296 THE NEW FOREST 



once the wildest and most attractive part of our 

 country where the hobby and even the raven 

 built there is a vast city of tin houses. 



The camps to the south side of the Avon 

 Larkhill and others were soon afterwards estab- 

 lished, and then commenced the artillery practice 

 over all the wide Downs almost from Stonehenge 

 to Lavington. 



We withdrew to the remotest corners of the 

 Downs on the western side, but our range is 

 very limited, and our sport on its last legs in 

 that district. 



However, I do not doubt that many another 

 keen falconer of earlier generations has died in 

 the firm conviction that the sport he loved was 

 dying with him ; so I hope that as to my certain 

 knowledge those veterans were in errror, and 

 that it has fallen to my lot to maintain this 

 time-honoured sport for a span of nigh upon 

 fifty years after they had passed away, so may 

 I also be mistaken in my gloomy prognostica- 

 tions, and better and younger men will carry 

 on what has been well described as "the noblest 

 sport in which man has ever indulged," for the 

 benefit of many future generations after I have 

 ceased to take a part in it. 



With this somewhat digressive chapter, I 

 bring to a close my history of my New Forest 



