SIR, In my last letter I mentioned an experiment I had tried with the milky juice of the Muddar Plant, or Asclopias Gigantia, for the Bursautee, on a horse that had for many months suffered from this disease in its worst form. The sores, though healed for a time, again broke out, but gaining confidence from the first experiment, that something might be done for so formidable a disease with this plant, I took another horse in hand the beginning of last month, and from his improved state in every respect I am satisfied that the Plant will be found under some combination an efficacious remedy.

I will therefore detail the mode I have adopted in my second trial, in the hope that it may call the attention of some Veterinarian, whose professional knowledge may enable him to follow up the experiment, by combining some other drugs, until a certain cure is found out, should mine not prove to have a permanent effect.

As I found with the first experiment, that the Muddar juice, in its pure state, was very powerful and caused great swelling of the limb when applied to sores, I combined it with equal parts of

sweet oil, with which, after cleansing the sores with soap and water, I touched them morning and evening with a feather. No swelling or inflammation took place, as on the former occasion, and the sores are gradually healing.

Besides this local application, 1 gave the horse every morning a powder, containing 20 grains, made from the root of the plant, and after an interval of every 14 days I administered a mild dose of physic, continuing the powder after the physic had set.

The preparation of the powder was very simple. I merely exposed the root cut into small pieces to the sun for a couple of days, when I found no difficulty in reducing it by a mortar, sufficiently fine to pass through coarse muslin.

As I before mentioned, the sores are healing fast, the horse has become fine in his coat, and is otherwise healthy. I regret that I shall not have the power of seeing the final result, as I quit this part of the country immediately for the lower Provinces, but I hope the trial of the efficacy of the Muddar will be followed up.

Yours obediently,

O. K.
Meerut, 7th June, 1829.

WORTHY EDITOR,

It is not my intention to trespass to any length upon your valuable pages (as the writers on political economy say by way of introduction to some twenty or thirty sheets), for my subject has little in the way of interest or novelty to hold forth :-my say shall therefore be a short one. Expect no pitiless massacre of elephants no annihilation of tigers, but a plain unvarnished tale relating to an antelope hunt,

"The wild Gazelle on Judah's Hill." There is nothing remarkable in the run; nothing to excite the attention of our Nimrod in the East, but merely as exhibiting a proof to the many already cited in Natural History of the sagacity of animals and fondness for their young. It was upon an auspicious morning in the month of June, "when all things gay appear id est in England, that four of us jolly subs sallied forth from Belgaum, resolutely intent upon committing murder upon some of the four-footed beasts that inhabit the neighbourhood. Light in heart as in pockets, we laughed away care, long debts, short Abstracts and Supernumerary Subalterns.

Light

We soon discovered browsing on a hill to our right a large herd of antelopes, but being full grown, we knew from former experience the inutility of chasing

them; a little further on, however, a young one, crouched down among some long grass, sprang up; we gave chase; Devil take the hindmost. After making a small circuit she made full tilt for the herd, which started at us, snuffed the air, and then bounded away as if regardful only of their But instead of own safety. following up the principle that generally actuates the human race sauve qui peut-they made a noble attempt to save the pursued, harassed young one.

Slackening their pace, they allowed her to lead, keeping in a compact body in her rear, in that manner completely covering the retreat. To foil this manœuvre we turned the head of the herd, by which means we brought the young one into the rear again. They then tried another stratagem, which was to shoot across backwards and forwards between us and the object of our pursuit, so bold and fearlessly, that with a pistol shot we might have brought some of their soaring antlers to the ground. Such a mingling and confusion sadly perplexed the dogs, and this was rendered worse by the herd suddenly separating, darting off in different directions, and then reuniting to repeat the same prank. It was only by keeping our eyes undeviatingly fixed upon our prey that we were able to keep up anything like a de

terminate chase. After a hard run of about fifteen minutes, we came to a nullah; the full grown antelopes sprung across without a moment's pause; one of them, which might have been the mother, looking wistfully back as if to encourage the young one in the leap; she missed the distance, struck against the opposite bank, and fell into the nullah. The dogs had crossed, and, seemingly aware themselves of the inutility of following the herd, turned to their masters for further orders. We laid them on to the young antelope, who had regained the bank of the nullah on which we were, and ran for a short distance further down, where she made another attempt to leap, but with no better success; she fell headlong down, and, the dogs fastening on, the work of death was soon accomplished.

The wolves being numerous about here, we occasionally have a dash at them, but their confounded long never-tiring gallop is more than a match for a horse's swiftness. We were fortunate enough, a few days ago, to fall in with a party that had been regaling themselves with a picnic consist

SIR,

ing of some prime beef. The filthy villains had evidently been committing a debauch, for they moved away with as little agility and good will as aldermen rising from a city feast. They were by no means in good training for a run, and a hill which they had to ascend put their bladders into such vehement play that one of the gluttonous rascals made for a hole, wisely conceiving that a nap after such a dinner would favour the process of digestion much better than a run. He was doomed to prove the mutability of worldly happiness, for husbandmen coming up with their instruments of labour, cheerfully lent a hand to bring the assassin of sheepfolds to light. Digging down till we brought to view his long, bushy, most inhumanly smelling tail, one of us grasped it by way of a lever, and used it to such good purpose that his ignoble parts were soon exposed to view; these were diligently scarified with a chopper, and finally dragging him out, in spite of his fiend-like growls and diabolical faces, he was done to death. CENTAUR.

Belgaum, June, 1829.

As none of your numerous correspondents have as yet touched upon Bustard Shooting, from my experience, being well aware of the difficulty attending it, I am induced, through the medium of your valuable Magazine, to give a few hints to brother sportsmen, by which the wariness of this majestic bird may be overcome.

I have met with many experienced sportsmen who have been upwards of twenty years in India, and, although constantly

some

of dismounting until he is certain the bird is within his power, when he may either leap off, or, if his nag be steady, fire from his back. In nearing a bustard, never think of going straight up to him, but make a circle round, looking outward, affecting not to see him; in this way, provided he has not been much disturbed during the day, you may almost make sure of getting a shot-but you must keep moving, for the moment you stop or hesitate, the game is up, and when once on the wing it is but rarely you can a second time get so near them, except by riding, in which way I have frequently succeeded, and after following a bird for upwards of twenty miles, have often had my perseverance crowned with success.

Indeed, in this, as in most other sports, perseverance will generally ensure success; and provided you are mounted upon an active, wellmanaged nag, and find yourself once in front of the bird, when on the wing you may make sure of his passing over your head, and as he scarcely ever flies more than 25 or 30 yards from the ground, you ought to be certain of killing; but recollect you are likely to be deceived in their flight until you have had some experience, as from their great size they are supposed to be slow, but I can assure you this is not the case, for I have seen many a one clean missed by good shots.

In 1812, at Punderpoor, one evening, when returning from shooting, I came upon two bustards within a mile of camp; the nag I was mounted on being fid

gety, and not likely to stand if let loose, I was rather posed, until seeing a herd of cattle not far off, I soon determined how to commence operations. I went and dismounted amongst them, and having selected a quiet bullock, I took him by the tail and drove the whole herd towards the bustards, and in about twenty minutes had the satisfaction to find myself within forty yards, when I made a run out from the cattle: the birds rose, and I bagged both. In 1819, near Hungleweury, I came upon four bustards, and being similarly situated, in regard to a fidgety horse, I persuaded a Coonbie, who was near, to lend me his plough, and his bullocks being quiet, I got within thirty yards and bagged a brace.

Up to this day I have bagged 961 bustards, the first of which I killed in 1809, in the Ceded Districts, with a double gun, made by H. Nock; the barrels actually as thin as an old sixpence; the distance was eighty-three paces, the shot No. 5.

I have several times killed five in a day, which all must allow is a good bag, but I hope, before this season is past, to get beyond this number, as also to complete a thousand. The shot I now use is B. B., with which I have killed at 130 paces. The weight of the cock bustard I have found to vary from 18lbs. to 32lbs. and a few ounces, and that of the hen from 8lbs. to 15lbs.

Your obedient servant,

A LOVER OF ALL SPORTS. Ahmednugger, 1st August, 1829.

Mag., the following line-" Rules and Regulations of the Jockey Club."

My sight literally became rivet