The Field Book: or, Sports and pastimes of the United Kingdom: compiled from the best authorities, ancient and modernMaxwell, W. H. (William Hamilton)
History
The Field Book: or, Sports and pastimes of the United Kingdom: compiled from the best authorities, ancient and modern
Maxwell, W. H. (William Hamilton)
Amusements -- Great Britain; Sports -- Dictionaries; Sports -- Great Britain
After leaving Lucknow, we directed our course towards Baraeech; our
kafeela consisted of about 40,000 men, and 20,000 beasts, composed of
10,000 soldiers, 1000 cavalry, and near 150 pieces of cannon; 1500
elephants, 3000 hackeries, and an innumerable train of camels, horses,
and bullocks; a great number of ruts, filled with the Nawalis women;
many large and small boats carried on carts, drawn by fifty, forty,
thirty, or twenty bullocks; tigers, leopards, hawks, fighting-cocks,
quails, and nightingales; pigeons, dancing-women, and boys; singers,
players, buffoons, and mountebanks. In short, his excellency had
everything, every object which could please or surprise, cause a smile,
or raise a sneer, attract admiration, fix with wonder, or convulse with
laughter; captivate the eye, lull the ear, or tickle the palate. Above
five hundred coolies were employed to carry his shooting apparatus,
guns, powder, shot, and et ceteras; he had above a thousand
double-barrelled guns, the finest that Manton and Nock could make, and
single-barrels, pistols, swords, and spears, without number.
After a gay scene of every species of oriental amusement and
dissipation, we returned to this place, having killed in our excursion
eight tigers, six elephants, and caught twenty-one. To enumerate the
other kinds of game would require a sheet as ample as the petition which
was presented to Yenghis Khan, and might perhaps be treated by you in
the manner that conqueror treated the petition.—
* * * * *
Ashbridge Castle, Hertfordshire, the seat of the Earl of Bridgewater,
was lately a scene of great gaiety. The sports of the field, on the
three days of the Duke of York’s sojourn, were never before equalled.
The Duke of Wellington’s double-barrelled gun brought down everything
before it. During the last four days, a party of gentlemen killed 623
head of game. Killed from eight guns, in three days, 1093 head of game:—
1st day, 7 guns, 627 shots, 326 killed.
2nd .. 9 .. 956 .. 511 ..
3rd .. 8 .. 388 .. 251 ..
The best shots were, the Duke of York, the Duke of Wellington, Lord
Bridgewater, and Lord Verulam. The Duke of York killed, on the first
day, forty-seven head of game.
* * * * *
In October, 1807, at Up Park, Sussex, the seat of Sir H.
Featherstonhaugh, the extraordinary quantity of five hundred and one
brace of game was shot, from Wednesday morning, the 7th, to Saturday
night, the 10th instant, by a party visiting at the above mansion.
* * * * *
Lord Rendlesham and party killed three thousand seven hundred and
seventy-five head of game, during the last week in the season of 1807.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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