The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-11-15
From the London Examiner.
II HE d Err Mt.


The Spanish Queens presence at bull fgh. was
lately the subject of much animadversion in our news
papers They are now recounting the slaughter of
some fifty deer for the especial entertainment of our
Queen This royal paslime was called hunt, bu:
the butchers slaughter Of sheep and calves ight as
properly be called sheep unit, or u calf hunt The
deer wei driven into enclosure penned up to be
shot at by Prince Albert and few other amateurs,
who were two hours alb out the dull disgusting mas
sacre, during all which time her Majesty with her re
male attendants graciously looked on.
The Chronicle gives this account of the barbarities
Of the scene
"It a deer baiiue and horrible as are similar
proceedings in preserves at home, where hundreds of
Pheasants and pnrtridges die in forenoon to make
an English holiday there was something still worse
about this Wholesale slaughter Preserves are not
fenced il by nets and canvass, Pheasans can fy,
and hares rum and both have at least some slen-
der chance of escape; but in the deer battue the an
nimals were doomed TO death with almost perfect
certainty as are sheep penned up in the pens of Smith
field.
Her majesty left Goha be,imes TO witness the sport
calling for few moments at Reinafsbrunn, and az
terwards proceeded stragh to the scene Of action.
Imagine some three or four OF healthy table
landnot quite table either for part of it soped con-
sideraby-the whole grown with scrubby young frs
and purple heather. This space strongly enclos-
ed by Of stout and nets, stretched up
poles some six or eight feet high These derences
formed three sides OF squares the fourth was open
TO the forest, but guarded by living fence of chas-
and drivers, the former in semmililary array
with cooked hats and feathers short swords by their
sides, and white in their hands They were
4 in fact snecins oc IF he
MES, the conductors of the pedantry of the hunt In
The Of the raedin space there was constructed
species OF circular sylvan bower or arbor the pillars
wreathed with moss heather, and decorated with
stag horns-,he building might have passed FOR
temple Of St. Hubert but tho worthy saint would
never have patronized the proceedings of the day.
However that may be- her Majesty, the regning
Duchess. and the Queen Of the Belgians, took up
their places within it. King Leopold, Prince Albert,
Duke Ferdinand Of Coburg and the Prince Of Lcnin-
gen remained in sort of outer colonnade, which ran
round it. In group at a little distance, both parties
attended by numerous chnsseurs, stood the other
sporlsmen including the reignng Duke, s. mos, oc the
gentlemen OF the suite
On every hand, around the enclosed space, rose
endless wlds of pine Forests the eye sometimes ganc
ing between their openings on the distant fiat coun-
try; and Immediately overlooking the deer sayers,
rose steep ascent, overgrown within brushwood, on
which were stationed some hundreds of peasanry-
men and women-enger spectators Of the beasts kill
ed, and The killers Of the beasts.
From among them, then, you looked down on the
fatal table-land ,hemmed in by white line of net and
canvass, the circular bower in the midst and the
dark group Of sporsmen little distance. Pres
emily you observed one, then two then a whole herd
Of deer running wildly about within the deadly square,
Sometimes the line of chasseurs and beaters retired
within the forest and presently you heard their shouts,
they returned driving fresh victims before them
Round and round hither and hither, leapng franti-
cally through the underwood, rushed the wretched
animals. Every and then the crack of rifle
rang sharpy,an a flying deer rolled struggling amid
the bushes or the blood came its fanks and the
graceful bound converted into an ugonized leap.
Again the herd ,maddened by The firing and the shouts
and hoarse horns orthe drivers, rushed close by the
pavilion, the other staton-a rafting fusiIlade
cracked FORTH one or noble stays leaped high in
to the air and fell dead; others struggled madly amid
the fern and heath rolling their tanks, then bound
ing only to reel and stagge, and sink in furious
commissions. Again and again all this took place.
Hardly shot fred until the muzzle of the rifle
was within some ten or fifteen PAGES, the very fur
theSt, oil Inc very creatures 10 De DutcUereu lney
swept backwards and forwards in the maddes terror;
there was no escape, chance, from corner to
ner from side to side, and still the IMPLYING rifles
fred, and down went the quarry before the speeding
lead Once and once only noble stag broke through
the rank of chasseurs, and escaped. That the
best sight of the day. joyous shout burstal heart
felt, from the group round me-n honest good cheer,
the hard pressed beast suddenly charged the line
ofhunters. Slaves, cudgels, all such weapons were
directed against it, For moment the beast uwerved
then recovered-there was u hush-a noble bound
the brave huntsmen quailed before the excited
creaure-their line FOR instant broken, and in
the the gallant deer safe in the depths Of the
woods Not such was the fate Of another In a mo.
menary pause ofthe firing it trottcd up within ten
yards of the pavilion, stopped, and looked wistfuy
towards its inmates; rife cracked and the creature
sunk motionless the earlh-,he aim had been sure
4 one.