his ears in his pole, or whisk his tail, be sure that you bear him hard, and give him as much comfort as ever you can, by sawing his snaffle to and fro in his mouth, and by that means forcing him to open his mouth, which will comfort him and give him wind."

The writer then proceeds to give some "artful dodges," namely, if there be any high wind blowing in your face to let your adversary lead, so that by stooping low in your seat you may shelter yourself under him, which will assist the strength of your horse; should the wind be in your back he advises you to ride exactly behind him, that your horse may enjoy the benefit of the breeze, by being as it were blown forward.

He then recommends you to "select the best ground, to hold your horse by the head when running up-hill, and provided your horse's feet and shoulders will endure it, and you dare venture your neck, always to loose him down-hill."

He then throws out the following suggestion, which we fear has too often been practised among "platers" at the rural meetings: "Next you are to observe the nature of your opponent's horse, and if he be fiery, then to run just behind, or just cheek by jowl, and with your whip make as much noise as you can, that you may force him on faster than his rider would have him, and by that means spend him the sooner, or else keep just before him on such a slow gallop, that he may either over-reach or by treading on your horse's heels (if he will not take the lead) endanger falling over. Observe on what ground the contrary horse runs worst, and on that earth be sure to give a loose, that your adversary's being forced to follow you, may hazard stumbling, or clapping on the back sinews.

"Observe likewise in your riding the several helps and corrections of the hand, the whip, and the spur, and when and how often he makes use of them; and when you perceive that his horse begins to be blown by any of the former symptoms, as whisking his tail, clapping down his ears, holding out his nose like a pig, you may then take it for granted that he is at the top of what he can do ; therefore in this case observe how your own rides, and if he run cheerfully and strongly without spurring, then be sure keep your adversary to the same speed without giving him ease, and by that means you will quickly bring him to give up, or else distance him.

"Observe at the end of every train-scent what condition the other horse is in, and how he holds out in his labour, which you may be able to give a judgment of by his looks, the working of his flank, and the slackness of his girths. For if he look dull it is a sign his spirits fail him; if his flanks beat much, it is a token that his wind begins to fail him, and then of necessity his strength must too. If his wind fail him, then his body will grow thin and appear tucked up, which will make his girths appear slack to the eye. And therefore take this for a rule, that there is no greater sign of weakness than this which I have last mentioned; so that if your adversary's horse want girthing after the first scent, provided he were close girt at his first starting, you need not much despair of winning your wager."

The writer then proceeds to give instructions for rubbing down the horses after each train-scent; recommending the use of "wet and dry cloths, both linen and woollen, which have been steeped in saltpetre a day or two; also dry straw;" ad Jing, that "the groom must with a

'knife of heat, as the Duke of Newcastle calls it, which is an old piece of sword-blade, "scrape off all the sweat from your horse's neck, body, &c."

"The next thing to be considered," writes our authority, "is the judge's or trior's office, which is to see that all things are ordered according to the articles, which to that end ought to be publicly read before the horses start. Next, that cach trior on whose side the train is to be led, according to the articles, give directions for its leading according to the advice of the rider, or his knowledge of the nature and disposition of that horse on which side he is chose. Next, that each trior be so advantageously mounted, as to ride up behind the horses (but not upon them) all day; and to observe that the contrary horse ride his true ground, and observe the articles in every particular, or else not to permit him to proceed. Next, that after each train-scent be ended, oach trior look to that horse against whom he is chosen, and observe that he be no ways relieved but with rubbing, except liberty on both sides be given to the contrary. Next, as soon as the time which is allowed for rubbing be expired, which is generally half-an-hour, they shall command them to mount; and if either rider refuse, it may be lawful for the other to start without him, and having beat him the distance agreed on, the wager is to be adjudged on his side. Next, the trior shall keep off all other horses from crossing the riders, or leading them; only he himself may be allowed to instruct the riders by word of mouth how to ride, whether slow or fast, according to the advantages he perceives may be gained by his directions. Lastly, if there be any weight agreed on, they shall see that both horses bring their true weight to the starting place, and carry it to the end of the train, on penalty of losing the wager.

"The same rules are to be observed (especially this last) by those gentlemen who are chosen to be judges at a race for a plate; only they usually stay in the Stand, that they may the better see which horse wins the heat," In running for a plate the writer recommends that if your horse be "ough at bottom, and that he will stick at mark, you should not ride at any particular horse, or stay for any, but ride cach heat throughout with the best speed you can. But if you have a fiery horse, or one that is hard-mouthed and difficult to be held, start behind the rest of the horses with all the coolness and gentleness imaginable, and when you find your horse to begin to ride at some command, then put up to the other horses, and if you find they ride at their ease, and are hard held, then endeavour to draw them on faster; but if you find their wind beginning to rake hot, and that they want a sob, if your own horse be in wind, and you have a loose in your hand, keep them up to their speed, till you come within three-quarters-of-a-mile of the end of the heat; and then give a loose, and push for it, and leave to fortune and your horse's goodness the event of your success.

Many more rules there are, which may not occur at present to my memory, and others which I purposely omit; but these may serve the honest jockey, and for the others which relate to foul play, as crossing, hanging on the posts, leaning on the other horseman, yoking, &c., I desire not to instruct any one in them, and could wish that they might never be made use of, but be wholly relinquished by all honest horsemen."

THE FIELD SPORTS OF CANADA WEST.

In no country in the world are field sports so much sought after as in England, and the natural consequence is, that the expense thereon attendant has of late years greatly increased, so much so as to render their successful pursuit almost, if not quite, unattainable by men of limited income. For this reason I have been induced to pen the following paper, in order to set before the lovers of the trigger the means whereby they can, for a moderate outlay, not only enjoy excellent sport, but at the same time can accomplish for their £200 or £300 per annum as much as their more wealthy neighbours can with £700 or £800. It is astonishing that the majority of Englishmen so little understand the real nature and capabilities of Canada, it being the almost general opinion that the ground is covered with snow for six or seven months in the year, and that the cold during this time is intense; while for the remaining five or six months the heat is excessive-nay, almost overpowering. Perhaps this may be all very true of Lower, now Eastern Canada, of which I know nothing; but it certainly is very far from being the case with Upper, or, more properly, Western Canada, in general; but more particularly with the southern and western part of it nothing can be more delightful than the climate. But it is not by any means my intention to enter into a defence of the climate, or the fertility of the soil, further than has reference to the sporting capabili. ties of the country. Here there are at present no obstructions to the enjoyment of shooting; every man's land is free and open to all. There are no preserves, no game certificates. A dog-tax there certainly is of 4s. a-head, to get rid of the immense numbers of curs which formerly existed, as well also as a game-law, enacted for the purpose of preventing the destruction of bird and beast during the breeding season. This law, it must be confessed, is more honoured in the breach than in the observance; and this, as well as it not being of sufficiently comprehensive a nature, will, in the course of a few years, render a vigorous enactment of, as well as considerable additions to, the present law absolutely necessary, to prevent the total annihilation of the game. At present, however, there is in many parts quite sufficient for any reasonable man.

Of running game there are only two sorts in Western Canadanamely, the deer and the hare. There are three methods adopted by the "inhabitants" of pursuing the deer, which we will endeavour to describe, merely premising that they cannot lawfully be shot, except by the Indians, between the months of January and September.

The first is torch-hunting, which is followed either on land or by water. If by land, two hunters proceed on a dark still night into the woods, where the deer are in the habit of feeding, where trees have been lately cut down, the leaves of which they are particularly partial to. One man, carrying a blazing torch, made of pine knot or the dry bark of the hickory tree, silently precedes his comrade, armed with a heavy rifle. Both of them strain their eyeballs in the endeavour to detect a pair of glistening balls of fire, which may at last be seen gazing

in stupid wonder at the unknown sight. On a signal the rifle is slowly and deliberately levelled between the two balls of fire, the trigger is pulled, and a falling sound is generally heard (for the space that separates them is not above a few yards). After reloading, they proceed to see what they have shot, for the beauty of this species of amusement is that your neighbour's-mayhap your own-horse or cow has been sacrificed, instead of what was vaiuly taken to be a deer. Such a catastrophe not unfrequently occurs, though the chances are more in favour of its being a deer. There is no skill in this sport, if sport it can be called, beyond being able to see a yard or two further in the dark than another man; while, on the contrary, great skill is requisite in the pursuit of deer by water. It is well known that during the summer months the deer are very partial to the various plants that grow in the pools and rivers, to procure which, as well as to keep out of the way of the mosquitoes, they oft wade into the water a considerable distance. During the day, two hunters, with a good supply of pine knots or hickory bark, ascend the river in a light bark canoe as many miles as they think necessary. Here they wait till, close upon the witching hour of 12 o'clock at night, they light their torch. The gunner sits amidships: his friend, with noisless paddle, guides the light bark silently down the stream, approaching each likely bend, inspecting each reedy spot, where the deer come to feed on the aquatic plants and tender grasses. Merrily blazes the torch, fastened on a forked stick, and placed far forward over the bows, to prevent the sparks from firing the Îight inflammable materials. What is that noise? Listen! 'Tis only a duck-no! 'tis a deer, splashing the water to drive off the mosquitoes. Ah! there he is; but he sees the light. As quickly as seen, he gazes stupidly at it; the paddle grates against the side; with one bound he reaches the shore, and is in an instant safe in the bush. With curses not loud, but deep, the paddler drives the bark viciously down the stream for a moment or two, to let his rage evaporate, and again permits the stream to carry the canoe along, merely keeping it in its proper course, but using greater caution. As the torch burns low, another one (of which several are kept ready tied amidships) is lighted and stuck on the prongs of a stick. Look at that noble stag in that streak of light which steals through yon break in the woods. The brightly flashing light fascinated the victim's gaze, and he wots not of his danger, as the canoe, as silent as the night, creeps closer to him. Slowly rises the rifle. For an instant it is steady; then it vomits forth its deadly contents. A second after the report a thud is heard, accompanied by a heavy fall. The canoe, which before was still as death, having been stayed in its course, darts forward; the victim's throat is cut; he is hoisted carefully on board; and again they pursue their downward

course.

It is very necessary that the aim should be true, for pursuit in the darkness after a wounded beast would be bootless; consequently the best man holds the rifle. Such is torch-hunting, which, were it not for the intense excitement, would seem stupid. Mayhap if often indulged in 'twould pall upon the senses; but when it is otherwise, I know of nothing which is more fascinating, no amusement more pleasant, than thus to while away the midnight hours of a fine summer's night-to listen to the shrill chirp of the frog, mingled with the deep

bass croak of the bull frog-to watch the strange forms the neighbouring thickets assume in your silent passage down the stream; all this taking place while the nerves are braced up to the highest tension.

But I ought to be describing the next method of taking deer-i. e., with hounds. It is well known that deer have paths through the woods called "run-aways" or "run-ways." These are each guarded either by a shot-gun or the rifle, while three or four couple of hounds are (under the guidance of one to whom the "bush" is well-known) sent several miles above the party before they are turned into the bush, and led towards the concealed "hunters." On trailing a deer they give tongue, and away go the deer, if the pursuit grows hot, right down on the ambush prepared for them; and it is no uncommon thing for eight or ten deer to be herding together, in which case the leaden storm flies fast and furious around them from all sides; for the party are not placed in a line, but, on the contrary, some a mile or more apart, and often one or more on the same run-way, lower down; so that, perchance, the 1st gets a shot, when the deer flies off at a tangent often into the teeth of No. 2, who "gives him a one'un" and hands him over to No. 3; and so on he goes, until he either escapes or, more usually, gets killed. Where the stands are judiciously selected, a single deer frequently gives four or five of the stands a shot; and it is particularly necessary to procure a good woodsman to station the party judiciously, else the chance of a shot is very slender. But there is no sport in the affair. You sit on a log in the cold for an hour or two; you hear your friends getting shots; you cannot smoke; have no one to talk to; are tired of waiting, and yet dare not go, for you don't know the way out, to say nothing of the chance of getting shot. However, there is about as much sport in this as in shooting them in the water or knocking them on the head with a club, for both these barbarous methods are adopted in some parts of the country, where the deer usually resort to the water when pursued, for they do not in every place fly as speedily to water as in some I know of.

The next method to be described is called "still hunting." This is done either by tracking in the snow or by walking in the bush without snow. Either of these methods requires great caution, endurance, and skill; indeed, me judice, they are the only two ways in which the true sportsman should condescend to hunt them. On a rough blowing day, preceded by a night's rain, we should enter the bush with the greatest prospect of sport, for the rain softens the leaves, and prevents their crackling under our feet, while the wind over-head causes the branches to break and crackle, distracting the attention of the deer from your gaucherie in putting your foot on a dead branch-a most fatal proceeding, which frequently, nay most certainly, if close up, reveals to your astonished eyes the white scut bobbing up and down in the distance. However, we are anticipating a little, for we ought to tell you how to go on; having persuaded you to go into the bush, 'twould be hardly fair to so soon leave you in the lurch. Well, now have you your axc, flint,-and-steel, and punk? if not, 'twill be as well for you to get them, as well as a small pocket mariner's-compass, without which no one should think of entering the bush. Innocently he may suppose that he is only going in for an hour's hunting; the ardour of the chase may carry him after a wounded deer till he can no longer see his way, when