person, and consequently, if the dog kills game there, or the game he shoots drops on it, the owner of the land may carry it away for his own use. Should it, however, fall on the land where the shooter has a right, the result would be different, and this anomaly extends even to the case where a wrongdoer hunts game by a continuous pursuit from the lands of one person to those of another, over neither of which he has any authority; for to use the words of one of our greatest lawyers, Lord C. J. Holt,* " If A. starts a hare on the land of B., and hunts it into the land of C., and kills it there, the property is in A., the hunter, but A. is liable to an action of trespass for hunting in the grounds, as well of B. as of C."

(To be continued.)

THE KNAVESMIRE, OR RACE COURSE AT YORK.

THE York Race Course is in the form of a horse-shoe, and being a dead flat, it is admirably adapted for its purpose. In the year 1753, the spirit of horse-racing had pervaded every part of the great county of York, and the resort of the nobility and gentry to York during the races was at that time so considerable, that a subscription was opened by them, for erecting a grand stand on Knavesmire, for the purpose of conveniently seeing the horses run. A considerable sum of money being raised, a building proper for the purpose, designed and erected by Mr. Carr, architect, was completed in the year 1754. ground floor, are convenient offices and rooms for the entertainment of the company; above which, on the second flooor, is a large room for all the company to meet in, which is surrounded by a projecting verandah (with a ballustrade before it), upwards of 200 feet in length, supported by a rusticated arcade 15 feet high above ground, from which verandah the company can command a prospect of the whole race course.

The site of the course is called Knavesmire; not however as is charitably supposed by the saints, because it is frequented by admirers of the turf. Anciently the word knave did not bear its present opprobrious signification. The Anglo-Saxon, cnapa; Belgic, knape; and the Teutonic, knab, meant formerly a menial servant, or poor householder. A Mire is a low watery piece of ground; so that this common (which is in some parts very soft in wet weather) had its name from that for which it was originally designed, and is still intended, viz. for the benefit of the poor freemen of the city, as a common for what cattle they can put upon it. The inhabitants of Dringhouses and Middlethorpe have both laid claim to this property, and, in the city's

Sutton v. Moody, 2 Ld. Raym. 250.

registers are various entries on the subject. Ultimately, they were allowed to participate to a certain extent, and, to this day, they have a right of pasturage for a limited number of cattle.

Camden in his "Britannica," published in 1590, informs us that horse-racing was practised on the forest of Galtres, which was situated in the immediate vicinity of York. The prize for the winning horse in those days, was a small golden bell, which being tied to its forehead, the animal was led away in triumph-whence arose the old proverb "to bear away the bell."

We do not find, however, that any regularly established meetings took place at York, till 1709. Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings became for several years subsequently, the place of trial; and, in the year 1714, it is recorded, that so great was the concourse of nobility and gentry to view the diversion, that no fewer than 156 carriages were on the field in one day-a number, no doubt, very great at that early period, when the use of carriages was more confined to the aristocracy.

The York races were formerly held on Clifton-Ings, a large tract of land adjoining the Ouse, and now principally belonging to Earl de Grey, the present Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Its contiguity to the river, and the frequency of floods however induced their removal many years ago to Knavesmire, which is as well adapted for a racecourse as any piece of ground in the kingdom.

The Grand Stand is held on lease from the freemen, at a nominal rent, and on the Directors devolves the making of necessary arrangements for the running. We regret, however, that from various causes, York races have lost much of their original splendour. The May and August Meetings have dwindled down to a low ebb, but an effort is being made to retrieve them, and the very large entries made for the new stake called "The Great Yorkshire Stake," induces us to believe that they have "got a turn for the better." Within late years, a club entitled "The Yorkshire Union Hunt Club" has been established, and is patronized by most of the gentry of the county. They have two days' racing annually, in the month of October, at which a most fashionable assembly attends; a grand ball is given by the club on the first night of the races, which, no doubt, contributes much towards bringing together the belles and beaus of Yorkshire.

The distances of the several courses are as follows:-T. Y. C. 5 fur. 50 yds.; Mile Course, 1 m. 0 fur. 8 yds.; Last mile and quarter, 1 m. 2 fur. 15 yds.; Last mile and a half, 1 m. 4 fur, 18 yds.; Last mile and three quarters, 1 m. 5 fur. 160 yds,; Two-mile Course, 1 m. 7 fur. 85 yds.; Four-mile Course, 3 m. 7 fur. 24 yds.

By the operations of an inclosure act, the freemen acquired a large tract of ground called "The Hill," on the east of the race course; also a similar tract on the opposite side, called "Middleton Flats," com

mencing at the Knavesmire entrance gate, continuing nearly to Dringhouses, and extending in width from the turnpike road to within a short distance of the race-course. On this plot of ground, close to the road, formerly stood the Tyburn, where all those criminals were executed, who had been convicted of capital offences in the county of York. This valuable property is managed by four wardens, annually elected by the freemen, and forms but a small portion of the freehold land which is held by this numerous body in the city of York.

SKETCHES OF SPORTING LIFE IN IRELAND.
BY MILESIUS BLAKE, O'HARA, ESQ.

No. I.

THE SHANACH-NA-LIS.

A TALE OF IRISH FOX-HUNTING FIFTY YEARS AGO. FROM THE NARRATIVE OF AN OCTOGINARIAN.

I MAKE no apology for commencing my "Sketches" with a chapter which has not falien under my own personal observation, "I tell the tale as 'twas told to me ;" and if I succeed in rendering it half as impresssively as it came from the lips of the venerable narrator, I shall have begun well. Most of the characters are historical, and the rest have figured at least in the SPORTING ANNALS. There is none who is more deserving a permanent record than the Hon. Thomas Connolly, long master of the Castletown hounds, and one of the last who filled up to the letter the traditionary character of Irish hospitality. During the hunting season his house was literally open, and I have learned from innumerable sources, that the fact of his maintaining a stud of thirty-two hunters, for the exclusive use of his visitors, is beyond all question. His pack was a model, or rather a perfect illustration, of his favourite motto for a master of foxhounds,

66 BREED WELL, FEED WELL, LEAD WELL."

"So you tell me the Marquis goes on gallantly at New Melton, George;" said my grandfather, as we all sat round the Christmas fire, talking over the sport of the first half of the season. "Well, for the honour of Irish fox-hunting, I drink to his success. Heigh ho! I fear I am too old for it now;" sighed the veteran. "And yet it makes me young again to think of those pleasant times, which I fear none of us will ever see equalled again. That picture there boy-the meet of old Tom Connolly's hunt at his own cover of Castletown-is a relic of those times. Poor Comerford-it was his best. The figures are all

portraits, many of them from memory, but there are few that I cannot recognise. Poor Yellow Tom!* Never was there a better or more spirited master of hounds! Take down the picture, George, and let me look at it once more."

He begun to brighten up as he spoke. It was my first evening at home after a long absence, and I was delighted at the prospect of hearing again one of the old man's glowing recitals, to which, when a boy, I used to listen for hours with enthusiasm. We placed the picture before him. It was a small but exquisite piece; one of the few executed by the well-known portrait painter Comerford, and so happy in its conception and execution, as to make one regret that the author had confined himself to the painting of portraits.

"Ho! there is old Yellow Tom himself," said my grandfather, at once entering into the spirit of the scene," and the powerful bay he is riding, is his famous Duke of Marlbro'. Look at him! Where would you see such a chest and barrel now-a-days? He was the best foal of the best mare-old Fancy-I ever saw in a field. There was nothing too large for him in drain jumping, and in fencing, he was elastic as an eel; and no wonder, for his sire, Euryalus, leaped out of a window, only two feet nine high, one foot eight wide, and four feet from the ground.†” "And who is that upon the beautiful grey speaking to him, and as if carrying a message to the huntsman ?"

"The tall young man with the green cravat? That is the best and boldest horseman in his day west of the Shannon-young Johnny Burke of Galway. His mare is one of Mr. Connolly's Stranger's Stud,' the very picture of her dam, Medea. There are few will see more of the run. The group to the right are all thoroughbreds of the Irish Turf, and have just looked in upon Castletown on their way to the Spring Curragh meeting,—there is O'Hara, and Jack Firman, and Hamilton, and long Jemmy Joyce, from the North. But do you see the grey pony in front, which the fine-looking man, just after dismounting, is handing to the groom who holds his hunter ready for mounting. The man is the celebrated Buck Whaley, and the pony is the identical animal on which he accomplished the feat-riding to Jerusalem and back again-which procured for him the surname of 'Jerusalem.' The party assembled round the carriage (in which you

The soubriquet by which the prince of sportsmen and good fellows, the Hon. Thomas Conolly, of Castletown, was known by all, high and low, who lived in the neighbourhood of his residence.

+ Lest any one should suspect my grandsire's memory, or impeach his judgment I refer for authentication of this singular feat to "Pick's Turf Register," vol. II, p,

178

Mr. Connelly, amongst his many traits of princely hospitality, had the peculiar one of keeping a stud of thirty-two hunters for the exclusive use of his guests. This he called his STRANGER'S STUD.