To return : I improved my nautical knowledge in the transport voyages. I learned from the mate of the Albion to take an observation, work the latitude, keep a reckoning by the tables, called by inspection, and I paid him for it. From him, too, I learnt the names of most of the ropes of a ship, watched their uses, and by the time I got back to old England, he thought I knew as much about the working of a ship as himself. He was a good fellow, amusing to talk to, full of nautical anecdote, and I believe, really took a fancy to me. I am happy to say very soon after his return I was instrumental in obtaining for him, through a brother-officer, whose father was a West India merchant, the command of a fine ship, in the Jamaica trade. This, reader-gentle, I hope—is another episode ; but as you go on you will find it is a necessary one, for I am by-and-bye to tell you of technicalities on the “ Briny," you would otherwise wonder & mere soldier should know so much about ; and it is besides necessary to account to you how it was I knew “the ship was hove short, by the buoy being close to the bow.” We were saluted in the boat by a long shrill whistle { after that the General was received by the first-lieutenant (who apologised for the Captain's absence), by a guard of marines, and then the usual complement of guns. “ Allow me to introduce the officers of the ship,” said the firstlieutenant. “ Presently,” responded the General ; “but before you do so, pray let me go to my cabin, where I can change my pantaloons and undergarments.” The Rokeby had her courses and topsails loose, with “blue Peter" at the fore, when we arrived on board. "The quarter-deck was clear ; but I could see the capstan-bars were ready on the carronades, and no doubt they had been unshipped to make a clear deck for the grand reception. No sooner had the General dined, than from the present the arms of the marines were ordered to the shoulder “order ! ” “ Unfix bayonets !-Shoulder !--Port right face !--Dismiss !-Down below !” said the serjeant. “Put on working dresses !” Then came Ship capstan-bars !-Swifter there !” and “Down with a tackle from fore and mainyards! Others from the stay to be ready to hoist the Captain's gig, boatswain!" " Aye, aye, Sir !" I ventured to remark she had left sally-port before we did, and 1 heard the lieutenant of the flagship say, had gone up the harbour, Oh!” exclaimed the “first," " I know. I-as the Frenchman said-smell von big rat! That's it, is it,--Doctor! the Captain 's gone to Portsea !” “ Then it's true!” responded the surgeon ; “I only hope he does not mean to bring her on board.” What all this mysterious conversation meant I afterwards learnt, but then could only guess at. After a conclave of the officers had talked for a few minutes, and some agitation as far as the action of hands and arms was apparent, the “first” called to the signal-man to look again, “ No signs, Sir!”. “ Hand me a glass !” and standing on a carronade-slide, leaning it on the clean white hammock-cloth, he carefully scanned the small channel and the beach. “ Pipe to dinner; and tell the men they may be called up before two bells." " Aye, aye, Sir!". Then out came three varying peels from the boatswain and his mates, which I then heard for the first time; but afterwards became familiar with, as twice each day by the same sound the crew were called to their meals with extreme regularity. “ Now,” exclaimed the "first," “ let us have a snack, for we may not be able to dine at our usual hour-at least, if we go through the Needles ;' then turning politely, but frankly to us, he introduced himself, asked our names, and introduced us to the other gun-room officers, who, the rumour of the Captain having gone up the harbour, had brought on deck. We were asked to walk down into the gun-room, which was under the Captain's cabin, and was lighted and aired by a skylight open on the main deck, which again borrowed light from another over it on the quarter-deck, and which, when the capstan-bars were shipped -as at the time I speak of they were-was covered with gratings. Going from bright sunshine into this place, it was one of almost positive darkness, or, for a time, only light enough to make “darkness visible.” Seeing that I almost groped my way with my hands, my conductor, Doctor Hawtry, told me I should see presently, and quite well when the bars were unshipped, and the gratings off. “ Abaft there!”-words that for many a year rung in my ears--and out of a still darker place came a servant lad. “ Take the officers' hats; put some cold meat on the table, wine and beer--bear a hand !" We were seated alone for a time with the doctor and marine-officer ; yet half a dozen voices were talking, and loudly too, but they were still invisible. Presently, however, door after door opened from either side of the ship, and first, second, and third lieutenants, master, and purser made their appearance from places I afterwards found were their own peculiar castles—their cabins, each six feet by six feet, lit by a small pane of glass, called a scuttle, containing their cots turned up in their beams, or acting sofas, and all their worldly goods, a sea-chest holding their habiliments, a quadrant, a Norie or old Hamilton Moore, Bible, Prayer-Book, Rasselas, and Johnson's Dictionary. The doctor, the purser, and the marine-officer being idlers, each offered to take charge of one of us. We were to dress in their cabins after they had themselves cleared out, or made way; and we were shown our cots then lying together on the deck “abaft,” which had been prepared, and would be hung up for us at night in the eatingroom after ten. Our baggage had been long on board—the heavy stowed away, the light " abaft there," and would be brought to us by the gun-room steward or our own servants, when required. My companion, the military secretary, who had all this time been fidgetty and uneasy, here asked if he might retire, to go through the same operation as our chief, having been more saturated with water than he was. A good deal of merriment was a consequence of my explanation of our contretemps, and I was not a little amused at the different remarks, particularly of the four sailor officers. “ Davy never asks leave!” “ Awkward reception! and not polite to a general officer, in full tog too, and coming on board in state!” “ My eye! how the old Admiral must have laughed!” “ If you please, Sir," said a mid, “ Mr. Sims sent me to say the flag-ship has fired a gun, and has a signal up ; he can make out our number, but the flags being end-on, can't make out the signal." “ Very well,” replied the “first,” “ let him look sharp-here, take my long glass up !” After drinking a glass of wine to our better acquaintance, the “first" went on deck. We all soon followed. The answering pendant was flying up and down with great rapidity. The wind in the harbour having veered three or four points, the flags blew out clear. The Admiral was telegraphing. Three or four glasses were at full point, and as the numbers were read out, the first-lieutenant spelling the book loud enough for us to hear— “ Why-don't-you-get-under-weigh ?” “ Why, indeed !” said the “ first," “ Here's a fix! hoist the telegraph-flag 231!" " Answered, Sir!” replied the signal. “ There will be a precious row at the Admiral's office before long," remarked the "second" to the “first ”-an officer, by-the-bye, to whom I had taken a peculiar fancy. “ Flag 's out again, Sir!” For a few moments we walked the deck, I making observations to myself on its cleanliness, the neat way in which the ropes were coiled in circles, with every end pointed, and contrasting the inside appearance of the noble ship with that of the wretched transport I had lately been immured in. THE FESTIVAL OF DIANA; OR, THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER BY CECIL. Commencement of the hunting season-Racing events-List-houses-Touts Gullibility-Weathergage-Unparalleled success---Arguments in favour of foxhunting-Lord Gifford and the Herefordshire country-Good feeling towards foxhunting-Reasons for the same-Stock of foxes—The Worcestershire hounds--Cub-hunting at Shakenhurst-Enthusiasm of the natives—The hunts. man-The second whip-System of cubhunting-Necessity for blood--Opinion of a master of fox hounds-Heading cubs in large woodlands—Distinction between a taste for the science of liunting, and a taste for fox-hunting-Important observances-- Results of cubhunting—The opening day- Arrangements for hunting in Berkshire-Mr. Garth's establishment-Mr. Wheble's establishment--The hounds-- Reports from hunting quarters-Change in the Albrighton country-Run with the Wheatland hounds-Cure of Spavins and Ring bones. With the Newmarket Houghton Meeting the legitimate sports of the race-course are brought to a conclusion, after which the chase commences in earnest. The first Monday in November is hailed as the anniversary on which foxhunting is ushered into new life. This year, let it be remarked, no less than twenty-five packs of hounds, influenced most probably by the attractive state of the atmosphere, taking time by the forelock, commenced operations a week earlier. Before entering upon the ostensible subject of this paper, a few words anent the racing events, and matters connected therewith, which transpired during the last summer, will not be out of place. Cherished by a liberal and confiding public, the betting-list adventurers, and their allies the advertising touts, have flourished most extensively, exemplifying the wonderful gullibility of the English character. Caution, however sincerely it may have been proffered, seems to have had very little effect in changing the current of misplaced credulity. Immediately after the great event of the year had been decided, in the usual comment respecting the settlement for the Derby, given in the columns of Bell's Life, in which a very flagrant act of swindling was noticed, the following remark succeeds :“ Among the betting-list fraternity the number of shutters that have been put up since the Epsom meeting is extraordinary, and will afford a salutary lesson to those flats who blindly entrust their money to persons whose names they do not even know, who are here to-day and gone to-morrow,' and whose principal capital is a plate-glass window-front, and a partition handsomely fitted up with mahogany and brass." To what extent the flats took warning by the salutary lesson will be gleaned by the sequel. Passing over the less important minor meetings, the results of which caused several similar, though less extensive, failures, we come to Goodwood, after which, in the columns of the same invaluable sporting journal, in allusion to the list-house keepers, we read the following :--" It is said that the sum wanted from the party is over £80,000, one individual alone losing £20,000.” This refers to the Goodwood Stakes, and events up to the time of that race; but there was the Cup, upon which speculation still urged the confiding public to deposit their capital, and one of the delinquents is named as having received £500 from the backers of horses for that race after the result of the stakes was known, which sum, and the booty he had alreally acquired, he carefully pocketed. An exhibition of lynch law occurred at Doncaster upon one of the brotherhood, who refused to pay to a person who had deposited money with him; and the result of the St. Leger occasioned the shutting up of more list-houses. Weathergage, however, was the most inveterate enemy to these gentry, as they laid against him for the Cesarewitch with even greater vigour than for the Goodwood Stakes, assliming, no doubt, that all mankind was cast in the same peculative mould as themselves, and therefore certain to commit a robbery whenever an apportunity presented itself. It was certainly a great achievement on the part of Mr. Parr to win two of the most valuable handicaps in the year with a horse which unquestionably had not been previously prepared by any of the frequent stratageins of scratching, running when unfit, pulling, roping, or any other device by which delusion is often sought to be accomplished. The straightforward course which he pursued with this horse deserves to be recorded as an example worthy to be followed. After purchasing Weathergage for a small sum at Northampton, where he was second in a selling plate, entered to be sold for thirty sovereigns, Mr. Parr took his new purchase to Bath, and, riding the horse himself, won the Aristocratic stake with ease. He was then handicapped for the Goodwood Stake at 5st. 6lbs., and, with the betting 15 to 1 against him, was the first to catch the judge's eye, winning in gallant style by two lengths. Carrying 6st. 5lbs. Weathergage won the Wolverhampton Stakes (handicap) at Wolverhampton : betting 6 to 5 on him. The succeeding great victory was even more satisfactory : with 6 st. 11 lbs., and the odds only 4 to 1 against him, he was landed first for the Cesarewitch; and I believe it was the first occasion of that important stake having been won by a first favourite. Very few men would have been sufficiently confident to have engaged a horse, coming from such a stable as the Duke of Bedford's, where he was regarded as worthless, for such great events, much less to have backed him to win an ample fortune. There is, likewise, another circumstance in conuection with Mr. Parr worthy of notice: his knowledge of training is self-acquired. What his youthful destination or avocation might have been I know not, neither is it necessary to enquire; but he commenced his racing career with horses of very moderate pretensions, running them for small stakes in the West of England, South Wales, and such like places of little importance, with a fair share of success, although winning such trivial stakes could scarcely pay expenses. Subsequently horses of better quality came into his possession, such as Dulcet and Cloth worker, and he aspired to more valuable stakes in better company. Whether he gives his horses quicksilver balls, or what, I cannot say; but they certainly run better under his treatment than they do before they come into his possession, or after they leave it. |