Mountain Stream and Covert

STREAM AND COVERT SKEICHES OF COUNTRY LIFE AND SPORT IN ENGLAND H SCOLAIVD ny ALEXANDER INNES SHAND, I LONDON SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED 38, GREAT KUSSELL STREET 897 PREFACE AM greatly indebted to the proprietors of Blackwoods a, d the Cornhill Magczinei, of the old Pall Mall Gazette, and of the Saturdzy Review for permission to reprint these articles, which attempt sketches of sport and rural life in Great Britain in bygone years. Some have been rearranged in chapters, and slightly remodelled. The most recent is the 97 article on Coverts, which Messrs. Longman very kindly allow me to use, although it appeared only the other day in the Badminton Magazine. Of the .. . other chapters, i-vii, X-xni, xvii-xix, xxiii xxvii, are from Blackwoods i2lngazine viii, xx, xxii, from the Pall Mall Gazette ix, from the Saturday Review and xiv-xvi, from the Cornhill Magazine. OAKDALE, EDENBRIDGE, KENT. ALEX. INNES SHAND. IDtbcilttb TO MY OLD FRIEND, DONALD MACPHERSON, GAMEKEEPER AT SIRALOCH AND BARRA, ABERDEENSHIRE, IN MEblORY OF CLOSE COILIPANIONSHIP AND MANY DELIGHIFUL DAYS. CHAP. I. 11. 111. IV. v. VI. VIl. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. CONTENTS PAGE COUNTRY LIFE IN LITERATURE I A HIGHLAND LAIRD 2 8 AN ENGLISH SQUIRE . . 2 A KENTISH PAKISH 6 o A KENTISH PARISH HOP-GARDENS AND FARMS 7 I A KENTISH PARISH SPORT AnD BIRD-LIFE . 5 A KENIISH PARISH IHE RESIDENTS . 92 THE DOWNS I I0 TRAMPS . 119 THE AMATEUR TRAMP IN ENGLAND I33 THE AMATEUR TRAMP IN SCOTLAND . I47 FISHING IN RIVER, STREAM, AND LOCH . I55 SOME WRITERS ON THE GEXTLE CRAFT 77 AUGUST ON THE MOORS A SHOOTIhG LODGE 97 V v 1 CHAP. xv. XVI. xi-111. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. xxv. XXVI. XXVII. CONTENTS AUGUSI ON IHE MOORS THE MORNING START AUGUST ON THE MOORS THE DAYS WORK IHE MOOR AKD THE LOCH THE KESTOR OF SCOITISH SPORTSMEN AILTOPI THE WILD FOWL IN FORESI AKD OK HILL AFIER DEER . THE COVERTS THE ATTRACTIONS OF WINTER WEATHER WINIER IN THE NORTH UISIER FERRETIXG WINTER FOWLING WINTER IN IHE SHIRES . LIST ILLUSTRATIONS WILD SWANS ON LOCH SPYNIE Archibald Tliarbum Frontispit.st. cTItR AND SALMON. Sir E. Ladfeer To facepqe 16 PIARMIGAN MOlIONLESS AILIOKG THE LICHEN-COVERED SFOKES HOUNDS LEAVING IHE COIERI ArchibnM -ir-bu-n a -, F F. C. Turncl-, 1, 50 A KENTISH HOP-GARDEN. George MO-row, 7 72 HUNTERS AT GRASS. Sir- E. Lanclscr,, 101. THE TRAMP. George Morl-ow,, 126 ROUSE FIGHIIKG ON THE MOORS F. C. Turzer,, 118 SALMON FISHING. Litlot Sfeeil ., 164 THE SEYIER ON THE GROUSE h1OOR. A. C R..,, 210 vii . . . 1111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS GROUSE-SHOO.TIKC. . G R A To jj7ct3, gt, 2 2c DEER DISTURBED BY GROUSE. Sjdtrty Strrf, 7, 244 THE STAG AKD HIS FRIENDS. SjOnfy Stci, , 262 RLACKCOCK AVD SE ITER. A. CUOPL, R.A. ., l 274 CURLIYG. Lanst-lgt Spttl, . 286 DEAD PTARPIIIGAK. A.CIO-, R.A., 7, 312 MOUNTAIN, STREAM AND COVERT Country Lfe in Literature ECAUSE of the climate we so naturally abuse, B there is no place like England for the pleasures of the country-rain and sunshine, snow and frost, bring out a world of beauties in an enchanting variety of landscape. There are lakes and streams that are swarming with fish, in spite of the growth of rnanufacturing industries game abounds in field, fell, and wood, notwithstanding occasional indifference to preserving it and a succession of invigorating sports fah in with the several seasons. It is no amotlr propre of patriotism that makes us believe that in these matters we are far better off than our neighbours and indeed they are ready to acknowledge it themselves, by cultivating the tastes that are instincts with EngIishrnen. You have only to cross the Channel to be conscious at once of a change. There is as charming scenery among the orchards of Normandy as any to be found in the hop-gardens of Kent. The granite precipices of 2 I 2 COUNTRY LIFE Penmarch, and the Pointe de Raz on the Breton coast are nearly as wild as anything in Devon or Cornwall...