THE NEW FOREST DEER 67 



fact, all the damage that these malefactors habitu- 

 ally committed. These stringent measures, and 

 the certain death penalty involved if any of the 

 " Blacks " was captured, appear to have stamped 

 out the gang. But the Bishop of Winchester 

 refused to restore the deer to Waltham Chase, 

 saying that " they had done enough mischief 

 already." 



The deer in Woolmer Forest also were reduced 

 by these depredators to a shadow of the former 

 herd. It was deemed better for the peace of the 

 neighbourhood that they should be done away 

 with, and to that end came, as Gilbert White 

 recounts, the Duke of Cumberland, with "a hunts- 

 man and six yeoman prickers in scarlet jackets 

 laced with gold, attended by the staghounds ; 

 ordering them to take every deer in this forest 

 alive, and to convey them in carts to Windsor. 

 In the course of the summer they caught every 

 stag, some of which showed extraordinary diver- 

 sion. But in the following winter, when the 

 hinds were also carried ofi, such fine chases 

 were exhibited as served the country people 

 for matter of talk and wonderment for years 

 afterwards. 



" I myself saw one of the yeomen prickers 

 single out a stag from the herd, and I must con- 

 fess that it was the most curious piece of activity 



