This, however, must always depend to a considerable extent upon the country one is in, and must be put down to the "fortunes of war."

I make no doubt that all this will sound very chimerical to a great number of persons, and many will say it is sad "twaddle," but I entertain no doubt as to its practicability. I will conclude with a few very simple hints for keeping old horses and screws on in their work, which, although exceedingly plain in themselves when understood, I must confess cost me some little time and expense to find out, and, though of course they will have been long since known to the greater number of my readers, may, nevertheless, prove of use to those who are just entering upon an establishment of their own, and may feel disposed to make a trial of the system, which I have been bold enough to recommend in these pages. I must, however, in the first instance, disclaim all idea of interfering, in the slightest degree, with the practice of veterinary surgeons, nor indeed do I intend to say much on the subject of drugs and medicines, as I have always been of opinion that the less they are placed in the hands of persons unacquainted with their powers and effects, and also with the internal structure and economy of the animal to which they are to be administered, the better. When symptoms of anything amiss make their appearance, I have always found it the best plan to send for the most eminent veterinary surgeon in the neighbourhood. Few people, however, except those who have experienced it, are aware of the benefits to be derived from the most simple applications, when had recourse to in time, and indeed as preventives of bad conscquences rather than as remedies for evils already existing, especially with regard to the legs of hunters. I will now call the attention of the reader briefly to some of those ailments and imperfections which he will most likely be called upon to combat in a stable of hunters, particularly among those horses which have performed much work; and though for some, which I shall have occasion to mention, no cure has been found, still palliatives may be had recourse to with the best possible effects.

(To be continued.)

HINTS ON HANDLING GUNS.

At this season of the year, when hosts of juvenile sportsmen will take the field for the first time, a few rules for safely handling a gun may, possibly, be the means of preventing some of those fatal accidents which yearly occur from carelessness or want of knowledge of the various precautions which should ever be adopted by those who use fire-arms, more especially when shooting in company with others. Perhaps the most frequent source of mischief arises from the mistaken idea that a loaded gun is most safely carried with the

hammer let down upon the nipple. Most people imagine that to explode a percussion-cap requires the full force of the hammer released from full-cock by pulling the trigger; and, consequently, prior to pushing their way through a hedge, or jumping a wide drain, let the hammer down upon the cap by way of being perfectly safe. No opinion, however, is more erroneous than this, and no position of the lock is fraught with greater danger to the sportsman and his companions. The copper-cap of the present day has been brought to great perfection, and will explode on receiving a very slight blow; hence, if a twig, branch, or any other substance, come in contact with the hammer, and draw it back for a quarter of an inch-or even less, if the lock be strong-the cap will probably be fired and the gun will be discharged. On the contrary, if the hammer be let down to half-cock, and anything should accidentally draw it back, without carrying it sufficiently far to place it at full-cock, it will, on its recoil, return to half-cock, and not fall upon the nipple, as many people imagine. Hence, it should be a rule with every one in shooting-whether alone or in company-to carry his gun at half-cock, except when in expectation of obtaining a shot. Many serious accidents have occurred from want of attention to this rule, four of which have happened within my own knowledge, by which two gentlemen lost their hands, and two others their lives. I likewise know of another case where two friends of mine, young in the field, were shooting together, and one of them actually imagined that if he pulled the trigger very gently the hammer would only go as far as halfcock, and the consequence was that, his gun being directed towards his companion, he lodged the charge in his shoulder, and laid him up for more than two months.

The next precaution to be observed, is always to point the gun upwards when cocking, half-cocking, or uncocking it. There are few sportsmen who, in the course of the season, do not involuntarily discharge their piece at least once, and perhaps more frequently. Whatever care be taken in handling the lock, the hammer will, if strong, now and then slip from under the thumb-either from its rough surface having been worn down, or from the hand or glove being slippery from perspiration, butter from a sandwich, or some such cause; but, if the muzzle of the gun be pointed in the air, no danger to any one can possibly arise from the accidental discharge of the piece, and, consequently, every sportsman should early acquire the habit of holding his gun when adjusting the hammer, in such a position as to obviate the possibility of risk to himself or others.

When loading a gun, if the hammer fit closely to the nipple, as it should do, it should be let fully down, without the cap, prior to putting in the powder; otherwise, or ramming down the cartridge, if the powder be of fine grain, the whole of it will occasionally be forced out at the aperture in the nipple, if the gun have not been previously fired, and the lock rendered somewhat damp by the discharge. In this case, the cap that has exploded should be left on the nipple until the gun be completely loaded, when the hammer should be drawn back to half-cock, the old cap removed, and a fresh one put on-provided the powder is to be seen within the nipple; if not,

a little more may be dropped upon it from the flask, and what falls upon the sides be blown off after the fresh cap has been fixed on. During the whole of this operation the muzzle of the gun should be pointed upwards, to avoid any possible accident.

When shooting in company with another person, neither party should ever, on any occasion, point his gun in the direction of his companion. Accidents so frequently occur from this circumstance, when the gun is carried at full-cock, according to the practice of many an eager sportsman, that too great stress cannot be laid upon this important rule. To say the least of it, if no mischief ensue, such a habit renders the party covered by the piece somewhat nervous, and spoils his shooting. The very word accident, implies an occurrence that might have been avoided; and surely, where weapons so dangerous as fire-arms are concerned, too great care can never be taken to adopt every precaution which foresight, and even fear, can dictate to obviate the possibility of a mishap that may be attended with fatal consequences, or may render the sufferer a cripple, or an invalid for life. Every sportsman, therefore, should early give himself the habit of carrying his gun in such a position as, if accidentally discharged, will insure its contents passing above the head of any person who may happen to be within its range.

In pushing your way through a fence, hold your gun at half-cock, in one hand, and above your head. Should you make a false step, or meet with any unexpected impediment, you will then have one hand free to assist yourself. If there should happen to be a wide ditch on the other side, keep the muzzle before you, if your companion be behind; or carry it upon your shoulder if he have preceded you. And if it be too wide to jump gun in hand, and you are obliged to entrust your piece to him, stand on one side of the muzzle when he presents it to you. On no account whatever suffer him to hand the butt end to you while he holds the barrel; such an act is extremely dangerous to him, and he is not the game you go out to shoot at.

When shooting in covert, in company with many others, keep your piece as upright as you can, by which method you will avoid coming in contact with branches and boughs to a certain extent, and will likewise run less risk of peppering your comrades.

If you are shooting with a friend, and birds rise on his side, do not allow yourself to be tempted to fire across him, but let him have his shot quietly to himself. This is a hard lesson for a young sportsman, who is as jealous of shots as an old maid of her swain; but as Sairey Gamp says to Betsy Prig-" Whatever you do, Betsy, drink fair!" so, whatever be the temptation-shoot fair! and if your companion kill a bird, do not claim it as yours because you fired at the same time as he did. Many a wrangle have I had with a friend on this account, and oft have I walked off with my dogs, because we could not agree upon our right to the defunct; on which account we usually carried different sized shot, and settled the dispute by dissecting down to the first shot, which being extracted, the bird became the property of the person who had fired it, though the other party never failed to swear he had hit it very hard. Years bring patience

under suffering, and I can now bear to have a bird claimed with considerable equanimity.

Carry your powder-flask in your left-hand pocket; it will then be as far as possible from your gun when you fire.

Lastly, before you set out in the morning, always enumerate to yourself the things you shall require, and see that you have them.

Do not go out without your wadding, and be forced to use paper instead of it.

Do not leave your shot-bag or powder-flask behind, and find that you have a mile or two to walk before you can get supplied with ammunition.

Do not fire at your dog if he should be wild, nor whop him with the ramrod of your gun, unless you be exceedingly wrath, and have another to replace it.

Should your gun obstinately hang fire, do not damn the nipplescrew for having been left behind it is so much better to have it in your pocket! The same remark will apply to your caps, chargers, picker, and other matters connected with shooting, to say nothing of a horn of good sherry and a tin case lined with roast-beef sandwiches for your own especial comfort, either as enabling you to follow up good sport, or as consoling you for the want of it. PEREGRINE POP.

LADIES IN THE HUNTING FIELD.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR, I have heard many conflicting opinions on the subject of "ladies in the hunting-field;" and the other day, one who would have been an ornament in the field, declared to me that she could not venture out" while such remarks were made upon hunting ladies' by 'the field.'" Truly, this field must be a very ill-cultivated one, or no such remarks would be made. Fancy two hundred gentlemen combining to exclude ladies from any amusement-least of all the pleasures of the chase. Have they no gallantry, save what is imperatively required for charging an ox-fence? or am I in error, and do they object on the plea that were their attention so divided, as it would be, by the presence of the ladies, they could not keep their heads the right way? Out upon it. No. A true lover of fox-hunting has room enough in his heart for both the ladies and the "noble science." Shall we not rather think that, like their ancestors in the tilt-yard, the knowledge that bright eyes did "look upon their deeds," would add-aye, more than spur in the head" to their daring, and send them forth amongst the bullfinches “conquering and to conquer." Let us look at one or two places where ladies have dared to face this bugbear "field." How are they

received at the cover side? With cold looks? No such thing. In every case which has fallen under my notice, we (I am one of the field) were delighted to see them. And by the way, I have seen a young lady, the first to see and obey a sharp turn of hounds on the Gloucestershire hills, and first over three out of four walls in a lark, miscalled a short-cut homewards. If a man does by chance "say in his haste," "Hang this gate-holding!" is he not sure to be well paid for his pains by the kind smile of thanks as she passes through? I know more than one fair huntress who can open a gate for herself; and but for the mumbojumbo "field," there would be plenty more, but they are too much afraid of the field-not the fences-to

venture out.

We have authorities of all times for ladies enjoying the chase. The chaste Diana descended from the sky; and good Queen Bess hurried through her beef and ale breakfast for one and the same thing-hunting. Somewhat later we have seen (and seeing is believing, even should my mythological example be carped at) ladies, whose performance over a country, and even over the flat, was first-rate. Who has not seen 66 Nelly" cutting out the work, a Gardener in petticoats? We on this side the channel have but few such; for in most of our countries the danger to a lady would be greater than in the generality of English ones; the on and off jumping necessary for our doubles, rendering the habit liable to be entangled in the feet of the horse. But in Kildare, and one or two other countries, there are bright examples. What a beautiful sight it is to see a lady go, as two or three used to do some years ago in T. Assheton Smith's county, over the downs and in the vale also. Last year, an English lady showed the Romans how to ride over the rails in the Campagna-not that they followed her example; and this year I am told that in one county in England there are more than halfa-dozen ladies to be met at the cover side. I love to see them there, "dear creatures;" it gives the lie to those exquisites who suppose a foxhunter is necessarily a Squire Western. They rail at a sport they are too degenerate to share, and have not even the plea of duty, which is so loudly put forward by the maxime pii, who turn from a red coat as if it were from the same loom as the dress of a certain Babylonish dame, who shall be nameless. Female society, it is on all hands allowed, has a humanizing effect. Then why not let them come into the hunting field, where, according to these wise fools, it is so wanted? But this is not the case. The "coffee-house" at the cover side is not a tavern; nor are the members of the field like Orson in the Christmas pantomime. But I have trespassed too long already on your indulgence supposing you have read thus far-and will only plead my subject for an excuse.

So now, "an you love" not "me," but " the ladies," find a place for this letter, and let the aforesaid ladies read (they do read your magazine) for themselves the opinion of nine-tenths of the "field," and convert the remainder.

Dublin.

Yours, &c.

Σ