Year: 1873




ly to each other, which nobody ever
seemed to accept. ] am bound to say
that the Melbourne ring looked to be as
villaneous as any other ring that / ever
saw. The men wore the same objection
able clothing, were conspicuous i'll the
same manner for indescribably abomina-
BILE hats, and talked in that tone which,
to ordinary ears, seems to be in itself
evidence of rascality sufficient to hang a
man. There were present, perhaps,
two or three dozen of them ready to
pick out any mans eyes; but | could
not discern the prey. There is prey, no
doubt, as the profession thrives and
wears jewelry. But the betting-ring on
the Melbourne race-course will hurt no
one who does not expressly seek its
precincts


On the following day there was a great
hunt breakfast, or luncheon, and the
opening meet of the season with the
Melbourne stag g-hounds. OF Ofothersports,
/ practically know nothing. In regard
to hunting, 1 have for many years been
striving to do something. SO much was
known of me by certain kind friends,
and | was therefore invited to the enter
tainment and provided with horse, as
to which was assured that, though he
was small, he was up to any weight,
could go forever, and jump anything.
The country would be very rough, so
much was acknowledged ; and the fences
very big but it was suggested to me
that, if I would only drink enough
sherry, l might see n good deal of the
run. thought Of my weight, which is
considerable; of my eyesight, which is
imperfect of my inexperience in regard
to timber fences four feet six inches
high which, up to that moment, was
complete / thought, also, that my in
formant in respect to the little horse,
though indubitably veracious in inten-
ton, might probably be mistaken in his
information, never having ridden the
horse himself Wishing to return once
more to England so that [ might publish
my book, resolved that discretion would
be, on this occasion, the better part of
valor and that [ would save my neck at
the expense Of the ill opinion of the
Melbourne hunting-feld.


Such hunt-banquet never saw be-
fore The spot was some eight or ten
miles from Melbourne, close upon the
sca-shore, and with a railway station
within u quarter of n mile. 1t was n
magnificent day for picnic, with n
bright sun and cool air, so that the
temptations to come, over and beyond
that of hunting, were great. About two
hundred men were assembled i'll a tent
| pitched behind the house of the master
of the festival, of whom, perhaps, n
quarter were dressed in scarlet Moth
ing could have been done better, or in
better taste. There was no speaking,
no drinking, so to be called; but n vio-
| lent clatter of knives and forks for about
half an hour AT about two we were
out on common, smoking our cigars in
front of the house, and remained there
talking to the ladies in carriages till
nearly three, when we started. | found
the horse provided for me to be n stout,
easily-ridden, well-bitted cob; but when
| remembered what posts and rails wore
in this country, certainly thought that
he was very small. No doubt discretion
would be the better part of valor
With such q crowd of horses as / saw
around me, there would probably be
many discreet besides myself, so that
might attain decent obscurity amid a
multitude. / had not bedizened myself
in scarlet coat.


We were upon heath, and calcu
lated that there were present about tive
hundred and fifty horsemen. There was
fair sprinkling of ladies, and was re
quested to observe one or two of them
as they would assurdly ride well
There is often little mystery about
especially in the early part of the day
as all men know who ride to hounds a
home. 1t is not good that every body
should be told what covert is to be draw
first; and even with stag-hounds thu
officials of the pack will not Away
answer with full veracity every question
put to them by every stranger. Or
this occasion there seemed to be con
siderable mystery. No one seemed tc
know where we were going to begin,
and there was doubt as to the quarry
to be chased. / had been told that we
were to hunt dingo, or wild.dog and
there was evidently general opinion
that turning down dingo-shakine
him, suppose, out of bag-was good
and genuine sport. We do not like
bagged foxes at home but l fancy they
are unpopular chiefly because they will
never run. If q diango will run,
do not see why he should not b'
, turned down as well as deer out of (
, cart. But OH this occasion / heart
whispers about-a drag. The assevera
| tions about the dingo we're, however
| louder than the whispers about drag
, and 1 went on, believing that the hounds
, | nor1 I ba mt unon the trail OF the