Year: 1873

evidence of rascality sufficient to hang
man. There were present, perhaps,
two .-or three dozen of them ready to
pick out any mans eyes but. I could
not discern the prey. There is prey, no
doubt, as the profession thrives and
wears jewelry. But the betting-ring on
the Melbourne raee-course will hurt no
one who does not expressly seek It's
precincts. - -


On the following day there was a. great
hunt breakfast, or luncheon, and the
opening meet of the season with the
Melbourne stag-hounds. Of othersports,
I practically know nothing. In regard
to hunting, I have for many years been
striving to do something. 50 much was
known of me by certain kind friends,
and I was therefore invited to the enter
tainment and provided with horse, as
to which I 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, I might see a good deal of the
run. L 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 I thought, also, that my in
formant in respect to tBg little horse.
though Individually veracious in inten-
tion, might probably be mistaken in his
information, never having ridden the
horse himself. Wishing to return once
more to England so that might publish
Gny book, resolved that discretion would
be, on this occasion, the better. part of
valor, and that I would save my neck at
the expense of the i'll opinion Of the
Melbourne hunting-feld. ld.-


Such a hUnt-banquet I never saw be-
fore. The spot was some eight or ten
miles from Melbourne, close upon the
sea-shore, and with a railway-station
within quarter of a mile. It was a
magnificent day for q picnic, with a
bright sun and a cool air, so that the
temptations to come, over and beyond
that of hunting, were great. About two
hundred men were assembled in tent
pitched behind the house of the master
of the festival, of whom, perhaps,
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 a viO-
lent clatter Of knives and forks for about
half an hour. At about two we were
out on a common, smoking our cigars in
front of the house, and remained there
talking to the ladies in carriages TIL
nearly three, when We started. I found
the horse provided for me to bel stout,
casily-ridden, well-bitted cob but when
[ remembered what posts and rails were
in this country, I certainly thought that
he was very small. No doubt discretion
would be the better part of valor
With such a crowd of horses as I saw
around me, there would probably be
many discreet besides myself, so that I
might attain decent obscurity amid a
multitude. had not bedizened myself
in a scarlet coat.


We were upon a heath, and I calcu-
lated that there were present about two
hundred and fifty horsemen. There was
a fair sprinkIing 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 at
home. 1t is not good that every body
should be told what covert is to be drawn
first; and even with stag-hounds the
officials of the pack viii not always
answer with full veracity every question
put to them by every stranger. On
this occasion there seemed to be con
siderable mystery. No one seemed to
know where we were going to begin,
and there was a doubt as to the quarry
to be chased. I had been told that we
were to hunt q dingo, or wild-dOg and
there was evidently a general opinion
that turning down a dingo-shaking
him, 1 suppose, out of a bag-was good
and genuine sport. We do not like
bagged foxes at home but fancy they
are unpopular chiefly because they viii
never run. If a diango will run, I
do not see why he should not be
turned down as well as a deer out of a
cart. But on this occasion I heard
whispers about-a drag. The assevera-
tions about the dingo were. however,
louder than the whispers about a drag,
and I went on. believing that the hounds
wOull be put upon the trail of the
animal. We rode for some three or four
miles over heathIand, nobody around
me seeming to be in the least aware
when the thing would commence. The
huntsman was Grabbed and uncommuni-
cative. The master was soft as satan,
but as impregnable IS plate armOr. I
asked no questions myself, knowing that
time viii "unravel most things; but
heard questions asked, the answers to


which gave no information whatever.
At last the hounds began to stir among
the high heather, and were hunting
something. I cared little what it was,
if only their might be no posts or rails
in that country. 1 like to go, but I
don't like to break my neck; and be-
tween the two, 1 was uncomfortable.
The last fences I had seen were all wire,
and I was sure that a drag would not be
LII H., D. ..Ir.rr-