his memory with his books, full of hope and determination to signalize himself, he set off early next morning for Bashal Court, which was to be the scene of his piscatory exploits.

Squire Hayward received his guest with the most genuine English hospitality, and introduced him to a large party of gentlemen, whom he had assembled for the same purpose as that for which Winks had been invited. These latter lifted up their eyes in silent astonishment at the great display of rods and lines which Winks's servant spread out upon the lawn. They began to imagine that it was some speculation, and that the various and costly implements were thus ostentatiously produced for sale; and some joing to that effect was successfully hazarded. Our hero took it all in good part, and glorified himself exceedingly.

As we wish to get to the Sports of the Sea as speedily as possible, we shall not detail the numerous mistakes, and the general awkwardness of our hero. Like the little boy who could only read in his own book, James could only fish in his own waters. That would have been tolerable enough-but he prevented all those from fishing who happened to come near him. What ought to have been sport was nothing but a series of disasters. After doing much mischief, he wound up by hooking Doctor Dribble, the rector, right through the cartilage that divided the nostrils of his very blooming nose.

The matter was serious, for the barbed steel could not be extracted without the assistance of a surgeon, and the aid of an operation. Winks said he was 66 very sorry," yet could not help despising the little strength of mind displayed by the divine-who roared and wept by turns-indeed, he said as much; and, whilst the hooked man was dancing upon the banks with pain, he attempted to soothe him with scriptural and moral quotations.

Winks concluded his consolations by endeavouring at the demifacetious for he told the doctor, that he had changed places with him and become, like the apostle, 66 a fisher of men." The witticism did

not tell well, if we may judge by appearances.

A good dinner is a great rectifier of evils. Doctor Dribble, with his nose well swathed with strips of adhesive plaister, took comfort and his two bottles-together with great caution in placing himself as far from the successful angler as possible.

At the most festive period of the evening, every one was eager to compliment Winks upon the size of his capture, its liveliness, its weight, and the renown that would attend upon such a feat. Winks did not at first wink under this infliction-but nothing is so progressive as jeering, and our hero was at last roused.

It is the common trick of statesmen and of tailors to affect to undervalue when and where they cannot overcome. Winks commenced speaking dispraisingly of fishing in general, of fly-fishing in particular; and, as to the accident to the nose of the reverend ecclesiastic, he

thought that he, Winks, had most grounds of complaint, seeing that he had a hook of undoubted excellence spoiled by coming in contact with a very suspicious-looking piece of flesh-the nose might heal—at least, if its possessor would practise the temperance he preached-but the state of his hook was past remedy.

"I have caught no fish," he continued violently-" perhaps I might if I had chosen, and fat people had not thrust noses in my way—but I am an independent man, of nearly three thousand a-year-why should I catch such paltry small fry? Show me a fish worth fishing for and I'll catch it."

"Dr. Dribble's curate is as heavy a man as the doctor himself," said mine host-" he'll be here to-morrow."

“No—I'll have a nobler aim-something manly to seek-worthy to be acquired."

"A whale for example," said, snorting and sneezing, the doctor.

"And why not a WHALE ?" said Winks, all the soul of the tailor and the cockney firing within him. "It is a glorious idea. I'll bet any man here a thousand pounds I'll assist at killing a whale within a twelvemonth -I'm independent, and will kill as many whales as I like. Will any one take me?"

"I will for twenty," said one.

Done!" roared out Winks. "And I for ten, and I for fifty :" and thus they went round until our hero had booked bets to the amount of three hundred pounds that he would, within the twelvemonth, be the principal actor in killing a full-sized whale, and produce certificates to that effect.

We have no occasion to record the continued festivities of that jovial night. All present sung and spoke, as men will sing and speak on such occasions. The last thing that was observed was, Winks cross-legged upon his chair, and his right elbow in continuous

motion.

Winks did not on the following morning repent him of the temerity of his bet. With all the magnanimity of which he was so proud, he determined to signalize himself,-so, at breakfast, he generously made his host the very acceptable present of all his fishing-tackle, and then, with glory in his heart, and a brightened complexion, he offered to double his bets all round. No takers. It was seen that his enthusiasm was something more durable than the excitement of the wine, and that he was firm to his purpose as "a flint."

"Yes, gentlemen, I find that little people have written large books, because they went so far north as Norway to catch a few salmon,—let the world look to it, and not be surprised if they get a folio; for I shall penetrate into the arctic regions. Gentlemen, I take my leave-I wish you all manner of sport with your flies-flies-ha! ha! ha!I go to catch whales!"

209

MASTERS OF HOUNDS,

BY NIMROD.

"As a master of hounds, I have many things to expect. I have a right to expect a strict preservation of fuxes from every one. I have a right to expect old foxes, and also a strict preservation of cubs; for without young foxes, the stock cannot be kept up, and blank days will be the result. On the other hand, you have a right to expect from me, the most polite attention in the field, and out of the field; to expect a correct announcement of all the meets; in fact, you have a right to expect me to hunt the country, not for my own convenience, but to the satisfaction and amusement of others."

“This is an admirable little summary of mutual duties; and the scntiments do the gentleman who gave expression to them, great honour. The universal adoption of a mutual and candid feeling of this description must be most gratifying."

THE first of these extracts is from the concluding speech of that excellent old sportsman-that staunch friend to foxhunting-Mr. Pryse Pryse, a short time back, to the members of the Gogerdan hunt, at a dinner at which they presented him with a silver horn, in testimony of their regard as well as their approbation of the sportsmanlike manner in which he has hunted their country-which indeed he may be said to have made fit for that purpose. The second, is the comment of the newspaper reporter; and I consider them both worthy of being placed at the starting post of this my attempt to run lightly over the course and operations of all the masters of hounds with which I have hunted. I am sorry I cannot include Mr. Pryse among the number, but it will be recollected that, in my midland tour, written two years back, I gave my old and highly-respected friend all the credit due to him for his almost unprecedented preservation of foxes, in his covers at Buscott Park, Berkshire, in Lord Ducie's country. And unprecedented it must be allowed to be, inasmuch as, although both himself and his sons shoot, not a gun is allowed to be fired off in those covers, after regular hunting is begun.

My memory will not so far serve me as to say whether it was with the hounds of the late Mr. Leche, father of the present gentleman who now hunts the same country, or of the late Sir Richard Puleston, that I made my debût in the hunting field, as they both met within reach of my father's house; but as those of the former gentleman were of the oldest date in the foxhunting world, I will commence with him.

Foxhounds have been kept at Carden Park, Cheshire, the beautiful seat of Mr. Leche, during three generations; the grandfather of the present

The reader will observe that in future, mention will only be made of hounds, "fox-hounds" being understood.

gentleman having kept them but it is of his father that I am about to speak.

Mr. Leche, in character and appearance, was a sportsman of the old school; on which, it must be admitted, vast improvements in most respects have been effected-so much so indeed, as to assure me in saying, that were Mr. Meynell to rise again from his grave, he would have much to learn. I think I see him (Mr. Leche) at this moment, on his cropped bay horse, trotting along at the head of his pack, in his plain scarlet coat, with white buttons, brown cord breeches, and brown topp'd boots, a short cue visible on his collar; but all was in good keeping, and he was fastidiously clean in his person. Although with a good ten thousand a year, however, he sported but one whipper-in, which he maintained was sufficient in a country like his, wherein there are no large covers. In fact, the only purpose he assigned to a second whip was, to ride over his hounds, and help to lame his horses.

Whether Mr. Leche was a really good judge of hounds, is more than I can say, as I knew so little of their requisite qualities in those young days; but as Sir Richard Puleston occasionally bred from them, and from his (Mr. Leche's) long experience, his judgment must not be thought too lightly of, measuring him by the standard of kennel knowledge of his day. That he was a George Heron-his contemporary master of the Cheshire-or a Sir Richard Puleston, as a breeder, would be saying far too much.

I well remember that his hounds were large, bony, and powerful; and when they had a chance, would kill their fox handsomely; and I have here also the authority of my elder brother, who hunted a great deal with them, after he knew what good hunting was, which was not my case. I can, however well remember, that there were far too many masters in the field, the result of the real master's extreme good-humour, which seldom fails to be trespassed upon; and which, how desirable soever in private life and society, may be at times advantageously dispensed with in the fox hunting field. There would be a Cheshire squire holloaing here, and a parson there, with the huntsman (the master) perhaps nowhere, when confusion would naturally be the result.

What Mr. Leche could do over a country before I knew him, it is, of course, out of my power to say; but I should scarcely consider him to have been quick enough to hunt a pack of hounds with success; inasmuch as, when he first came under my observation, he was not so far advanced in life as to cause him to have slackened his pace much on that account. Then the sort of horse he rode, was at once a bar to going anything like, still less, the pace, even of that day; and in a very close country. And as may be expected, the older he got, the slower he got, as is the case with most-the Tom Smith and the Lord