reach. The commander-in-chief of those game-preservers, hired for the nones at half-a-crown a head, was as great a poacher as any in the country; but by some means or other had contrived to get himself appointed keeper for the moors then rented by. The principal places which afford accommodation to gentlemen in the district above noticed are Muker, towards the head of Swaledale; Reeth; and Bowes. A few years ago there used to be a convenient public-house at Tanhill, which could accommodate one or two gentlemen very well, but the person having been too fond of dealing with poachers, he was deprived of his license. There is still a small public-house at Tanhill-one of the dirtiest in Yorkshire-where the cartmen who came for coals to the pits in the neighbourhood stop to bait. It will, however, afford shelter to the sportsman who happens to be caught in its neighbourhood by a shower of rain, and also a glass of brandy should his flask be empty. As there are one or two subscription moors in the neighbourhood of Bowes, and as Stanemore is a kind of-no-man's-land, a miscellaneous assortment of shooters usually take up their quarters there, and soon thin the adjacent moors; not indeed by killing the grouse-for most of those subscription gentry are rather shakey on pulling the trigger, though no great shakes at a shot-but by frightening them away to other moors which are better preserved, and not so much traversed by bands of irregular infantry.

On the Westmorland moors which adjoin those of Yorkshire, grouse are rather plentiful; and the best place for the sportsman to make his point for is Kirby-Stephen. Shap-fells are famous for grouse; but the moors on which they are most abundant are those of the Earl of Lonsdale's, between Orton and Shap. Orton I consider to be one of the best shooting stations in the county. Several sportsmen establish their quarters at Brough and Appleby during the season, for the sake of shooting on the moors to the northward, bordering on Cumberland and Durham.

In Cumberland the moors which contain the greatest number of grouse, are those which lie within ten miles to the south-west, and north-ward of Aldstone. The Durham and Northumberland moors which adjoin those of Cumberland on the south-east, and north-east are equally well-stocked. There are some good moors in the neighbourhood. of Naworth-castle, the seat of the Earl of Carlisle, though not of very great extent; and the extensive mountainous wastes bordering on Scotland and the south-western parts of Northumberland afford excellent shooting. There are a good many grouse among the hills round Keswick, but as it rains almost incessantly there during the best part of the season, the shooter, who wishes for sport without a heavy drawback of wet days, ought not to make choice of that part of the country. The

best moors in the neighbourhood of Keswick belong to the Earl of Egremont.

In the county of Durham the districts in which grouse are most plentiful, are Teesdale and Weardale. In the former, the best moors are those of the Duke of Cleveland and Mr. Bowes, and the shooters' principal rendezvous is Middleton. In Weardale one of the best places for the sportsman to fix his quarters at, is St. John's-chapel. There is also tolerably good grouse-shooting on the moors between Stanhope and Edmund Byres.

In the south-western parts of Northumberland, the best moors are those belonging to Mr. Beaumont, to the southward and eastward of Allendale, and those of Mr. Ord in the neighbourhood of Whitfield. On Mr. Ord's moors there are a considerable number of black as well as red grouse, and the breed of the former appears likely to increase in that part of the country. The best moors in Northumberland for grouse, both black and red, are those which lie between the river Reed and the borders of Cumberland and Roxburghshire; and the places in that district which afford accommodation to sportsmen are Woodburn, Bellingham, Falstone, Rochester, and Otterburn. The moors rented, believe, by Mw. Bell, Esq.-one of the members for the southern division of Northumberland in the last parliament, and who will, doubtless retain his seat in the next-are well stocked with grouse. They comprise a large part of Hareshaw-common, extending northwards towards Troughend; and his head quarters are the Bay-horse, at Woodburn, a comfortable little house; -The Bay-horse, by the by, which is exhibited as a sign, is a cleverly painted portrait of that once famed north-country racer, Dr. Syntax, presented by Mr. Bell to the landlord. Sir John Swinburn's moors, in the neighbourhood of Mounces, a shooting-box of the worthy Baronet, up North-Tyne, afford capital shooting; but the very best in the county, perhaps in England, are those of the Duke of Northumberland, to the north and westward of Keilder-castle, a sporting residence of the duke's, and immediately adjoining the Scottish border. These moors which for the last three or four years have been very little shot over, abound in grouse which there. find a refuge from the more numerous shooters sporting over the moors adjacent, and breed in quiet in the lonely waste, over which there is no path, and which, except during the shooting-season, is only traversed by the shepherd, or the keeper, who now and then takes a range in spring to look out for hawks which sometimes build near the waterfall on Bell's-burn. It has generally been supposed that where black grouse establish themselves, the red grouse in a few years disappear, being driven away by the new comers, which are much stronger and larger birds. Mr. Dagg, however, the duke's keeper, who has lived at Keilder all his life, says, that neither in

his time nor in that of his father, whom he succeeded, has it been observed that the black grouse, which are there very plentiful, have in the least degree caused a diminution in the numbers of the red. There are a good many grouse on the moors in the neighbourhood of Elsdon, and towards the head of the river Coquet. The Cheviot range of hills, in the neighbourhood of Wooler, also affords tolerably good shooting, though there are not many grouse on the particular hill called Cheviot. I believe that some of the best moors in the latter district are now the property of Mr. Errington, the master of the Melton hounds.

Having now briefly noticed some of the principal moors in the North of England, I shall next beg to offer the grouse-shooter a few hints which perhaps may be of service to him if he has not already obtained his information by experience.

As the best part of the season for grouse-shooting is generally within the period when St. Swithin is dominant, and showers frequent on the hills, the sportsman's shooting jacket ought to be made of woollen cloth which dries better, is much less apt to give cold, and when wet is much less uncomfortable to the feel, than jean, cantoon, fustian, or that stuff which is only fit for a costermonger, velveteen. The skirts ought not to come forward in front like those of a surtout, but should be rounded off like the cucumber cut of a quaker; for the flaps of a curtailed surtoutcommonly called a shooting jacket-are extremely annoying when walking against a brisk wind; flapping against the hands and making all the half-pence rattle in your pocket. If your shooting ground be three miles or upwards from your quarters, never walk if you have the opportunity of riding in a gig or light cart; and remember also to give your dogs the benefit of a ride: both bipeds and quadrupeds are likely to have walking and running enough when following the grouse.

Never carry your gun from your quarters to the shooting ground if you can find any one else to carry it for you. If you are obliged to carry it yourself, carry it shouldered, soldier fashion; the "flat" who carries his gun three or four miles to the moors, horizontally, in his right hand, will feel shakey in that arm for an hour or two after. In carrying your gun, when arrived at your shooting ground, let as little of the weight as possible fall on the right arm-except you be left-handedpoising it evenly on the left, held moderately close to the body as a fulcrum: if in consequence of the arm being fatigued, the finger on the trigger does not instantly answer the eye, the old cock may whistle at you in defiance.

If the early part of the day be very windy, you had better not go out, for in such weather the grouse become restless, and will never lie, but keep constantly shifting their ground. Your appearance on the moors at such a time would only make them more wild and diminish your

NO. LXXV.-VOL. XIII.

chance of sport at another time. Should the wind abate about mid-day, you will be likely to have fair sport between two and five o'clock in the afternoon.

When the heather is wet after rain, the grouse frequently assemble in places where the ground is comparatively bare; and the same in damp misty weather, when they may often be observed in the road or path, if there be one, across the moor.

If you have acquired the bad habit of stretching out your left leg considerably in advance of the right, and of stooping almost double when you take aim, endeavour to correct it as soon as possible: by standing almost upright, with the feet not more than nine inches apart, you will stand both easier and firmer, and be more at liberty to turn in any direction.

Avoid over-charging yourself when on the moors with sandwiches of ham or salt beef, which are liable to create thirst at a time when the shooter is already "too dry"—nothing is so sweet as a rib of roast mutton or lamb on the fells.

Do not be too indulgent to yourself with the brandy-flask; and avoid taking a drop "neat." If you feel continued thirst, wash the mouth frequently with weak brandy and water, occasionally swallowing a thimble-full.

As mists, which you may cut with a knife, are not unfrequent on the moors, a pocket compass will often be found a useful companion.

Sir,

ON CHARGING AND TRYING GUNS.

I BEG leave to offer a few observations, by way of answer, to the inquiries of "TYRO," which appeared in your last number: if you deem them worthy of insertion they are at your service.

With regard to the size of the gun, if the sportsman intends to confine himself to the use of one only throughout the season, gauge 14 is to be preferred, weighing (supposing a double) 7 lb. If single, 12 gauge, weight 63lb. If, however, the shooter be not athletic, or resolves on using two guns, I would recommend, for the early part of the season, 18 gauge, as a trifling difference in weight will be found very agreeable, indeed a great relief, during the heats of August and September; therefore, a double gun, of the bore or calibre just mentioned, should weigh 6 lb.; of a single 6lb. In this case, the 14 gauge should not be used till, with cool weather, the birds have become wild. I am well aware there are sportsmen who object to so narrow a bore, as soon becoming foul, and thus rendering its shooting or use objectionable; but such as have imbibed this notion are unacquainted with the patent wire

.

cartridge, which completely sweeps the barrel every time it is placed over the powder, and keeps it free from lead and all internal foulness. It is a well-ascertained fact, that the shot of the patent cartridge is propelled or driven with such superior force, compared to the loose charge as to render No. 7 in the first case more than equal to No. 6 in the second. There are about the same number of pellets in loz. of No. 7 as in 1oz. of No. 6: and consequently the former would become a very eligible substitute for the latter.

With a 14 gauge 14oz. of No. 6 shot, and from 2 to 3 drams of powder will be found the most affective charge for the early part of the season: the same weights as above, but with shot No. 5 or 4, as the birds gain strength on the wing and become difficult of approach. I am wel! aware many will object to the proportions just mentioned, as containing too much powder, and not enough shot; and who would prefer 1oz. of shot and 2 drams of powder. That at the distance of 40 yards a greater number of pellets would be thrown into a sheet of paper with the latter, I entertain not the least doubt; but then the shot is not driven with sufficient force to kill at long distances, and all sportsmen will admit that many wounded birds get away owing to not being hit hard enough. The 18 gauge should have loz. of shot (a cartridge for the reasons already given being preferable) and 21 drams of powder.

To those who are used to it, an iron target brushed over with white wash saves both time and expense, but the force of the discharge cannot be so accurately ascertained by this method, as by shooting at 24 sheets of paper, stretched open, and nailed to a square wooden frame made to the size of the sheet. At each discharge, the first and last sheets should be removed and others substituted; by which it will be clearly perceived how many pellets struck the first sheet, and the number which perforated the whole. A good 14 gauge gun, with the charge I have described, should, at 40 yards, average 70 pellets through the first sheet, and 30 at least through the whole. The paper to be 22 inches by 30, weighing 3lb. the quire. A 12 guage, with 1 oz. shot, and 3 drams of powder should throw 90 into the first sheet, and drive 40 through the whole quire; an 18 guage, 50 in the first sheet, and 15 or 20 through. A gun which will accomplish this must be considered as unobjectionable; and when any person is heard to boast (which is not unfrequently the case) that he possesses a gun that will do much more, the should be suspected of a little romance, and may be safely invited to the trial under the following indispensable precautions: First, that the paper is perfectly dry, and of the specified size and weight. Secondly, that the portions of powder and shot are quite correct-an impartial person loading the gun. Thirdly, that no holes are discernible a priori in the paper. Fourthly, that the distance be ascertained by measurement,