truly alarming. Here triple rows of carriages were seen battling for precedence; and the crack of panels, and shrieks of the fair sex, combined with oaths and exclamations of the charioteers, baffled all description. The Poles and Russians (or rushers) in full conflict was nothing to it; but the Poles seemed to have the best of the battle, and their unceremonious obtrusion into the vehicles before them frequently produced consequences of the most alarming description. We did not, however, hear of any fatal accident, and we trust none occurred.

ANGLING.

SIR, I promised to renew my correspondence with you on the subject of angling as the season advanced, and it affords me much pleasure in redeeming that promise, and satisfaction that I may possibly be instrumental in imparting some useful information to the real lovers of fly-fishing. I did make free to say, in my first letter to you, that fly-fishing was not known to any very great scientific extent in England, and what was meant by that remark was justified by the practical and ocular demonstrations I have had the opportunity of witnessing amongst the English gentlemen, when put in comparison with the Irish and Scotch anglers. It is very true that in Ireland the rivers and streams are far more numerous than in England-so they are in Scotland and hence we may infer that, opportunity being so frequent, practice is the more extensive-in addition to which advantages, prohibition is less usual in these countries. Deriving, then, such benefits as practical experience never fails to produce, it is very easy to account why superiority in the art of fly-fishing is

manifest in those countries. You will scarcely find a boy twelve or fourteen years of age who is not a fly-fisher in Ireland; besides which, he can make his own flies, and throw a line as level as a rule to the extent of fifteen or twenty yards with the greatest ease. This is the result of practice and the opportunities they have of seeing experienced anglers on the rivers. In England, there is scarcely a river in which trout are to be found but is strictly preserved, and the laws of trespass nearly as bad as the game laws: hence we have but few who indulge in this sportive and pleasing recreation but the Lords of Manors and their immediate friends. The reason, then, is obvious-that in Ireland and Scotland there is abundant practice, and in England, comparatively speaking, little or none. Fly-fishing is a beautiful science, and admits of great cultivation and improvement: even to the most experienced there is something new every day to be learned. If we take into consideration the increasing changes of the fly species, the great variety of the insects and animalcula of the rivers, we will have an abundance to reflect upon, and yet most difficult to arrive at the final truth. If, too, we observe the capricious humour and appetites of the fish, and study the causes of the sudden changes in their feeding, it will occupy our minds with wonderwe shall find trout one hour feeding voraciously on worm or minnow, the next leaping sprightly at flies, and disdaining to look at their former food; but, whilst they are taking minnow or ground bait, if a thousand flies were over their nose, they would equally disdain to touch them at that time. Thus we have often the most sudden changes imaginable in the appetites of trout. The state of the

atmosphere has a great control on their feeding; and when rain threatens they are always sick, and will be seldom found to take anything whatever; an easterly or northerly wind is always unpropitious, and, until it changes, good sport will rarely be had; but in or after a good brisk shower of rain, with west or south wind blowing, you may then expect the fish to be on the feed. But it signifies very little indeed in what good humour the fish may be in if a person has not skill in the throwing of a fly, which is the very first and most important thing to be learned. It It should be thrown very lightly and delicately, so as to make no splash on the surface; for, if a line is cast heavily on the water, more especially where it is smooth, the fish will dart off in all directions with fright. Trout have a peculiarly quick eye, more so than any other fish; and if the angler does not study to keep a long distance from the bank, he has no chance in taking trout--they are very wary, and the sight of any living thing on the banks terrifies them more than any other fish whatever. In the month of April trout begin to get a little stronger, and make more up towards the head of the stream; they are getting into better condition, and the waterlice, which torture them during the winter and early part of spring, commence gradually falling from their skins. In this month a considerable number of flies approach the waters, and trout commence taking them much more sprightly than in March; black and red hackles and fox-flies, as in March, continue good; but the hare's car flies begin to disappear. There are two flies which are much used, bearing the name of coghlansthe first is the grey, the second the brown coghlan; they are excellently good in a rough-blowing

day. There are, likewise, a number of others used, but too tedious to name here. I merely think it worth while to mention the principal or best ones. About the middle of April swallows begin to make their appearance on the rivers, and it is worthy of notice that the moment they do they are accompanied by a vast number of very small blue flies, as if nature intended them for their tender fool on their first approach. It is really astonishing with what avidity the trout feed on them for the time they continue on the water (about a fortnight); in fact, the fish will take no other fly, so amazingly do they dote on it. It is somewhat larger than a midge; the wings are of a dark blue, the body is the same. The best imitation of it is produced from the tail of a tomtit, and the fur of a mole-skin, intermixed with a few yellow or copper-coloured hairs of mohair, the tail of the tomtit for its wings. This fly is forked (or, to speak more intelligibly, it has a tail); it must be made on a very small hook, and it is, without exception, the most killing fly I have ever known for the period it lasts. I have taken a trout, and opened it on the banks of the river, and found it quite gorged with this fly only, not a particle of an thing else in its stomach. It is called by sportsmen the blue-blow. These few remarks I have offered as respects the flies are applicable to the months of March and April only, and for the present shall not trespass on your patience more, but reserve some other observations for a future occasion, that is, should you deem the subject worthy of further development, or the letter worth the trouble of publication in your Sporting Journal. Yours, &c., R. E.-To the Editor of Bell's Life in London.

the two mile starting-post. Sir Robert, a large and beautiful brown horse (rode by a jockey— Large-well known on the Calcutta Course), was the favourite at odds; Skiff, a powerful little bay, stood next; Filbert, a fat looking grey, and Echo, a bright bay, with four white legs, and a tail like a frigate's bowsprit, were a little spoken of, and Prospero scarcely mentioned, though he rated it in good style with Echo for the first half mile, closely watched by the Baronet, who at the turn went up to them, and, leaving Prospero, caught Echo at the mile and then allowed him to go away again; at the straight run in, however, he again tried his foot, but little Echo was wide awake and proved himself a sound horse by cleverly winning the race from his more promising opponent.

Time-First half mile 0

Second Third

Fourth

min. sec. 56 1 3 4

1

1 7

Total...4 10

The run for the Riddlesworth between the Emerald colt and the Emerald filly, now Lady Louisa, was a mere canter for her ladyship, though she lost some lengths by a bad start, and being the favourite long before, little was done in the betting way on this race; they took 2m. 39s. to get through their journey.

In the afternoon Brown George, Clodhopper, Beggarboy, Allegro, and the Doctor started for the Three Spear Stakes, and came in as I have placed them. Beggarboy jumped off at a tearaway pace, but soon was headed by Brown George and Clodhopper, and if the latter had possessed more of the hopper and less of the clod he might have given a little more trouble to the

brown gentleman, who managed to win tolerably easy.

was

The sun had set before Pyramus, the long-talked-of and wellknown horse, and Paris, a Presidency runner, came to the post with the celebrated Goblin Gray. A sharp and a merry race expected, but Pyramus proved lame, while little Paris against two such flickers ran to save his distance, and Goblin, therefore, had little to do to come in first. The second heat was a pretty neck and neck run all round, and ended amidst tumults of applause in what the judge pronounced a dead heat, but the evening was now so dark, and both horses being grey and very close together, he could not distinguish one from the other, and therefore decided in favour of neither. Paris had before proved himself a good bottomed little nag, and that he had foot the time of the dead heat fully established. This, added to his carrying nearly ten less than the Goblin, pounds lifted him well up in some of the betting books, though the old turfites stood by the old horse; and the event justified their good opinion of him, for he won the next heat tolerably easy, though nothing was seen of the horses from the time they started until they came in.

So much for evening racing!

For the Malcolm Produce, Lady Eliza, a very young three-year-old black filly, purchased at one of the Poonah horse shows, Patell, a dark four-year-old colt, bred by the Purunderry Chief near Sassoor, and Kundoo, a five-yearold from Kandeish, were rode to the mile and distance, for their chances of the 800 Rupees purse. In both heats Patell led from the post, and Won without any difficulty in 2m. 23s. and 2m. 24s. Pyramus, though cruelly lame, seemed determined not to lose a chance, and went merrily off with Sebas. tian, who carried a stone less for his three mile match, and up to the 1 mile seemed to have a fair hope of winning, but here his lameness must have seriously affected him, for he began to drop in the rear, and allowed Sebastian to go along just as he pleased for the rest of the journey.

The Hunters' Stakes brought out the well-known and once celebrated horse Creeper, to run against Rajah, who has also had 1m. 1s. against his name in many a race, and Brown George, and Professor, the former a handsome high conditioned horse, and the latter "unknown to public fame," a lofty carriaged Persian-looking grey. Brown George went off at a coach-horse pace, waited upon by Professor, Creeper close up, and Rajah knocked up. At the fourth half mile, contrary to the

VOL. II.

opinions of the knowing ones and terribly against the best betting books of the day, Professor challenged for the lead, and appeared to gain it with great ease to himself, and won with great credit, running without being pressed the last half mile, carrying the break-back weight of 11st., in 3m. 6s. Another match followed, in which the Doctor beat Allegro half a mile in the dark. Next followed the second heat of the Pony Sweepstakes, the first of which was cleverly won by the Game Cock, though Robinson Crusoe, having had a bad start, tried to make up for it by cutting across through the Kirkee fields, but it would not do, and the Cock carried off the race in grand style.

On the third day, Echo, having beaten Sir Robert and Prospero in the maiden, had a fair chance of winning the Deccan Cup, for Professor was scarcely thought of, and Roshun not at all so. Echo led, closely watched by Sir Robert for three-quarters of a mile, who there, to the surprise of Echo's friends, took up the running, while Professor merely looked on and saved his distance, a feat which Roshun almost forgot to accomplish. The Baronet was then left alone, and he won of course, apparently well in hand, by two or three lengths. In the second heat it was evident that Echo intended to let Professor avail himself of his freshness, and he led off with Sir Robert hard held, and Guardsmen at his best, up to the two mile starting-post, where a tickle from the spur brought Professor almost abreast of the Baronet, in which way they came in and made a near and a pretty rush of it. Few races have occasioned so much speculation as this, and some there were who would rather have won this Deccan Cup than have carried off all the other races of

S