The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-04

Governor Walker, and which already threatens
so imminently the dissolution of the Northern
democracy. Let us have the dinner.
Wild sports or the West-Foreign Nimrods on
Our American Hunting Grounds.
We published recently, in letter from the
Platte river, an account of the exploits of Sir
George Gore, the well known Irish sportsman,
who has spent the last three years out West in
the pursuit of game. The amount which he
has dragged" during that time must have been
enormous, seeing that the returns Of one season
alone reached the almost incredible aggregate
of 5000 animals none of which were smaller
than the antelope. 1t is to be presumed, how
ever that, great shot as be is, Sir Georges sin
gle arm did not accomplish this wholesale work
of destruction, as he was accompanied by suite
of about fifty persons, whose various occupa-
tons were intended to minister to his comforts,
but who probably all bore their share in their
masters amusements and dangers
The Irish and Scotch have always been hardy
and enterprising sportsmen, and have not, like
the English contented themselves with such
ignoble game as the hare or the ordinary field
birds Deer stalking, fox hunting and steeple
chasing attest their love for the more perlous
descriptions of sport. 1t is true that stag hunt
ing was, in the course of the last half CEN
tury partially revived in England through
Regent, and even now we believe
pack of buck hounds is kept in the neighbor-
hood of Windsor. The English nobility, how
ever, do not seem in modern times to have scot
toned" to the sport, and with the exception of
the Earl of Derby, grandfather to the present
Earl, Earl Berkeley, Earl Fitzhardinge, and one
or two others, we do not recoliect any other
English proprietors of staghounds in our day.
Most Of these packs have been broken up, and
now, we believe, with the exception of one
kept by Baron Rothschld in the neighborhooI
of Aylesbury there is no regularly constituted
private kennel of these hounds in any part of
England.
Deer stalking in the Highlands of Scotland
and in the Killarney mountains is STILL and al
ways will be, the favorite amusement of the
Scotch and Irish gentry. Fox hunting and the
steeple chase are also as much in vogue IA ever
amongst them. With the Gaelic and Celtic
races, indeed, the passion for wild sports is
taste impossible to overcome. This ardent love
of the chase even leads them to other
and distant lands in quest of game
more formidable and adventures more
exciting than those which they are accustomed
to in their own country. Africa, India, and
our own western regions have each in turn fur
u;shad hupfipv froUh;ao and thav,ao for ho,l,s
to these bold sportsmen.
1t is now about thirty years since the glowing
pictures of backwoods and prairie scenery IA
miliarized to them by the works of our novel
lists, and the more technical but reliable descrip
tons of Wilson, Audubon, Bonaparte, and other
naturalists-frst attracted to our shores the
titled Nimrods of the Old Country. The part
the perils and hairbreadth escapes of Fremont
in his explorations in the Rocky Mountains,
must still be fresh in the recollection of our
readers Since his time we have had numerous
other scions of nobility amongst us, attracted
by the same inducements. Seven years ago
son of Earl Fitzwillam. who recently, we be-
lieve succeeded to his fathers title, came over
with large party of English sportsmen to en-
joy the pleasures of the chase amongst the wild
deer and buffalo herds of the West We
are occasionally favored, too, with the visits of
sportsmen of another kind-genuine cockneys-
who are betrayed into sad mistakes by their
ignorance of the country, its distances and its
local peculiarities in respect to game. II is
not long since Londoner landed here with the
idea of hunting the buffalo in the neighborhood
of New York His look of blank dismay may
be imagined when he was informed that If he
ambtioned game of this sort he would have to
go thousand miles further for it,
There is no doubt that IL the experiment of
which the Leviathan steamer-the Great East
ern-is the first essay, should prove successful,
we shall be inundated with visiters of the Cor
don Cumming aud Sir George Gore school.
The more the better say we for these men have
large incomes, bring numerous suites with
them, and scatter money profusely wherever
they GO. In gratifying their own tastes they
will help to carry out the work of civiliza-
ton on our frontiers by the destruction OF
beasts of prey. and by the refining influence Of
their manners But there is also another and
more numerous class ofsportsmen, like our green
friend above referred to- who will be induced
by these increased facilities Of communication
to pay us periodical visits. We allude to the
disciples Of the great master Of the piscatory
art or a. Lord Byron describes him
1lat quaint old coxcomh, who In his gulet
should have hook ami 4 small trout 20 uat
To these cur rivers aud lakes viii furnish
incxhaustiblc sources OF amuaelsen'. They will
find In them varieties of fish that are novel TO
them, and which will try thci! skill with the
linr and The hook. Those who are expert with