REGULATIONS OF THE CHASE. 15 



" mais Yous voyez, Monsieur Le Jugc, que je ne suis pas 

 bon tireur." And so he got off with a reprimand, and an 

 exhortation to fire better the next time; for which he thanked 

 the judge, but said he feared he was too old to improve 

 much. Gendarmes have one great security, however, in 

 the fear with which the people regard them: the yellow 

 and blue stripes make them quake with terror ; and most 

 of them would, I verily believe, as soon oppose an angel 

 from heaven. 



The cJiasse in France is not opened and closed at one 

 uniform period, as in England. The prefet of each depart- 

 ment regulates all relating to it ; and opens and closes it 

 with regard to the state of the harvest, &c. This is a good 

 plan, for, as we know in England, the corn is sometimes 

 uncut in September, with consequent annoyance to farmer 

 and sportsman. Generally speaking, the cJiasse opens 

 about the loth of September and closes about the lOtli 

 of February ; but it varies even in adjacent departments. 



The breed of sporting dogs is tolerably good — good for 

 the country ; but we look in vain for the high-bred English 

 animal. The pointer is a coarse-haired, cross-bred creature; 

 but is staunch and hard, which is a great point. One of 

 the peculiar features of the country is the quantity of thick 

 farze, often in tracts of twenty acres, and four or five feet 

 high. Game naturally seeks its shelter there ; and to dis- 

 lodge it is no easy matter. A dog should be clad in mail 

 to face it well ; and one of our fine-skinned English pointers 

 would not look at it. But to see a bold country dog dash 

 into it, you might think he was fond of it, and that the 

 prickles only tickled him. Truly such furze was never 



