SHOOTING MATCHES. 199 



that a father and son, in some fields between Oxford and Whitney, killed in one 

 morning last week, seventeen and a half brace, and in the afternoon ten brace, 

 making a total of twenty-seven brace and a half in one day. 



T. W. Coke, Esq. and friends killed on his domain at Holkham, Norfolk, in the 

 first twelve days of the Shooting Season, 1819, three thousand eight hundred and 

 eighty-three head of game. We have not yet heard of any decay of the shooting 

 faculties of this most capital and veteran shot. His mental faculties also, for the 

 good of his country, remain in perfection. 



A renewal of the SHOOTING MATCH between Capt. Thornhill, one of the best 

 shots in Hampshire, and Strong, the keeper to J. A. Thorn, Esq. of Melbourne 

 Manor, Oxon, lately took place, and the bet was doubled between Mr. Thorn, for 

 his keeper, and the Captain. The spot selected to start from on this match was 

 wkhin four miles of Maidenhead Thicket, on the road to Oxford, and each had 

 his poney and his adversary's friend as an umpire. Captain Thornhill bent his 

 course towards Hare-Hatch, on the Reading Road, and had good pheasant sport, 

 and from thence on to Hurst Manor, &c. a distance of about 26 miles. He had 

 32 shots, and bagged 11 pheasants, 14 partridges, and 5 hares. Strong directed 

 his course towards Henley Mills, by the late General Conway's Park, and from 

 thence he crossed the Thames to the Oxfordshire Hills, and closed his day's labour 

 there. He bagged 9 hares, 17 partridges, and 3 pheasants, in 28 shots, and lost 

 the match by one only. There were some heavy even bets pending, and Mr. 

 Thornhill has long been considered the best shot in the county of Hants. 



A SWEEPSTAKE SHOOTING MATCH, of 20 guineas each, between three cele- 

 brated shots, Messrs. Palmer, Phipps, and Street, took place on Saturday, when 

 72 head of game were killed by four o'clock, P. M. Mr. Palmer took a direction 

 from Burnham in the line of Wycomb, and the water side, and he bagged twelve 

 and a half brace of partridges and two hares ; Mr. Phipps took a direction for 

 Maidenhead, across the river, to Bray Fields, and he killed 4 hares and 9 brace of 

 partridges ; and Mr. Street took a direction for Stoke and Gerrard's Cross, and 

 killed 11 brace of partridges and 1 hare. The sportsmen started together at day- 

 break, in Burnham Fields, each accompanied by an umpire chosen by the opposite 

 parties. They were allowed one barrel only, with unlimited charge, and only 

 seven shots were missed by the three. 



During a late visit at Lord Suffield's, in Norfolk, last week, his Grace the Duke 

 of Wellington shot at a hare as it was going out of Thorpe Wood, when a farmer's 

 servant, who was on the outside of the wood, was slightly wounded by some of the 

 shot from the Duke's Gun. His Grace was much affected by the accident. Mr. 

 Sharpe, a medical gentleman, passing by at the time, told the Duke that the young 

 man would suffer no inconvenience from the wounds, when his Grace rejoined the 

 party, and afterwards sent a donation of five pounds to the youth. In the annals 

 of the sporting county of Norfolk, few instances are to be found that can vie with 



