untoward event caused at the time as great a sensation amongst its primitive inhabitants, as if Louis Napoleon himself had been found lurking there at the present day. True, the latter might possibly have a few "chasseurs de Vincennes" in his train; but Frenchmen, as Sir Richard Worsley, the historian, assures us, had ere then invaded the Isle of Wight, and had by Sir Richard's gallant ancestors been speedily driven back into the sea: but who had ever heard of the "Island" being before invaded by beasts of prey? and how were the latter to be either driven out or destroyed? To quote again old Sir Richard Worsley's words: "Formerly this island was plentifully stocked with game of all sorts; but of late years the quantity has been greatly diminished, though neither fox, badger, nor polecat was ever found in it."

The spell was, however, now broken: the enemy was evidently in the camp. The gamekeepers complained of diminished coveys (gamekeepers and rabbits have such a strange aversion to foxes!) the farmers' dames, of the disappearance of their cocks and hens, which, however, they could not think of locking up at night. Such a thing as incarcerating innocent chickens had never been heard of in the "Island;" and, "marry, come up!" they were not, indeed, going to introduce "no such new-fangled notions at their time of life!"

Amidst all this turmoil, a public-spirited and patriotic individual started up, and offered-if he could not, like Hercules or Theseus, extirpate by "club law" the "wild beasts" which caused such devastation and consternation throughout the land, at least to endeavour to check the daily-increasing evil, of which so many complaints were now continually made. All other remedies having apparently failed, this proposal was acceded to; and Mr. Cotton, of Afton House (their present spirited master) set up at his own expense the first pack of foxhounds-was, in fact, the founder and originator of fox-hunting in the Isle of Wight.

Mr. Cotton's pack, although a small one, was said to have been even at that time very efficient, and was kept for some seasons at the owner's residence, near Freshwater, at the westernmost extremity of the Isle of Wight. Mr. Cotton, however, soon found the inconvenience of having his kennel in so remote a position: an arrangement was consequently made for transferring its head-quarters to Marvel, the picturesque residence of Mr. John Harvey, within a short distance of Newport, and in the most central position of the Island.

Mr. John Harvey had-as I have before remarked-previously kept here a pack of harriers, which was now replaced by the foxhounds. Their number and establishment were increased, and they became what they still continue to be-a subscription pack; whilst Mr. Cotton, their originator and chief contributor, was constituted "Master" of the "Isle of Wight Foxhounds," under which denomination they are known at the present day.

"In undertaking the establishment of this pack Mr. Cotton is said to have had innumerable difficulties to overcome. All the large landed proprietors (with the single exception of the late Mr. Ward, of Northwood) readily concurred in so sporting an undertaking; but many of the farmers were much opposed to the innovation, whilst their good dames were loud in denouncing the depredators on their hen-roosts and ducks and geese, although no persuasion could avail, to induce them to

* See Worsley's History of the Isle of Wight. London, 1781.

lock up their pets at night. What, make prisoners of the poor creatures!' exclaimed these compassionate and tender-hearted ladies. Never was such a thing ever done in the "Island." Never were their fathers or mothers, or ancestors to the remotest generations, ever subjected to such an unheard-of indignity: why, bless me! it would break the poor creatures' dear little hearts!' Owing to this humane and sage resolve, sly Reynard, the arch-deceiver, enjoys here rare opportunities of practising his seductive wiles on matronly old geese, tender young pullets, or dear little ducks.' Frequent are still, in consequence of the facilities thus afforded, the nightly elopements of this gay Lothario with many of the feathered and flighty' sisterhood of the Isle of Wight; and if rumour be correct, two-legged foxes are not unfrequently co-operators in such abductions, although, of course, poor Reynard gets all the credit of perpetrating every atrocity of the kind.

"But here," continued my cicerone- -"here we are at Cowes, now dull and dirty as any small continental sea-port town, but during the yachting season the resort of all the gay and titled of the land-often the abode of royalty itself; for behold! yonder stands Osborne House, and, by the royal standard which floats aloft, her most gracious Majesty must even now be there. But you will soon see, what at this day is more rare than a sight of the titled of the land-swarming now as they do thick as leaves in Vallambrosa's shady vale'-nay, more rare than even the sight of royalty itself: you will see what may soon be classed with the mammoth, the mastodon, or any other antediluvian relic of old. You will here see a real stage-coach, with all its nownearly-forgotten appurtenances of outside and inside passengers; wheelers and spicy' leaders, kept well in hand together by a rubicundfaced, jovial, though at the same time important-looking, individual of a now-nearly-extinct breed-a regular-built stage-coachman, like those of thegood olden times.' Behold! yonder stands the Felicity,' ready to start for Newport and Ventnor. The important man of ribbons and whipcord is now ascending his throne; his subjects-those four bits of blood' are impatiently champing the bit. The box-seat appears to be pre-engaged; we will, however, endeavour to place ourselves somewhere near this last remnant of the remains of a nearly-extinguished

race."

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Well, Coachman," said my friend, as he mounted aloft and took his seat behind the high official, who here wielded with despotic sway the reins of power throughout the land, "how are you getting on?" "Pretty bobbish, thank you, sir," was the reply. "Glad to see you

in the Island. Come to have a turn with the Isle of Wight Hounds, I s'pose? All right, hostler!" And away we rattled off, round a couple of sharp corners, right and left, then along a monstrous filthy and narrow street, until the spirited team gallantly breasted the rapid acclivity, on the summit of which stands Osborne House.

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My friend had discovered amongst our fellow-passengers an old Isle of Wight hunting acquaintance; a jolly looking sort of gentleman farmer, who had just returned from the cattle fair on the other side o' the water," as Hampshire is apparently always called in the "island." "And what sport, Mr. Jackson, have you lately had with the hounds?" inquired he of his portly neighbour. "Rare sport indeed!" was the reply; never saw them run as they have done this season; and though foxes are rather scarce, Quick, our

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huntsman, has managed to give a good account of brushes, and great satisfaction to all."

"Yes," replied Jones, "Quick must begin now to know the country well, and a precious difficult one it is to get across; but he certainly understands how to kill his fox in good style, and is moreover such a civil, pleasant-mannered fellow, that I have always heard him spoken of as an universal favourite in the hunt."

"He is," rejoined my new acquaintance, to whom Jones had introduced me as a sporting friend of his own; "he is a capital fellow, is Quick; I only wish he would stop more earths-for what with them, and the rocks and cliffs along the coast, many a fox escapes who would otherwise most certainly die. However, Quick is perhaps after all not so much to blame: I hear that the funds are low, and they don't wish just now to incur any additional expense.

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Who are now your principal subscribers ?" inquired Jones. Why," said our informant, "Mr. Cotton contributes as largely as ever; Mr. Nunn also, though he now seldom hunts, liberally presents a hundred a year towards the pack; next on the list comes, I believe, Captain Brigstocke, who, like an openhearted sailor, as he is, gives us a good lift and patronizes in every way the sport. It is also said that the officers at Parkhurst, who have this year been hunting a good deal, mean handsomely to come down,' and intend to wind up the hunting season by giving a splendid ball. Although it must be confessed we have a few defaulters on the subscription list, still, this number is not great, in the very respectable field which we now manage to muster five times a fortnight; but we would like to see a few more of the leading men of the island taking an active part in our sports."

"I perceive," observed I, "that Her Majesty is now at Osbornedoes Prince Albert ever join the hunt?"

"He has not yet done so," said Mr. Jackson; "and this has been rather a source of surprise and disappointment; however he has graciously given permission to draw the coverts at Parkhurst and Osborne, has given orders that the foxes are not to be destroyed, and it is rumoured that he means this season to send in a good contribution towards our funds." "Very handsome indeed," said my friend, "and I have no doubt but his Royal Highness will answer every expectation that has been formed in that respect, and that he will honour the hunt with his presence some of these days, and perhaps, moreover, bring with him the Prince of Wales."

"Why, for that matter," said Jackson, "her Majesty likewise might be one of the party, for there are now frequently a number of ladies in the field; and a little fellow of six years old comes constantly out, who, on his New Forest pony, gives many of us the go-bye."

"But how comes it," asked Jones, "that you are getting short of foxes? a complaint which I never heard of before."

"The fact is," answered Mr. Jackson," they hav'nt got fair play. Now, although the Prince gave directions that they should not be destroyed in the Royal domain, the very last time we drew the coverts near Osborne House no end of gins were taken up. But I suppose the Royal gamekeepers are like all others of their trade, more anxious to secure their perquisites of a few rabbits, than not to spoil a whole country's sport.

"At all events," remarked Jones, "his Royal Highness will be made

aware of the fact. I am told that he is a constant reader' of the Sporting Magazine;' and my friend here," added he, pointing to me, "means to send to that widely circulated periodical a journal of all our sporting proceedings in the Isle of Wight."

"Then pray, sir, jot down likewise in your journal that foxes have also been trapped in great numbers in the south-eastern part of the island, by a certain hermit,' a professed vulpecide,' as I have heard him called, who bears likewise the name of a very mischievous and chattering bird; and perhaps Prince Albert-who has shown himself most anxious to patronize our sport-will give him a bit of his mind when he rates his own gamekeepers. His Royal Highness will hit them pretty hard, as soon as he is made acquainted with such dirty acts, through the medium of the Sporting Magazine,' of which I will certainly also order a copy for myself."

Amidst such sporting gossip, did we, towards the close of the last day of the old year, pull up at the "Bugle Hotel," the "Clarendon" of Newport and the Isle of Wight.

A SUMMER EXCURSION AT HOME AND ABROAD,

BY SARON.

CHAPTER III.

Washington-Baltimore-Great Circle Sailing.

After a most delightful séjour at New York, I proceeded to Washington and Baltimore. It was with a peculiar degree of interest that I visited these cities, inasmuch as some six-and-thirty years ago I commenced my first military campaign in that untoward war which was being carried on against America. In taking a retrospective glance, I remembered the time when, in the month of July, 1814, I embarked at Portsmouth with the gallant corps to which I then belonged. I was at that period a gay thoughtless ensign of sixteen, full of anticipations of death, glory, or promotion.

I pass over the tedious and uncomfortable passage in one of the worst transports in his Majesty's service, and bring my readers to the day upon which we were boarded in Lynhaven Bay, by an officer from the Havannah frigate, which, acting guard, was lying at anchor about three miles from the shore. We then heard that on the 24th of August Washington had been taken, and all about it belonging to the Government destroyed-its capitol*, arsenal, dock-yards, ships on the stocks, a large quantity of naval stores, 206 pieces of cannon, 30,000 stand of arms, houses of assembly and senate. All private property was, however, respected, except the office of the National Intelligence newspaper, against which the gallant admiral, who had so long maintained a sort of petty warfare within the waters of the Chesapeake, and who accompanied General Ross in this expedition, was said (erroneously or not we know not) to have had a peculiar grudge; not, it was said, on account of the many compliments it had paid him, so much as for persisting in calling him, and insisting that he should be called, pre

* Strange, that while writing the above, I hear of the Capitol at Washington having been destroyed by fire,

cisely as his name was spelt. The admiral, it was said by his officers, lost no opportunity of correcting what he was pleased to call an error, by saying Co, Co-as often as he was addressed by the so-spelt patronymie; but, it was in vain, not a Yankee within a thousand miles of the Chesapeake but had heard of the sore place, and to the great amusement of both officers and crew, who probably lent their aid under the rose, he was be-Cockburned by every prisoner that was taken, and every application for an exchange, often amid suppressed laughter, was he seen to rush into his cabin disgusted with them, and not over wellpleased with his own Co.

Another anecdote is told of the distinguished admiral, the truth of which we will not vouch for; it, however, passed current in the fleet. One day, when the quarter-deck was full of Yankees about to be sent on shore, the admiral came out of his cabin to hold a talk with them; but before he began, he said, amid dead silence-"I want the signalofficer."

"Here, Sir," from the poop, was the answer.

"Make the signal for the Co-chafer to weigh, and for the Commanding officer of the Co-chafer to come on board" (a schooner tender). The Yankees winked at one another, the officers and men too in hearing were fit to burst. Alongside came the officer, touching his hat, and reporting himself to the officer of the watch, who walked aft to the admiral-" The commanding officer of the Cockchafer come on board, Sir George."

"Co-chafer-Co-chafer, if you please, Mr. Scott" (now an old port) "Co-chafer in future, Scott.

"Very well, Sir-signal man, take the cock out of cockchafer, and write Co in lieu," said Scott.

To resume. Never shall I forget the day when first I smelt powder. On the 12th September our army, composed of three thousand five hundred men, the 4th, 44th, and 85th regiments of the line, a battalion of marines, marines and scamen from the men of war, commenced its march to attack Baltimore. Before an hour had elapsed a gloom was thrown over our force by the tidings that poor General Ross had been killed, not in an action, but by a sneaking shot of some hidden foe. As I saw his honoured body conveyed to the rear by a gang of seamen, I own I felt somewhat dispirited; we had, however, not much time for reflection, for about noon we found ourselves opposed to the enemy, in a wood through which the high road to Baltimore passed. After a smartish engagement we found ourselves victors, and advanced towards the point of attack. Baltimore appeared to be strongly fortified, and well prepared to meet our puny army-puny in numbers, not courage. Many older heads than mine looked upon the proposed siege as impracticable against such overpowering numbers, and many thought that their bones would lie to be bleached on American soil. Such was

not the case a council of war was held about midnight, the fires were ordered to be replenished, the troops to form-many a hurried prayer was inwardly repeated; instead, however, of advancing, we were ordered to retire, and we commenced a well-ordered retreat. Shortly afterwards peace was proclaimed.

Again my mind reverts to that joyous news when, after a short but not dishonourable campaign, we were to return home. In a short