thick hard-wood lands, abounding, we were told, in partridges; but which the dusk prevented our hunting for. After a walk of nearly two hours, we came in sight of Lake George; a fine sheet of water, between three and four miles in length. Behind it, though distant some miles, rose a chain of lofty hills, conspicuous amongst which Bald Mountain, so called from its denuded summits, reared its lofty head. We looked at these hills with much interest, as at their foot, we were informed, lay the Magaaguadavic plains.

The road, hitherto wretched, became even worse as we neared our haven for the night, and caused us considerable anxiety for the safety of the camp equipage, and especially of the canoe, the bark sides of which could offer but little resistance to the fearful jolts that every moment threatened to demolish it entirely. The morning proved our fears not to be vain, for a considerable leak was found. At the time, however, owing to the darkness, we could not discover the injury, though, from the growls of old Poulcis, it was evident he bore little good-will to the phlegmatic Blue-nose, who, as he lazily drove his team along, seemed utterly indifferent as to the fate of the vessel upon which the success of our whole expedition depended.

The lake shore being at length reached, and a spot selected by the elder Indian for the camp, all hands set to work to raise a covering for our persons; two stout stakes being accordingly cut and fixed into the ground at about four feet apart, a bar was placed upon them; and resting on this again were laid sundry other poles, making an angle at the ground of about 45 deg. ; over the roof thus formed we placed a sort of oil-skin cover; the interior we lined with the under boughs of the young spruce, and over them again the soft hide of the buffalo. Thus canopied, and the thick foliage of a large pine tree which stood like a giant sentinel over us, protecting us from the fresh breeze which seemed to gather coldness from its passage over the deep waters of the lake, we turned our thoughts without delay to the calls of hunger; and a good fire being lighted, over which-hanging on a forked stick-a kettle of potatoes (procured on the road) occupied a prominent position. We soon were deeply engaged in the mysteries of supper, to which a portion of our stock of ham proved a valuable addition; hot tea with this feasted us in style; and then, turning our feet to the blazing logs in all the luxury of idleness, G. and myself began to draw clouds from our respective cigars, while the Indians beside us, puffing their tobacco mixed with willow leaves from their primitive pipes, chatted away in their own lingo without any reserve.

The approach of some people from the mills soon, however, stopped their garrulity, and they sank immediately into their habitual taciturnity. The new comers, to whom a forest life was no novelty, -each succeeding winter finding them lumbering+ in the midst of the snow-rather sneered at the fire which lighted up our camp, saying to the Indians, "Why, brother, you don't call that a fire! You should see the way we make them in our lumber-camps." This sally,

* The inhabitants of N. Brunswick and Nova Scotia are so called. It is supposed from a potato peculiar to these provinces.

†The general term for the people employed in camps during the winter, to cut down and haul timber.

M

however, produced no reply from the Milicites, who preserved a sullen silence, broken only by an occasional remark to each other in a low tone, of which the gutteral "Ugh!" was alone distinctly audible. Our visitors at length retiring, repose was the order of the day or night, and soon the heavy breathing of a sleeper alone broke the silence of the camp.

At day-break old Louis was off, to visit his fractured bark, and, on his return, proclaimed the injury too severe to admit of our crossing the lake that day; the delay, he said, would be caused by the difficulty of finding some particular gum which was requisite to render the canoe seaworthy.

Thus fettered in our movements, G. and myself, having made a substantial meal, left our bivouac to look after partridges, which the nature of the country-consisting, as it did, of hard wood-induced us to think would be plentiful. Striking, then, into the forest by which we were nearly girt on all sides, we commenced our search as beaters, the only requisite for success being a good eye to discern the bird as he runs along the ground in the underwood, or sits stupidly gazing from some neighbouring bough.

Dull as this sport may be considered by the English sportsman, comparing it with his September work, when, accompanied by his well-broke dogs, he tries the stubbles and the turnips; yet, as an addition to the pot, the American partridge is, I can assert, a most desirable prize. Our success on this occasion was, however, but poor, two brace only rewarding our exertions.

Returning in the direction of our camp, and which, through the open hard-wood glades, we found without much difficulty, we, greatly to our satisfaction, ascertained that Poulcis had been so diligent in his repairs that we might embark for the opposite side of the lake that afternoon; and accordingly striking our encampment and stowing away our traps in the tiny bark, we soon lessened the distance between us and Bald Mountain, whose top served as a beacon to our paddlers; heavily freighted, though, as was our light vessel, it took us long to reach the further shore, and, on arriving at the destined point, the lengthened shadows of the trees on the lake's calm surface warned us that we must not dally in making ourselves up for the night. All parties then exerting themselves with a will, we were soon as comfortably domiciled as on the previous night, or even more so, as the wood being thicker, we encamped in a less exposed situation.

Having fasted long, we all began a vigorous attack upon the supplies, and found our birds-the spoil of the morning-a slice of ham, and roast potatoes, with the piquant sauce of a good appetite, a feast for an emperor.

As the next morning was to see our first essay at deer-stalking, G. and myself composed ourselves early for the land of dreams, in the ideal kingdoms of which we had not long revelled, when we were recalled to earth and to the grosser material of our existence by the discordant cry of an owl which, perchance disappointed in its tryst with its deceitful mate, thought fit to disturb with its mournful hooting our fanciful wanderings. Not being familiar with these woodland cries, I started up, calling to Poulcis-"Hallo, Louis! What's

that?" "O, that only owl," growled he, from under the folds of a very dingy blanket in which, Indian fashion, he had enveloped his head and shoulders. Thus assured of the harmlessness of our visitor, sleep was again courted, and with success.

(To be continued.)

GAME-LAWS.

BY CHARLES WILLOWDALE.

It has long been my opinion that there are two very simple remedies against poaching. The destruction of game is carried on by two descriptions of persons-certificated and uncertificated persons. The first class consists of idle fellows, discarded gamekeepers, and others, who, failing in business, or having little or none to do, or being the heads of gangs of poachers, obtain a game certificate, and fill up their time by killing game for sale. The second class are, so to speak, the regular poachers. The remedies I propose for these evils are-First, some qualification to kill game; and this might be the ownership or occupation of a given number of acres an assessment to the relief of the poor of £30 a year-the tenancy of any manorthe right of shooting, or the possession of such other station or property as all respectable persons possess, and idle and disorderly" ones do not. The second remedy is of a more expensive and searching kind it is the imposition by the Legislature upon the licensed dealer in game that he keep a ledger, and therein enter from whence every head of game is supplied, and to whom sold. It is from the supply to him that the whole evil springs. Get rid of the receivers, and you get rid of the thieves; banish the present ready and open markets for plunder, and when the plunderer can no longer dispose of his booty, he will cease to plunder. If the present laws are valuable to the game-preservers, they will see the necessity of sending a regular supply to the market, instead of glutting it occasionally only by the produce from battues; in other words, they will kill the game themselves, and sell it to supply the licensed dealers, instead of leaving the poachers to do both for them.

The great difficulty is to establish an effectual practical espionage over the licensed dealer; and surely, when the morals of the lower classes throughout the nation are the leading feature in the question, and one of the most valued possessions of the aristocracy and landed gentry is materially affected by it, the establishment of a public officer (like to the exciseman) over a district in the country, and over one or two extensive dealers in the metropolis and large towns, would at once overcome this difficulty. The game must be branded and identified, the dealer's ledger open to public inspection, and, as the dealer, in addition to a heavy penalty in the event of his buying of an uncer

tificated poacher, and loss of his license by the magistracy in case of his trafficking with a certificated one, would have a safe and certain supply from the game-owners (if these at length can be brought to keep and kill game for sport, and not for fashionable slaughter), and therefore no longer any inducement to buy of the poachers, surely the latter must soon be driven out of the field.

The cost of such officers to the Government may be readily defrayed by an increase in the duty on game-certificates. The game has so decreased on all hands when it is not most strictly preserved, that the sportsmen throughout England would rejoice in the additional expense, if such brought back to the open country one-half of the game which existed over it previous to the passing of the present Game Laws. As it is, the fair sportsmen are giving up their guns in all quarters, and the public revenue, in this respect, has fallen off materially the last four years.

I have taken out a game-certificate for more than twenty years, and have been concerned in the prosecution of numerous cases under the Game Laws, so that I have had ample opportunity to witness their practical working; and, from the knowledge thus forced upon me, am emboldened to lay my opinions before the public. My name would add nothing to the weight of those opinions; but I send it you (under cover) in the event of any of your readers wishing to communicate with me upon the subject of this letter. Peterborough, January 21st, 1845.

BENCRAFT'S PATENT HAMES.

It is the finish of the thing, the careful coupling together of nature and art, the well considered combination of outward appearance and actual utility, that gives us perfection-that general concord which strengthens the passing glance into a fixed look of admiration, or that minor discrepancy which quickly turns it elsewhere in search of something more like comfort and consistency. In all sorts of "turns-out" it is the same, the effect produced mainly depending on the attention paid to these too-often-thought trivial points.

"Fine, showy, dashing girl that, sir!"

"She is, indeed!"

And just as you have made up your mind to follow and see a little more of her, a hole in the stocking, or some such cruel neglect of the unities, meets your horrified gaze. Alas! how it pares down the romance and smothers the full swelling signs of bust and bustle; how it deadens the lustre of a Glaucopis, and amalgamates a pretty pont with a sullen sulk, a languish with laziness, and a freedom from self-conceit with an absence of soap and water!

Semper eadem! here we are again-never mind the lady-but look here!

"Well, certainly, that is good; an equipage that, in these days of

steam-safeties and aërial inventions, a man could hardly expect to see; so neat, so business-like, and still so gentleman-like. The mountings, the pads, winkers, bits, bridles, and horses' coats vieing with each other in shining polish; without, however, an atom of that extra gilt-ginger-bread ornament which lord mayors and dowager ladies so generally delight in. Then observe the owner of this muchto-be-envied team; mark his firm and graceful seat, the knowing knack with which he catches his point, the coolness and skill with which he worms his way through the bustle of Hyde Park Corner, and puts their heads for the park, the quiet confidence of his demeanour so different from vulgar assumption, the clean shirt and the clean shave-aye! not even a moustache or a long mane to mar the effect in so good a specimen of the gentleman-sportsman.' Wouldn't you swear, now, that man knew all that was to be known? and couldn't you conscientiously intrust your wife and family to him in the many dangers of a Derby day? Isn't he

"Stop a bit! you see he has pulled up suddenly at the top of Rotten-row, and I don't know what you are prepared to affidavit, but I'll take my oath that grey horse, the near-wheeler, has got an awfully galled shoulder."

O dear, O dear! "the hole in the stocking" again with a vengeance! Shining polish and galled shoulders; grace and ease, and galled shoulders; knowing knacks, quiet confidence, coolness, skill, and galled shoulders; Epsom disasters versus elegant coachmanship, and galled shoulders. There, my good feilow, it's no use saying another word to me, the illusion is destroyed 'right entirely;' there may be, I dare say, a singularly beautiful confirmation of size and symmetry in the chestnut with the white-leg-wonderfully, even matching with all four;' plenty of bone, blood, and-undoubtedly so, bone, blood, and galled shoulders!"

"St-st-st-now he's off again-the grey starts badly, in an agony of torture that may be taken for eagerness; but a strong application of the double thong soon puts all to rights, a good whiphand being a very necessary and consistent accompaniment to a galled shoulder.

Hie! presto! and we sink down to that relic of respectability, the possession of a horse and gig.-"The commercial' yonder, though rather inclined to make a hero of himself, seems an agreeable companion; sings the Ivy Green' in good style; has no particular objection to chicken-hazard, and really drank his bottle of claret, as if he did prefer it to port. A goodish sort of nag he must have, too, if all he tells us is true-Bury St. Edmunds, Newmarket, Cambridge, St. Neot's, Bedford, and Woburn since 7 o'clock this morning!"

"Yes, sir; sixty long miles at least. And here he is as dry and as comfortable as need be, ready for his third feed, and working away at the litter in the meantime; as game a little beggar as ever was collared."

Collared didn't he seem to shrink at that last word? as, by the bye, does his horse at the approach of John Ostler with that-that horrible mixture of lamp-black and brandy. What the deuce is he going at with it? "The hole in the stocking" once more! the sad