The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-15

While to art lovers throughout Tho
world the loss Of Princess Charlotte
OF EhSiand's portrait by Sir Thomas
Lawrence, the acknowledged master
80 VI an ms paintings, in the fire
OF Abbotsbury, is irreoarable. Tho de-
struction Of that beautiful seaside
residence of the Earls of leicester IS,
subject OF poignant regret to all
thosc who have ever visited this mar
,icularly stately, historic and interest
ing castle. portions of which date
BACK TO the reign OF the Danish King
CaHute' that is to say, prior to the
Norman Conquest. Abbotsbury is in
the neighborhood OF Dorchester and
stood until last week in 1one,y gran
deur almost on the seashorc. washed
By the waters of the English Channel
and facing n narrow salt water estu-
airy known the Fleet. rs lis na1ne
implies. it was formerly an important
monastery. the residence of all abbot
or great power and influence
It's swannerieS and duck dccovs
| were already celebrated more than a
thousand years ago The swannery is
J indeed. the largest and mos. ancient
! In Europe, and there arc Invariably
some two or three thousand OF these
| beautiful birds. with their snow whit
! plumes. to be found there at complete
/ liberty. roaming and swimming about
/ just as tneN IKE. i nGN are Dorm
! fighters, and during the breeding sea
son not day passes without Homeric
battles between the males. Indeed.
the lighting is almost continual dur
| ing that period. They ara l;ncal de-
| scendants OF the swans which flourish
| ed there in the reign of King Canute
| and in the wars that have devastated
! England at various times throughout
| the last ten centuries. they have
never been disturbed
From time inmemorial Thc swan
has been regarded as a royal bird. and
no one has been permitted 10 keep
them without a special license from
the crown. By the terms OF this license
each swan must bear the particular
mark Of its owner, cut on its bill, and
these marks. few in number. are reg
istered with the Kings swan master
VINO is a member of the royal houSe-
hold The swan master has the Eight
to conf1scatc, in the name of the crown.
any swan found In Great Britain and
ireland or the adjacent isles which is
not thus marked. The principal own
crs OF swans, besides the King and the
Earls OF Leicester, are the River
Thames Conservancy Board and two
of the oldest OF the colleges OF OK
ford University.
Another feature of Ablotsbury, al
system of duck decoys. and so clever
are the dccoy ducks in leading wild
duck and other wild water fowl
into the wired-in tunnels which
have taken the place of the
| former wickorwork contrivances that
| 500 wild ducks, besides wild geese, etc
arc considered as merely an average
days bag.
The grounds and gardens surround
t,,er f,C Il (
are rendered most picturesque by all
sorts OF tropical vegetation. which
| hourishes there, thanks to the alluvial
soil, the shelter. and above all, the
skill and genius of whole series OF
| generations OF Scotch gardeners. There
Is the finest collection OF tamboos in
Europe, lily -the-valley trees from
| Florida arbutus from tl.e Canary
| Islands. and the Abyssinian banana
with its huge smooth, oily leaves,
! which the natives in that part Of
Africa are said to use instead OF sheets