212 HISTORY OF THE 



hopeful youths amuse themselves by cock-fighting, 

 dog-fighting, and other such amusements ; fre- 

 quently winning and losing what to them must be 

 large sums on the events ; while, on the other 

 hand, there are in this town, roulette and other 

 chance tables kept, where halfpence are staked, 

 and to which these youngsters resort. 



The head quartersof the jockies is a house called 

 the Three Tuns, where they assemble of an even- 

 ing to smoke their pipes and drink sherry and 

 water. Besides these, the company consists chiefly 

 of the doctor whose stock in trade, we imagine con- 

 sists chiefly in purgatives ; the saddlers, and sporting 

 boot-makers of the town, with now and thenayeoman 

 from the neighbourhood, who fancying himself very 

 knowing, goes there to pick up crumhs, which, in 

 some instances, he manages so cleverly, that the 

 result is, he finds himself without a loaf. The 

 landlord is a very civil man, and enthusiastically 

 devoted to the sport ; he regards it with a sort of 

 religious reverence, and it would be a service of 

 danger to attempt to convert him to a belief in any 

 creed that was opposed to it. 



Early in the morning the true sportsman mounts 

 his horse and rides to the fir plantations, where 

 he sees the various studs at exercise, a sight well 

 worthy of the trouble, while the keen air of the 

 downs will amply compensate him with an excel- 

 lent appetite. 



