The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-09 00:00:00

sporting.

THE TEDWOETH PACK OF HOUNDS, so long hunted
by Mr. Assheton Smith, havo been presented to the
gentlemen who usually hunted the country, by Mrs.
Assbeton Smith, and the generous offer has been
accepted, the Marquis of Ailesbury, Sir John Pollen,
and Sir E. Antrobus having been appointed a com-
mittee for the management of a hunt. At the meeting
held at Andover on the subject, the following resolu-
tion was passed :
That this meeting of gentlemen interested in the Ted-
worth hunt cannot separate without recording the sense
of gratitude they entertain fur the liberal and sportsman-
like manner in which the late Mr. Asabeton Smith hunted
this country during the long period of thirty-one years ;
and they deeply and sincerely deplore the loss of a warm-
hearted friend and neighbour.

AN AQUATIC EXCURSION THROUGH FRANCE AND
BELGIUM by six English gentlemen in a light four-
oared gig, the Firefly, is graphically described in a
communication to a contemporary. Througb Paris
up the Seine to the junction with the Marne near
Charenton, the excursionists commenced ascending
the Marne, and soon encountered the first of the
numerous weirs built for purposes of navigation
across the river. The gate of this happened to be
open, and they attempted to pull through, but were
borne back by the rush of water, native spectators
derisively shouting. They prepared for a second
attempt. "Get ready," said the coxswain;
"Go !" Twenty strokes brought them to the fall,
and after three minutes' struggle in the turmoil the
Firefly was steadily proceeding On her upward way.
Passing through the vine-covered hills of the depart-
ments of the Seine, Marne, Aisne, and Epernay, the
enterprising crew, sometimes taken for engineers sur-
veying the rivers with a view to establish an English
steamboat company, or oftener for two " Milors,"
rowed by four unhappy domestiques, rejoicing in the
position of galley slaves. From Chalons they pro•
ceeded to Bar-le-Duc, and thence by the Canal du
Marne au Rhin, passing upwards of one hundred
locks and a tunnel two miles add a half long to Void,
near which the Meuse passes under the canal.
Pulling and sometimes carrying the boat through
the shallows, our voyageurs arrived at the for-
tified town of Verdun, where they housed themselves
for the night. A native very kindly lent them a
waggon in the morning to convey the Firefly round
the town. In a rapid between Verdun and Dun the
bow caught a snag. In at moment she swings
broadside to the rush—if there is not thirty•six feet
of water clear of the snags utter grief must be her
inevitable and immediate doom ; the crew, helplessly
spinning, await the result. She clears safely through,
and stern foremost they are hurried to the calmer
water below. Halting again at Monthanne, where
boat and crew nearly came to grief, they crossed the
frontier into Belgium, and thence by Denant, Namur,
and Liege, over the Dutch frontier to Maestricht in Hol-
land. Starting next along the canal for Antwerp they
arrived at Bree, engaging here a man with a horse to
start at three next morning and tow them till break-
fast time. Now, towing required great care, for the
horse when flogged started off with a rush, and one
of the crew had to let out line, or a broken towing
poll, or a capsize must have resulted ; it was like the
run of a fine salmon. They breakfasted at a village,
rowed hard all the hot day, reaching Herinthals at
eight o'clock; here they dined, and having secured a
post-horse and postillion, started for Antwerp at
ten o'clock. At two o'clock in the morning it began
to rain hard, the first interruption to the glorious
weather they had hitherto enjoyed, and at seven, wet
and weary with twenty-six hours' uninterrupted
boating, they arrived at Antwerp. The boat was at
once carted through the town to the steamer for
London, and thus this delightful four weeks' tour
was concluded.