288 The Dog Book 



"Field Diversions" is an authority we at one time were so impressed 

 with that we expressed the opinion that the pointer first came to England 

 about 1735. But Gay's quoted description of the pointer and shooting 

 flying over his points, in his poem published in 1711, disposed of that 

 supposition. The quotation in "Field Diversions," which bears upon 

 1735 as the date, is as follows: "This kind of dog [the pointer] was intro- 

 duced here in the beginning of the present century, and is acknowledged 

 to be a native of Spain or Portugal, as many were, and yet are, brought 

 to us from both kingdoms. The first I remember to have seen was about 

 forty years back [Mr. Simons's book was pubHshed in 1776]. Black and 

 white, heavy, slow, without any regularity in beating, under no command, 

 but a natural pointer. The most general import was in liver and white, 

 especially mottled. They all fall under a parity of description as to shape 

 and performance; nor can nature be much improved upon or assisted by 

 art, as they 'have a ferocity of temper which will not submit to correction 

 or discipline, unless taken in hand very young. The activity of our modern 

 race of pointers we are indebted for, I presume, to the cross between the 

 foreigner and our setter. The mixture in this case was successful; as 

 thereby we are furnished a strain that will act in a greater variety of capaci- 

 ties than any other. 



" I mentioned that a pointer is of more general use than any other dog, 

 and that he may be elevated to a setter. [The reverend author did not 

 mean the setter of our day, but the net spaniel. The pointer was the only 

 dog over which birds were then shot from points.] He answers the purpose 

 in one sense, it is certain, but by humble imitation at best. He insults the 

 finished, fine setter by invading his province, and admitting that game 

 enough may be taken at him, it is the same as challenging a delicate grey- 

 hound with a coarse lurcher, because he can kill as many hares. The 



back as Cox's 1677 edition of "The Gentleman's Recreation," and it is undoubtedly older than that. We have also 

 been fortunate enough to get a copy of "The Complete Sportsman," by Thomas Fairfax. It is undated, but a very 

 high authority gives the date of publication as 1689. Much of the book is taken bodily from other writers, as was 

 the custom by all but Markham, but last of all comes a chapter entitled "Shooting and Shooting Flying," which begins 

 as follows: "Go early into the field, take with you some rum in a wicker bottle that will hold about a gill; tin:- will 

 keep out or expel wind, cure the gripes, and give you spirit when fatigued; but do not take too much, for too much 

 will make your sight unsteady. When you have got your gun, a turn screw, worm and flints ready, call your pointers." 

 It is not necessary to copy the shooting instructions, but to show that the true sportsman's feeling then existed we give 

 this extract: "In firing at a covey always confine your aim to one." It is just possible that this copy of the "Com- 

 plete Sportsman" might be a later edition and this an added chapter, but the evidence so far is that it is a book 

 published in 1689, although this is an early period for the use of the word gun. Another totally different "Compleat 

 Sportsman," by Giles Jacobs, 1718, m.akes no mention of pointers, but does of shooting flying, and in the only copy 

 we have seen of "Art of Shooting Flying," seventh edition, 1767 ( ?), by T. Payne, a chapter is devoted to the 

 pointer, and he introduces it by stating " as nothing has yet been published on these dogs, at least that I have seen.*' 



