THE HORSE. 243 



and if with no concomitant profit, at least, with little 

 or no loss. Yet the sporting world would not receive 

 the Sporting Magazine. At this period, Mr. Wheble, 

 personally a stranger to me, having made consider- 

 able use of my book on horses, then recent, desired 

 that we might have a conference on the best mode of 

 circulating the Magazine. In conformity, and judg- 

 ing it to be the best mean, I made application on 

 the subject to an old sporting friend, who very kindly 

 and liberally using his extensive influence, the Maga- 

 zine obtained a footing on the Turf; and gradually, 

 in the course of years, arrived at a very considerable 

 and profitable sale as a sporting and miscellaneous 

 publication. 



Many years however passed on, with but slender 

 encouragement from the field, a most important 

 deficit in a sporting work, considering that hunting 

 is the most popular of all our sports. On this account 

 I was again applied to, both by Mr. Wheble and 

 the late Mr. Pittman, his successor, with the request 

 that I would endeavour to engage some gentleman 

 foxhunter, au fait, and tarn Mer curio quam Diana, 

 to correspond with the Magazine, and to give a regu- 

 lar account of his campaigns, with occasional essays 

 on the theory and pratique of the sport. I met with 

 no success whatever, that which I did meet with was, 

 shrugs and reluctance at the labour and ennui which 

 must necessarily result from such an undertaking. 

 In the year 1821, however, Mr. Pittman himself was 

 more successful, and one morning he agreeably sur- 

 prised me with the information that a gentleman, 

 eminently qualified, had offered his assistance. This 



