one absolutely bolt out of the course; but then, I never trusted a duty which I could perform myself to the charge of another person.

When weighed, the rider should particularly observe what clothes or weights he has; if he be using a light saddle, he should place everything, including spare reins and martingal, on the seat, and secure them by means of the girth and circingle; if a heavy saddle with numerous cloths, he should place them on his hack at once; at all events, he should by no means lose sight of them.

During the time of saddling, the jockey should place himself on the off side the horse, and attend to the adjustment of the saddle cloths, the saddle, and the girths; if he uses a martingal, the circingle will pass through and secure it. He should bear in mind, let his rank in life be what it may, that he is about to engage in an office of great responsibility, and that his own personal safety is vastly dependant upon the due arrangement of his equestrian appointments. Having made some remarks on the proper method of being put up under the head of "Teaching boys to ride," it is only necessary to refer to that chapter.

When up, the first thing to be done is to tie the reins, which should never be knotted too short; otherwise, when a horse is in his stride, the hands will be drawn too forward, and much power lost, and the difficult art of" setting to" render very awkward. When a curb or spare rein and martingal are employed, they require to be tied somewhat longer than the snaffle, as they pass on the outside of the little fingers of either hand, the snaffle reins being divided by running between the second and third fingers; when the whip is used, the knots are grasped in one hand, which is one of the principal motives for the reins being thus tied.

Much of the efficacy of particular bridles depends upon the manner in which the reins are handled: indeed, practice alone can render any man thoroughly conversant with their proper application; but this much may be laid down as a principle: if a horse gets his head up, the hands must be lowered on each side of his shoulders as much as possible, and the curb or spare reins, whichever are used, brought into action; the easiest mode of doing which is to slide the hands very quietly down those reins, at the same time permitting the snaffle rein to draw through the finger: it must be performed very coolly; or it will increase the alarm, and irritate the horse. If, on the contrary, he runs with his head too low, those reins must be relaxed, and the hands raised, and it may perhaps be necessary to shake him in order to get his head into the desired position.

To ascertain that all the appointments are properly adapted, and likewise to get the animal's muscles into action, which is very important, it is customary to give him a brisk canter or two before starting. I would here impress the propriety of setting every horse on his legs at a very slow pace, for the sake of allowing the muscles to assume their powers, and, if augmenting the pace towards the conclusion of the canter, or of necessary, of giving him a second or perhaps a third canter. Idle horses, that are about to run short distances, frequently require a very considerable degree of rousing; but it should never be done till the blood is in quick circulation, by which

the limbs are supple and in a free, elastic state. When the canter is finished, he must be gradually pulled up, and made to trot out; from which pace he falls into a walk, when he must be allowed to stand still a few seconds. All these movements should be conducted with the utmost coolness.

In short races, the advantage of a good start is obvious, at the same time that it may not be necessary to maintain the lead when the horses get into their stride; this will of course depend upon the nature of the horse; one thing, however, should always be borne in mind, which is not to hurry and bustle a horse beyond his power: a good start will, if properly managed, obviate this, because it will enable the jockey to moderate the pace of his own horse, and yet enable him to lay up in a good place; the advantage gained by a good start compels those which did not get well off to mend their pace, in order to secure their places. During a race, one principle should never be forgotten, that is, not to go away with a horse at such a pace as to defeat him, however flattering it may appear to possess a lead of many lengths. There are some horses so very quick upon their legs, that they can cut down their opponents in the first two hundred yards; but then they must be tenderly ridden afterwards, or they will be sure to decline at the finish. Upon the same principle, when making running, it is a very dangerous practice to go away from a field of horses. If they will not lay up, it is generally better to draw back somewhat to them, or the horse which makes the pace so terrific is almost certain to stop; and in riding a waiting race, it is equally bad generalship to lay too far from the leading horses: when two or three are found to be making severe play, it is of course proper to wait; they are sure to stop; and very often does it happen that two superior horses defeat each other, and suffer an inferior one to come up and pass them at the post when they are powerless. No horse, however game he may be, and perfect in his condition, but what must be indulged in some parts of even a short race. One great proof of judgment in a jockey is to give his horse a pull at a fortunate moment: it is a lenity that must be permitted, if it be only for a few strides, just before the last effort is made, and perhaps may, in a general way, be most serviceable about a distance from home.

In "setting to," a jockey must invariably remember to keep fast hold of his horse's head during the application of the whip and spur, unless it becomes a very near contest, in which case, by letting the head loose within two strides of the winning-post, he may have the good fortune of landing him a nose farther in advance than otherwise. The race being over, due caution must be observed in pulling up, as it is obvious the animal must be in a state of distress, and consequently any sudden restraint might have the effect of causing lameness, by straining the muscles or injuring the joints: the same order is to be observed in every respect as in pulling up after a canter. The boy who looks after the horse should be directed to be in readiness to offer the water-bottle and lead him to the place of weighing. Here it appears to be almost unnecessary to remind the merest tyro that, by virtue of a rule of racing, he must not dismount until he has reached the aforesaid weighing-place: he is there to

alight, and take the saddle off the horse, and all the things with which he has ridden, and carry them to the scale; on entering which, if the bridle is required to make him sufficient weight, it may be brought to him. It is usual to claim an allowance of one pound for a snaffle, and two pounds for a curb bridle; but if it is demanded, the bridle in which the horse was ridden must be produced; at the same time the rider must be warned not to leave the scale for the purpose of procuring it: having once entered it, he must remain until his weight is fairly ascertained; for this reason it is imperative that the horse be not led away till every thing is satisfactorily adjusted.

Confusion frequently arises in not being able to find the coat and waistcoat after riding; and a jockey is, if a novice, seen running about the course with his cap and jacket on. When the former gar ments are taken off previously to mounting, they should be given in charge of some careful person, with strict orders to meet the owner at the door of the weighing-room, by which means there can be no mistake. If they are hung up in the weighing-room, in all probability it is in some part where they cannot be readily found-are perhaps thrown into a corner, or in some way secluded from observation. I recollect some years ago a gentleman jockey giving his clothes to the care of a friend, who, having his carriage on the course, deposited them in it, when, being the last race of the meeting, he inadvertently drove off immediately it was terminated, without discovering the fact until he had completed six miles of his road home.

AN EXCURSION UPON THE MOORS IN 1844.

I left my comfortable home near P―n (a wealthy town, situate in the midst of that county of England which combines in itself more industry and wealth, and more idleness and poverty than any other our great manufacturing district), early one morning in August, accompanied by an old collegian and intimate friend, We, whose father possesses large estates in Yorkshire, and the fenny county of Lincoln; and proceeded via railway (that conveyance which gives men of business the opportunity of showing how fast they can go through this world, and which is as disagreeable to that class of our population vulgarly styled "old girls," as it is agreeable to the former here I must stop, and beg pardon for my digression, which was caused by the fact of my being one of the old schoolvery partial to coach travelling, and a decided opponent to that "all but perpetual" motion system,) to Fleetwood, and proceeded thence to Glasgow, where we took the coach to Fort William, which deposited us within twelve miles of our destination, where I had taken a moor for the season. Here we consulted upon the best method of arriving at the scene of action, and at once agreed that we should

have as much to do on the morrow as our bodies could stand; and as it was wearing late in the day, we would take what conveyance we could meet with. Accordingly we sallied forth, leaving behind us my gamekeeper, who had for his companions our dogs. After a tedious hunt through the hamlet (or town, as it calls itself), we found that no option was left us, and that, if we wanted to reach our destination that night, we must travel à pieds, as there was not to be found in the whole place a vehicle steady enough to convey with any ease our already wearied bones over such roads as the Highlands of Scotland afford. Again we held a consultation, at which, after many arguments pro and con, it was finally determined that we should set forth then. Neither of us had been upon these moors before; so we had the pleasing thought before us, that there was a cottage for our mansion; but where it was we knew about as well as our dogs.

Well, we set out upon our walk, and had proceeded about five miles, when one of the mists, for which Scotch mountains are proverbial, came upon us so suddenly that we had to walk, like the "babes in the wood," hand-in-hand, for fear of losing ourselves. But so thick was the mist, and so bad and difficult to find was the road (which quite bore out the bard that sung

"The way was long, the wind was cold, ")

that, though we did not quite lose ourselves, we entirely lost our way; and had wandered some considerable distance, when, having lost our tempers at such an untoward event happening at so critical a time, we determined to turn into our domicile, for that night at least—a shed upon which we suddenly came. Wet and weary, we were glad of this, lowly as it was; and entering, we divested ourselves of our wet stockings, &c., replacing them by dry ones, which we had taken the precaution to provide ourselves with before starting; and plied ourselves to the brandy-flask, to prevent evil consequences. We discovered, too, that it was eleven o'clock; so, expecting a hard day on the morrow, we rolled ourselves in our trusty plaids, and I, for my part, was fast asleep in a very short time. W -e, I found on inquiry the next morning, had slept scarcely less sound, for he, like myself, had been somewhat "done up" by our walk on the previous night. Applying again to our brandy-bottle, whose contents, eked out with a few hard biscuits, we were compelled to breakfast upon (or rather, what we thought would be our breakfast), we continued our walk. We could not have gone much more than three miles, when we fell upon the very cottage which was destined to be our abode during our stay upon this wilderness of a moor. Our joy was not a little alloyed by our chagrin at our having spent the night where we did, when less than an hour's walk would have deposited us in our proper quarters.

But here we were at half-past six in the morning, with what was likely to prove a good day for shooting before us, very hungry, and rather head-achy, for our scanty fare of yesterday had by no means kept the "vapours" out of our bodies; but in the basket of provisions which a boy had brought upon a Shetland pony from Fort William, we discovered a very fine piece of beef, to which we applied ourselves in

good earnest. This completed, we went out, and bought a sheep from a farmer, who bargained to have it slaughtered for us.

If any are interested in this (and it does not profess, believe me, to assume any higher than a narrative of facts), they may not, perhaps, find a description of this cottage in which we were to dwell uninteresting. One room formed our parlour, kitchen, larder, and scullery; and there was another, much smaller, the only approach to which was through the larger. Then, adjoining the cottage was a small shed, which, with a little covering, served as a kennel for our dogs. In the larger of the two rooms myself and friend took up our abode, having for a companion (but as far removed as possibly could be) the carcass of this sheep which we had bought; and the smaller we appropriated to the use of our ganiekeeper and the boy. On surveying our comforts (for even old sportsmen are fond of that commodity), we discovered that we were deficient, wanting one which perhaps was more a necessary than comfort-we had no beds! and the clayey floor of a Highland cabin is by no means a pleasant couch, as he who has experienced it can bear me witness. Well, what was to be done? We were twelve miles from any town, and then little chance of being able to meet with what we wanted; and e'en now

"Suasit placidos nox humida somnos,"

slumbers which our wearied bodies most certainly cried out for. We determined to pass that night in our plaids, upon a little dried heather, and in the morning to send our boy on the pony to Fort William, to procure some pallets (if he could), and an extra plaid or two. Morning came, and with it very heavy rain; and we were obliged to keep within the hut. The lad returned from the town about two in the afternoon; and glad were we to discover that his search had not been in vain. As it cleared up then, we determined not to go on the moor that day, but to a little stream which ran hard by (for I call myself a votary of that old hero-Izaak Walton). We succeeded in taking a few nice though small trout, which, with the black cocks we had killed the previous day, made us a substantial supper. It is needless to trace our proceedings any farther; and perhaps the patience of my reader is worn through already, and exclaims: "What a stupid article!" Suffice it to say, we spent a fortnight very pleasantly in shooting and fishing, which even the hardness of our pallets, despite the heather, and rudeness of our fare and general mode of living, could not alloy.

Afterwards we went into Lincolnshire, where we succeeded in killing 180 brace of partridges in one week.

T.