was not a warning to him? he replied, he "believed that to be a solitary instance." I told him it was by no means a solitary instance. I knew of three cases from my own experience, and could name half-a-dozen more which I had heard of. "Drive your leaders without bearing-reins," said I, "if you wish so to do, but not your wheelers; it is not safe, as you have experienced on this day." In fact, it is nothing but a piece of affectation, to speak plainly and if I were on a jury, to assess damages occasioned by the want of bearingreins on wheel-horses, I would do my utmost to put an end to the practice. "It was the horse-keeper's fault," said

to me on this occasion, "he neglected to buckle the pole-hook strap." Away with such excuses, when people's lives are at stake! It should be put out of the power of horse-keepers to create danger to a coach; and, in the use of the bearing-rein, they are deprived of the power, in this instance. I hope оs will read this, and no longer put into the scale an imaginary hour's suffering in a road coach-horse, against the possible, if not probable, destruction of human life. That the use of the bearing-rein is often merciful to the horse, I had a satisfactory proof a short time back. On my remarking to a coachman, that his offleader was doing much more than his share of work :-"Yes," said he, "I must put a bearing-rein on him, if he plays this game, or he will pump himself out." In fact, the poor brute was drawing half the coach, with his mouth quite dead, from being acted upon by one rein only, and that drawing in a lateral direction.

In a late number of the "Veterinarian" (August, 1839), is the report of a discussion, at the conclusion of Mr. Carter's Essay on Roaring, in which the bearing-rein was adduced as one cause of roaring. This must equally apply to any rein that causes horses to bend their necks, which they must do, when mounted either for the field, the race-course, or the road. In my opinion,—and I am strengthened in it by what I saw and heard of horses becoming roarers in the course of the two last years, the bending of the neck, without which horses would be unrideable, as well as undriveable, has but little, if anything, to do with it, and that the too common cause has yet to be discovered.

COURSING.

THE DEPTFORD INN MEETING.

THIS favourite meeting of the South took place on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of December: the first day, as usual, on the estate of John Davis, Esq., at Fisherton De la Mere (Wilts). The morning opened with a thick fog, yet so great is the attraction of this meeting, from the certainty of sport of the first description; at least, as far certain as an abundance of hares, and the most beautiful down in England for the purpose, can make it; that, shortly after eleven, a large number of people had assembled in the hope the fog might disperse at the hour of twelve, when all who pretend to be weather-wise, say it will change or be confirmed for the day at one, it had completely left the hills, and a fine day's sport followed. The second day's sport was held this year, on different ground to what it usually has been. A farm belonging to Walter Long, Esq., at Chitterne, being chosen (the manor, at

present in the occupation of Wadham Lock, Esq., one of the members of the club), the weather was all that could be desired, and a finer day's coursing was never seen. Unfortunately, the morning of the 5th was frosty, and most of the stakes were divided. The four dogs left in for the Cup, were Mr. Bowles's y. bitch, Boscobel; Mr. Bowles's bk. bitch, Brocard; Mr. Goodlake's f. dog, Graduate; and Mr. Agg's bk. dog, Ariel. Ariel, having been much injured by a fall on the previous day, was drawn, and Mr. Bowles and Mr. Goodlake divided the Cup Stakes. The dogs left in for the Derby, were Mr. Etwall's bd. dog, Equerry; Mr. Etwall's f. dog, Early York; Mr. Goodlake's bk. dog, Gibraltar; and Mr. Ley's (Mr. Etwall's) f. dog, Eccaleobion : Gibraltar, Eccaleobion, and Early York, were drawn, and Mr. Etwall won the Derby with Equerry. The three bitches left in for the Oaks, were Mr. Biggs's Blackberry, Mr. Heathcote's Hasty, and Mr. Lock's Lark the owners divided the stakes. Mr. Biggs, Mr. Lock, and Mr. Goodlake, divided the Fisherton Stakes. The Stockton Stakes were won by Mr. Etwall's bd. and w. dog, Earl Marshall, beating, in the last tie, Mr. Morant's bk. dog, Mainmast; Mr. Goodlake and Mr. Morant divided the Codford Stakes; and the Ashton Stakes were won by Mr. Morant's bk. bitch, The Mole; Mr. Bowles's Black Dwarf being drawn, and receiving his stake.

Had not the last day been frosty, the sport, at this meeting, could not have been excelled; the hares, with a few exceptions, were remarkably stout, and were more than usually abundant. Mr. Kimber acted as Judge, and gave general satisfaction.

THE CALEDONIAN GOLD CUP: OVER EAGLESHAM.

This very interesting event to the patrons of the leash, which had been postponed, in consequence of frost, from the 9th ult., came off on the 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, and 18th. The attendance, not only of the principal gentry of the neighbourhood, but of strangers and foreigners, was very great. Nothing could exceed the excellence of the sport. The hares were almost uniformly good; the courses of remarkable severity and interest. The entrées numbered eighty-four, including many of the most distinguished public runners in Great Britain-twenty-two of which were English. Of these last Mr. Fowler's Tippoo and Bashful stood as high as any; the former having won the Cup at Barton-upon-Humber in the spring; the latter, the Great Louth St. Leger. For Bashful Mr. Fowler has recently refused 100 sovereigns. Lord Eglintoun's Waterloo deserves especial mention: his truth and speed being the theme of general eulogy. In our Coursing Register the running of the various ties will be given here it will be enough to say, that the winner of the Cup was Dr. Brown's Whistler, the winner of the Caledonian Plate at Dychmont, in March. He is by Whistler, out of Fanny; a dark brindle, of full size, with great length, and powerful legs. It will be seen that the North Country had the best of it by odds-the deciding course lying between two of the trans-Tweed division. The severest run of the meeting, indeed one of the most severe probably ever witnessed, was that for the third tie between Waterloo and Driver, in which both dogs ran till they dropped-the former having gone about fifty yards. nearest his hare.

TATTERSALL'S LIST.

BETTINGS FOR DECEMBER.

OUR lists will shew that a good many horses have been backed for the Derby during the past month, but the amount of business done has been far from weighty. The season may now be regarded as commenced in earnest, and every week will give additional activity to the market. Lord George Bentinck is understood to have purchased Naworth, named by Mr. Parkins for the Derby, as by Liverpool, his dam by Emilius out of Surprise, no year mentioned, thus, according to the seventeenth Rule of the Jockey Club, being clearly disqualified for all the engagements for which he is so entered. Should his Lordship intend to run him for any of the races in which he is engaged, of course the question of qualification will first be submitted to the Stewards of that Club.

Mr. Booth has sold his Primrose colt (now called Prince Albert), with his Derby engagement.

Rowton's dam

15 to

1

(tk.)

Christmas, renowned as it is for its games, is not propitious to that played at Hyde-Park-Corner. The last two or three public days of 1839 were all but blanks at the Subscription Room. The new year, however, will bring better things. There has rarely been a better field for business: no doubt it will not lack labourers. Those who do not sow cannot expect to reap.