The New York herald., 1879-01-05

although this is the land of the vine ell wine is
beastly compared with what you drink In England.
RIvALRRs AMONG COLONIES.
So you have racing in Pau. and lawn tennis and
riding with hounds Pigeon shooting has huttered
over to Nice, which IL more hashy place than Pau.
Your true Englishman is fond OF taking sides that
the colonsts have rvalries. Nice colonist will tell
you tha. Pan is oldfashioned humdrum place
frcqucnted by old and Puseyites,
aud halfpay officers. where people play crib
bagc, aud smoke pipes. and go to bed at
nine o'clock. and read through the debates in the
Tmes. and retire without bathing their feet in
mustard and water. The Pan colonst will tell you
that Nicc is cadesh hole. that the residents
have been blackballed their club for cheating at
cards and had to leave home that the only auiuse-
ment Is gambling and that no person who any
one at home or valued his good name wonld be seen
in such a place-that il is tho Cremorne Garden Of
Europe all frvolity and dissipation. The fact that
there is Pau hunt--that real hounds here and
after real foxes--givcs Pau a prestige. for
hunting is tho amusement of the English
gentleman. Of the typical John Bull who believes in
Church Queen. 1t has its literature and its laws
and its antiquity, without which in England nothing
be respectable. A man who ride well to
hounds is something like the person of bad name
who always touched his hat when he passed church,
and who. according to Dr. Johnson. was surely a
man of good principles. When Kinglake sums up all
the damnatory points in the of Louis Napo
leon he rederming point in the fact that he
rode fairly to hounds. suppose nothing illustrates
the passion more than the trait which Fielding as
cribes to Squire Western, who, when in hot pursuit
of his daughter could not resist the cry OF the pass
ing hounds, but joined in tho hunt and came in at
the death.
PAU HUNT.
The Pau hunt is under the mastershp of the Earl
of Howth. This gentleman comes to Pau for reasons
OF health and has taken the nastership to he great
satisfaction Of all the residents. Lord Howth has
presented packs of hounds to the hunt and gives
great attention to all the details Of the meeting The
presence in Pau OF 50 distinguished nobleman.
famous for his intelligent interest in manly sports,
has added greatly TO the value of the hunt.
There are several Americans who have given
their adhesion TO the hunt. and who giving
America an enviabie fame country OF hard and
good horsemen. Thomas Burgess, of Boston. is
here and is celebrated among the hunters as brave.
bold rider. Mr.. Burgess thinks of taking hunting
seat in Lecestershre next winter. Daniel Torrance,
of New York. is always seen in scarlet and generally
among the first at the DEATH DR.. Parks, of Boston.
is among the enthusiastic lovers of the hunt The
Doctor was the companion of General Grant
his days ride to the hounds. William
p. Douglas, so well known in New York
one of the most fearless and enthusiastic of sports
men--frst in every movement to advance manly
sports, has been staying here few days. Although
Mr.. Douglas is not member of the hunt, lie las
been out with the hounds at every meet One day
he managed to have two falls in single and
fortunate enough to be in at the death. He leaves
Pau for a short visit to Lcicestershire. when he
will, hope. have some good sport in the shires.
PAU AS A HUNTING COUNTRY.
What makes Pau difficult hunting place is that
The agricultural necessities various and min
ute that tell when he takes to the fields
where or when he may strike a ditch. There in
Vulnerable obstacles, severe obstacles for the hun
ter--a great deal Of bank jumping. The checouz de
pays are skilled in this and they frequently have in
cidents of amusing but, am glad TO say. not
yet Of a serious kind. Sometimes haf-dozen rider
less horses will be csreerng their own hook.
The horses for hunting and especially for such
country Pau the Irish hunters there is bank
hunting in Ireland a. here. The coming of General
Grant to Pau welcomed by the hunt. aud meet
was arranged to dc him nonor. good deal had
been heard Of the Generals horsemanship and people
were .curious to SEP show he would follow the
hounds. A Severe fr6st prevented the meeting and
the General missed what would have been the most
brilliant turnout OF the season. He attended Que
hunt. however-the one that took place the day of
his arrival and after witnessing the start rode around
to the finish As the route had been made by bag
there was trouble In being in at the death. The
General had never taken part in hunt-had. be-
lieve, never seen In his earlier days hunting
was not the fashion at home. He amused and
interested. One of his friends asked him
how he would like ride the coun-
try "wen" he said ''I would not care to jump
all those bitches and fences but suppose if was in
the hunt could not resist the temptation. When
I IN MT ~ for no
pose of finding bit of wall fence merely for the
pleasure OF jumping it. do not know how il would
be now crossing the country. suppose would go
with the rest He interested in the intelligence
shown by the horses, who before leaping n fence
would look over ana see wha. was beyond. think
the General would have initiated Squire Western and
followed tho cry had he been well mounted. As it
was lie rode to the finish. The finish easy
one as the fox when freed from his bag. instead of
making tracks for the Pyrenees. as it would have
been wise for him have DONE quietly slipped into
hole and waited for the hounds to drag him out.
suppose the animal had become dsheartened with
his bag treatment. and. not knowing the country.
preferred to his fate in the fields rather than
incur one equally terribl, in the hills.
FROSTY
am afraid have not seen hunt at its best, even
in Pau but the meeting at Morlcs worth seeing.
The hour for the hunt noon, but afterward
changed to one O'Clock. rs to allow the full
play upon the frosty ground. In the morning. as
walked around the castle. tho ground hard and
resonant. I took counsel with my Swiss mentor.
would there be n hunt or not?' found that my
friend had great confidence in Lord Howl and If his
Lorlshp had fixed on hunt. it was pretty sure TO
come of. Then he had private information. 1t is
due to my Swiss friend to say that his ideas Of fox
hunting were hszy and that lie believed that most
Englishmcn carried foxes with them as part their
rctnuc and that all that his Lordship had to do. in
an emergency. to hand a fox out Of his saddle
bags and throw IL among the hounds. At noon
started for the meet 1t very cold. and a keen
wind came down from the Pyrenees. On way out
the question always was would there be hunt
The attendance quite large. but not large
would have been had the ground been free from frost.