereon he loved to dwell,"

to murmur at an imaginary loss from the fairy tread of a sweet band of "music men" flitting over his farm. As he good humouredly repairs each little breach in his fences, he turns, he talks, laughs, sympathises, shakes his head, and shrugs up his shoulders, as he contemplates the adventures, "hair-breadth 'scapes," and wild daring of those who plumped into or flew over them; and when the tempest has passed away, and a tranquil sky, and the luxuriance of summer has eradicated each foot-fall, and has safely gathered in the bounties of autumn, calls at the merry harvest home" for three times three, and one cheer more," to drink a jolly bumper to the squire and his

hounds.

I have heard it remarked that, however desirable it may be that reynard should find good friends among the farmers, no persons have it in their power to injure fox-hunting more than keepers. To this I can never agree; unless a keeper is the keeper of his master as well as of his game. I presume the latter will have the staff in his own hand. Away, then, with all twaddle! Away with all misconception and vain excuses! A show of foxes depends upon the master of the

covert.

Yours, &c.,

(To be continued.)

L.

FOX-HUNTING IN SCOTLAND; OR A FEW WORDS FROM "BRUSHWOOD."

Fox-hunting in Scotland has begun under rather gloomy prospects; but it is an old Scottish saying "that an ill beginning is a good ending," and this saying we hope will be verified before the close of the season. Since the regular season began, we mean as regards hunting (1st November, 1848), we have had hard and nipping frosts, and for some days the whole face of the country clothed in a mantle of white. The snow in some parts of Midlothian was from four to six inches deep about the 10th of this month, and a late harvest made most of the packs of foxhounds late in beginning their cubhunting; and when they did begin, it was under a cloud of heavy rain; for in all our experience in this "land of mountain and flood" we never remember such a wet month as the past October. Scent, owing to the superabundance of heavy wet, wretched.

We mentioned that Lord Elcho had given up his Berwickshire country, and it is now hunted by subscription. Tom Smith, from Lord Southampton's, is huntsman. This pack has not done much in the cub-hunting line, owing to the rain; but they have now begun their regular season, and with fine weather and a good country we have no doubt but our old friend Tom will show the Nimrods in that locality some good sport before the close of their first season. At Dunse there is every accommodation for hunters, and some good inns, where the creature-comforts of this life can be obtained at a reasonable rate.

We have heard nothing of that famous sportsman, Lord Elcho and his gallant pack, further than that his lordship was in the north of this county (Perth) last September, and had some good sport at grouse, and some capital salmon fishing in the Tay. We wish him and his gallant pack of hounds good sport over the Northumberland country. We hear that his stud, both in field or stable, and kennel, are all that could be wished for; but under the eye of such a master and thorough sportsman as Lord Elcho, and his long established pack of hounds, matters could not be otherwise. lordship's stud in the stable, I heard from a good judge who saw them lately, cannot be beaten; and this is a mighty consideration to the noble sport in the field.

His

The Duke of Buccleugh and Old Will (Williamson) we have not heard anything of, but we know that the old veteran will not be last in the foray.

Squire Ramsay, master of the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire hounds, we met at the Perth Race Meeting, and of course inquired after Tom Rentoul and his merry lads in black and white. The worthy Squire remarked that their cub-hunting had been much interfered with, as regarded the unsettled state of the weather in October; but as foxes were plentiful in most parts of their extensive country, they expected good sport throughout the season, and we heartily wish them

good luck, as there is no better sportsman in our land than the worthy "laird of Barnton."

Our old favourites the late Fife hounds, (now Sir Richard Sutton's) we hear, are going on most favourably, and are likely to show the Nimrods in Leicestershire that they are made of the right material before the end of the season.

Our old friend Mr. John Walker, now with Sir W. W. Wynn, has begun his season under favourable circumstances, and we wish him every luck in his new undertaking. But there is no fear of John Walker, as he is one of the cleverest and best huntsmen of his day. BRUSHWOOD.

Banks of the Pow, Nov. 15th, 1848.

LITERATURE.

A GUIDE TO THE HOUNDS OF ENGLAND; by Gêlert: Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane.-We have just received the above little work, which has been long wanted by the hunting world; and we have much pleasure in recording our sincere approval of its merits. The fact of its announcing the favourite fixtures, and contributing information respecting the management or history of the several hunts in England, must render it both an agreeable and a serviceable companion to every hunting man, and as such we cordially recommend it to our friends.

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE "HAWK" TRIBE: By J. W. Carleton. London: D. Bogue, Fleet-street. Of the class of publications issued by the same publisher, the brochure before us undoubtedly takes the lead. It is indeed pre-eminently entitled to prestige for obvious reasons; amongst which is the author's purpose-like manner of "pointing a moral." A distinguishing feature in this little work is the entire absence of those low, vulgar, cockney conventionalities which are intended to pass current for wit and humour, in the pages of mis-termed "cheap" literary productions of the day. In lieu of the dreary "fun" of such emanations, it is doubly pleasant and refreshing to find mirth and merriment tempered with "wise saws and modern instances." While enjoying a hearty guffaw over the " Hawk" Tribe, the reader is sure to be impressed with the skilful and life-like manner in which the characters are daguerreotyped, evidently denoting the author's having graduated in the school which tells us that

"The proper study of mankind is man."

A YACHT VOYAGE TO NORWAY, DENMARK, AND SWEDEN; by W. A. Ross, Esq.; in two volumes: Henry Colburn. London, 1848.We shall not, peradventure, shape our notice of this voyage secundum artem. We ought, perhaps, in treating it professionally, to set out with a hint that, in another year or so, at the close of the London season, it will become the fashion for gentlemen of enterprize and spirit to follow the footsteps of Sir William Harris through central Africa, and his example in the matter of lion stalking, as of recent time they have pursued the course and career of Sir Hyde Parker, and voyagers of his school, among the " fiords" of the far north, in search after salmon and