horfes poffefs too much speed to You will not deny, I think, that be alfo endowed with the power fuch an acquifition "would be of continuance. It was fair of infinite fervice;" and to comenough to fufpect, from a fen- pleat my intention, I would advise tence of mine, that I was defirous you to infert in your next Magazine, of recommending my own lite. a fenfible, polite, and respectful adrary wares to your purchase, in dress to the gentlemen of the turf in preference to those of the perfon general, and of the clubs in partiI alluded to; and I ought to cular; and to folicit their occafional overwhelm you with a profufion communications, with the promife of of thanks for fuppofing me qua- all poffible attention. With reflified for fo honourable a com-pect to myfelf, rely upon it, I petition. But in this cafe you had never any defign upon the will foon be convinced that you property of the Sporting Magahad more speed than bottom; zine: my fortune fets me above and that your judgment, though every idea of that kind. Every apparently right in the first hafty communication of mine will be sketch, was in proof, and very perfectly gratuitous, and directed deed, literally wrong. What a to no other end than the advandefperate risk too, have you in- tage of a Publication, the subject curred, by offending fo great a of which holds a strong interest man, (fuppofe it poffible to reach in my affections. As to your his ear) as the florid, the enamelled, the allegoric, the be-metaphored, the impaffioned PETER PASQUIN, Efq. How would he fwell with indignation at the mortal affront of being fuppofed the author of thofe poor, ufeful, home-fpun effufions of common fense which my pen affords.

Thanks to you once more, gentlemen: there are two egregious and fupereminent coxcombs amongst the paper-ftainers of this literary metropolis, and you have generously chofen me as the competitor of the one, and actually elevated me into an identity with

the other.

To take you out of the way no farther:-When I faid that " If you could perfuade any man of the turf, &c." you might fafely have understood it au pied de la lettre. I meant that, as there are feveral gentlemen of the turf who write elegantly, when they are difpofed to take the trouble, that poffibly upon proper application they might be induced to patronize your Mifcellany in that way. VOL. IV. No. XX.

correfpondent, I know him no otherwife than by his ftyle: I am not even acquainted with any one who knows him.

But, to my poft of honour, that of monthly reviewer to the Sporting Magazine: Your elegant and refined correfpondent would have faid menftrual reviewer.-Least it escape my treacherous memory, let me, in the firft place, congratulate you on that very appropriate ornament of laft month's Magazine, the portrait of the Baker's mare: it is an admirable engraving, as well as a moft correct likeness, and of itself worth five times the fum you charge for the Magazine, to any sportsman, whether he knew the mare or not. She has for fome years been our best fecond-rate trotter. You have done very judiciously in preferving the old, fporting, high-bred term portraiture. I have gazed at the print with new pleasure a hundred times.

Hints to horfemen are well wrote, and in general judicious;

L

but

but in one particular respect rather unfit for a Sporting Maga. zine: we retain very few ridingschool modes at prefent, either on the road, or in the field.

The article refpecting Staring Tom is curious; although I knew that horfe many years, I was deceived by one which was fold in his name at Tatterfall's, which I prefume may be the fame now at Birmingham.

liam; and to rejoice that his highnefs had laboured fo hard to "produce priority," after being told that Marike never had any other proprietors than Duke William and Lord Abingdon, (which we never heard before) getting clear of the "effects of an embarkation," we endeavoured to enjoy the felicitous idea of a" correct ftud of horfes." The instantaneous obftruction given by death to the fascination and

Allons! 'tis time we attend to Dr. Blowbladder, whofe contri-infection of an influenza, carried butions for the last month are as us flap-dash to an abfolute arrangefollow-I mean fuch as bear the ment; from thence to unpreceindubitable marks of his work- dented plaudits and pious fubmifmanship. To wit: Sporting fion to the curtain of death, acContrafts- Veterinarian Retort companied with an accumulation -Sporting Portraits and Bil- altogether proper for the rumi. liards. After the toaft had gone nation of contemplation; to round as ufual, and by command, which it would have been charmI felected the above for exami-ing to have added - Hell and nation. damnation! Paffing haftily over "a minutiæ' we run plump upon the "effervefcence of experience," unbenefitted by the

66

First, of the firft. If he means poor Chillaby Jennings, by "one of the greateft characters upon the turf," he has fixed upon a lights and fhades of circumfpecman who had very little more tion," and then rolled on until we knowledge of the matter than attained the D. of B's "fequefhimself. We proceeded over-tered obftrufity," which we could whelmed with depreffion," or, depreffion," or, not pafs for peals of laughter. depreffed with overwhelmtion, (as Good Heaven! what a regale George fwore it ought to has this gentleman afforded us of have been) to the excellent vehi-epithets guiltlefs of meaning or cle of "pedestrian indefatigabi- appropriation; of the right pufflity;" then we found "Fortune's paste of metaphor, the thunder wheel fo eternal," and the blafts of bombaft, the fenfible ingeof adverfity fo chilling, and the nuity of tautology, and of all preternatural exhilarations of in- thofe fublime et cæteras which he fanity fo threatening, and the fa-fo wonderfully well knows how cility of emerging from a wall foto make ufe of, without underobvious, that, dear me, Gentle-ftanding their fignification. We men, we had all liked to have have appointed a committee to floated the room from the diure-put thefe precious morceaux, with tic effects of laughter.-What divers others, into heroics; to be power the Dr's. medicines pof-ready for the prefs next month. fefs! We then hopped over the And they'll make brave and rat. "obliteration of general war-tling metre, Gentlemen, will they rants," to enjoy the pleasures of not? We have no kind of obrurality," (what pity ruralifm jection to his affuming the apdid not occur) with Duke Wil-pearance of learning, by the use

of

Manner of Taking the Elephant in the Iland of Ceylon. 83

elephant, which are here very numerous, and particularly deftructive amongst the young trees and plantations.

In order to accomplish their purpofe, an immenfe number of

of latin quotations; nor do we complain of him because he does not understand them; for that he cannot now help. We only requeft more accuracy in the transcription. As he obvioufly makes himself the hero of the billiard-cocoa or palm-trees are provided, fcene, I had the curiofity to enquire of an old player, and got myfelf laugh'd at for my pains.Never mind, the ftory is not ill told. The character of the D. of Queensberry is the best thing he ever wrote: but that incomprehenfible piece of nonfense and pertnefs called "the Retort courteous," is a fad difgrace to your Magazine!

which are well fecured in the ground, and bound together both at top and bottom with a cordage made of the bark of the fame tree, which, notwithstanding its great length, the elephants frequently break through, and kill their purfuers.

As foon as an inclofure is formed with thefe trees, the shape of which resembles a drag.net, and extends nearly a mile in length, and about thirty or forty A GENTLEMAN JOCKEY. yards in breadth, gradually deMay 10, 1794.

Your's,

creafing towards the extremity, where there is a divifion formed in the fame manner as the reft, with the addition of a trap-door,

To the Editors of the Sporting through which the elephants are

IF

Magazine,

GENTLEMEN,

you think the following account of the manner of taking the elephant in the island of Ceylon, worthy a place in your entertaining Magazine, by inferting it you'll oblige

Your conftant reader,

VERITAS.

Some few years fince having occafion to vifit that delightful ifland, I was treated with the utmoft civility and politenefs by the governor, Mynheer Vandergraaff, who refides at Colombo; he was kind enough to give me an invitation to accompany himfelf, his lady, and feveral gentlemen between twenty and thirty miles into the interior parts of the country; and provided me with a chaife for the purpofe of feeing their manner of taking the

forced, and when they have paffed, a perfon who fits there for that purpose, lets down the trapdoor, and prevents their return.

A party of about twelve or fif. teen hundred men are now em

ployed to furround these creatures, perhaps it may be at the diftance of forty or fifty miles; and by the means of firing mufkets, beating drums, and keeping fires conftantly round them in the night, they continue to drive, for many days, fometimes weeks, until at length they get them into the inclofure, the finalleft part of which will barely admit one only. at a time, and when there, by thrufting a tree behind him, can neither get backwards or forwards.

Two tame elephants are then brought to the fpot, and after being made faft between them, fome of the trees are removed, and he is conducted to a place

L 2

already

84

Incongruous Adoption.-The Game of Hazard.

already prepared, where he is again fecured until he becomes tame and gentle, which very fhortly happens; but fhould he prove unruly, the tame elephants beat and lafh him with their trunk or probofcis.

In this manner we had an opportunity of feeing from a fcaffold erected for that purpofe, forty taken at once; fome of the young ones not more than three feet high, but thefe were all trampled to death by the others, it being impoffible to take them

alive.

not wish to keep more than one cat at a time, the kittens were all drowned, and the fame day the cat and one chicken were miffed. Diligent fearch was immediately made in every place

in and out of the houfe, to no purpofe; and it was concluded that fome mifchance had befallen both: four days afterwards, however, the fervant having occafion to go into an unfrequented part of the cellar, difcovered to his great aftonishment, the cat lying in one corner with the chicken hugged clofe to her body, and one paw laid over as if to preferve it from injury. The cat and adopted chick were brought into a clofet in the kitchen, where they continued fome days, the cat treating the chicken in every respect as a kitten. Whenever the chicken left the cat to eat, fhe appeared very uneasy, but on its return fhe received it with the affection of a mother: preffed it to her body, purred, and feemed perfectly happy. If the chicken was carried to the hen, it immediately returned to the cat. The chicken was by fome accident killed, and the cat would not eat for feveral days afterwards.

There are many little circumftances attending this unnatural adoption which I forbear to mention, though they might perhaps ftrengthen the belief of those who perufe the account; but fhould any doubts arife of its authenticity, they may be removed by a reference to thofe who were eye-witneffes to the fact.

I am, gentlemen,

Your humble fervant,
An obliged Correfpondent.

Kennington-Lane,
May 9, 1794.

The GAME of HAZARD.
HIS

game may be played by

that could be thought of, both The perfon who takes the box

and

The Game of Hazard.

The mode of staking or betting at this game differs from that of any other. If a perfon chooses to lay fome money with the thrower or cafter, he must put his cafh upon the table, within a circle which is defcribed for that purpose. When he has done this, if the cafter agrees to it, he knocks the box upon the table at the perfon's money with whom he intends to bet, or particularly mentions at whofe money he throws, which is fufficient, and 8 to 5 he is obliged to answer whatever fum is down, unlefs the ftaker 9 to 5 is even calls to cover: in that cafe the 9 to 4 is 4 to three