The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-04 00:00:00

GAME PROSPECTS.

We have the usual contradictory accounts from
the North of Scotland. Last season, about this
time, all was couleur de rose—assurances of nume-
rous and abundant coveys before the eggs were
hatched, while, as unfortunately happened, a con-
siderable portion of them were never hatched at all.
This season there are rival prophets, one set of whom
rejoice the sportsman with the intelligence that "on
all the extensive moors grouse are abundant, the
hatching season well advanced, and the more early
nests containing young grouse." The other set
revel in accounts of deep snow, hail, rain, dead
birds, and black prospects—the writers warning
the Cockneys against high rents and barren hills.
Possibly both speculations are exaggerated, and,
as with us on the low ground, the real prospects
of sport on the 12th of August (which, by the
way, falls this season on a Wednesday) can-
not as yet be anticipated with any degree of
accuracy. All that can be said about the Ayr-
shire moors, as yet, is that the stock left last season
was, notwithstanding an almost universal jubilee
by sportsmen, under an average; and, where they
were not spared, very low iudeed ; so that, even for
anything like a fair show of birds in August, a very
dry and warm spring is indispensable. So far as it
has yet gone the season has not been unfavourable ;
and, after SO wet an early spring, we may hope for
dry weather and heat. Even on the best moors,
where there was scarcely any shooting last season,
the old birds, though healthy, are scarce. The cause
of this scarcity has been the subject of many inte-
resting communications in the Field, and the fact
of the scarcity, with occasional dead birds on moors
little shot last season, is rather freely, we think,
ascribed to disease. Those who have paid much
attention to the habits of grouse might, we think,
discover another, if not the chief, cause. A jubilee
to be of much consequence to numbers would need
to be universal, or at least much more general than
can possibly be attained. Late in the season
grouse join passing packs, and will go miles from
home to cornfields, casting in their lot with the
pack they chance to join, the survivors generally
returning to their native ground at the pairing
season. But their numbers are severely thinned
by constant shooting for the market by parties who
take a licence and a small extent of ground, and
make a trade of " rickle-shooting." And a very
remunerative trade it is, however ruinous to the
fair sportsman. These " rickle shooters," who pay
' £5 or £8 for the right to shoot over from 501) to 800
acres of ground which possibly never bred a grouse,
lay down sheaves of corn lavishly in a line, and,
themselves concealed in houses made of straw, shoot
at the flocks that come the entire autumn and winter
days. Each of these men will, after harvest, when
the fair sportsman can scarcely get a shot, kill more
grouse in one week than the average sportsman, on
the best ground, kills in a season. No wonder
grouse are scarce and occasionally diseased after
such wholesale slaughter. Half-a-dozen grouse are
often killed at a single shot, and probably twice as
many wounded ; and our theory is that these
wounded birds which languish and die are the
diseased birds, whose ailments are speculated about
so scientifically in the sporting papers. The fact of
a bird being reduced to a skeleton is assumed to be
conclusive of disease, but when we have the know-
ledge that birds are thus wounded wholesale
towards the close of the season, it seems more than
probable that their emanciated appearance is the
result of pining under wounds for months. In con
elusion, we do not think last season's blank was to
be ascribed to unusual disease, but simply to the wet
season having rotted almost all the eggs; and we
see no reason to anticipate any other than fair sports
this season, if we are spared heavy rains till the
coveys are on the wing. This applies equally to
black game.—Ayr Advertiser.

Erection of a Franciscan Monastery near

Manchester.

(From the Manchester Guardian.)

The foundation stone of a church and convent of the
Franciscan Recollect Fathers was laid at Gorton, on Satur-
day morning, by the Rev. Canon Renoit. The commu-
nity, as it at present exists, is composed of five monks
(Belgians) and several novitiates, and for the past 18
months they have been living at Fairfield. A. few days
ago they removed to a house near the Rcman Catholic
schools at Gorton, adjoining the site of their new churoh
and convent. The ceremony on Saturday was the laying
of the foundation stone of that building. The portion of
the structure that will be built first is the library, and
until the remainder of the edifice is erected the library
will be used for the purposes of a church. The work will
proceed gradually, as the funds permit, and the whole
will nit be commenced at once. If the structure be com-
pleted according to the plans, it will be a large and very fine
edifice. It will be built of brick, largely faced with stone,
and present a frontage to Gorton-lane of 230 feet; 50 feet
will be occupied by the west façade of the church, and the
remainder by the guests' quarters of the convent. The style
will be Gothic, of a continental character, from t he designs of
Pugin and Hanson. The church will be 180 feet long by 50 feet
wide; and its choir will be 50 feet long, and accommodate 60
persons. At the west front will be a tall graceful tower, which
will terminate with a high-pitched pavilion roof, peculiarly
continental in its design. The body of the building will
be provided with side aisles and clerestory. At the east end
will be transepts, spire, and chapels, At the south-east
corner there will be a portiuncul,—a feature of buildings
belonging to this Order, and associated with an interesting
episode in the life of St. Francis d'Assisi. Under the spire
will be the chapel containing the high altar, dedicated to our
Lady and St Francis. On each side the high altar will be a
lesser altar, one to the Blessed Saviour, and the other to St.
Joseph. Behind the high altar will he a chapel dedicated to
St. Bonaventure. On the n' side of the building, and
fronting the cloister which separates the church from the
convent, will be five or six confessionals. At the rear of
the Church, running northwards from St. Bonaventure's
Chapel, will be tne sacristies and chapter- house ; and in
the same quarter will be the community and study. The
convent will be provided with a cloister court, measuring
85ft. by 60ft. a library near the study, a refectory G3tt.
long, a kitchen court, kitchens, larders, dinine-room, and
a series of parlours for guests. The upper storeys of the
building will be devoted to sleeping apartments, and rooms
of lesser importance. The entire cost is estimated at
£B,OOO. Though the building will thus be er. cted for a
comparatively small sum of money, the plan shows that it
will possess considerable architectural attracions, and that
it will be surpassed by few ecclesiastical edifices in this
neighbourhood. It may be interesting to know that
this is the second convent of the Order in England, and
that the Recollet Fathers follow strictly the rules and aus-
terities of St. Francis.

The ceremony on Saturday commenced with High Mass
in the Gorton Roman Catholic school-room, service being
performed by the Rev. Canon Toole, assisted by the fathers
of the community. The musical portion of the service
was assisted by a band from Hyde, and by severat
good vocalists. The Rev. Canon Benoit preached the
sermon. At the close of the service the foundation-stone
of the convent was taken into the school-room and blessed.
The clergy and school thiloren marched in procession to
the site of the new builuing. Notwithstanding the un-
favourable state of the weather there was a large con-
course of spec, eters. After the stone had been laid, the
Rev. Canon Benoit delivered a short address. He said that
it had given him great pleasure to take part in the in-
teresting ceremony which they had that day performed.
It was an event of no ordinary character, It was not like
the building of a house which, on the death of its present
owners might pass into other hands, there was some-
thing about a monastery of a permanent character. When
the first Franciscan fathers that dwelt there should die,
others would pass into the same state of poverty, and prac-
tise the same virtues, and the place would become a per-
manent dwelling of the Order. The erection of that
monastery was an event of no ordinary character in
another respect, because it was the first link of an im-
mense chain of good works—poverty, humility, and alms-
giving of every kind. There, at midnight, while others
were refreshing their weary limbs with sleep, the Francis-
can fathers would rise to sing the praises of God. They
would practice continued prayer for mercy at the time when
e
others, perhaps, were doing all they could to bring th
ang r of God upon the world. There, all wouldf have
who
access. Those who had many trials to endureer
burdened
endure,
had many crosses to bear, and those who
with their sins would find in the hallowed
with open
p hose
cloistero en ar
mm
w men
who would be ready to receive themta wwithout
comfort.
and who would not send them y
There, as in times of old, atthefiplasodrehreosft.theHineonahsetperevd
the wearied traveller might
that they might see the when the sixty cells of that
new monastery would be comoo,ted, and each of them in-
f St. Francis,
habited by one of the holy
hoped that they might see tchhelleuhruenrchoreared. andraseiltes
towers above the buildings around, worthy of that God to
whom it was dedicated. He trustei that the benefactions
of friends would assist the fathers to complete their work,
and ho hoped that there might never be another Henry
VIII. or another Cromwell, to put sacrilegious hands upon
their dwelling.—This concluded the ceremony, and the
clergy repaired to the temporary residence of the Whom to
partake of refreshments,