22 BRITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



ding ? " said I. " There," said our attendant, who saw it 

 all : and there was the wadding some ten yards over his 

 left shoulder, while some thirty yards over the right lay 

 the partridge. He was for once dumb^ and gave up the 

 bird. 



French powder is coarse and dirty, but strong. I, 

 however, much prefer the English powder. The price of 

 the best French powder is about 6s. 6d, a pound, and 

 therefore English is smuggled a little, but at great risk. 

 A gentleman who came over, and brought some five or six 

 pounds for friends, was detected with the forbidden fruit 

 in his pockets, and was fined 500 francs, with a narrow 

 escape of prison besides. Until lately it was necessary to 

 have a written permit by the maire to buy even a pound 

 of native powder. This is done to prevent emeutes, for 

 which the governors of this land of liberty are continually 

 hunting. They therefore proscribe arms and keep down 

 powder ; but, in spite of all, many a snug Socialist holds 

 firm to his nonsense, and keeps his powder dry. 



Britanny should be the paradise of sporting tailors, for 

 never was such a wear and tear of clothes. The thick 

 woods filled with brambles, which root at both ends, and 

 spread an impenetrable armour of chainwork over the 

 ground ; the strong furze and the mode of cutting it, which 

 leaves sharp spikes projecting like a chevaux de frise, play 

 the deuce with the strongest materials. Some use leather 

 trowsers and smocks, like the North Americans, which are 

 good but warm. A coat soon becomes a jacket by losing 

 the skirts , and if made of good barragon is the best I know 

 of, with other *' fittings " of leather. At any rate, the seat 



