The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-04 00:00:00

DEER. STA.LKING.
ABHORRENCE OF THE DEER TO
.SHEEP.
The detestation of the deer to sheep is so great that
they will not inhabit the same ground with these
animals. A remarkable instance nt this antipathy was Plas:e
observed in the end of the last century by an eld drover !e ''=- JJ
familiarly called "An (fro/glair hirer when crossing one --,
of the great moors of Sutherland, soon after the first Aa..tj
"head of sheep" had been turned into Lord Wsay,'s forest. ‘seass
The narrator was 'surprised by the appearance of a large- Meafa,
column of near a thousand deer, marching out of the
country in a steady determined emigration. Disgusted by
the invasion of the sheep and their dogs, they had col-
lected from all parts, and unable to find "clean ground,'
continued their course out of the country, dispersing
into the most solitary glens. From these they never re-
turned, and harassed and killed by the shepherds and
farmers, their numbers became reduced to the few and
scattered fugitives which lingered in a state of outlawry
in remote coires, until the " commercial spirit'' of Eng-
land spread to the Highland hills, and it vvas. discovered
that harts and hinds could be converted into marketable
stock like other cattle. Hence deer are now " grown"
for Saxon guns, as wool for Manchester looms, or beef
for Smithfield shambles. The abhorrence of the deer to
sheep did not result merely from the disturbance of their
dogs. It is true that, like the corollary of St. Columbus
concerning cows and women, " Where there are sheep
there must be dogs, and where there are dogs there must
be mischief." But the chief cause for which the deer
shnn the society of their woollen enemies is the closeness
of their feeding and the foulness of their fleece. The
deer is very delicate in his food, and exceedingly
fastidious as to the purity of his pasture. Independent
therefore of the abridgement of his provision by the
excoriating teeth of the tree and herb-exterminating
" gallgeall," he cannot endure the oily rancour of their
wool, which poisons the fresh heather and sweet green
shealing. Wanting these nuisances, he exhibits no an-
tipathy to the intercourse of black cattle, his old abo-
riginal brethren of the hill, whose clean coat and mo-
derate feeding spare the grass and leave no taint of
tar and oil in the pasture. Hence the deer and the
stirks may be seen herding in the same coire and re-
posing on the same turf. Sheep in any considerable
number are an introduction into the Hiehlands since
the latter end of the last century, in which it was dis-
covered that mutton was not only a safer, but a more
profitable stock than man. It is yet well remembered
in Argyllshire, that the first Cheviot flock brought
into that country was introduced by Mr. Campbell,
of Combie, upon the farm of Balantyre, near Invarary,
in the year 1771. The earliest similar colonisation in
Inverness-shire was in Morven, about the year 1777.
The shepherd of these flocks—of whom the first was a
certain John Todd from the neighbourhood of Dum-
barton ; the second, a Braidfoot from the border, intro-
duced the first " maud," or " shepherd's plaid," worn in
Argyll or Inverness. Similar flocks and their feeders
disseminated the expulsion of the deer, and the intro-
duction of the base " hodden-grey," which has since
usurped the place of the tartans of the clans ; and at its
first appearance, from the calamities by which it was
accompanied, and its degraded supplantation of the national
dress, was truly and significantly named, "Bratgalla,"
The foreigner's rag," and" au riochd-mallaiehte," " The
accursed grey." This hue was to the Highlanders
what black is to their neighbours ; and so destable
for its wan and ghastly appearance, that its asso-
ciation afforded the popular appellation for ghosts and
devils ; hence an apparition—a phantom—" an Riochd."
The grey, or wan—the spectre foreboding death—
" am bodach glees,' the grey earl ; another of an evil
genius, in the shape of a goat—" an Glastig," or
" Glasdidh"*—" the Grey," or wan ; and, as in the
south, the great enemy is named familiarly " The Black
Gentleman," so, in the Highlands, he is called " Mac
an Riochd," the son of the grey. In the ideas of the
old wives and children of the last century, all those per-
sonifications, except one, were as nearly as possible those
of the modern " dubh gall," deer-stalkers, in their
chequered " hodden grey," wanting only the " Jim
Crow," " ruffian," or "crush hat"—enormities which had
not then completed tise masquerade of death and Satan.
It is easy to trace the origin of this association. The
ancient Caledonian hell, like that of Scandinavia, was a
frozen and glassy region, an island named "Ifruinn,"
far away among the " wan waters" of the northern
ocean, and involved in the everlasting ice, and snow, and
fog. In this association, the appearace of the evil
spirits, its inhabitants, like that of mortals in similar cir-
cumstances, was believed to be dim, wan, and cloudy
shades, such as men become when seen through a frosty
mist. Thus, a party of modern deer-stalkers, noble, well
appointed, and gallant though they be, in despite of the
gold Geneva watch chains, and costly I'urdie rifles,
which peep from beneath their shepherd plaids, would re-
present to an old " Sealgair-wm-beann" the liveliest
vision of the fiend and his familiars; and we have no
doubt that, if " Alasdair Mac-Dhonacha-raidh," or even
" Eoin-dubhdrinachin," had ever met, in the grey of the
morning, either Lord 0., Sir H. G., or " The Ruffians
of Aberarder," he would have fled the hill for that
time, and never have returned to it again, between sun
setting and sun rising.—[* It has pleased a writer of
the " Cockney school" of Highlanders to convert this
word into " Glastig," which we take leave to observe is
unknown in the Highlands, and did not exist before the
year 1641.]—Caledonian liferculy.

`~.

THE MEXICAN SOLDIERY.

The Mexican soldier is or t. e middle stature, or belt!,
it, small boned, slightly built, graceful, vv't'l a smooth,
soft, glossy skin, icare.ly any muscle, no visible sinews,
and of extremely light weight. Ile can be agile for a
short time, but is constitutionally indolent. This is the
Mexican Indian from the interior. The soldiers of
mixed blood, partaking of the more northern races, and
of old Spain, are stronger, rather sinewy, and capable of
more continued exertion. These, however, comprise
only a minority of the soldiers of the Mexican army.
The Mexicans are capable of no great physical efforts
or endurance. Their constitutions are without stamina ;
and from their habit of getting into the shade whenever
they can during the day, taking a nap at noon, or lying
about under walls or in shady places, flat upon the
ground, to play at cards for reales or ntedios (and
dollars, if they have any), they are so enervated that
the climate, during the sickly season, is very apt to
affect numbers of them, if much expos•sd during the
fiercest hours of the day ; to which, in fact, they have
never been accustomed. They very often t ,ke tie yellow
fever, and even die of the vomit° negro (particularly at
Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Alverado), as well as the
temeritous foreigners. They even fear it beforehand.
A Mexican soldier who has been drunk over night
with aquadiente, and has a sick headach next morning,
will ask permission of his sergeant to leave the ranks
during parade or guard duty, as he is very unwell, and
will go and squat down under a wall or shed. If you
ask him what is the matter, he shakes his head
with a melancholy, much injured, but resigned air,
and answers, " Calentura, senor—calentura." I will
answer for it that any moderately strong English grcn,-.•
dier—not a regular boxer, but who can only " hit
straight"—would knock down ten or a dozen Mexican
soldiers, equally unarmed, one after another, as fast as
they presented themselves. Put a sword into their
hands, and give a stout Highlander a claymore, or a raw-
boned Irishman a good shillclah, and the ten soldiers
would be very likely to tumble to the right and left with
broken blades and heads. The Mexicans are by no
means deficient in courage. They have fiery spirits and
no fear of cold steel. They are " always ready to die." I
have even heard them in hours of danger use that very ex.•
pression. What they wantis physical force; the power to
justify their feelings. The Mexican officers are for the
most part not good. They are valiant but have no
judgment. They are far too excitcable, and without
self-government. Moreover they are much too young ;
many of their lieutenants, and even captains, being
are boys. I was once acquainted in V( ra Cruz
twith a Mexican colonel of artillery who was not
wo-and -twenty. He was a very well-informed, high-
spirited, amiable young man, a good mathema-
tician, and a good swordsman ; but, of course with-
out any adequate experience for such a post. The
Mexican cavalry is admirable—in respect of horseman-
ship. The artillery is good in all respects. In the re-
cent battles (as well as in former wars) they seldom
failed to throw their balls and shells directly into the
works of the fortress attacked ; and before General
Vegal's little fort was taken, his guns had destroyed
one-third of the assailants ; but when the strong-armed
mem got close in amongst the Mexican ranks it was all
over in a minute.—American paper.

CHINESE BRICKS.—Some time since the arrival of
a cargo of bricks from China was announced. We now
find that a parcel of bricks which had been imported into
the port of Liverpool by a vessel called the Annia, from
Shanghae, which were originally reported by the master
of the vessel as being for exportation, are to be landed.
The parcel comprises the large number of 15,000, and
bears good our former remark with respect to the im•
portation of bricks from China for actual use in this
country for the general purposes to which they are ap-
plied. The importations which now take place from
foreign and frequently distant part§ of the world are so
varied and remarkable as continually to call for especial
notice.

EARLY CLOSING OF PAWNBROKERS' SHOPS.—
Yesterday, the Act to regulate the hours of business in
pawnbrokers' shops, which was passed on Friday, was
printed. It will take effect in the course of the present
month. The following is the enacting clause:—" That,
from and after the 29th September next after the pass-
ing of this Act, no pawnbroker shall receive or take in,
or permit or suffer to be received or taken in, any goods
or chattels by way of pawn, pledge, or in exchange, be-
fore eight of the clock in the forenoon, or after seven
of the clock in the evening, between the 29th September
and the 25th March following, or before seven of the
clock in the forenoon or after eight of the clock in the
evening during the remainder of the year, excepting only
until eleven of the clock on the evening of Saturday
throughout the year, and the evenings next preceding
Good Friday and Christmas day, and on every fast or
thanksgiving day appointed by her Majesty;
and in cafe
any pawnbroker offend against the provisions of this Aet,
v ce
o ne every
ts
iuocnh
thereof p a ivnb ruopkoenr
tshh
ea l,
oathl for every
of
ny one
nu
ec h offence, o
r moreon
rc•
dible witness or witnesses, before any one or more of
her Majesty's justices of the peace having jurisdiction
over the place where such offence shall have been or
shall be committed, forfeit and pay not less than 205.,,
nor exceeding 51., as such justice or justices shall ad-
judge; and every such penalty shall and may be levied,
together with all the costs attending the information,
summons, and conviction, by distress and sale of goods
and chattels of the offender or offenders, or person or
persons liable to pay the same respectively, by warrant
under the hand and seal of any justice or justices before
whom such offender or offenders, person or persons shall
or may be convicted; and every such penalty shill. be
applied and disposed of in like manner as forfeitures
in-
curred for any offence agai:is.ti,t.h, eanladst3riercsi.teeadrAucatatin
39 & 40 Geo. 3, C. 99).
Musgrave Brisco, Brisco have
left Harrogate tOr their scat, Coghnrst
Sussex,