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that the refuse only would be disposed of: indeed it is an error which many breeders fall into-" if they breed for sale they never ought to train." The young stock were very promising, and realized fair prices. A very clever yearling colt, by Wamba out of Glantivy, was purchased by Captain Fendall, and a remarkably racing-like colt, by Wamba out Minna, was knocked down at eighty guineas. Wamba, the stallion, was not sold; and considering his excellent blood, as also the good size and racing-like appearance of his stock, he is a desirable horse to keep.

Amongst the numerous amusing anecdotes which I heard, I was much entertained at a novel mode of getting hounds out of covert when they were not disposed to obey the summons of the horn; and I was positively assured that it was occasionally practised by the Gentleman of whom it was related. His plan was, to get hold of one of the hounds on the outside of the covert, and to pull his ears so as to make him cry out, thereby inducing those which remained in covert to suppose that he was running a fox, when, by cheering and hallooing to the cry, he succeeded in getting them all away. As to the effect which such a proceeding would have upon the general conduct of the pack, there cannot be much doubt.

I also heard of an event that took place some years since, which bears so much determination and character, and is so precisely what a Master of Fox-hounds ought to possess, that I cannot forbear relating it. Although I am not disposed to promote duelling in trifling cases, yet when a man's rights are infringed upon, himself or family insulted, and it is necessary to preserve order in society, this is just the way in which such affairs ought to be conducted. A certain Master of Foxhounds had turned some cubs into a covert within the precincts of his Hunt-in fact within sight from his own door-when, to his great surprise, a pack of hounds from a distant part of the county_came in the early part of the season to disturb his little preserve. Putting a brace of pistols into his pocket, he hastened to the scene of action, just as the hounds were beginning to draw. Addressing himself to the Master of the pack, he requested him to get them away, when the trespasser resorted to a little argumentative persuasion. Upon this, finding words not likely to avail before the hounds would in all probability get one of the cubs on foot, the weapons were produced, with a demand that the matter might be immediately settled by their powerful decision. This determined course had the desired effect; the hounds were taken away, and have never trespassed since.

Wales presents many attractions to the Sportsman. The disciples of Izaak Walton find numerous rivers well stored with fish: it is, however, an amusement which never took my fancy, therefore I cannot descant upon it. There are several very agreeable little Racing Meetings; and those of Abergavenny, Monmouth, and Pontipool, although situated in Monmouthshire, being principally supported by the same parties who send their horses to the Meetings in the Principality, and being within a short distance, may be considered within the same district.

Until very lately there were races at Carmarthen, which have ceased in consequence of a defalcation in the shape of public money

which was advertised by the Stewards, but which, on the day of reckoning, was not forthcoming. As one of the most influential racing men in the county was the winner, he has very justifiably exercised a power which he possesses of suspending the races till his demand is satisfied. Country gentlemen who subscribe to Funds and Stakes in order to promote sport should be punctual in making their payments : they are not aware how their neglect becomes a subject of conversation, nor of the injury which they inflict upon the Meeting which they profess to support.

The lovers of the trigger have in most parts sufficient scope for their exertions. Except in some favored places, game is not very strictly preserved; consequently it is not so abundant as might be wished; nevertheless a fair sprinkling may be found, and amongst other kinds the woodcock appears in due season, the pursuit of which most assuredly ranks highest in the estimation of the knights of the fowling-piece.

As for hunting, there is plenty of it, and if the establishments are not supported with ostentatious grandeur, yet they cannot fail to gratify those who are really fond of it. The merry harrier will rouse your heart if you can be content with hare-hunting, and is a good substitute in mountainous countries for the fox-hound. Even with the latter, those who enjoy hunting merely for the parade of riding to covert, or of riding a hunting steeple-chase when they are there, must not resort to these quarters: such, however, are not Sportsmen, consequently are not gratified with the legitimate character of field-sports which Sportsmen only can appreciate. WILDRAKE,

THAMES ANGLING.

"STUDY to be quiet:" so said that good old fisherman Izaak Walton, and so said one of more ancient and sacred authority. There are few better pictures or illustrations of quietness and peace than a fisherman in a punt anchored in the middle of the Thames, watching his bobbing cork or diving quill-which picture is frequently heightened by the contrast of scenes of revelry around him. The law now says, "that thou shalt not on the Sabbath ride thy punt in peace, and hook the finny race; neither catch the golden barbel, nor the silver eel, nor redfinned roach, nor glittering dace, nor delicious gudgeon; not even a minnow or a stickleback shalt thou take," fearing that it may stir up the ire of the men of small mesh! and well it may if it were all truth in the statement that these said punters do each carry away a hundred weight of fish every Sunday! What a fib! Sportsmen do frequently get in wide nick;" but this is wide nick indeed we guess, else why do not these netting complainants themselves take to angling on the day of rest? The catch of a hundred weight of fish would pay even at a penny per pound. Sinking fourpence for gentles, there would be a clear profit of eight shillings! Prodigious" for a single line! Why go to the expense of nets, if a man can clear two pounds eight shillings a week with a single angle? We have angled in the Thames oft, and from a punt

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too, but never hit the fortunate time to catch this weighty reason which is to stop our Sunday peaceful and innocent recreation! We know very well there is plenty of what is termed "gammon" used by most of the caterers of punts, &c......." Sir, you should have been here yesterday; Messrs. P., Q., and R. took several hundred weight! never saw fish bite better: if you had been here, you would have taken many more!— such barbel! such roach!" Barbel we know are now and then taken in tolerable quantities, and sometimes large ones-but what are they worth? a mere nothing; and if it were not for the manufactories of dryed salmon carried on in Houndsditch and that vicinity, it would never reach London as an article of food.

We never did angle in the Thames on a Sunday: as lovers of sport we sincerely regret that we have not, when we hear of the quantities taken on that day. The fish, we suppose, make up their minds, like many other beings, to be very jolly on the day of rest, and taste the variety of gentles, graves, and lobs, or what other delicacies the purveyors supply the men of patience with. To those given to figures and calculation, Master Bidder perhaps would solve this problem:-"if twenty Sabbath anglers, between Kew Bridge and Teddington Lock, take one ton! how many tons would be taken by angling between Rochester and Staines on the same day (the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction)?" The quantity would astound Mr. Water Bailiff-that is, if he is a man of gullibility. Is he aware of the trick of sinking or leaning a boat on one side until within an inch of the water, which is too frequently done near all the weirs on the Thames, when fish, trying to get up water, throw themselves into the snare? The quantity taken in this way in one day would supply all the Sunday anglers for twelve months. What say the men of mesh to this? Have they ever whispered to Mr. Water Bailiff this destructive mode? This is rather crisp work, brothers of the stick and string, and men of peace by comparison: it is very hard. A man may furiously drive his tax cart on the Sabbath, flog his horse into Wales (wheals), splash and dash along to the annoyance of the poor pedestrian; and if he does not really kill some one, he may continue to do so. Now the man that rides his punt, and flogs the water for a few dace, or bobs for eels, or uses any other gentle device or craft, is now upset by a dead gorge directly! In these vascillating times, "these days of hum and drollery," how difficult it seems for us men of peace and retirement to escape the imputation of being destructives!

BAMBOO.

STARTING FOR THE CUP.

Engraved by W. TOPHAM from a Painting by J. Rede.

IN compliment to the Royal Thames Yacht Club, we give the "Starting for the Cup," from Greenwich, in their second Below-bridge Match of the season, which came off on the 22nd of June-duly noticed in our July Number, p. 266, to which we refer for the particulars of the

contest.

The Club have lost a warm friend by the decease of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, their Vice-Patron-a name associated with the

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