WOLMER FOREST RED DEER. 29 



him that Queen Anne, as she was journeying on the 

 Portsmouth road, did not think the Forest of Wolmer 

 beneath her royal regard. For she came out of the 

 great road at Lippock, which is just by, and, re- 

 posing herself on a bank, smoothed for that purpose, 

 lying about half a mile to the east of Wolmer Pond, 

 and still called Queen's Bank, saw with great com- 

 placency and satisfaction the whole herd of red- 

 deer brought by the keepers along the vale before 

 her, consisting then of about five hundred head. A 

 sight this, worthy the attention of the greatest 

 sovereign ! But he farther adds, that, by means of 

 the Waltham blacks, or, to use his own expression, 

 as soon as they began blacking, they were reduced 

 to about fifty head, and so continued decreasing till 

 the time of the late Duke of Cumberland. It is 

 now more than thirty years ago that his Highness 

 sent down a huntsman, and six yeoman prickers, 

 in scarlet jackets laced with gold, attended by the 

 stag-hounds, ordering them to take every deer in 

 this forest alive, and to convey them in carts to 

 Windsor. In the course of the summer they caught 

 every stag, some of which showed extraordinary 

 diversion; but, in the following winter, when the 

 hinds were also carried off, such fine chases were 

 exhibited as served the country people for matter 

 of talk and wonder for years afterwards. I saw 

 myself one of the yeoman prickers single out a 

 stag from the herd, and must confess that it was 

 the most curious feat of activity I ever beheld, 

 superior to any thing in Mr. Astley's riding-school. 

 The exertions made by the horse and deer much 

 exceeded all my expectations, though the former 

 greatly excelled the latter in speed. When the 

 devoted deer was separated from his companions, 

 they gave him, by their watches, law, as they called 

 it, for twenty minutes ; when, sounding their horns, 



