The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-04
ENGLAND.'

Fashionable Life as 1t Is-Pigeom Shooting mt
Hurlinshnm-The Prince of Wales and His
Compani0ns-The Lady eLO0lers.On ,'--The
Betting Men-Cruelty OF the Sport-Esnd Of
the Ascot Weck-Return Of the Prince Of
Wales TO London-Cnri0us Custom of His
Court.
LONDON, June 20, 1870.
Have you ever been in England? Yes several
| times. Have you ever been at Hurllnghams Never.
Then by your leave We will go there together to-day
The English 'swel-that Is, the English male Delng
or the upper ten thousand--has many faul,s, not
| few OF which have been from time to time chronl-
ced in these letters to the HERALD. But he has also
his virtues; and chief among these, as | hold IT, Is
| intense love for everything like field sports.
In fact, no man may now pretend to
| be a "swelln even OF minor degree with
out being able to ride to hounds more or
less well; without being able at any rate to talk Of
the science of yachting, and without having some
annual practice In the art Of shooting 1t Is to this
latter category Of his amusements that propose to
con6ne these remarks Today; for birmingham is the
headquarters OF pigeon shooting and to Hurting
ham we are going this hot forenoon. Mind don't
approve OF the sport or pigeon shooting In all Its
details; but we must take the world we ind II,
and birmingham is only part OF that world, which
shall endeayor TO describe TO your readers.
READY
We are, let us suppose, in the drive OF Hyde Park
little before two O'Clock, the luncheon hour that
disperses one and all Of the fashionable crowd on
horseback and in carriages, to seek that refresh
ment which Is really an early dinner, but which
they elect to call by the name of "uncheOn.n Just
before the general breakup takes place You will
observe mail phaeton, driven by young man clad
in % light-colored Ovcrcoat and "wde-awke,v
or pot" hat. BY his side Is younger man,
similarly Clad and on the rumble behind is third
gentleman, dressed In exactly the same way, who
shares the seat with very solemn looking groom.
The turnout draws up for few minutes at the en-
trance OF Rotten Row, and the driver calls TO two
or three Of the fashionable crowd, who join him,
laugh and talk with him, and seem to enjoy vastly
tale which the gentleman behind is telling
them ALL After few minutes the ''trap" starts or
towards KensngtOn at q rapid pace and, If you
please we will follow it.
The driver Of that phaeton is the Prince OF Wales:
the gentleman sitting by his side Is Lord Carrngton
and the CHEEKY, laughing swell in the rumble be-
hind IL the Marquis OF Bandlord, eldes; son Of the
Duke OF Marlborough, and these two young noble
men are among the chosen companions and friends
OF the Prince OF Wales. They are bound To iur.
nghaIn, and there, as said before we viii follow
them.
THE DRIVE.
On through Hyde Park as far a. Princes Gate, n
sharp turn TO The left, and then down TO Bromptol
Through thus suburb Of London, which IL now, In
oner turn ana we are almost free of houses. A
little further on and we turn into the gates OF an
estate which surrounds the house and which forms
the grounds OF Nottingham. 1t Is Saturdays
great day for the meeting here, because that day
neither OF the houses Of Parliament hold any sitting
Do you that multitude OF drays phactOus, ''vic
torins,n broughams and other cOnveyances, all Of
which have their horses taken out OF themy These
have brought down to birmingham the two hundred
ladies that you see sitting ont the lawn and The
three four hundred gentlemen who have come
doIn either to take part IN or to see the SPORT
1t is luncheon time, for high or low rich or DOOR
upper ten or lower million. Your Euglishnan must
general table for the midday meal. Parties OF four,
six, eight, ten more formed, each taking It's
own table. birmingham is vast ana very excu-
sive club. To belong 10 that club wIio
the cream OF the cream need aspire Every member |
can bring down u lady friend, and on certain occa
si0ns he may also introduce a male acquaintance.
Whatever they consume he pays for The club l.
formed Tor pigeon shooting, and pigeon shooting is
eating has also lis place. The cook Of
the club is Frenchman, who receives
that can be procured for love or money. And when
the weather Is line, as 1t IL to-day there IL no
peasanter way of passing an afternoon tnan by
going To ilurlingham 10 eat your lunch in those
pleasant grounds abuitng down 10 the river seeing
that wonderful assembly or well-borr weldressed,
goodoOkng women, and afterwards If you don't
mind the cruelty of the sport, witnessing tic shoot.
Ing at pigeons which IL going OIL. To-day there Is
the annual match between twelve members OF tie
House Of Lords and a many members OF the House
OF commons, which we Will, as our French negnDogs
say, assist at presently.
SOCIETY
Luncheon is going on, has gone on, is nearly over.
How those misunderstanding women do eat al this
NEAL 10 rs true that II Is really the only substantial
meal that they eat IN the twenty-four hours, more
particularly In London For At breakfast lady who
has been dancing al hight ana ne VINO only got 70 ba
things. The eight p. NJ. dinner, too, having Deen
preceded by five p. NJ. tea, 10 say nothing OF The
two y. NJ luncheon s q mere matter or form. lot
the luncheon. The natural appetite here reas-
sures scJ, and great u Inc eoRsumplDp Of solids,