is so very suspicious and careful, that the slightest noise will frighten him away; and he usually makes his appearance just after sun-set in the evening, or very early in the morning. I knew a most persevering fellow, who used to "look out" sometimes for fifteen or twenty nights consecutively; and it frequently happened that he was obliged to be guided solely by his ear, as bruin would take advantage of every branch to hide his carcase. Indeed, so suspicious is the animal, that after having killed a cow or a horse, and devoured perhaps one half, it is a very rare circumstance for it to return to the other part, for fear of getting into a snare.

Having participated in the pleasures and excitement of the skall, I did not wish to quit Sweden without having also seen some sport in the gall-and I got an opportunity to gratify my wishes without much difficulty. An enormous bear had victimized a cow not far from my habitation, and I got a peasant to erect a "look out" and a trap close to the carcase. This look out (or perch) consisted in the twisting several branches of trees firmly together, so that there was no risk of falling through them, the whole being sustained by two pine trees, at about 16 feet from the ground; my situation, although not over commodious, was, from its novelty, interesting to me. The sombre solitude of the forest the light of a brilliant moon—a thousand imaginary fantastic shadows the miserable note of the moping owl-the dead carcase at my feet, which I expected momentarily to see attacked by the bears— all these things imparted a sensation to me, novel, wild, and romantic. I suppose it was owing to this circumstance chiefly, that I had the patience to remain three whole nights in ambush in the gall, nearly devoured by gnats; but no accommodating" bruin" would show himself, and I was at last obliged to quit my post, without having gained my object. It was, moreover, in summer, which is the most favourable season in the year for this species of sport, as it causes the dead body of the animal, placed as a decoy, to smell very disagreeably for a considerable distance!

Of all the different methods of bear-hunting, there is no one however so agreeable, to my taste at least, as that in which the skidor is used, as it combines the advantages of allowing one to travel over a large extent of country, and to use much expedition in so doing, but it needs to be experienced to have any idea of its delectability,

The skidor is a description of wooden skate, used for travelling over the snows. These skates are always of an unequal length; for instance, the one attached to the left foot varies from nine to twelve feet in length, whilst that used on the right foot does not exceed six feet. This inequality in their length renders it more easy to turn oneself round, and to guide one's steps among obstacles that may happen to be in the way.

They are about four inches in thickness, and the foot is attached

to the centre of the skidor by means of thongs. The extremities are turned up in the manner of a skate, to more easily overcome any little obstructions in one's path, whilst the whole weight of the skidor varies from ten to fifteen pounds. In the more mountainous parts of the country, they are covered with sealskin, to prevent the wearer from slipping backwards when ascending difficult passes. There is no necessity to raise the foot from the ground when using these articles, but having a stick in each hand, and a gun slung across one's back, one pushes oneself on delightfully. Where the ground is level, there is not the slightest difficulty in " going ahead" on the skidors, but in a broken and mountainous country, covered here and there with rocks, or trees blown down by the storms that so often devastate the forests of Dalecarlia and Wermeland, it requires some slight experience to get along in them. While I was serving my apprenticeship at the work, I frequently fell several hundred times a day, finding myself ever and anon brought up by some prostrate tree or rock sometimes, which gave me no very enviable "burster." After a little time, however, I became more expert at this novel mode of travelling, and could perform fifty miles in ten hours, with little or no fatigue. It was extraordinary to witness the natives, as they descended a precipitous mountain side, at full speed, avoiding all obstructions, by at one time bending themselves double, at another skimming along on one leg between two fallen trees, as agile as Affghan horsemen. It is very possible for people who have reached perfection in the art, to travel 120 miles in fifteen or sixteen hours. When the snow is soft, and not crusted over by a coat of ice, it is rather slow work; but in the same circumstances, without these skidors, one would be in a "dead lock."

66

News was brought us, one fine morning, that a large and powerful bear had been “ circumvented” in a ring at Apsberg, which was about a hundred miles to the north-west of the place where I was dwelling. To arrive with all possible speed at my destination, I hired a sledge, and in due course of time arrived at a small village, inhabited by about a dozen families, and situated at the very top of a high mountain. Here I found the peasants more expert in the use of the skidor than those I had left, for, during a great part of the year, they have no other means of corresponding with their neighbours; and as they are accustomed to it from infancy, their perfection in the art is not to be wondered at. The first day that we undertook operations against bruin, he baffled all our endeavours-but, on the following day, we were more fortunate. Accompanied by three peasants and two or or three dogs, we commenced an active search in the forest, and the latter having soon set up a furious barking, gave us notice that "game" was up and stirring. Having got up to them, we could discover nothing but a cavity made in the snow; but from the continued

barking of the dogs at the mouth of this aperture, I concluded that the enemy was "at home." Wishing to lose as little time as possible, I put on the steam, and, advancing on my skates, stood directly over the hole, gun in hand, ready for whatever came out. Looking steadily into the cave, which was about eight feet in depth, I saw a very hairy looking object, sleeping most soundly, and which, the natives informed me, had most probably slept for upwards of a week, as they frequently will. I gave the gentleman the refreshing benefit of a “view holloa ;" which made him lift up his head to see "what the devil was the matter;" and then placing the muzzle of my gun at no very considerable distance from his brains (if he had any), I pulled the trigger; but as ill-luck would have it the cap alone exploded, and the left barrel served me the same trick. I was now in a pretty fix," and the bear not wishing to bear such ill-treatment any longer, made up his mind to bear down upon me at once, which he did, upsetting me, but not otherwise hurting me-such barefaced impertinence I could not pass unpunished, and bringing another gun to bear upon his carcase, I could not forbear planting a bullet in his seat of honour. Instead of running off, however, he turned upon me, and when within about six feet of me, mounted on his hind legs, and grinned at me most awfully-but seeing that

"There was a lurking devil in his smile."

I approached him, and giving him a blow under the ear with the buttend of the gun, laid him prostrate. He was soon on his legs again, but instead of attacking me, he very considerately attacked his more immediate opponent, the stock of the gun; which he mangled frightfully, and then, content with the mischief which he had done, he walked away. After I had managed to get my gun again into shooting order, we followed up our foe, who had got a pretty tolerable start of us. Fortunately the ground was very hard, and our skidors did their work well, and although we found itrather difficult to proceed whilst we were in the forest, as soon as we were clear of the underwood, we gained ground rapidly on the enemy. This chase lasted for about three-quarters of an hour, when, on reaching the top of a small hill, we had the gratification of spying the bear at about three hundred paces from us, going at a gentle canter, which the dogs soon stopped by getting up to him, and causing him to come to the "right-about-face." Encouraged by this " Tally-ho," we rattled after him as fast as our skidors would carry us, and we soon found our selves within sixty paces of the animal. Seeing that he was inclined to alter his course, I dropped on one knee, and taking a deliberate aim as he turned off to the right, I sent a bullet clean through his neck, and he fell stone dead at the same instant.

It is a recognised custom in Sweden, that the bear belongs to the

person who succeeds in turning him, and driving him within the ring formed to catch him, and when the animal is full grown, its value is very considerable. The skin alone is frequently worth five pounds; which is a sum of no small magnitude to a peasant in a country so poor as Sweden. They also preserve the gall of the animal with care, since it passes, throughout the country, as a universal remedy for all diseases and we all know the virtues of the bear's grease, at least Mr. Rowland has done his utmost, in poetry and prose, to enlighten our understandings on that subject. There is also a kind of grease which they find in the bear, and which is called ister. The rest of the fat, that weighs from sixty to eighty pounds, is used in cooking. The hams, after being well-smoked, are too well known, even in England, to require description from my pen-the other parts of the animal are eaten either fresh or salted, and one could hardly know the difference between it and beef-but the greatest delicacies are considered to be the animal's paws! I never tasted them myself, but I certainly should prefer them when dressed for eating, to encountering them in their natural living state, when about to inflict a most affectionate hug. The bear is the only animal that I have ever shot alike beneath the burning sun that lights Ceylon, and on the frozen shores of Lapland. The bears of the hot countries are much smaller, and of a different colour than those of Sweden and Lapland, but their coats are no less thick in one country than another. However, as doubtless the reader will not "bear" with me any longer if I diverge into details, I will close my story by informing him that after having spent one of the pleasantest months of my life after bears on the snows of Sweden, I returned just in time to give my vote for COLONEL BRUEN.

THE WAY TO GO.

THE Earl of Eglinton's horse, the Young'un, left Doncaster on Tuesday, by van, accompanied by Mr. George Noble, for Leicester; won the Leicestershire Stakes, beating Rochester, Chance, and others, on Wednesday; and returned to Doncaster on Thursday morning,

Why was the Young'un, on his road to Leicester, like a celebrated tragedian of the present day?—

Because he was VAN'D AN' HOFF.

NO. XXII.-VOL. IV.-NEW SERIES.

2 D

MASTERS OF HOUNDS.

BY NIMROD.

THE LATE LORD DERBY-THE EARL OF LONSDALE-LORD ELCHO-MR. SHARD-LORD DUCIE-LORD HAWKE.

THE LATE EARL OF DERBY.

We have here the ci-devant prince of English stag-hunters, royalty of course having the precedence. But how is it that I venture now to write on stag-hunting, having given the same reason that Beckford gave before I was born, for not having previously done so, to any extent at least, namely, that I know nothing about it. I saw enough, however, to assure me, that nothing could exceed the excellent style in which the late Lord Derby's stag-hunting establishment, at the Oaks, in Surrey, was conducted, and for an unparalleled length of time in one person's hands-namely for forty-one seasons! There was, in my opinion, only one thing wanting, and that was a second horse for the huntsman.

And a word touching this huntsman, and-when I hunted with Lord Derby-his first whipper-in, Bullen. The first, Jonathan, was quite perfect as a huntsman and a horseman, and when on his best horse, able to carry nearly twice his weight, no man could beat him over Surrey. For this horse, his noble and liberal master is said to have refused 600 guineas! The second, "Shock," as Bullen was called in Surrey, was quite an "out and outer," as a whipper-in, and a splendid horseman. I got him the huntsman's place with the Ayrshire hounds, in Scotland, but never heard how he acquitted himself in that situation.

The late Lord Derby's hounds were given up at the end of the season of 1829, and I think I saw their last day in the field. It was a sorrowful day for Surrey, as well as for a large number of London gentlemen, who kept their hunters at Croydon and the neighbourhood, for the sole purpose of hunting with these hounds.

In 1828, the Duke of Norfolk presented six of his fine stags in Arundel Park, to the Earl of Derby, who sent Jonathan with his hounds, for the purpose of taking them. A vast concourse of persons assembled in the park on the occasion, and the ground being hilly, they had an excellent view of the proceedings. They were all taken without injury, and conveyed next morning to the Oaks.

As a sportsman, in the full acceptation of the term-albeit, he was a stag-hunter-Lord Derby ranked in the foremost class. His lordship also stood conspicuous, as the oldest and most spirited cocker of modern times. At his own, and at other persons' walks, he had