WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 67 



he must have paid readier attention to the entreaties of the pea- 

 sants, and gone at once in pursuit of the other wounded wolf; 

 besides, fearing perhaps the damage his hounds might receive 

 in their encounter with that formidable antagonist, he purposely 

 delayed proceedings, hoping the wolf might bleed to death ere 

 the hounds closed with him in some unapproachable ravine of 

 that great cover. If such were his reasons, he was doubtless 

 right in his dilatory tactics, though I confess I fully shared the 

 impatience loudly expressed by the excited peasants. 



The bombardment of the wolves reminded me of a scene 

 which, many years ago, I more than once witnessed on the 

 south coast of Devon. Between the rugged cliffs on the west 

 side of Dartmouth Harbour and Start Point extends a beach of 

 rough sea-sand for a distance of more than two miles ; at the 

 back of which, that is, on the land side, a lake of fresh water, 

 called Slapton Lea, runs parallel with the sea, and is divided from 

 it only by that narrow sandy barrier throughout the whole dis- 

 tance. The Lea, bountifully fed from the valleys above by two 

 never-failing trout-streams, abounds with jack, perch, roach, and 

 eels; and in winter swarms of wild-fowl, especially coot, which 

 are bred among the reeds, frequent its waters. The principal 

 owner is Sir Lydston Newman, although a strip of the lake on the 

 eastern side belongs to Mr. Toll ; but that portion of it is so 

 overgrown with long reeds and aquatic plants that, serviceable as 

 it is for a breeding-place for the wild-fowl, it is not so convenient 

 for the passage of boats as the western and larger portion, the 

 property of Sir Lydston Newman. Most kind and liberal is the 

 baronet with respect to sport on this water. A grand public 

 "Lea-day" is annually fixed for the bombardment of the wildfowl ; 

 and every farmer " outwardly given " to such amusement for 

 many a mile round looks forward to it as the one great holiday 

 for the winter season. But, ye gods ! if there are swarms of coot 

 darkening the air, swarms of shot are flying after them from every 



