The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-09 00:00:00

OTTER HUNTING.

Not one of the numerous field sports of Great
Britain has fallen into more general decay and dis•

repute than that of otter-hunting. Yet the sport
existed in great popularity in very early times, and
he pursuit of the animal was an attraction as much
on account of the excitement it afforded as for the
prize the otter offered to the pursuer from the value
of its fur. The beaver tribe, too, though by no
means so common, was hunted on a similar account ;
but the scarcity of this race appears to have been
remarkable from an even earlier period, and these
animals could never in consequence have been
popular among primitive sportsmen.
Of the beaver Mr. Daniels says—" The latest ac-
count of the beaver is A.D. 1188, at which time it was
only to be found at the river Teivi ; but it is pre-
sumed beavers were very scarce in much earlier periods
as by the laws of Bowel Dha, about the year 942,
the price of a beaver's skin was fixed at 120 pence,
in those days a very large sum." The annually de-
creasing number of otter-hunters is, however, at-
tributable to other causes. And this appears all the
more extraordinary when the excitement and inte-
rest that attach to the sport, are duly considered.
Commencing, too, as it does, at the end of the legi-
timate hunting season, one would have imagined
that it might have acquired universal popularity, as
bridging over the dulness of the time that intervenes
between the close and re-opening of the fox and
hare-hunting campaign.

But, on the contrary, into so great decay has it
been suffered to fall as a generally recognised branch
of sport, that the old original otterhound has grown
or is growing gradually extinct. Of the scarcity of

the breed of the otter itself, no doubt can exist ; and
it is a fact that many of the younger sportsmen of the
present day, have never seen one except as a stuffed
specimen in a preserver's shop window. How dif-
ferent from former times when the ardent admirers
of otter-hunting donned a regular and fitting cos-
tume, and sallied forth upon their favourite diver-
sion. " The otter-hunter's vest or green dress was
either bordered or turned up with red. A cap of
fur, with a gold band was worn, and by a few it was
surmounted with a small dyed ostrich feather.
Waterproof boots, which reached to the fork, were
then frequent and are still used, but were then
graced by the exquisites of that day with gold or red
tassels. Occasionally a whole village, or even town-
ship united, with weapon in band of every kind.
Dogs of every variety were also employed, and the
whole rather resembled a conspiracy than a hunt."
Such was the ancient order of things, when the

sport was at the zenith of its popularity. It can
scarcely be urged that the true reason of the de-
crease of the otter tribe has arisen from the fact
that his voracity, and destruction of fish have led to
his well nigh extinction. The sport, wherever we
have witnessed it, has had its promptings from no
such considerations, and it has for the most part
been in localities, where the preservation of fish has
been of the most utter importance. In Devonshire
and Cornwall the sport is pursued with considerable
vigour ; and during the past season, Mr. Trelawny
has had some capital days on the rivers that inters-
sperse his country. In the neighbourhood of Ply-
mouth especially, and on the "SylvanPlym" has the
sport been on several occasions excellent ; so much
so, indeed, that it presents a favourable contrast to
the qualified success that has attended the fox-
hunting campaign.
Mr. Newton, of Bridestowe, is another enthusi-
astic otter-hunter, and his performances with the
" long pole" over Dartmoor have often caused de-
light to all who have been sufficiently interested to