Howbeit, cold as it was, the hounds swam the pools, and tried the hovers, as if the water, which was icy cold, was as warm as milk. -Marked in a drain, but did not see the wild beast. Tuesday, 21st.-Met at Yealm-bridge, on the river Yealm; time of meeting seven o'clock A. M.-Hit a trail, and carried it up the stream like wild-fire, and found in a pool above Laverton-bridge, before the pedestrians and equestrians could get up to them. When we arrived, the hounds were marking him: the scent was not very good at first; however it got better, and, after some hours of great amusement to many lovers of the sport, the hounds caught him on land.-One dogotter killed. Monday, 27th.-Met at Aveton Giffard-bridge, on the river Aune. -Hit a trail below Loddiswell, and after some doubt as to whether it went up stream or down, and much loss of time, we gave it up, and lifted the hounds on as far as Topsham-bridge, on the same river; and, late in the day, the black bitch Midnight marked in a meadow, and after some little war with the terriers, out he came, and then gave us lots of fun and a thorough washing for three hours, and at last beat us through the carelessness of the watchers. "Heigho!" said the Captain; we have not Sellick or Creese here."-Tom Moody speared some fish, and we had some luxurious fry at the inn called the Cot. -Time of meeting eight o'clock; found, but did not kill. 66 JUNE.-Saturday, 1st.-Mr. Bulteel's hounds. Met at Loddiswell-bridge; time of meeting eight o'clock; river Aune. When we threw off the hounds, he of Lincombe, that fisherman, said, "We shall have no sport to-day; I do not think there is an otter upon the river." The Otter-hunter looked savage at this speech, and would have thrown cold water upon his head for this endeavor to throw cold water upon the day's adventure: his dander was up he was ryled, and did not fervently bless that fisherman. Our gracious commander, the Captain, took him up with, "I'll take your 2 to 1 we gaze him before the day is over; but no more talking." Chancellor has hit the trail, and carries it on merrily: all the hounds join in the merry-making. What a glorious crash! They hunt a double trail over some meadows, where the wild beast was a frogging last night; then back to the river. “I will eat my hat!" cries the Otter-hunter, "if they do not discover him soon. What do you think of it now, Lincombe ?"-" Why, it does look something like now," replies that doubting man. Tom Moody, that broth of a boy, has discovered a drain under a road: Oh tu dulcissime rerum ! Well done! Little Jack, the terrier, is halloo'd up the drain, and in a minute war is declared. Jack has met with the otter, and the otter gives Jack a very unkind meeting, and soon sends Jack to door with a bloody nose. Jack does not like it. In goes white Mouse, and chides the fishing animal for his bad manners: he is likewise put to doors with a flea in his ear. Then the brindle-tailed Lady tries her luck at persuasion: it will not do; the lutrine robber will not shew. "Come, Tom Moody, shove in thy dog, that Lio Lio, that dog of dogs." The Black Prince, like his great biped namesake, will take no denial in war: he expels the lutrine warrior from his strong hold. Out he creeps upon dry land, bundles over a hedge, and gains the river: then it is real good fun, "a most jolly game," as Charley Bates would say. The great thundering fox-hounds are at him; it is dash, splash, crash-men and hounds over head and ears in the water : it is heugaze up and heugaze down the stream-bubble-a-vent. What a beautiful scene! what a picture of the hunters' joyfulness! It cannot last long. Chancellor, the once brave Chancellor, that once big grabber of otters, made a gripe at the loose skin of the grinner, but the grinner griped him, and I'm dashed if the great big grabber was not afraid to fight: so Gallantry took his place, and, though severely wounded, held on. Waterloo and Waspish have got their teeth in him-the whole pack join-it is soon over, the otter is as dead as a stone. Found under Blackall, below Newhouse, and killed a dogotter, weight 19fb. Tuesday, 4th.-Met at Sequers-bridge, on the river Erme, at ten o'clock. Hit a trail upon Gurtsford-brook, and carried it on most delightfully three or four miles up the stream; marked in an underground gutter: the terriers bolted the otter, and afterwards it was short work, as the brook was so small it was almost all upon land, and the persecutors soon had her—a female otter killed. Out seven times; found five otters, killed four. as I have always said, are the best for this sport : for bewitching 'em." The fox-hounds, "they are the dogs A BRUNECHeval. June 8, 1839. HAMPTON RACES. MOULSEY HURST, the scene of many a pugilistic contest, appears destined to undergo a mythological change in the patron deity of its sport; and the feats of Pollux are about to fade away in estimation in the more absorbing interest of the Race, if we may judge from the lately increased and sporting tenor of the Meetings there. Whether boxing has reached its climacteric, and faded in the due course of all things fashionable or sublunary, or whether it has been suffered to decline from an improvement in public taste, we do not take upon ourselves to say; but we think the exchange is in no wise undesirable; and if but common care be taken of all things requisite to a metropolitan racemeeting, something evident in the alterations and improvements of the new management, Hampton may look forward to the time for exalting her horn, and drawing to her benefit the fructifying stream of a London population. The lessee of the ground of late years had no soul for the spirit-stirring scene "Of horses gay, In bright array," and from the exorbitant demands made for standings, and the general neglect of the sod, the Races bade fair to be of the things that were. New managers, however, luckily took the reins of government, and by their judicious arrangements gave goodly promise of "better things to come. Nor were the public disappointed: the course was extended by inclosing a meadow at the far end, making a circuit of a mile and a half, and all inequalities in the turf were carefully removed and levelled; the "lettings" for booths were on moderate terms; and the standings for carriages conveniently arranged for a fair con-si-de-rati-on. "The sinews of war," too, were liberally supplied by the proprietors, and the London and Southampton Railway gave £50 towards a Stake under that appellation, which was amply compensated to them by the throngs that crowded their trains. The first day, Wednesday, June 5, opened with The Gold Cup, in specie, by subscriptions of 10 sovs. each, with 50 added by the Proprietors, the second horse to save his Stake, and the winner to be sold for 500; two miles and a quarter, six subs.— The race was well contested by Mr. V. King's Ruby (Sly) and Sir Gilbert Heathcote's La Belezza till the last turn, when the gem went a-head, and won in a canter. For the first mile Mr. Munro's Bravo kept the lead, but it was evident he had "shot his bolt." Mr. Coleman's Chemist was third. Mr. Land's Lottery didn't like it "at all at all," and walked away-in other words he bolted. Mr. Falconer's Slender was last in the throng at starting, and could only come up in time to be too late. This was followed by the London and Southampton Railway Stakes of 3 sovs. each, seventeen subs., with 50 added by the Directors, the winner to be sold for 150, weight for age, heats, once round and a distance. The Calendar will best shew the numbers not placed, for out of fifteen that started, the first heat lay with Lord Chesterfield's b. c. by Mulatto or Starch out of Carew's dam and Mr. Owsley's Capulet, the former winning easy.-Capulet being drawn, the winner was pushed pretty closely in the second "go" by Mr. Moss's Ascanius, but My Lord's colt was in the end a clever winner. The Strawberry Hill Stakes of 5 sovs. each, ten subs., with 25 added, for horses that never won £50, heats, one mile and a quarter, brought nine to the post; and here again we must refer to the Calendar for those that may fairly be considered out of the race. In the first heat, Mr. Hebden's Appleton Lass beat Mr. Falconer's Professor by a length, Mr. Owsley's Victoria third, and then drawn. Mr. Whittington's Falklandica and Mr. T. Hussey's Red Rose were on good terms with the leaders till the last turn, when they lost their chance.-In the second heat two only were placed-Mr. Scott's b. c. by Bustard out of Venus and Falklandica, Appleton Lass evidently biding her time. Red Rose and Mr. Moss's Fanatic were now drawn.-In the last heat the Bustard colt made the running, followed by Falklandica and three others, Appleton Lass lying in the rear till the lot came into straight running, when she shot by all her competitors and went in an easy winner. The Thursday was here, as elsewhere, the "grand day," but it was marked by one of those disgraceful scenes which throw a stigma on the Turf-and by a Gentleman too!......but we anticipate.-The first race was Her Majesty's Plate of 100gs., free for horses of all ages, the winner to be sold for 500, heats, twice round and a distance. King's Ruby made play, followed closely by Mr. Dockeray's Guardsman, Mr. Greville's Rory O'More third, and thus they went on their Mr. way till within a quarter of a mile from home, when Rory came up, passed Guardsman, challenged the leading horse, running him neck and neck half way up the distance, and, having got three parts of a length a-head, kept it to the Chair; six others not placed.-In the second heat Mr. Balchin's Munchausen went off at score, followed by Mr. White's Baronet, for the first round, when Sir Gilbert Heathcote's Lanarca took up the running, and passed both, Guardsman following close in her wake, with Rory at his heels. In this way they continued till about a distance and a half from the winning-post, when Rory let out, passed Guardsman, ran up to Lanarca's saddle-girths, and, when within half a distance, Natt put the steam on in full force, and landed his nag first, to the delight of all who witnessed the struggle for preeminence between him and Buckle. Guardsman, jock'd by Butler, was third in both heats. And now came the "bone of contention," not as regarded the running, but in reference to the conduct of the Gentleman-jock who could have won if he would! and certainly a more openly disgraceful fraud upon the backers of the ought-to-be winner was never perpetrated. -The race was the Palace Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with 25 added, for horses not thorough-bred, carrying 11st. 71b. each, Gentlemen riders, those wearing cocked hats allowed 7ib.; heats, once round, the winner to be sold for 80 sovs. on the usual conditions. From the unenviable notoriety which marked the progress and termination of this affair, we give a more extended notice than half-bred races usually call for, though it will be seen, as in other cases, only two horses were placed in each heat: Mr. Webber's b. g. Harold, aged (Captain Becher) 1 1 1 2 Mr. Barker's br. m. Betsey, aged (Owner) Mr. Nightingale's b. m. Ada, aged (Owner) Mr. Owsley's ch. m. Victoria, aged (Mr. Hussey).. Mr. Goodman's Weathercock, aged (Mr. M'Donough) Mr. Matthew's ch. m. Countess, by The Sailor out of Euston's dam, 6 yrs Mr. Coleman's b. m. Victoria, 6 yrs (Mr. Parr).. Mr. Robertson's b. g. Why-not, aged (Owner) The betting in the first heat was 6 to 4 agst Harold and 2 to 1 agst Pauline.-Pauline and the Countess got off together, and continued friendly neighbours for a third of the way, when Her Ladyship was quite satisfied with what she had done. Mr. Owsley's Victoria and Weathercock then joined Pauline, and they kept cheek by jowl to the straight run-in, when Pauline went a-head by two lengths, and kept her position till past the Judge's Chair.-In the second heat Mr. Curwen appeared to wish to reserve his horse for the third heat, but the speculators were up to "the move," and backed out, as he backed his horse, in the best way they could. Suffice it to say, Betsey made the running, followed by Mr. Coleman's Victoria and Harold till near the distance, when Captain Becher let out his horse, ran by them, and won very easily. On ringing for the third heat, Pauline came up, and this gave confidence to the uninitiated, who naturally thought their money safe, even though 5 to 2 and 3 to 1 were current on Harold by the "old files," who saw there was no intention to let the mare win. At starting Betsey and Ada got off first, Harold waiting on the latter, and Pauline in the rear. The former was soon bowled out, and Harold, on coming to the last turn, passed Ada, as did Pauline, and now the race appeared to lay between the two, though it was evident the mare could have " gone in and won" with the greatest ease if allowed to do so; but it was not to be; for though the honest mare strained her hardest to get her head, her rider pulled with all his force at the curb-rein to prevent her, and as he passed the Betting Stand, his intention was so palpable, that he was cheered with groans, and hisses, and laughter, and a simultaneous shout of "Hold her! hold her!" Close at home, the Gentleman Jock let her out, but Harold was then safe, and as a matter of course placed first. So barefacedly was the thing done, that all cried out "Shame!" and a Gallant Colonel offered to give the selling-price for the mare according with the conditions, and run her against the winner for 200 gs., and bet 10 to 1. Mr. Curwen, who is represented to be a Gentleman of fortune, could not but feel much annoyed at the disgust so unequivocally expressed, and more so when, on going to weigh, the Gallant Colonel alluded to told him in plain terms "it was a bare-faced robbery." He attempted to justify himself by saying he unfortunately did not call on his horse till too late! and on appealing to a well-known judge of racing matters for his experience of his former conduct, as to whether it was likely he could have intentionally done wrong, was coolly answered, that his former conduct might have been unexceptionable, but in the present instance he had most assuredly forgot himself! If the owner thought his horse too valuable to go for 80 sovs., he might have easily arranged with the second horse; but he appears to have acted on the principle of not trusting to another man's honor, doubtless believing that all were cast in the same dirty mould as himself. When the excitement had partially subsided, the bell rang for the Hurst Cup of 50 sovs. in specie, given by the proprietors of the course, free for all ages, the winner to be sold for 200, heats, once round and a distance. Here again the Calendar must tell the tale, as out of twelve three only were placed-Mr. Bond's Voluptuary (May) first, Mr. Turner's Jim Crow second, and Mr. Munro's Bravo third.For the second heat only eight started, in which Mr. Falconer's Slender (Wakefield) had no difficulty in beating Bravo: no others placed. The last heat was by far the best. Slender went off with the lead, followed by Mr. Owsley's Capulet to the first turn, when Voluptuary took the place of the latter, and at the last turn Bravo superseded him, and challenged Slender, the two making a splendid finish, and the latter winning only by a neck. We should have stated that another hitch occurred on this memorable day, from Mr. King having drawn Ruby after the first heat for Her Majesty's Plate. Rory O'More was at 6 to 4 in the market, but such was the confidence in Ruby that the Field was backed freely, and though defeated in the first heat, the Fielders were still confident. Their disappointment may be conceived, when, the horse being brought out to saddle, an Ordinance was issued that he was not to start, and he and his jockey "marched away." The Fielders were of |