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tion combined with perfect docility. His neck is light and lengthy, and eminently well formed near the junction with the head. He possesses a very powerful broad chest with a muscular shoulder, yet not very much loaded, though he stands with his fore legs somewhat under. He is very great in his girth, with a fine roomy carcase, or, as a friend of mine once observed, "with a beautiful belly like a mare with foal!" His back was exactly of the shape described in the English Sporting Magazine by Nimrod in his account of the Arab stallion Khylaun, joined to a peculiarly fine loin and well rounded fillets. His quarter is lengthy, powerful, yet handsome withal, though rather approaching the apple-rumped kind. His tail, the hair of which curled very much, is thick and well set on, and carried in a thoroughbred style at all paces. Harlequin possesses one great peculiarity in the length and strength of his thigh, with noble gaskins, and when in training developing corresponding muscle on the inside of the thigh!

His action at every pace was very clear and connected, but most particularly imposing at a gallop, forming a great contrast to Honesty's movements, for he goes with his fore legs strikingly straight; but the extraordinary peculiarity of his style is the rapidity and power with which he throws his hind legs under him, which, with his straight action before, sends him along so evenly that he seemed rather to be skim

ming over the ground than running on it.

Harlequin's only defects, as I have said already, are a little weight at the point of the shoulder, and his standing under ; blemishes which in general indicate a stumbler, yet Harlequin was remarkably sure-footed. Honesty's bad points were deficiency of loin and want of muscle, great objections in a stallion, and therefore I should pronounce him inferior for that purpose to Harlequin.

Honesty's best two miles was in running for the Hyderabad Plate with 9st., winning the second and third heats in 3m. 58s., and 44m.

Harlequin's best two miles with 9st. 7lbs., after winning two heats of a mile and a half race in 3m. 2s. and 3m. 4s., was 4m. 5s.

Honesty's best three miles with 8st. 7lbs. was winning the Minister's Plate at Hyderabad in 6m. 8s. and 6m. 23s. Harlequin's best three miles with 8st. 4lbs. was for Major Hughes's Plate, winning by several lengths in hand, in 6m. 9s.

But the English breeders will soon have an opportunity of judging for themselves, and I trust we shall soon hear something of them.

Slyboots, I hear, is greatly admired, but still the people will not send their mares to him. Why? What did I say in page 11 of your tenth number?

Yours obediently,

S. Y. S.

SIR,

HOG HUNTING IN GUZERAT.

I am sorry to see that no person has thought it worth his while to send you a description of any of the numerous hunting

parties that have taken place within the last few months in Guzerat. I would much rather be a reader than a writer of them; but as others appear to have de

serted the good cause, I will even try my hand at it.

A small party of only four, without wagrees, and with but little knowledge of a country much of which never before was hunted, left Hursole a few days ago on a voyage of discovery, and I now send you the result.

Pomal is a small village surrounded by beautiful large trees, and, what is better, has a fine bheer of grass within a short distance, as also some small jungles of stunted baubul trees. In these shades dwelt for many years, in peace and security, our friends the grunters; hoary age had grizzled their visages, yet had not taken a whit from their sturdiness or keenness of tush. But life is uncertain, and the old boar, when roused by the cries of the beaters, dreamt not danger was nigh, or that life depended on the swiftness of those limbs that hitherto had but led him to scenes of joy.

"Hold back, he breaks, let him go!" was the cry as the hoary patriarch slowly emerged from the grass, whilst a grunt expressed his dissatisfaction at being roused from his morning slumber. His object evidently was to gain a jungle about half a mile ahead, but not caring to heat himself, he trotted leisurely along.

The intensity of feeling at such a moment as this becomes truly painful; the heart throbs in the throat, and the hand all but refuses to hold the rein, and this agitation as powerfully affects your horse; his eye kindles, a slight tremor shakes his body, and his restlessness shows how eager he is to commence opera

tions.

The word was given, the heel dashed in, and then, too late indeed, the brute cast his sluggard eye behind, and snuffing danger,

increased his pace; but he died an easy death, conquered by his own fat.

One run varies but little from another, and there is a sameness in all accounts of fox and hoghunting, that is alone to be overcome by such pens. as Nimrod's. I will not attempt that in which I know I shall fail. Why were we not all born, as asserted by a French philosopher, with equal talents? I might then have been enabled to have furnished you with matter for ten pages, and your readers with amusement for ten minutes.

We killed this day four hog, and two at the same place on the succeeding day.

Corsar is a wretched place on the banks of a river whose name I cannot recollect; the bheer near it is large, but its waving tops smile over deep and hidden nullahs. The sport was good the first day, four being killed; the next, however, was a blank.

I recollect two years ago a melancholy occurrence that took place here. We had fired the grass, and a strong wind carried it blazing and crackling along. In the centre stood a very tall and solitary tree, on which a beater had been placed to give intelligence, and in the bustle had been forgotten. We saw the poor wretch, as the flames came nearer, slowly descend from branch to branch, evidently overcome by the smoke, and at length he clung on the lowest one. The flames burnt under its very roots, and yet there he remained. We approached as soon as possible, and found him dreadfully scorched, yet alive. He was removed to his village, and died on the following day.

Meysanah is a large walled town; on its eastern side is a tank full of alligators, a little beyond that again is a snipe

we

ground, and further still lie the bheers and jungles which intended to beat. On the right of the road are a few tombs shaded by trees, and under these trees, which a fanciful imagination might convert into mourners, we pitched our tents. All minds must suffer more or less a certain depression of spirits when thus brought into contact with the dead, whether it be the gorgeous mausoleum of a prince or the frail, rude memorial of the peasant. Here were we in search of pleasure, which perhaps we might not find, whilst they who had equally sought after it had at length found it in the peace and silence of the tomb. I had had a misgiving that we had pitched our tents on an unlucky spot, and inwardly prognosticated a blank on the following day; and in truth it nearly was so, for although many hog were seen, only one suffered.

At Barborsna an immense clubfooted gentleman, preferring the village to the fields, trotted us in and out, round and round, for upwards of an hour, and, though severely wounded, escaped the death so well merited for his dunghill propensities.

We

only succeeded in killing one this day, but were more fortunate in our number (three) on the following.

At Barnsnah, after excellent sport, four suffered, and in the evening we killed a huge copra. This puts me in mind of a little anecdote. A sow had taken to

SIR,

a village near Deesa, into which we followed, but too late to disCover on what track she had gone. We inquired of an old woman, but the good lady was too much occupied in a deed of humanity to notice or answer our questions: she literally was slowly and tenderly driving away a copra with expressions of love, into the hedge, and fearful of our killing her pet. In spite of our efforts (soured by the loss of the sow) she succeeded.

Here and at Mugroria, the next day's ground, where we killed three, are holes that would try the nerves of any Deccany hunter they are very numerous, quite deep enough, and what is worse, are concealed. A few falls and lame horses were the accidents of this day, but none of any serious consequence.

We now came to a different kind of country, abounding in tanks, mostly dry, and full of rushes; in these we found lots of hog of all sizes and kinds. The village is called Dhugaria, and, like all Guzerat hamlets, possesses a beauty in its tall and luxuriant trees that is seldom to be met with elsewhere; indeed, many spots we saw in our trip would bear comparison with the finest and proudest parks of England.

We once more visited Pomal, and five hog closed the scene, making a total of thirty-two killed in twelve days' hunting.

Yours obediently,
BUSHMAN.

KANGAROO HUNTING.

A kangaroo hunt is often an amusement of danger; and unless the dogs are very powerful, and two and three kept together,

a long and desperate fight takes place. His posture of defence is a very imposing one; for the animal, which you before supposed to be but of an ordinary size, will rear

himself to a gigantic height, standing on the tip of his tail and the very ends of his two long toe-nails, thus awaiting the approach of his enemies. He seizes one in his short and powerful arms, and hugging him fast, balances himself upon his tail, folds his hind legs up, and kicking his great toe-nail into the dog, rips him down; this is quite a momentary exertion, and the wounds sometimes inflicted are dreadful.

If a man approaches, a kangaroo will immediately leave the dogs. and attack him. When pressed he sits down, spreading his legs. and tail in three opposite directions, upon so broad a base that it is hardly possible to overturn him, and when even down, he will hug and kick to the very last.

The largest kangaroo I ever measured was one with which I nearly had a personal contest; and had it not been for my good gun and much coolness on my part, I should have been well punished at the least for my temerity. His length when dead was 7ft. 4in., but I have seen larger ones. I kept one of his hind legs as a curiosity, and it was more than 3ft. long. I met with him thus. I was out surveying, accompanied by a convict servant and a black man, when my dog set up a great outcry in a deep and rocky ravine. Down we ran, or rather tumbled, for the long grass hid the loose stones and fallen timber from sight. My little cur fought famously, snapping and dodging about in

MR. EDITOR,

a thousand directions, avoiding the "old gentleman's" grasp, and biting his flanks and tail with the utmost fury, whenever he could do so with safety. I was within ten yards the whole time, but could not get a fair opportunity of firing, the dog being always in the way; at length they both tumbled down over a decayed tree, when a chance offered, but my gun missed fire. Open armed, the kangaroo ran at me; to retreat was quite impossible, and just as he had hold of the muzzle of my gun I fired the second barrel. He reeled back, but did not fall. again came to my assistance, and the convict, mustering courage, popped from behind the tree where he had taken shelter, and throwing a large stone, fortunately hit him on the head and felled him. The black during the whole time had kept at a most respectful distance, and even now would not come up, so I borrowed his tomahawk, and the brute's head. tion I found all over the chest, but not a single shot hole. The fact was the balls had fallen out of the gun when I was running and tumbling among the rocks. However, from the nearness of the muzzle, the kangaroo appeared to be quite stupefied by the shock, for after my fire he made but a poor resistance, and never once kicked out.

The little cur now

1828.

sunk it into Upon examinathe hair burnt

Yours obediently, BUSHMAN.

A TRIP THROUGH KATTYWAR.

I had commenced a long introduction to the following, but on second thoughts I believe it

unnecessary; for, if you have anything better to fill its place, I shall be happy to see it laid aside. I must, however, express my regret

at the small number of articles that appeared in the last number of the O. S. M. What has become of the Guzerattees and Cutchees? one would think they were asleep. That we never or seldom hear of their exploits in the field is not for want of matter, I am pretty well assured; and although silent, they're not idle in that part of the world.

Accounts of the Deccan Hunting we constantly see, and pity 'tis that some gifted Nimrod in the North does not occasionally favour us with the slaughtering work that take place on the plains of Guzerat and Cutch. By the Deesa people last year, between January and December, about 250 hog were laid low, besides Janwurs of other kinds, large and small. Cutch and Ahmedabad too, could, I suppose, produce a very respectable bill of fare, so that there is lots to write and talk about, were the northern gents as fond of the pen as the spear.

I am digressing from my first intention, though, which was to give you some account of a hunting trip in Kattywar in the month of April last, with a few hints to those who may hereafter visit this part of the country. The party, averaging five, commenced the work of death at Gooshnaud, four miles from Rudaupoor, near the river; thence to Patree, and so on by easy stages to Rajcote. The river Bunass (or rather the bed of it at that time) runs close to the village of Gooshnaud, and is pretty well filled with tamarisk or bastard cypress, intermixed with redgrass. The baubul thorn, too, is very plentiful, and in many places so thick as to preclude the probability I had almost said possibility of killing a hog in it. The best plan, however, is to beat up the river, or from the river, commencing about 1 miles above

VOL. II.

the village, and to continue this for a mile or more. The hog generally break back and take refuge in a thick part of the river, where there is a considerable turn, just opposite the village. In this place they are almost at the mercy of the riders, if the business is conducted properly, for by turning the line of beaters round and beating back, they are driven into a country where it is somewhat difficult to lose them.

We were there two days, saw many fine hog, and bagged four boars; two little short of thirty inches high. We were not properly up to their tricks on the ground the first day, or should have made a better business of it. The second day we saw a fine lioness, but the cover was too thick to get a shot at her; a few black buck were also observed, and upon the whole it is as nice a place for a four days' halt to a sporting party as any I know.

From this place to within twentyfive miles of Rajcote the ground is a perfect bowling-green; the hills and stones commence about Loonwa, and the country from Patree is covered with little forts and ghunies.

Almost every village that has not a wall and bastions is commanded and protected by a high ghunie in the centre; furnished with loopholes, and some few with embrasures for guns. Many were in a dilapidated state, and appeared to have been deserted for years; indeed, the beasts of the forest had established themselves in some of the strongholds of their former lords and masters, so undisputed was their sway in those lands of jungle and sterility. Our expectations of finding large hog-fellows that had not been disturbed for years, and had never seen or heard of a sahib log--were not, I am sorry to say, realized;

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