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to Mündig), out of the celebrated Bonnet of Blue, deemed invincible in her day, the time of the race, 7 min. 42 sec.-7 min. 48 sec. My object is not to detract from Fashion, or John Blount, yet I firmly believe that neither of them ever yet saw the day they could make old Boston run.

You have been apprized already that the latter made a season last spring, this may not have effected him, but he has run so many hard races, that I have no doubt he was not himself; he often runs unkindly-possibly from soreness; my opinion is, that the winding up of his race with Mariner, on a heavy track, and the indiscretion of his rider in pushing him more than necessary, added to his want of strength to hold him together as he should have done, caused his defeat. You will have seen the challenge of his owner, I think he can do all Mr. Low offers to risk his money on his doing. The Glencoes are doing well, they have immense speed; the Leviathans, Priams, and Trustees, and I may add, the Sarpedons, are distinguishing themselves. Luzborough got some good stock. Hedgeford got Duane; and Creoth of Kentucky is bringing the Tranby stock into notice.

Medoc, long since dead, has left such a reputation as no horse, saving Old Archy of native breeding, ever acquired. They are fleet and game, and resemble much the Leviathan stock. Monarch's colts (dropped last spring) are highly spoken of. How could it well be otherwise. The son of Priam boasting old Delphine by Whisker, for his dam, could ́hardly fail to get the right sort.

Tennessee has had to knock under to old Kentuck, but the former had not a fair shake, she met the latter on her own dunghill, and under most disadvantageous circumstances.

At New Orleans, the sunny city of the south, there is a prospect of a brilliant meeting next month. The dreadful scourge which has been inflicted upon them recently, has passed away, and the frosts of November will speedily make it resume its wonted gaiety and life. "Tis a sweet spot, and the rich spirits that congregate there at the racing season, would amply repay one for a trip across the big deep. To that point go, in the shape of horse-flesh, the champions of Kentucky, Tenessee, Mississippi, Alahama, and occasionally the old Dominion lends a hand.

Truly yours,

N. OF ARKANSAS.

THE CHASE.

THE FITZWILLIAM, AND LORD CARDIGAN'S STAG-HOUNDS.

DEAR SIR,

very

I have little in the shape of sport to record to you as yet, and the frost appears to have set in with snch vigour as to preclude the hopes of any meets for the present. Up to this date, our hounds have not had anything very brilliant, though there have been one or two good hunting runs, and a sharpish burst or two for a spirt. Perhaps the best of this latter kind we had on the third of last month from Ashton Wold to Sawfry Gorse, a distance of about three and a half miles. The country was dreadful, very little fencing, and all galloping. The fox was beaten as soon as he reached the gorse, and killed in cover I never rode a much quicker burst or saw a longer tail, and had he been able to have kept it up to Annesley Wood (most likely his point), there would have been tales to tell among the best of them. After this, to the end of the year they had nothing extraordinary. On the third of January they had a good run from Bedford Purlieus to Bear Shank Wood, near Benefield, across a capital country at the top of the forest through Blatherwicke and Deene, but the scent was not first-rate, and as they found late, the shades of evening warned "old Tom," that he was a long way from home, and he whipt off. The next day Barnwell Castle; but the frost set in so sharp during the night that they could not meet. We had a good deal of snow in the morning, and the country has been sealed ever since. Seabright wears as well as ever, some fancy he gets slow, but all I can say is, he takes a deal of beating for a low one. Old Isaac the first whip is pensioned off; and Will Barwick and Will Ashley, are the whips now. The hounds are in capital trim, and as there are a few good men and nags waiting impatiently for the frost to go, we may anticipate some fun as soon as the weather will permit.

I had the pleasure of seeing Lord Cardigan's stag hounds in their kennel in his park at Deene, last week, and a great treat I had. He has about thirteen couple of fine, bony, strong hounds, most of them real stag hounds, comprising the blood of most of our crack packs. He has two couple of the real old English blood-hounds with. them, formerly kept by Mr. Webster of Wildon, who rented the deer in Moorhay Lawn. There are a couple or so of the young ones bred between the blood-hounds and the stag-hounds. In running, the stag.hounds usually lead, but when the scent wants picking up, the nose of the blood-hound will tell. They have no regular days of meeting, and only uncart a stag now and then, as it pleases his

lordship. They have hunted three times this season, once in Rutland, twice in Leicestershire. They lost their stag in the Quorn country the second time they were out. He joined some beasts and was out some days; watched the whole time. On the 30th of December they unharboured him, and he was taken within a few miles of Melton, after a capital ring. Webster the park-keeper hunts them, and his lordship's stud-groom whips in. They have in the kennel three large rough wiry Scotch deer-hounds, used in pulling down the deer in the park. These hounds come nearer to Lord Ossulston's pack than any I have ever seen; but of the two, I rather prefer the north country dogs in the kennel, they are more uniform, both in colour and size. As to their relative merits in the field I can say nothing, but I know which country I should prefer riding across. His lordship's stables are, I think, the neatest and completest (barring the Milton), 1 have ever been in. They were very well filled. A great deal of blood, but many of the legs told tales; but this we may expect in the stud of a man who no matter what the country is, or what are the hounds, will be in the first flight.

Lord Lonsdale has abdicated the Cottesmore country, and owing to some political differences, in all probability his pack will quit it, and the country be vacant. I heard it rumoured that Colonel Lowther might probably bring these hounds into the Pytchley country, in the event of which Mr. Smith would leave. For the truth of this report I cannot vouch; and though Colonel Lowther ranks among our best sportsmen, and will come perhaps better furnished with the " means and appliances to boot," we shall have hard work to find a better huntsman, a better sportsman in every sense of the word, or a better fellow, than Tom Smith.

I have heard Mr. Macniac is about to give up the Oakley hounds, the Duke of Bedford or Lord Alford are hinted at as his successor, both good men. True, but as residing in the country, and possessing most of the covers in the hunt, the former might perhaps be most qualified for their master. Be this as it may, whoever succeeds Mr. Macniac will have nothing to regret, for I know few nicer countries to get across than the Oakley, and few better riders to get across it than the Oakley men.

We had formerly a very neat pack of otter hounds, kept at Yarmell, near us, by S. Hodgkin, Esq., and many a good morning's run have I had with them. Owing, however, to the ill feeling of some parties who had land on the river side, they were discharged, and our ears are no longer enlivened by the cheering music of this little pack ringing merrily through the morning air.

As I said before I have not much to communicate, but trust that in my next I shall be able to recount a few hair-breadth escapes by flood and

fell. In hopes that the frost may speedily go, and wishing, in the words of the old toast, "All good sportsmen on the turf and bad ones under it." Believe me truly yours,

January 18, 1842,

RINGWOOD.

P.S. There was some talk here to the effect that his lordship meant to give the Northamptonshire sportsmen a treat, by uncarting a stag in our country. I trust this is true, and as doubtless we shall have a goodly muster from the neighbouring hunts, and jealousy will be the order of the day, may each man brace his nerves and do his best to uphold the banner under which he fights.

The kennels are but lately built-small but very neat, on a hill in the park, close to the park-keeper's house. The deer paddock is behind, in which were eight red deer, one stag, one hind, and a young stag about nine months old.

OUR correspondent "The Salopian" writes to us as follows:

MR. EDITOR,

That grim hunter, death, who spares neither friend nor foe, in his dread pursuit, having prevented me from joining in the sports of the field for some time past, previous to the late frost putting an end to further hunting. Some kind friends, more fortunate than myself, have sent me the following accounts," to cheer the weary heart," of what has been passing during my absence; and from the first letter, as it is from a tenant, and shows the genuine feeling of a good Salopian farmer, I transcribe for your next number the account it contains of a day with the Old Albrighton bounds.

"DEAR SIR,

January 5th.

·

Thinking you would be pleased to hear of the day's sport we had yesterday from your cover at the Hem, I write to give you as good an account as I can, considering I was only mounted on a poney. We first drew the Hem coppice, found a brace of foxes there (the master says three), ran one a ring round by Stirchley at a quick pace, for about thirty minutes, and back to the cover; lost him and took up the scent of another fox, and ran him over Grindle, and after some slow hunting lost him. The master came up to me and said, have you got a fox at your place (a gorse cover)?' I said, 'certain there was one there this morning, for I saw him, and there are others about.' The hounds then drew Blubber-hole blank, and the two gorses blank also; they all said where are your foxes?' you may think what I felt, after drawing the three covers blank, but I said I have not done with you yet, you must not leave the small gorse by the marl pits near the squire's house, though he is from home, or he'll be very angry I am sure.' The hounds were put in, and in an instant they found a brace

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of foxes, and you hardly ever heard such a crash-the one the hounds took to was headed once, and I feared for his life-but he made the same point again, came close to the hall, through the other gorses, and straight away to Brimstree hill; thence to the manor, and across the Bridgenorth road away for the Hem, but he did not go into it, but turned to the right and went in a line over the Wyke and to Blybery, and so on to Briosloe turnpike; every one now said, now then for Sheriff-hales'-but he made for the Woodhouse farm instead, by the Redhill, a parallel with the road, through Dog wood, skirting the Lizard down to Smith's farm, the Woodside; here he was viewed by Mr. Smith and his men in a field close to the house, but what was very strange, we never could hit him off a yard further, to the great disappointment of the whole field, and every one thought he must have been caught in some way, and done something with-up to that place they had run him one hour and twenty minutes at a right good pace, with only two momentary checks. Two finer foxes were never seen than those found in the little gorse near the hall. The master and all the field were delighted and said, the squire is a right good preserver at any rate, having found at both his covers'-the ground as you may suppose was awfully deep, and many of the riders had had quite enough before the day was ended, and their horses a trifle too much.

"Your's truly and respectfully."

Let me add a word here, Mr. Editor, to say that if the farmers themselves in this neighbourhood in particular, and in other places, would but preserve foxes half as zealously as this excellent foxhunter does, and would only look to their men not setting rabbit traps in such a manner as to destroy their own sport and that of their neighbours, they never would be at a loss for a good run like the above, and would gain the good feelingtowards them also of every man out, who would naturally say, "It was from farmer such a one's gorse we started, he has always a find for us;" although the "squire" may be anxious for sport as well, it's the farmer can ensure it.

Another friend writing from the North Shropshire country says:

"We have also had some very good sport with the North Shropshire, and no lame horses as yet, therefore we think this frost a bore-We had a good day from Ercal heath last Tuesday, running our fox from thence up to Chetargud, and away across the wild moors, where we killed him, after an hour and ten minutes hard work. We found a second fox at Justice's gorse, and ran him straight away to the Bishop's woods, where we were obliged to stop the hounds as it was too dark to see the fences. I did not get home till past eight o'clock, having left off upwards of twenty miles from home with a horse pretty well tired."

January 5th.

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