The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-24 00:00:00

THE MOORS AND FORESTS.

We are now in a position, says the Inverness
Courier of Thursday, to speak more definitely of
the state of the moors in the Highlands. 'The re-
ports are very contradictory, but in a great many
cases the shootings have turned out so unmistake-
ably bad that it is impossible to avoid the conclusion
that on such grounds, the birds ought to have a ju-
bilee. We do not remember a season in which so
many shootings have been summarily abandoned,
and in which there have been so many demands for
a reduction of rent. But it would be quite, unfair to
say that all the moors, or even a large proportion of
them, are barren of game. On the contrary, the
failures are the exception, and in the majority of
cases birds are reasonably abundant, and never were
in better condition. Last year was a most disastrous
one for the young broods, and birth were left so
weak and sickly that great execution was done
among them, not by sportsmen only, but also by
vermin and disease. This left the breeding steel;
short all over the north, but where the winter and
spring were favourable, they have recovered in a
very remarkable manner, the young broods being
large and healthy. It was probably this circum-
stance that in spring gave rise to such favourable
reports of the prospects of the season, for nests of
10 or 12 healthy birds, or even 14, as they were
sometimes found, gave the best assurance we could
have looked for of a good season. When the early
months of the year were unfavourable, on the high
shootings and exposed districts, the birds have
not turned out well, and there is an extraordinary
deficiency in their number, which can be remedied
only by calling off the sportsmen for a season or
two. Those who have been so fortunate as to se-
cure well-stocked moors are now enjoying good
sport. The weather, with the exception of two days
at the end of last week, has been propitious, though
rather hot. Notwithstanding the complaints natu-
rally made by those who have been disappointed in
their moors, there is still a demand -for shootings,
and we believe we speak within' bounds when" we .
say that not one in ten of the applicants have been
able to procure grounds in the Highlands.
We continue the result of the shootings, derived
in almost every instance from the best authority :
—At Hohne' Mr. Dunbar bagged 25 brace of
grouse. At Knockie, • Col. Adair, and Mr. Hugh
Adair, M.P., shot 20 brace of grouse and 4 hares
on the 12th, and 10 brace of grouse, 9 hares, and 2
ducks on the 13th. The party hero found the birds
large and very strong, wild for the 12th August,
and not a cheeper" seen all day. Mr. Murray,
at Garve, 18 brace • Col. Inglis, of Kingsmills, and
Mr. W. Inglis, at linnean, 12 brace ; Mr. W. Mor-
ris, Mr. N. Morris, and Mr. W. Fry, at Moy Beg,
64 brace on the 12th and 61 on the 13the At Cawdor
Lord Etniern shot 14 brace ; at Elgin Dr. M'Lean and
,Captain Dunbar, 481 brace ; at Culloden, Sir H.
Vane, Mr. Trafford, and Mr. Eden, shot 30 brace ;
at Lanes and Inverenie, Mr. J. B. Baillie, 13 brace;
at• Tulchen, Mr. R. W. Williams, 25 brace on the
12th, and 35 brace on the 17th. Mr. Williams re-
ports the birds scarce in his distiict. " The moors
require rest and a jubilee after last year's severe
epidemic." At Rosehall, Mr. R. S. Holford, and
the Hon. E. Jervis, bagged 494 brace ' • at Brae-
more, Dunbeath, Mr. Birkbeck and party (4 guns)
shot 85 brace ; Mr. Blake, at Nairnside, 10 brace ;
Mr. Wood, at Banchor; 11 brace ; Mr. Shaw, at
Newhall, 13 brace ; at Glentruim, Major C. Ren-
ton bagged 211 brace grouse and 4 hares ; and Mr.
Gillon, 35 brace and 4 bares. Covies were scarce
but good—" a wonderful falling off since 1853."
Mr. Ruxton, at Aldourie, 10 brace; at Erchless Cas-
tle, on thel2th, Mr. G. Smyth and friendsbagged 20
brace grouse, 6 hares; on 13th the Hon. Mr. Irby
shot a stag ; on the 14th Mr. Smyth and friends
shot 30 brace of grouse. The Earl of Seafield shot
13 brace of grouse'at Balmacaan, and on the 17th
one of the piety shot a fine stag. On the 18th
Captain Murray shot a stag, the first of the season,
in the forest of Torrechilty ; the stag weighed up-
wards of 20 stones, and was very fat. At Foyers,
on the 19th, Mr. G. Watt and friends shot 17 brace
of grouse in four hours. Mr. Alexander and Mr.
White killed, at Eskdale, 121 brace on the 17th,
and 15i brace on the 18th ; Mr. Mills and a
friend, at Invereshie, on the 12th, 30 brace ; Mr.
Newell, at Glenlivet, 21 brace, and Mr. Callwell,
471 brace. Grouse quite healthy and pretty nume-
rous. On the Achalibeter moors Messrs. A. IL
Smith and H. W. P. Smith, Olney, bagged 45
brace of grouse on the 12th, and 26t in about four
hours of the 13th. On the Glensheiro moors Mr.
Edwards bagged 10 brace ; Sir L. PilkingtOn, 8
brace. On the moors of Drumochter, Mr. Fenton, '
sen., 15 brace ; Mr. Fenton, jun., 42 brace. The
Laird of Glentrium and Master Gordon Macpher-
son, of Cluny, bagged 151 brace in a- few hours.
On Kingussie moors, Mr. Allaopp and Mr. Boult-
bee bagged 214 brace grouse, 3 plovers, and 4 hares.
On the Dulnan moors, Mr. Barton, Kinrara, bag-
ged 151 brace in five hours, Mr. Anne, S brace.
On the moors of the Doune, Lord A. Russell and
two, gentlemen bagged 30 brace. The party at Carr-
bridge are said to have had comparatively poor
sport. We cannot vouch for the numbers, but we
hear that Mr. Bass, M.P., killed 25 brace of grouse
and 3 hares on the 12th ; 242 brace, 1 hare, and 1
plover on the 13th. Lord Scarsdale on the 12th had
19 brace grouse, 2 hares, and 2 ducks, and on the
13th 141 brace grouse. dr. Hall bagged on the 12th
15/ brace grouse, 41. brace snipes, 4 brace ducks,
and 1 brace curlews ; on the 18th he had 101 brace
grouse. Mr. Lloyd bagged 16i brace grouse and a
hare on the 12th. On the'Rothes hills Dr. Maclean,
Hythehill, Elgin, and Captain Dunbar, yr., of Pit-
gaveney, bagged 52 brace of grouse and 8 hares on
the afternoon of the 12th. Mr. W. Brown, Link-
wood, bagged 12i brace grouse and a hare in three
hours, on the Doncturcas moors. General Sir Geo.
Brown and Major Godfrey Massy, Grant Lodge,
Elgin, were out on the Birnie moors, on the 12th,
and had very good sport. On Achinroath, Mr. J.
Gran, of Glen-Grant, was out for an hour and a
half, bagging 4i brace.
Angling has been comparatively at a stand-still.
The rain on Friday and Saturday swelled the river
only to a trifling degree, as the wind was easterly,
and rain does not seem to have fallen heavily on
the west. The dry weather since has given a check
to angling, but a few fish are still landed by the
rod every day. Mr. Lowe has taken several grilse
with the par tail—a somewhat uncommon circum-
stance on the Ness. Sir James_ Elphinstone, of
Logie Elphinstone, we understand, had some good
sport on Tuesday afternoon, and landed several
grilse and two heavy salmon.
The Stirling Journal reports —The sport during
the week has been most excellent, and greatly above
an average. Mr. Forbes, of Callender, and a party,
including Lord Dunmore, shot about 40 brace, near
Falkirk, while Mr. Home, of Argaty, killed, on
the.l2th, 12 brace. Mr. Bennet had 12 brace on ,
Buttergask, While on the Leckie and Gargonnock
moors the bags have been very good indeed. On
all the grounds in this neighbourhood the birds are
comparatively plentiful and in excellent condition.
The Carlisle Patriot says :—We learn that grouse
are plentiful on the southern and eastern moors of
. this country, and along the Scotch border. The birds
have never, on the whole, been in finer condition.

LLOYD'S SLTIPPING.—(This Day.)

LONDON, Aug. 24.—Wind this day at noon, E • light
breeze and fine.
FALMOUTH, Aug. 20.—Wind calm. Sailed—Hobo, for
Rio Janeiro.
SCILLY, Aug. 21. —Wind S. E.—Sailed—Florence Night-
ingale, for Cape of Good Hope.
CARDIFF, Aug. 22.—Wind N.E.--Sailed— Margaretta,
for Calcutta; Hope, Cape of Good Hope.
PORTSMOUTH, Aug. 23.—Wind E. S. E. —Arrived—Ma-
tibia Atheling, from London for Botob
QUEENSTOWN, Aug. 22.—Wind N.—Arlivad—South-
a mpton, from London for Bombay. Sailed—Bona Den,
for Rio Janeiro.
SHIELDS, Aug. 23.—Wind E.—Sailed—Victoria Reed,
for New York.
SWANSEA, Aug. 23.—Wind S.S. W.—Sailed—Roebuck,
for Caldera ; Sophie Elizabeth, Rio Janeiro; Staines
Castle, Cuba; Devonport, Quebec.
DUBLIN, Aug. 23.—Arrived—Ganges, from Mira-
micbi.
BELFAST, Aug. 22.—Wind E.—Arrived—John Baring,
for Quebec.
HARTLEPOOL, Aug. 23.—Arrived—Equity, from Mira-
miohi.
COPENHAGEN, Aug. 20.—The Yarborough (s.), from
Hull for Cronstadt, struck the ground, and has broken her
screw, and makes no water.

(PER ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Month y, 10 a.m.

Wind S.S.E. ; fine.
Arrived—Argyll, steamer, from Carenton ; venus,
Gottenburg ; Eliza Goren, Cardiff; Anne, Newport.
LIVERPOOL, Monday Morning.

E. from Barhadoes •; Ellen, Antwerp;
Arrived—Anna,
Rotterdam ; Middleton, St. John's, New
Brunswick ,
Peiican,
• t Jago, and Corunna.
ste•amWeri'lliani Thomas, Montego Bay ;
City, Point Cheshire
Put Back—Corinthian steamer, having been in colli-
sion.
QUEENSTOWN, Aug. 22.
Wind E.
Arrived—Elizabeth Blown, from Taganrog; Southamp-
ton, London for Bombay.
Paused—Celeste, from Liverpool for Quebec.
Wind E.S E. WATERFORD, Aug. 22.
Arrived— Johanna, from Ismail.
(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)

GRAVESEND, Monday, 9.30 a.m.
Wind E., tide last hour's ebb ' • weather filie.
Arrived , 23d- —A n a giena, from Amsterdam ; SP] ing Rico
Dunkirk ; Canton, Rotterdam.
Arrived, 24th—Henry Gillisuie; from Gaucher Bay..
Sailed, 231—Harrow by for Hobart Tows.
Sailed, 24th—Lawerzeo, for Buenos Ayres.
DEAL, Monday, 9 a.m.

Wind E.S.E. ; moderate. _
Pissed in tow.—llemitope, French ship, from westward,
for London.
Passed—George Canning, from London; for Otago,