place in your Magazine, you are most welcome to it. Yours, &c., A READER OF THE SPORTING MAGAZINE. Ye Gentlemen of England 17th June. Met at Morah, 40 miles, four in number. Breakfast discussed, went to beat the Bosrah jungle, from which two hog were soon routed out and killed. These were all of which we had intelligence. Two of the party took their guns and shot a brace of florikin, some quail and hare. 66 18th. Moved ground to Donigaum, 22 miles in the Nuggur direction, when we had intelligence of plenty of hog; on the road found our kit hard and fast in the Seena, not half way to our ground; took some "prog" and on again: kit not up till 2 p.m. Mounted our nags, hog soon on foot, but all got off safe without being once viewed by the field in consequence of the extent of jungle. Attempted to cross the river, and having swam our horses to the opposite side, found the banks too steep for them to get any footing-returned to our tents disgusted, and with but little hope of doing any mischief the next day. 19th. Mounted about 9 a.m., beat the same jungle, hog soon on foot, but they took away unseen by the hunters; rode in the direction they were said to have gone. In about a mile, one was viewed and killed after a well contested run by the whole party. Went to the plains and fell in with a sounder of five; found where there was hardly cover enough for a hare, and they were * the right sort both for going and charging. † We were hard at work till 12 o'clock, by which time we found our studs rather the worse, as you may imagine, when I tell you we had not been idle ten minutes the whole time, and summing up the slain, found the number amounted to " Ten," all full grown; most of them came to the charge when hard pushed, without having been speared. One (a boar) fought to the last gasp, and "did for a village tat" feeding hard by: he charged several times from a hundred yards distance, knocking over beaters one after the other as quick as lightning, and ripped one horse four places in the hind legs so badly, that we were compelled to leave him on the ground without a chance of his seeing Sholapoor for at least a month; as a friend in On the road home we were struck by the length of a stride a hog had taken across a ploughed field. We had the curiosity to measure a number of them, which proved the astonishing length of "15 ft." We could not be mistaken, as the ground had been recently wet. + Talking of charging hog, when at Deesa some years ago I killed a boar at Korla, who charged a buffalo before being speared, and brought the animal to the ground with apparently little shock to himself. Having killed, I found his tushes broken short off. I went back to the place where the buffalo fell, and found the ends lying there; these I have by me now, as also the stumps. I also killed the largest hog I have ever seen, near Deesa (at Cherooka). He measured 6ft. lin., and his tushes were 10in. long. horse "Larry," a well-known amongst some of the sporting gentry. He is barely 14h. lin., still perfectly clean on his pins, though he has carried his present master for the past six years, no light weight, "13st., " without saddle, &c. He took two good leaps this day (at least I call them such) with his master on him, and without coming down. They were drop leaps," upwards of 5ft. each, taken at full speed. 66 of mine observed, "he is out of the coach." Some of these hog were killed single-handed, and out of sight of the rest of the party. 20th. Rain came down at no allowance, so no moving out of our tents. 21st. At 10 a.m. had intelligence of hog close to our tents, and, the weather having cleared up a little, we determined to try our luck. At this crisis a villager arrived with khuber of "fifty" in a small jungle six miles distant. Horses ordered, and soon at the ground; put in about 20 beaters, who knocked out a sounder of six, three of which fell, but not before one (a sow) had bitten a large piece out of a horse's chest ; a single one found immediately afterwards, which was as immediately despatched; returned to the jungle. Hog again on foot, but not to be got out easily, and the rain coming down in bucketsful, we were obliged to knock off work and return to our tents like drowned rats. We, however, considered ourselves lucky in having added four more to our list, three of which were contested. 22nd. Rain, and ground too wet to admit of a stir out. 23rd. Went to look up a sounder, and found them on the opposite side of the river; sent 30 beaters across to try and entice them over, but it was no go. Kept them in sight on the opposite bank for two miles. No use our attempting to cross, as we had tried that plan the first day without success. Found * I have heard that at certain hunts, if by themselves, "gentlemen" are obliged to bring home the tail in their pockets as a voucher for their having killed. We do not require this certificate, Mr. Editor; if a "gentleman" asserts he has killed, his word is taken as gospel, and at no time ought it to be doubted. he a boar, who fought to the last; had not less than 20 wounds before yielding up the ghost. 24th. Returned to camp with a total of 17 killed, and had the weather proved propitious, I doubt not we should have produced a list of double that number. 3rd September. Three of the Hunt started again for Marah, but finding our kit brought up at the Seena, drew bridle at Mohole, 22 miles; took out "Lukhsmee " and killed a doe. 4th. On to Marah to breakfast, 18 miles; beat the Bosrah jungle seven times before the hog could be routed out, one of which only took over rideable ground, and after a run of upwards of two miles was brought up in a grain field. where she injured three horses, Grinder, Bruin, and Larry, as also the latter's master in the leg. 5th. Moved to Misegaum, five miles; hog reported, but none found. Lukhsmee killed a buck. 6th. To Donigaum, 17 miles; hog said to be in numbers, but from the quantity of grain could not expect much sport; having despatched our breakfast, mounted for the day. Beat some grain; a fine boar on foot almost immediately. He took across the river, followed by one of the hunters, who swam after him, the other two going to where the river was fordable. He was speared after running about two miles, but the wound was not severe, and he made back for the bank of the river, which he reached without a turn being taken out of him, and there continued dodging up and down a considerable time, knocking over one beater and ripping two others; he now crossed the river a second time and took to the grain, from whence being expelled, he ran to *The hunting leopard belonging to the Hunt. Donigaum and back again twice (distance two miles), defying men and horses, and again took cover in his old haunt, the grain, which he resolved not to quit, and after chopping about for at least half an hour, he was brought up by a job, in return for which he ripped the horse across the belly. I leave my readers to make their own calculation of the distance this hog ran before being killed; we estimate it at the lowest 15 miles. A sow was afterwards roused in a thick grain field, which she did not abandon until she had twice broke back through the beaters, and then taking out, charged bang at the nearest horse; after a short run she again charged, and received a spear just below the eye, which came out under the chin, and pinning both her jaws together did the necessary business. 7th. Rain all night-intelligence of hog close to our tents, but the ground would not admit of our going out; killed a bustard and florikin. 8th. The same as yesterday. Another member of the Hunt joined us just as we were sitting down to a fine bustard. It was 2 p.m., and we were quite tired of doing nothing, when intelligence arrived of a boar five miles distant and on high ground. Despite of the mud, therefore, we resolved to try our luck. A real sportsman, Mr. Editor, rather than sit still will always take the field, if he has the slightest chance of success. On arriving at the ground we beheld, much to our astonishment, and on as fine a plain as I ever recollect to have seen, a sounder of hog, the like of which I have seldom met with. At them we went, but with little success, for, with the exception of a boar, all got clear off without a turn. The boar was brought up with a single spear. Went to beat up the hog first reported, but he probably made off whilst we were engaged with the sounder, for we found him not. 9th. Went out with Lukhsmee, killed a buck and a doe; our fourth member left us for Nuggur after breakfast. At three p.m. today we had intelligence of hog five miles distant; mounted our nags, but found only one sow, which we brought up after a smart run, she charging on the nearest rider. Beat the grain towards home without success, and were on the point of mounting our tats, when a sounder was viewed coming across the plain; we were soon at their tails, and by sunset had added three more to our list of slain. Total this day, four. 10th. At work by ten a.m. After riding ten miles to cover, a hog was presently viewed crossing a plain, but he bid us adieu after a lay in of a mile, running clean away from our horses without a turn or even the chance of one. Beat a sounder out of grain, in number about twenty. Rode them hard and managed to kill two sows and a boar-two of them were well contested spears. One of the party had a roll with his horse in the river and contrived to break his rib. Tiffin! and to work again; soon roused a sow, who fell after every inch of ground had been contested for first spear. Total this day, four-we had been on our horses eight hours. 11th. After breakfast rode to Dewalgaum, six miles (our third member had left us). No sooner put in the beaters than hog were on foot; a boar took out, who was presently brought up, but we had no breathing time, for another passed almost immediately and received his quietus after a long lay in. Beat homewards and found a sow, who stole a march upon us, and made the Seena without a no poker was used there till a year I have often killed hog before breakfast on the ground on which I understand the European Regiment is now cantooned. BOAT RACING AT CAMBRIDGE. (Extract from a private letter We have got up a novel amusement at Cambridge, which is boat racing on the only plan our narrow river admits of, i.e. the boats in succession. The race is from Chesterton up to the locks near Cambridge, about a mile and a quarter, and hundreds of people, gown, town, snobs and lady-snobbesses, horses, gigs, and carriages assemble, and a most stunning noise follows, arising from the men cheering on their own colleges. Nothing is heard but "Peters 66 "Johns". Trinity" -"now you're gaining "-" well pulled "" capitally steered ""one pull more," &c., &c., and then "a bump! a bump!" re echoes through the crowd, and a tremendous cheer for the victors. We row in boats having each eight oars, made with surprising lightness and neatness, and last term there were 11 eightoars in each race. The plan is for each to go a boat's length behind the other; they start all at the same time, and if one boat gains on the other so as to touch it in any part (which is called bumping), they both leave off for that race, but the bumping boat takes the place of the other in the next race; and thus they go on, so that a boat may get from the bottom to the top of the river by bumping another boat every day in the eleven races. This distinguished situation had never been gained by any small college, up to 1829. Trinity and St. John's had alone enjoyed the honour of having their flags at the top of the post, and for the preceding three terms the Johnians had maintained that place unbumped; at this time, however, we got together eight spirited fellows at - and sent up to London for a new boat. We paid our 80 guineas and took our place as last boat on the river in the month of November, 1828; we bumped a boat every day, and beat the Johnians in March, 1829. We were now head of the river, and the Johnians vowed they would split our rudder in pieces the next race but all in vain, we maintained our place with honour and left the Johnian boat two hundred feet behind. In this glorious race bets of 20 to 1 were made against us, and by taking these long odds one of our crew won £60. The next race the Johnians were still confident of success, but again we beat them, and thus kept our place two races following. Meanwhile we had no change of men, whereas if a man of St. John's or Trinity fell ill, there were plenty of others to put in his place, but we had only our old eight, and not a single man besides in the College would row; this tremendous work was therefore too much for us, and we took our boat off the river for a time, without ever having been bumped. The following term we were recruited a little, and again went on, but we were obliged to go last boat by the laws of the club; we bumped a boat every day, but the number of races in the term only permitted us to get up to the second place, so that the Johnians, who had maintained the first since we left them, felt fortunate in this accident so mortifying to us. During the present term there has been no general race, but Trinity College challenged the university; we accepted it and beat them. The day we were behind the Corpus boat I happened to be captain, and I felt more than usually pleased * in the moment of giving my old acquaintances a broadside." M. L. The pleasure my friend felt is explained by his having lately migrated from Corpus to He appears to have been more fortunate than the Yankees in the Chesapeake on a similar occasion. |