Chapter XIII (3)

These latter remarks savour too much of the old school. It may be useful in the case of emergency to be able to busk a fly; but we are free to confess that it is upwards of twenty years since we attempted such an operation. In the days of our youth we were accounted rather a good hand at dressing, and could turn out, on occasion, an excellent fac-simile of a bumbee. But we discovered anon, that to busk our own flies was a frightful loss of time, and necessitated the collection of an infinite quantity of feather, fud, floss, carpet, and twistings, which very soon, without any manipulation on our part, produced abundance of insect life in the shape of moths. Therefore, one fine morning we pitched the whole contents of our poke out of the window, and have since had recourse for our supplies to the regular professional artists. Every man who knows anything at all about fishing is competent to the selection of his own flies; and notwithstanding all that has been written to the contrary, we assert, from our own experience, that it is not necessary to carry with you a very diversified stock. For trouting, eight or ten of the most approved sorts of flies are amply sufficient: of course you must take care to have them of different sizes. There is more variety in salmon flies; but if you attend properly to colour, you may easily, at a moderate expense, furnish such a pocket-book as will enable you to fish with success in every river in the kingdom, provided you know how to handle your rod. We by no means undervalue local information. If you can pick up an intelligent poacher, or in default of him a gamekeeper, you can readily, for the matter of a mutchkin, ascertain what colour is considered most killing on the particular river which he depopulates; and you will find something in your book which will correspond accurately enough. If you are short of flies, the same free-tacksman of the stream will, for a shilling or two, tie you as many as you may require. And do not be afraid that he will lack the material. The feathers of the bubbly-jock make admirable wings—a red cock, adorned with a ruff of hackles, sounds his trumpet upon every midden; and your unlicensed acquaintance usually contrives to put by various sylvan furs and plumage, during the season when game fetches a good price in the metropolitan market. Trust to him for having retained sundry _souvenirs_ of grouse, blackcock, mallard, and plover—besides a hare’s lug, in affectionate remembrance of some departed maukin. And do not, unless you are a justice of the peace, be hard upon the poor fellow for obeying, in a moderate way, the impulses of his nature. He is not by any means to be confounded with those brutal bludgeoneers who harbour in towns, and go out methodically in gangs to poach. He is simply an Indian in disposition, very kind to his colley and affectionate to his child, passionately fond of tobacco, whether in the shape of snuff or pigtail, and on the best possible terms with a brother Celt, whose dwelling is supposed to be subterraneous, and impregnable to the curiosity of the exciseman. We say, do not be hard with him, for were he merely a clodhopper, he could not busk a fly.

There is also another kind of fishing to be had in the salt-water lochs, which is not without its attraction, although, as Mr Colquhoun observes, it is not the daintiest in the world. We mean the fishing with the long-line which we have seen practised with great success both in Loch Long and Loch Fine, and which is worth the attention of the sportsman. Let us hear our author upon it.

“The eel-line, already noticed, is precisely the long-line in
miniature with the exception of the hooks, which are such coarse,
blunt-looking weapons, that the wonder is how they catch at all. They
are sold for a mere trifle at any of the shops in the seaport towns,
and tied on with a wax end, but sometimes only with a knot of the
twine itself: a turn of the wire on the shank enables you to do this.
A baiting-basket is required, one end for the line, the other for the
baited hooks, which are placed in regular rows. My line had only three
hundred hooks, but some have double that number. Herring, cut into
small pieces, are the best bait: I required about a dozen for one
setting, provided I eked out with mussels, but eighteen or twenty were
necessary if the line was baited exclusively with herring. Mussels,
however, drop off the hook so easily, that when herring can be
procured they are seldom used. Seeing the long-line baited, set, and
drawn, will thoroughly teach any one who has an idea of
fishing—_writing_ how to do so, never will. It generally took me about
an hour and a half to bait mine; so I taught a boy, who, after two or
three lessons, could bait as well as myself.

“The best time to set the long-line is after low water, when the tide
has flowed a little, and brought the fish with it. To know the
different ‘hauls’ is most important, as your success in a great
measure depends upon the selection of a good one. After the line is
set, _it should be left exactly one hour_; and, if you have hit upon a
shoal, you will most likely half fill the boat. I have several times
killed about a dozen, from twenty to fifty pounds’ weight, besides
quantities of smaller. The fish for the most part taken are cod, ling,
haddock, skate, large flounders, and enormous conger-eels—some of the
latter more than half the length of your boat, and as thick as a man’s
leg. These would generally be thrown back again, were it not for the
havoc they make among the other fish, and the damage they do to the
set lines. Their throats, therefore, are cut as soon as they are
pulled up, after which operation they will live for hours. The skate
is also very tenacious of life; and nothing can be more absurd than
the grotesque pompous faces it will continue to exhibit for some time
after being deposited in the boat.”

Here Mr Colquhoun becomes slightly libellous—comparing the countenances of the unhappy skate to those of functionaries on the bench. Now we happen to have seen a moribund skate or two, but we never were impressed with such resemblance. We admit, however, that we have seen countenances under wigs look exceeding dolorous and fish-like when their party was going out of office.

But enough of this kind of fishing, which is, after all, too strictly professional for our taste. We prefer the rod and fly; and even in the salt water the angler may use such implements, though in a coarser form than that to which he is accustomed.

“Of all apologies for a fly, this (the white feather) is the
clumsiest. It is only a swan’s or goose’s feather tied round a large
and very coarse bait-hook, without the least pretence to art: any man
who had never dressed a fly in his life would be as successful in the
attempt as the most finished performer. The rod and line are in
perfect keeping with the fly; a bamboo cane, or young hazel tree, with
ten or twelve yards of oiled cord, and a length or two of double or
triple gut next the hook: no reel is used.

“The fish generally caught in this way are lythe and seithe, although
mackarel will rise freely also. When fishing for the former, good
double gut may be strong enough; but if large fish are expected, I
should always recommend triple. Seithe take best in the morning and
evening, and a light breeze is rather an advantage: although the fly
is sometimes sunk a little with lead, it is more often fished with at
the top. You may begin at any state of the tide, and row over all the
sunk banks and places where the fish frequent, at a slow rate, with
three or four rods placed regularly in the stern of the boat. When a
small seithe is hooked, pull it in at once, and out with the rod again
as fast as possible; sometimes nearly all the rods have a fish at the
same time. In lythe fishing, you need not launch your boat until
lowwater; sink the fly with a couple of buckshot, and troll on the
brow where it descends perpendicularly; this is easily seen at that
state of the tide. When you hook a large fish, try to prevent it
getting down, or you may be obliged to throw the rod overboard, in
case the lythe should break away; but, if you can manage to swing it
about at the top for a short time, it will soon be unable to offer any
resistance.

“Trolling with the white feather has this recommendation, that it may
be enjoyed by an invalid or party of ladies—and, certainly, a more
delightful way of spending the cool of a summer evening cannot be
imagined; rowing slowly along those romantic shores—hearing the
distant gurgle of the dwindled mountain-brook in its steep descent,
and ever and anon passing the blue curling smoke of a shepherd’s or
fisherman’s grass-topped hut upon the banks.”

Four times has that detestable door-bell rung; and on each occasion we have heard the murmur of voices below, the shuffling of feet, and the tinkling of tumblers. Our hospitality, we begin to fear, has been grossly abused—all the canvassers in the neighbourhood are flocking to our tap—and we are not without some misgivings that we may have incurred the statutory penalties for treating. There goes the bell again! Who the deuce can it be now? Surely we have liquored impartially every Trojan and Tyrian in the district. Well—who is it?

“The Chairman of Mr Macwheedle’s Committee.”

Tell the Chairman of Mr Macwheedle’s Committee that we are at this moment slightly delirious, and practising with pistols in the attics. Hint to him, moreover, that we have an unfortunate habit of firing down into the lobby whenever we hear a noise, and that we may possibly mistake him for a rhinoceros. And give no more beer, on any account, to any human being. We trust, now, we may be permitted to remain undisturbed, and finish our article in peace.

On glancing round the attic, we observe that our rifle, and double-barrelled Dickson, have lain untouched since November last. We must look to this gear speedily; for time is stealing on, and the twelfth of August will be upon us before we have recovered from the heat of these elections. We intend, weather permitting, to knock down on that day as many brace as may correspond with Lord Derby’s majority—and the news of the result of the first contested election in England should arrive about this time. Indeed, we suppose it has arrived, for there is an unusual sound in the street, and a bawling as of triumphant partisans. We open the window, peer over, and behold a frantic Constitutionalist gesticulating like a windmill. What is the row down there? “THE TWO CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES RETURNED FOR LIVERPOOL BY AN IMMENSE MAJORITY!” Heaven be praised! Mr Cardwell has got his gruel at last. Go home, our fine fellow, and try, if possible, to keep sober. At the same time, we consider it necessary to dedicate a special bumper in honour of this event, for first blood is always a great point in a battle. With three cheers, which startle the swallows from their equanimity, we drink to the health of the electors of Liverpool, who have so nobly done their duty; and to that of Messrs Turner and Forbes Mackenzie, their staunch and worthy representatives.

If this sort of thing goes on, we shall have work before us on the Twelfth. On that day, many an unfledged sportsman will take the hillside for the first time; and for their benefit we transcribe a few sentences, by way of precept, from Mr Colquhoun’s book. Let them, however, read diligently the whole of his chapter upon grouse and black game shooting, and we promise them that, by adopting his suggestions, they will bring home a heavier bag than they could secure by following the advice of any other mentor.

“Most young shots are not content unless they are upon the moor by
peep of day, on the long-anticipated 12th of August. And what is the
result? They have found and disturbed most of the packs before they
have well fed, and one half will rise out of distance, and fly away
unbroken. Had the moor been left quiet till eight or nine o’clock,
four double shots might have been obtained at almost every pack, and
many would have been scattered for the evening shooting. It will
generally be found that if two equal shots, upon equal moors, uncouple
their dogs, one at five o’clock and the other at eight, and compare
notes at two in the afternoon, the lazy man will have the heaviest
game-bag, and his ground will be in best order for the deadly time of
the day, to say nothing of his competitor’s disadvantage from having
fruitlessly wasted his own strength and that of his dogs, when many of
the packs would not allow him to come within reach. My advice,
therefore, to the young grouse-shooter, is always to wait till the dew
is dry on the heather. If he starts at eight o’clock, and travels the
moors as he ought, there is time enough before dark to put his powers
to the proof, however he may pique himself upon them. I do not mean to
say he must run over the ground, but keep up a steady, determined
walk, up hill and down hill, without flagging for an instant, unless
the dogs come upon the scent of game. Of all sports, grouse-shooting
is the most laborious. None can stand a comparison with it except
deer-stalking; and yet the veriest “soft,” puffing and blowing at
every step, may put off a whole day upon the moors—travelling them, I
will not call it—and boast after dinner that “he wonders how people
can find grouse-shooting so toilsome and fatiguing—_fox-hunting_ is
much more so.””

This, however, with all deference to Mr Colquhoun, requires to be received with qualification. One man may work himself very nearly to death at grouse-shooting with no more success than another who takes it leisurely. If you go out with numerous relays of dogs, letting loose a couple, or perhaps three high-bred and far-ranging pointers at a time, you will undoubtedly, on any average moor, get exercise enough to knock you up long before the day is over. You must necessarily walk up to every point, whether it be a real one or not; and great is your travel accordingly. Our method is different. We never let out more than one dog at a time. The very best of dogs are not improved by emulation, especially at the beginning of the season. They stand upon the honour of their noses; and, rather than not make points, will take up the faintest scent out of sheer jealousy of each other; whereas a single dog knows that he is in a situation of trust, and will not willingly betray you. Contrary to the popular dogma, we prefer a setter to a pointer. The former is a more intelligent and docile animal than the latter, and, if you take proper pains with him, will always understand you better, and accommodate himself accordingly. The only disadvantage of setters is that they require water, and are liable to be much distressed when the moor is particularly dry. Still we give them the preference over the other; and, if you have your dog fully under command, you will kill as many birds over him, with infinitely less fatigue to yourself, as if you were to let out three. Of course you must take care not to let him be overworked; for there are limits to the endurance of every living creature, however willing he may be. A really good dog will not give in readily, for he enjoys the sport as much as you do yourself. And here we would entreat our young friends to beware how they are harsh to their dogs. Be kind to your dog, and he will love you more sincerely and less selfishly than almost any human being. Do not be in a hurry to conclude that he is stupid. Nature has gifted him with a nose in many respects superior to your own; and he is far more likely to be in the right than you are. Some faults there are undoubtedly which you must check, but never with unnecessary harshness. No more hideously brutal picture can be conceived than that of a hulking fellow in fustian, with a flushed face and angry voice, belabouring a prostrate pointer.

Mr Colquhoun has some very sensible observations on the instinct of dogs, which we transcribe for the benefit of those who think that a pointer or a setter can display no sagacity except in the field.

“It is often amusing to hear those who know little about the subject
describing the ‘almost reason’ of the St Bernard’s dog, and not
unfrequently of the Scotch ‘colley.’ It appears to me that the
instinct of these animals is more prominently forced upon their
notice, and they do not take the trouble to watch and discover it in
the other species. Sagacity is more equally distributed among the
different varieties of the dog than such casual observers are aware
of; but it, of course, takes different directions, according to the
temper, habits, and treatment of the animal. It would be a waste of
time so far to control the keen tempers of sporting-dogs (by which I
mean setters and pointers) as to make them perform the duties of a
well broke phlegmatic retriever. The instinctive power may therefore
appear greater in one than the other; but from the quiet, easy temper
of the retriever, it is much less difficult to develop and make use of
his instinct in that particular way: while the setter and pointer,
owing to their more active life and hunting propensities, may often
pass unnoticed, even by their masters, though every time they are in
the field displaying as much tact as the most cautious retriever.
Their sagacity is never thought of; and the only praise they get is
that they are ‘excellent dogs;’ which means _that they find plenty of
game_.

“There is another reason why sporting-dogs appear more deficient in
sense than some others, and that is their mode of life. Confined
always in the kennel unless when seeking game, all their powers are
employed to this end. There are, however, abundant proofs that, when
made companions, and suffered to occupy a place upon the hearth-rug,
they are capable of the same attachment, and would equal in sagacity
the much-lauded dogs of St Bernard. Indeed, the usual mode of
imprisoning sporting-dogs is so great a disadvantage, that I have seen
some, with excellent noses, and every requisite for the moors, grow
sulky, and refuse to hunt with their usual freeness, unless left in a
great measure to themselves. This, I know, arose partly from a want of
proper management, and not keeping the medium between encouraging
kindness and merited correction; for too much lenity is nearly as
injurious to a dog as over-severity: sulkiness will often be the
effect in the one case, shyness in the other. Still, if the dog were
allowed to be the companion of his master, he would both acquire sense
and tact in half the time, and would not give half the trouble either
by shyness or sulkiness; whereas it will generally be found that a
kennel-dog is long past his best before he excels in that sagacity on
the moor which so greatly assists him in finding game.”

In short, the dog who knows his master, and is familiar with his ways, will always do his work more satisfactorily than the poor beast who has passed the greater number of his days in the monotony of the kennel, and who never has had the advantage of being introduced to human society.

We have not, however, adverted to the points raised by Mr Colquhoun as to taking the moors early. There can be no doubt that he is right, in the advice which he tenders to young sportsmen. Early-rising we believe to be a virtue, though one which we do not practise with sufficient exactitude; and we have heard it stated, on credible authority, that nature looks lovely at sunrise. But for all that, there is no occasion whatever for awakening the echoes by a premature discharge of musketry. Grouse must breakfast like other living creatures, and it is but fair to allow them, on this the day of their annual massacre, the privilege of a matutinal picking. As to your own breakfast, we certainly should not recommend you to victual yourself as if you were stowing away provisions to last you for a couple of days; but, on the other hand, go not forth famished. Mr Colquhoun recommends you to forego the companionship of a flask. We dissent. If the weather is boiling, and if you are not accustomed to violent exercise, you must necessarily drink something; and the safest beverage is water slightly tinctured with spirits. Beer blows you up, and porter makes you sleepy. Cold tea is trash. Of course you will take care not to increase your hereditary thirst by cramming yourself at luncheon with ham, or any of those high-spiced delicacies which Italian warehousemen especially recommend for the moors. Eat anchovies, and in a quarter of an hour after you have resumed your beat, you will find that you had better have tasted of the apples of the Dead Sea. And here we shall remark that the proceedings of the previous evening have often much to do with these distressing symptoms of thirst. Of all days in the year we regard the eleventh of August as that which should be most soberly observed; and we earnestly counsel our young friends, if they have any regard for their own comfort, to resist on that evening the most pressing hospitality which may be offered them by a seasoned Thane. Besides this, young sportsmen are commonly nervous enough on their first field-day, without doing anything additional to make their hand unsteady; and it is well known to authorities, that, whereas the man who begins by shooting well in the morning commonly continues to do so throughout the day, the unfortunate lad who signalises himself by a series of misses at the commencement very rarely regains coolness enough to enable him to do any execution. He becomes flurried and anxious, takes no deliberate aim, fires at any kind of distance, and, not unfrequently, puts the life of Ponto into jeopardy extreme.

Black-cock shooting is a much tamer sport than that afforded by the quest of the grouse. Nevertheless, as an old cock is a handsome bird to look at, and withal heavy, though he makes but an indifferent addition to the table, the young sportsman is usually desirous to bring him to bag. On this subject we have a word or two to say. Great care should be taken not to disturb the young broods before the twentieth of August—indeed, in our opinion, the twentieth of August is quite early enough to begin. The places where black game hatch, and in which the young broods continue until they are well grown, are quite distinct from those frequented by the grouse. You may expect to find the former in tracts of rushy ground, in little glens where the fern grows abundantly, or in low brushwood; whereas the latter are always to be sought for among the heather. Young black game lie so close that it is sometimes easy to take them with the hand just under the nose of the pointer—indeed the pointer is often tempted to break rules, and make a grab at the living simpleton who will not flutter up. At the commencement of the season it is always best to keep the higher ground, so that the dogs may not interfere with the black in their quest for the red game; and afterwards, in every case where the birds are not fully grown, we supplicate for mercy for the maternal grey hen. Indeed, the sportsman will find it to his advantage to give her a reprieve; for young black game are very helpless creatures, and, if deprived of their mother’s superintendence before they are well fledged, are apt to fall victims to some of their natural enemies, who are perpetually on the prowl. As for the old cocks, down with them whenever you can. They are quite able to look after themselves, are exceedingly wary, and, if you happen to find them in the bracken or brushwood, will afford you a charming right and left. Towards the close of the season, stalking blackcock is a very exciting sport. It requires great caution and skill—for our sable acquaintances are knowing strategists, and always appoint a sentinel. Driving blackcock is another method which we have practised with considerable success, both in Argyllshire and on the Border, where this species of game especially abounds; and we can answer for the excellence of the sport. These remarks apply to the circumventing of the old birds—the pursuit of young black game is very tame work. They always rise within easy distance, and fly so steadily that the merest tyro can bring them down; whereas the acuter grouse, after he has been once or twice disturbed, seems to form a very accurate estimate of the nature and purposes of a gun, and endeavours to get out of your way without cultivating a nearer acquaintance.

We are bound to confess that we never shot a ptarmigan; and, judging from Mr Colquhoun’s account of two expeditions which he made in search of that Alpine bird, we have little inclination to follow his example. The ptarmigan, or white grouse, is only found near the summits of the loftiest mountains in Scotland; and, when roused, he has a playful habit of crossing from one peak to another, so that, if you wish to follow him up, you must ascend a second Jungfrau. Now, we have no idea of this kind of elevation; for one would require to be a sort of Giant of the Hartz, able to stride from mountain to mountain, in order to pursue such erratic game. Alpine hares are more to the purpose; and as we believe English sportsmen are not well acquainted with the habits of this animal, which, of late years, has been greatly on the increase in some districts of Scotland, we may perhaps transcribe with advantage the remarks of Mr Colquhoun.

“The white hare inhabits many of our mountains. It is not confined,
like the ptarmigan, to the tops of the highest and most inaccessible,
but, on the contrary, is often met with on grouse-shooting ranges,
where there are few crags or rocks to be seen. I have frequently shot
it on flats, between the hills, where it had made its form like the
common hare; and, though I have more often moved it in rocky
places—where it sometimes has its seat a considerable way under a
stone—I do not think it ever burrows among them, as some suppose; for,
although hard pressed, I have never seen it attempt to shelter itself,
like a rabbit, in that way. Indeed there would be little occasion for
this, as its speed is scarcely inferior to the hares of the wood or
plain, and it evidently possesses more cunning. When first started,
instead of running heedlessly forward, it makes a few corky bounds,
then stops to listen, moving its ears about; and, if the danger is
urgent, darts off at full speed, always with the settled purpose of
reaching some high hill or craggy ravine. If not pressed, it springs
along as if for amusement; but takes care never to give its enemy an
advantage by loitering.

“I put up one on the 16th March 1840, when inspecting the
heather-burning on my moor, at Leny in Perthshire, which (contrary to
their usual practice) kept watching, and allowed me several times to
come within a hundred yards. I was at first surprised, but the
explanation soon occurred to me that it had young ones in the heather.
I had thus a good opportunity of noticing the commencement of its
change of colour. The head was quite grey, and the back nearly so;
which parts are the last to lose, as well as the first to put on, the
summer dress. I shot one nearly in the same stage, on the 22d November
1839. The only difference was that the whole coat of the former
appeared less pure. This is easily accounted for, as in winter the
creature, though recovering a fresh accession of hair, loses none of
the old, which also becomes white; whereas in spring it casts it all,
like other animals. Thus, by a merciful provision, its winter covering
is doubly thick; while, at the same time, being the colour of snow,
(with which our hills are generally whitened at that time of year,) it
can more easily elude its numerous foes. The same remark applies to
the ptarmigan.

“During a mild winter, when the ground is free from snow, the white
hare invariably chooses the thickest patch of heather it can find, as
if aware of its conspicuous appearance; and to beat all the bushy
tufts on the side and at the foot of rocky hills at such a time
affords the best chance of a shot. The purity or dinginess of its
colour is a true criterion of the severity or mildness of the season.
If the winter is open, I have always remarked that the back and lower
part of the ears retain a shade of the fawn-colour; if, on the
contrary, there is much frost and snow, the whole fur of the hare is
very bright and silvery, with scarcely a tint of brown. When started
from its form, I have constantly observed that it never returns,
evidently knowing that its refuge has been discovered. It will
sometimes burrow in the snow, in order to scrape for food and avoid
the cold wind, as well as for security. These burrows are not easily
discovered by an unaccustomed eye; the hare runs round the place
several times, which completely puzzles an observer, and then makes a
bound over, without leaving any footmark to detect her retreat. It is
hollowed out, like a mine, by the hare’s scraping and breath, and the
herbage beneath nibbled bare.

“When deer-stalking in Glenartney last autumn, I was quite amazed at
the multitude of Alpine hares. They kept starting up on all sides—some
as light-coloured as rabbits, and others so dark as to resemble little
moving pieces of granite. I could only account for their numbers from
the abundance of fine green food, and the absence of sheep; which are
as much avoided by hares as by deer, from their dirting the ground
with their tarry fleeces.

“An eye-witness, on whom I can depend, gave me a curious account of
the tactics of a hill-hare, which completely baffled the tyrant of the
rocks. Puss, as is her wont when chased by an eagle, sheltered herself
under a stone. The eagle took post at a little distance, and watched
long, exactly like a cat waiting for a mouse. Although her fierce foe
was out of sight, the hare seemed to have a _mesmeric_ knowledge of
his vicinity, for she never would move so far from her hiding-place as
to be taken by surprise. Several times she came out to feed, but the
moment the eagle rose she was safe again. At last her pursuer got
tired, and flew away. The white hare has always a refuge of this kind
where eagles haunt.”

We may add that the Alpine hare is now most abundant in some districts of Perthshire, and that it is easily shot, by the sportsman taking post at the outlet of one of the large enclosures of hill pasture, while the ground within is beat. This, of course, is inglorious shooting; but fellows who are not up to the ready use of firearms like it; and we should be inclined to bet that even Mr John Bright would, once out of twenty-five trials, contrive to hit a hare. We shall not rashly predicate the like of his friend Mr Welford, unless the hares were taken sitting; and, even in that case, we have great doubts whether the arch-enemy and would-be extirpator of game would succeed; for we have an idea that he entertains a vague notion that the recoil of a fowling-piece is something absolutely terrific.

By the way, what has become of Welford? It is now several years since we had occasion to notice his work on the game-laws with marked amenity; but, since then, we have lost sight of that Pleiad. Is it possible that he can have been converted to our views, in consequence of his having been graciously permitted by the member for the West Riding to sport over his extensive estates? We hope so, and do not despair to see him ere long upon the mountains with a philabeg girt round his loins. Having begun such a crusade against the _feræ naturæ_, he ought to consummate it with his own hand. Theseus was supposed to have rid the Peloponnesus of ravening beasts—why should not Welford exterminate the objects of his wrath, and put an end to the ornithology of Great Britain?

So long as moor and loch remain—and it will be a considerable time before the one is thoroughly reclaimed, and the other thoroughly drained, in Scotland—there is little probability that any of the animals native to our country will utterly perish before the exertions of the Manchester gentry. Indeed it is worth while remarking that modern improvement, by replacing the woods, has again brought back to districts the game which for centuries had disappeared. Within our recollection, a roe-deer had never been seen by a living man south of Forth; now they are not uncommon within twelve miles of Edinburgh, and probably will soon spread to the Border, and beyond it. The roe is no great delicacy for the table—though the Germans think otherwise, and dress it with considerable skill—nor might it satisfy the requirements of an aldermanic appetite; but no one who has seen those elegant creatures bounding through a Highland wood, or stealing out at evening to feed beyond the coppice, can deny the charm which they add to the beauties of our northern landscape. We fairly confess that we never, even in the heyday and excitement of our youth, have shot a roe without experiencing a pang of regret. But roes, according to the views of Welford, must not be allowed to multiply indefinitely; and therefore we have endeavoured at times, when they became too thick, and would persevere in barking the trees, to do our duty. We shall not extract anything from Mr Colquhoun’s chapter upon roe-hunting, which we recommend to the attention of those who may shortly have occasion to try that sport; but we cannot pass over a little Highland picture in which the roe is a prominent figure.

“Day was just breaking when I crossed the river Tulla, on my way to
Peter Robertson’s cottage. He was standing before his door, consoling
himself for his early start by a pipe of very strong tobacco. The
morning was all we could wish—calm, grey, and mild. As we passed the
banks of the loch, roe-deer were quietly cropping the greensward,
which sloped to the water’s edge, and now and then a fine buck would
raise his head, and look listlessly over his shoulder, as if wondering
what business we had to be so early astir. The blackcock, surrounded
by his hens, was crooning his antics on the tops of the knolls, and
was answered by the redcock, with many a cheery but eccentric call,
from the more distant heights. A male hen-harrier was flitting
stealthily above the heather, seeking his breakfast where it could
easily be found, with small chance of human company at his morning
meal. Now and then an Alpine hare would canter lazily away, or raise
herself upon her hind-legs to listen, moving about her inquisitive
ears.”

A perfect and most graphic Highland picture.

To the naturalist, the most puzzling of all questions is to define accurately the limits between instinct and reason, as the terms are commonly understood. We have long ago given up the attempt in absolute despair. Take, for example, the case of the rooks. They can distinguish Sunday from the rest of the week as accurately as any precentor, and are perfectly aware that, on that day, no gun will be levelled at them. You may make demonstrations with a stick if you please, but the rooks will not fly away. They merely retort with a caw of utter scorn. But on Monday morning the Lord of Rookwood is a changed being. He will not on any account let you within a hundred yards of him; and so excessively acute is he, that you would almost swear he scents the powder in your pocket. So is it with the roes. When wandering unarmed through a Highland wood, you are almost certain to fall in with several of these beautiful creatures, who regard you almost without alarm, and glide slowly into the shaw. They know quite well that you are not there with any murderous design, and they neither fear nor avoid you. Not so if you carry a gun. In that case, you may look long enough about you before you will descry the white spot, which is the distinguishing mark of the roe-deer. They whom you seek are lying close in the brackens, perhaps but a very few yards from you, but they will not stir till you are gone.

Beating for roe is stupid work. We do not see the fun of standing for half the day in a pass waiting for a chance shot, with no other regalement for the ear than the hoarse braying of the beaters, and their everlasting shouts of “Shoo!” A much better method is that of stirring the roe with a foxhound, when he glides from thicket to thicket, in advance of his pursuer, whose clear note indicates his approach, and gives you sufficient warning. But enough on this head.

We have already, in former articles, while reviewing the works of Mr St John and the Stuarts, had occasion to enter pretty fully into the subject of deer-stalking. Therefore we shall not again go over that ground, although tempted to do so by Mr Colquhoun’s admirable chapter devoted to that noble sport, in which he lays down, with great perspicuity, all the rules which ought to be observed by the stalker. To such of our readers as aspire to have their exploits chronicled in the columns of the _Inverness Courier_, (the best sporting register in Scotland,) we recommend Mr Colquhoun’s book, advising them to study it well before they venture forth into the mountains. It is true that no theory can supply the lack of practice; still, deer-stalking is eminently an art; and there are distinct rules for following it, which must not be disregarded. Mr Colquhoun is more concise than any former writer, and we prefer him, as a guide, to Mr Scrope.

There is a very curious chapter devoted to the chase of the wild goat, which may now be considered among the _feræ naturæ_ of Scotland. They exist in some of the islands of Loch Lomond, and, if we mistake not, on the hills of Ross-shire, near Loch Luichart. Some years ago, there were several wild goats on the tremendous precipices at the entrance of the Bay of Cromarty; but they were assailed in their fastnesses both from sea and land, and, for aught we know, may have been exterminated. We beg, however, to caution our English friends against firing at every goat they may chance to fall in with in their rambles among the hills. In many parts of the Highlands goats are kept as stock—indeed, it is probable that the kind now considered as wild were originally stragglers from some flock. In the course of two or three generations they have lost all trace of a domestic character, and can neither be claimed nor reclaimed. But it is not safe for sportsmen to exercise their judgment upon this point, without distinct local information, lest, perchance, they should happen to smite down an appropriated Billy in his pride. We have known some awkward mistakes occurring with regard to geese, who had somewhat imprudently exhibited themselves on the bosom of a mountain tarn.

We cannot read the chapter entitled “Crap-na-Gower,” containing an account of an exterminating warfare against the goats on one of the Loch Lomond islands, without wishing that they had been allowed to remain, at whatever injury to the trees. Mr Colquhoun, who always writes as a humane gentleman ought to do, virtually admits that he does not plume himself on the share which he took in that crusade; and there is something very melancholy in the picture which he draws of the death-scene of the last Billy. We can fully understand the feeling which prompts men of an exceedingly tender and sensitive disposition to abstain from field sports altogether. The idea of giving pain to any living creature is to them intolerable; and we believe there are few sportsmen who have not in their own minds experienced occasional misgivings. Abhorring, as we do, all manner of cruelty, it does seem at first sight strange and unnatural, that a person feeling thus, should seek amusement or recreation in depriving living creatures of their existence. But we altogether deny that there is any ferocity in the chase. We are led to it by a natural instinct, powerful in the savage, but which civilisation has no power to obliterate; and that instinct was doubtless given to us, as were the brute creation to man, for wise and useful purposes. Those who argue that there is inhumanity in field sports, seldom reflect on their own inconsistency. Either they must maintain—which none of them do—that wild animals should be allowed to multiply indefinitely, in which case foxes, foumarts, and stoats, would share in the general amnesty, not to mention such an increase in the number of hares as would annihilate agriculture; or they must, as some of them certainly do, assert their right to cut off a branch of creation from the earth. The argument for field sports lies midway between unrestricted multiplicity and total extermination. Now, surely it is better that a grouse should have its lease of life and enjoyment, and afterwards be swiftly shot down for the use of man, than that there should be no grouse at all. Your modern advocate for total clearance is, in fact, as gross a barbarian as the brute who deliberately sets his foot upon a nest of eggs, for the avowed purpose of preventing so much development of animal existence. He is, in heart at least, a chick-murderer. He opposes himself to the economy of creation; and would, on his own responsibility, make a new arrangement of the zoology of the globe, on principles entirely his own.

It would be a great relief to us if those Homeridæ, who have been screaming satirical panegyrics on Macwheedle beneath our window, for the last hour or two, would withdraw themselves and their minstrelsy. Such canorous vagabonds do a great deal of mischief. The satirified individual, who is, in reality, a very poor creature, suddenly finds himself swelled into importance, by being chaunted ironically in the streets; and is apt to imbibe the notion that he is, after all, a fit and proper person to be returned to Parliament. So far as we have been able to gather the meaning of the words, these effusions seem to be couched in the veriest doggrel; but, for all that, they are emanations from the popular mind, symptomatic of the coming result of the poll, and we so receive them. Against Macwheedle we are ready to lay any manner of odds, for no minstrel’s throat, as yet, has vibrated decidedly in his praise. We hope, however, that the shilling, which we willingly tender, may procure us immunity, for an hour or two, from this hideous irruption of song.

Hitherto we have adverted mainly, for the benefit of those who are untried in the ways of the Moor and the Loch, to the earlier sports of the season; because we are in favour of what Dandie Dinmont termed a “regular entering,” and have no idea of dispensing with principles at the commencement of the sportsman’s career. Old hands know perfectly well what is before them. Such a work as this, which we are reviewing, may possibly confirm some of their theories, or it may reveal to them the cause—especially in winter shooting—of some errors into which they may have inadvertently fallen from too slight notice of the habits and peculiar sensitiveness of their game. Mr Colquhoun’s observations on this point are peculiarly valuable; for, dwelling on the banks of one of the most beautiful of our Scottish lochs, he has had ample opportunity to study the movements of the aquatic birds which congregate there in the winter season. The reader must not expect to find such narratives of wholesale slaughter among ducks and widgeon as embellish the pages of Colonel Hawker. Punt-shooting is limited to the sea-shores and harbours; and we can readily conceive it to be an exciting occupation for those who are hardy enough to take the mud at midnight, regardless of the state of the thermometer. But duck-shooting, on a Highland loch, partakes more of the nature of stalking, and calls forth in an eminent degree the skill and resources of the hunter.

“Having now equipped our wildfowl shooter, we will again bring him to
the shore. His first object should be to see his game without being
seen himself, even if they are at too great a distance to show signs
of alarm. To effect this he must creep cautiously forward to the first
point that will command a view of the shore for some distance; then,
taking out his glass, he must reconnoitre it by inches, noticing every
tuft of grass or stone, to which wildfowl asleep often bear so close a
resemblance, that, except to a very quick eye, assisted by a glass,
the difference is not perceptible. If the loch be well-frequented, he
will most likely first discover a flock of divers, but must not be in
a hurry to pocket his glass, until he has thoroughly inspected the
shore, in case some more desirable fowl may be feeding or asleep upon
it. I will suppose that he sees some objects that _may_ be wildfowl.
Let him then immediately direct his glass to the very margin of the
loch, to see if anything is moving there. Should he find it so, he may
conclude that it is a flock of either duck, widgeon, or teal; those
first perceived resting on the shore, and the others feeding at the
water’s edge—of course not nearly so conspicuous. If there is no
motion at the margin of the loch he must keep his glass fixed, and
narrowly watch for some time, when, if what arrested his attention be
wildfowl asleep, they will, in all probability, betray themselves by
raising a head or flapping a wing.

“He must now take one or two large marks, that he will be sure to know
again, as close to the birds as possible; and also another, about two
or three hundred yards immediately above, further inland. Having done
this, let him take a very wide circle and come round upon his inland
mark. He must now walk as if treading upon glass; the least rustle of
a bough, or crack of a piece of rotten wood under his feet, may spoil
all, especially if the weather be calm. Having got to about one
hundred yards from where he supposes the birds to be, he will tell his
retriever to lie down; the dog, if well trained, will at once do so,
and never move. His master will then crawl forward, until he gets the
advantage of a bush or tuft of reeds, and then raise his head by
inches to look through it for his other marks. Having seen them, he
has got an idea where the birds are, and will, with the utmost
caution, endeavour to catch sight of them. I will suppose him
fortunate enough to do so, and that they are perfectly unconscious of
his near approach. He must lower his head in the same cautious manner,
and look for some refuge at a fair distance from the birds, through
which he may fire the deadly sitting shot. After creeping serpent-like
to this, he will again raise his head by hair-breadths, and, peeping
through the bush or tuft, select the greatest number of birds in line;
then drawing back a little, in order that his gun may be just clear of
the bush for the second barrel, after having fired the first through
it, will take sure aim at his selected victims. Should he
unfortunately not find an opening to fire through, the only other
alternative is by almost imperceptible degrees to raise his gun to the
right of the bush, and close to it; but in doing this the birds are
much more likely to see him, and take wing. Never fire _over_ the
bush, as you are almost certain to be perceived whenever you raise
your head: more good shots are lost to an experienced hand by a rapid
jerk, not keeping a sufficient watch for stragglers, and over-anxiety
to fire, than in any other way. Having succeeded in getting the
sitting shot, the fowl, especially if they have not seen from whence
it comes, will rise perpendicularly in the air, and you are not
unlikely to have a chance of knocking down a couple more with your
second barrel; but if they rise wide, you must select the finest old
mallard among them, or whatever suits your fancy. Directly upon
hearing the report, your retriever will run to your assistance, and,
having secured your cripples, you will reload, and, taking out your
glass, reconnoitre again; for though ducks, widgeon, &c., should fly
out upon the loch at the report of your gun, yet the diver tribe, if
there are only one or two together, are perhaps more likely to be
under water than above when you fire: but more of them by and by.

“Another invariable rule, in crawling upon ducks, is always, if
possible, to get to leeward of them; for although I am firmly of
opinion that they do not wind you like deer, as some suppose, yet
their hearing is most acute. I have seen instances of this that I
could hardly otherwise have credited. One day I got within about sixty
yards of three ducks asleep upon the shore; the wind was blowing very
strong, direct from me to them, a thick hedge forming my ambuscade.
The ground was quite bare beyond this hedge, so I was obliged to take
the distant shot through it. In making the attempt, I rustled one of
the twigs—up went the three heads to the full stretch; but when I had
remained quiet for about five minutes, they again placed their bills
under their wings. Upon a second trial, the slight noise was
unfortunately repeated—again the birds raised their heads; but this
time they were much longer upon the stretch, and seemed more uneasy.
Nothing now remained but to try again: my utmost caution, however, was
unavailing—the birds rose like rockets. I never hesitate concealing
myself to windward of the spot where I expect ducks to pitch, feeling
confident that, unless I move, they will not find me out. I have often
had them swimming within twenty-five yards of me, when I was waiting
for three or four in line, the wind blowing direct from me to them,
without perceiving, by any signs, their consciousness of an enemy’s
vicinity.”

Macwheedle himself, by all that’s impudent! Nay, then, it is full time for us to take our farewell of Mr Colquhoun, and address ourselves to our public duty. We shall meet the honourable candidate in that style of diplomacy which was imparted to us by old Talleyrand, and in which, we flatter ourselves, we have no equal, with the exception, perhaps, of the accomplished Dunshunner. That gay individual is, doubtless, at this moment wooing some bashful constituency—we trust with prospects of better success than attended his last adventure. When the elections are over, we shall lose not a moment in hastening to the Highlands—there, by glen and river, loch, moor, and mountain, to obliterate all memory of the heat and hurry of the hustings; and we hope, before the year is over, to hear from the lips of many of our friends, who are now looking forward with anxiety to their first sporting season, an acknowledgment of the benefit which they have derived from the practical lessons of our author. Now, then, for an interview with the too insinuating Macwheedle.