The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-09 00:00:00

RED DEER.

The march of civilization or cultivation threatens
,o play a very strong hand against some of old Bri-
tain's sports and pastimes. Breaking up grass lands,
reclaiming waste lands, and the general rage for rail-
ways and enclosures will alter the character of some
of our diversions a-field before long. In the mean-
time, then, it becomes us to pickle and preserve spe-
cimens of such as we can still put our hands on intact
and unaltered. Foremost amongst these stands the
red deer—an animal whose pursuit in this kingdom
has ever been attended with something of the grand
and majestic. Stalk up to him at Atholl, or turn him
out on Maidenhead thicket—the sport he affords has
still ever an imposing look with it. Whether achieved
amongst the wildest and most noble scenery of our
island, and with the greatest skill and energy the
sportsman can boast of ; or, taken and retaken on the
most artificial system our mighty hunters have stooped
to—the red deer must yet hold high rank as " Royal
game." From a variety of causes the red deer are said
to be every day becoming scarcer, even in the High-
lands of Scotland—a territory that should be their
own, and where on many domains every effort is still
made to preserve them. On this side of the border our
surest finds would be in the paddocks of her Ma-
jesty at Ascot, or of Baron Rothschild at Tring—
though one quarter certainly yet offers them a home
more in accordance with their wild free taste, as
more :appropriate, perhaps, in the character of its
scenery and disposition to the true stag-hunt. Many
writers in this work, from the time of Nimrod and
his tours downwards, have celebrated the Forest of
Exmoor, its red deer, and its glorious runs. Almost
all, however, with the plaudite et valete ; as too well
grounded fears are expressed that before many years
this pristine and most attractive sport will die away
for want of game. It is hut fair, though, to give
here a fact in direct contradiction to the cultivation
versus rural recreation argument with which we com-
menced this notice. Of all the landowners on the
Exmoor, the Knight family are vow, we believe,
making themselves most justly famed for the im-
mense improvements they are effecting in the agri-
culture of this part of Devcnshire. To properly
attain this, they have engaged as resi-
dent agent one of the best practical farmers
in England—Mr. Robert Smith, late of Burley, in
Rutlandshire, a gentleman as celebrated for his breed
of Lcricesters as for his many prize essays to the
Royal Agricultural &•oiety of England. In a con-
versation we lately had with him, la e heard with
much pleasure, that on the whole of this extensive
estate the deer are more strictly preserved, and every
recompense made by the landlord to the tenant for
any damage done by them. We are rather inclined
to think, indeed, that the sport of Exmoor mainly de-
pends on this liberal and sportsmanlike feeling, and
so hope to find, for many a long day to come, that
the breed of prize-turnips and of famous deer in no
way disagree one with the other. The Exmoor
country has this year been hunted by Captain West,
the new mas ter of the Bath staghounds—a very
capital sportsman, as well as a most determined man
over a country on almost any sort of horse. As the
gallant Captain, moreover, has a bit of a turn for
fancy farming, and as Mr. Smith can enjoy and keep
his place intinhaeayr run, we
workw deer,eo nt uNlas,netalibtwgeeene them that the
hunting in
r.improvements--isns
husbandry, f
for October.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
LONDON AND NORTIT-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Rettlril of
Traffic for the week ending Oct. s:
Passengers, parcels, mails, &c. £42,401 18 0
Merchandise ... 17,810 4 8
Cattle 1,537 4 10

Total
£61,749 7 6
Corresponding week last year ... 48,126 10 1
Ncte.—The returns as published are exclusive of the
traffic of the Huddersfield Canal and Shropshire Union, North
Union, Preston and \\lyre, South Junction, Manchester and
Buxton, and Buckinghamshire Railways, and of the propor-
tion of traffic deducted under agreement with the North
Staffordshire Company.

LONDON AND ►SOATII-WESTERN RAILWAIN—Amount of
Traffic for the week ending Oct. s:
Passengers --
Goode

"--- --
4:13,295 15 10i
::: ::: 2,353 13 7

Total ...X15,649 9 5i
Corresponding week last year... 11,682 12 5

LANCASMIRE AID YORKSIIIRIC RAILWAY. (260 miles
open.)—Traflie for week ending Oct. 5.....£16,027 1 3
Corresponding week in last year, (253*
miles open)
....£14,487 7 7
THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.-- (Miles in work, 241 n
—Return of Traffic for the Week ending Sept. 28, 1851:
Passengers, parcels, carriages,
horses, dogs, and mails ... £8,138 13 4
Merchandise and minerals ... 4,401 6 1
Cattle ...
... 348 12 6

Total .. £12:583 11 11
Corresponding week, Sept. 25, 1850 (236 miles):
Passengers, parcels, &c. 11 11
Merchandise, Cattle, &c. ... 1,887 19 3

Total ... ... £6,812 11 2
THE EAST ANGLIAN RAILIVAT.—(6B Miles in work.)—
Return of Traffic for the week ending Sept. 28, 1851:
Passengers, parcels, carriages,
horses, dogs, and mails . £369 10 2
Merchandise and minerals 185 8 11
Cattle 26 7 0

... £5Bl
eS
Railway
manedawwinsie.atelhekxleal ***
open, n,00112.)
"83 5 5
sots exclusive King's-cross, Oct. 8.
the London and
Corresponding Total week in 1850 •••
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILW.AY.
Return of traffic for the week ending 0ct...7
"'he receipts available
North-Western
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.--TritffiC for the
lutnaNdi
ewort
aetyh-ec Correspondingon
mgh aboveny
week ending Oct. 5:-,

MAIN LINZ.

Passengers
••• Parcels, 11. C. and D. •••
Goods, cattle, &c. ...
•••
Mails •••

... .C 2,252 14 10
... 91 1 1
... 525 10 1
... 575 0 0

Total ..

•••
MOLD.

Passengers
Parcels, H. C. and D.
Goods, cattle, &c.

....£3,144 6 0

Total

£45 5 3
... 3 1 9
79 12 1

- ... ... £127 19 1
STEAM-BOATS. _

Passengers
Parcels, H. C. and D. ...

Total

£5ll 12 7
24 8 9

.£536 1 4

HEALTH OF PROFESSOR WILSON.—
Our readers
will regret to learn that in consequence of the present delicate
state of health of Professor Wilson, the renowned Christo-
pher North, he has been obliged to make arrangements for
dispensing with the delivery of his lectures on Moral Philo-
sophy in the University of Edinburgh, at the ensuing ses-
sion. Principal Lee is to undertake the duty Icor the learned
pryteeser.