MY WORK, STAFF, AND CHIEFS 61 



died at a considerable age about 1878. He again 

 was succeeded by his son Harry, who survived 

 to my time, and died in 1880. George Cooper 

 was quite one of the distinguished personalities 

 of the Forest. 



These men were among the last of that rather 

 curious type that lived and throve on the New 

 Forest for centuries. Wholly deer-keepers, they 

 were also bailiffs, revenue collectors, and above all 

 sportsmen ; and on their efforts and never-failing 

 goodwill depended all the sport and enjoyments 

 of the whole Forest. Perhaps old James Coles, 

 about the last of the type, expressed their senti- 

 ments very well to me when, after a conversation 

 as to the hunting and the shooting, and inciden- 

 tally the proposed planting of trees in the planta- 

 tions, and the necessary extermination of rabbits, 

 he burst out with, " Rabbits, sir ! Why rabbits 

 is the bread of life for everythink ! " I ruminated 

 on that saying, and, taking into account all the 

 interests I had to serve, made up my mind that 

 when I planted I would also buy wire-netting. 

 I have found this both a preservative and a 

 keeper of peace James Coles's saying had a good 

 deal to commend it as far as New Forest, with 

 an abundance of foxes therein, is concerned. 



A strong staff of keepers or whatever you 

 like to call them is a necessity in the New 



