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insert such an absurdity as that to Osbaldeston, containing, among sixteen other propositions equally sensible, one to hop him a hundred yards," another to run him a hundred miles along the road," and, "winding up," as the writer expressed himself, "by offering to produce a cart-horse, not than fourteen hands high, that should walk, trot, and gallop, any cart-horse that he could produce, of whatever age and size he might be." Perhaps Mr. "Juryman Observator" will now be able to solve his own question, "why carthorses do not race."

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But to return to the Chase. Losing our first fox at Langton Cauldwell, we went away through a place very appropriately named Foxton, where, in a cover partly gorse and partly wood, about five miles on the Lutterworth road to the left, we soon found a brace more; but after several attempts could make nothing of either, and went to a third, where, in a gorse at one end of a plantation, the "Squire" having gone in on foot, succeeded in stirring up a fine fellow, who made his exit without much ado, and gave us a good twenty minutes skurrey, in the direction of the Northampton Road, where, in the grounds belonging to a large red house with wings, the shades of night came over, and the shrill horn at length announced the finish of the day. It was a long day and a severe one, even to me, who having only gone a few miles to cover in the morning was left within the same distance of home at night; but Osbaldeston had ridden from Pitsford in the morning, and had to return there after hunting, and, moreover, to be out the next day at Great Harrowdin, and the following one at

Sywell Wood. But what is that to a man who will ride through half England in a day. I saw him come to meet the Warwickshire hounds on a subsequent day, at Ladbroke, when, as he got off his hack, having ridden some five and twenty or thirty miles, a gentleman observed that he supposed he had had an hour's work already. The fame of Jack Stevens is so great that I can say nothing that will add to it. He is one of the finest horsemen in England, and well worthy of whipping-in to so distinguished a sportsman. The second whip is also an excellent fellow, and for the real science of hunting, for meeting with real sportsmen, and having real sport, commend me to Mr. Osbaldeston and Northamptonshire. He combines the pleasant drollery of a Nichol with the determined perseverance of I do not know who to say; and as my subject might be debased by comparison, I will add-of an Osbaldeston.

On the 25th I sent a horse on to Lutterworth, a small town on the Warwickshire side of Leicestershire, to meet the Atherstone hounds at Dunton Basset, on the following day. This was Mr. Applewhaite's first season as master of hounds, and he is an excellent example for other aspiring men to imitate. In the field he is quiet, agreeable, and gentlemanly, leaves the work entirely to his men, putting them on good horses, the consequence of which is, that he has shown more sport this season than half the other packs in England; and I know that a very large landed proprietor in that hunt, has stated that he considers him the best master of hounds they have had in that country for some time. The huntsman, Robert Thurlow, and

Jesse, the first whip, both lived with Lord Anson, as also with Sir John Gerard, the season he hunted, or rather attempted to hunt, the country. Whatever might be Sir John's failings in the field, however, he had one quality enough to redeem the whole, he put his men upon as good horses as he rode himself, and when he came to reduce his establishment, there was no horse that he would keep in preference to another. Mr. Applewhaite does not do the thing quite so magnificently, which every one must rejoice at, as it affords a better prospect of a continuance, but their horses are quite up to their work, and better than twothirds of the servants' horses in England. The second whip is a lad, known by the name of Henry, and with the other two is a very fair rider, and none of them carry "much flesh," as your amusing correspondent Diable Boiteux," in your last number, expresses it.

Dunton Bassett is considered within reach from Leamington, and so it is from London, if people would start at night, which is pretty much the case with those who start from the other, nevertheless the thing is done sometimes,

as

I can vouch for, though, on the present occasion, I slept the preceding night at the Denbigh Arms, in Lutterworth, which I would advise others to do in preference to the Inn at Rugby. From the former, the gorse is only four or five miles off, on the road to Leicester, and the hounds meet within a quarter of a mile of where they draw, which is generally reckoned a sure find; though from the difficulty of keeping the foot people (and some of the horsemen at times) in any thing like order, and the size and thickness of the gorse,

foxes are not very easily got away, but when they do, a good run is generally the result. On the present occasion, though it was a wretched scenting day, what with the natural perseverance of the pack, and a little lifting from the huntsmen, we had a very pretty thing, and ran to earth at Cesters, I believe, and drawing round by Lord Denbigh's, concluded the day without finding a second fox, and with every appearance of a snow storm. A small fall did succeed, but so trifling as scarcely to deserve the name; indeed in a letter I recently received from a friend in that county, he mentions that up to the end of February, these hounds had only been stopped two days during the season, and that the sport throughout had been in the highest degree satisfactory. NIM SOUTH.

A LINE FROM JORROCKS.

To the Editors of the New Sporting Magazine.

GENTLEMEN,

In the last number of your book (Vol. ii. No. xi. folio 356), I find an entry by my friend the "Yorkshireman," which, unless explained, may prove injurious to my mercantile character, as well as my domestic peace; and I hope you will allow me room to do so in your next number. The object of the Yorkshireman" is evidently to make people believe that I had what is called an assignation in the Omnibus, whereas I am ready to swear, that I had no such thing, and that I never saw the lady either before or since; and the reason that he "cannot tell what happened afterwards," is very obvious. These are insinua

tions that are very well for young men to indulge in among themselves, but they are bad when applied to married people, and I regret that after all the kindness I have received at your and his hands in the book, he should do any thing to reduce the weight of my obligations. Being upon the subject of books, I may refer to an entry in the Old Magazine, where I find what I consider an unwarrantable liberty taken with my name, by a writer who calls himself" Devonian," at folio 390. He talks of leaving 66 an interesting topic to Mr. Jorrocks, or some other fox-hunting grocer," as if there was any thing wonderful in a grocer being a foxhunter. I know nothing of Devonshire, except having tasted some clouted cream once; but of this I am very certain, that there are more real sportsmen in "The Surrey" hunt, than in all the hunts in that county put together; and if you will analyze" us, as my friend Savory would say, you will find that one-third of our hunt is composed of grocers. It is not often that I intrude myself upon the notice of the public-except upon 'Change,-nor do I pretend to be much of a scholar; but knowing that the wise men do not come from the West, I think I may reckon myself a match for this "Devonian;" and if he has a mind to take up the cudgels, I'm his man for a tussle; and as Macready says in Macbeth "d-d be he who first cries hold! enough!" As to his being one who is only governed by the dictates of caprice, and who follows no profession but the joyous one of pleasure," I have only got to say, that the caprices of Mrs. J. are the only ones I submit to, and

NO. XII.-VOL. II.

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as in my mind it is difficult to appreciate the difference twixt a flea and a louse, I do not see why the profits of a grocer's warehouse should not afford as many pleasures as those derived from a banking shop.

Talking of hunting, we have really had a brilliant season in Surrey, I have only missed three Saturdays during the whole of it, and should think the sport has been superior to that in any other country; and so it ought, for I should say, it is the finest scenting country in the world, and what will not a brilliant pack of dogs like ours effect. Upon this subject, and also upon the "condition of hunters," I have long had thoughts of sending you some observations, and assuredly after the next sale at the India-house is over, I will take up my pen in good earnest; for, believe me, the many acts of kindness I have received from you have warmed the cockles of my heart, and if I can only get my ideas into a small compass, like concentrated essence of cocoa, I flatter myself I could produce something worthy the attention of your readers, of whom, let me assure you, you have a plentiful supply in the Surrey hunt-indeed, I might say, in the whole county, for, with the exception of my friend Tom Meager's house, I see the green cover every where, and the first toast at every dinner I sit down to, is "The King and the Queen, and the New Sporting Magazine." Hoping that you will insert this in your next number, and that for the future the "Yorkshireman will ride his genius in a curb instead of a snaffle, I remain, gents, for self and Partners,

Yours, very obediently, JOHN Jorrocks. St. Botolph's Lane, March 10, 1832. 3 K

Your modern English tourist, who (thanks to Napoleon) may now travel snugly ensconced in his barouche along noble roads, over some of the most stupendous Alpine barriers, can form but an imperfect notion of the formidable nature of these mountain passes prior to the visitation of that master-hand, which smoothed away such vast and apparently insurmountable obstacles.

It was my good fortune to have traversed almost every known route across the Alps before the new magnificent roads were formed, having long resided in the midst of these wild regions, chiefly for the sake of indulging my insatiable passion for the chase. The chamois, the ibex, the wolf, the bear, and the eagle, besides a great variety of inferior animals, afforded a never ceasing source of amusement. Our head-quarters, when engaged in these pursuits, were generally about Chamounix, or in the Vallais. I had just returned with my companions of the chase from a long and unsuccessful wolfhunt, when information was brought

by a peasant, that a herd of nine Ibexes had crossed his path when on his way from Sempione to the Vallais. On the following day we were sufficiently rested to set out on this new expedition. We equipped ourselves with such implements as I have already described in the letter I had the honour of forwarding to you, giving an account of a chamois hunt, not forgetting moreover that each of us was provided with a coil of stout rope for the purpose of extricating any of the party who might chance to fall into the deep and dangerous chasms which are perpetually met with in the vicinity of the glaciers, and which are frequently overlooked, or imperfectly examined, by the hunters when in the ardour of

pursuit. We quitted Brieg at night-fall, accompanied by an experienced guide, to whom every tree and rock on this part of the Swiss frontier were familiar. By dint of great exertion we attained the point culminant, or highest part of the pass, before dawn, fortunately without accident, though the dangers were many, as the occasional roaring noise caused by partial avalanches rushing athwart our course amply proclaimed. Much as we all loved the sports of the Alps, I confess that it was not without serious apprehensions for our safety that we listened to the thundering crash of trees and rocks borne headlong down by these impetuous and resistless torrents, sometimes before us, sometimes behind, on spots where, but a few minutes before, we had stood in