BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



fog, he had only killed three birds, and the odds ran much 

 against him : however the day cleared up by eleven, and the 

 work of slaughter went on rapidly.' 



Robert Lascelles in Atigling, Shooting and Coursing (1815) 

 gives this bag as 42 1 brace, and adds that the keeper, James 

 Crondace by name, used three brace of pointers and six double 

 guns,' which he fired in almost continuous succession.' 



' In 1801 a Gentleman in Invernesshire shot fifty-two brace 

 of moor game in one day, never killing a bird sitting or more 

 than one bird at a time.' 



Bowes Moor, the property of Lord Strathmore referred to, 

 was let at a later date. From the following letter addressed 

 by Squire Osbaldeston to Mr. Budd, it would appear that any 

 man could purchase the right to shoot over the moor, in 

 common with others, for £20 for the season. Having con- 

 ceived the ' fancy to see the fun at Bowes,' the Squire pre- 

 vailed upon two friends, Messrs. Inman and Wilson, to join 

 him ; and thus he describes that ' Twelfth ' : the date is 

 beUeved to be 1828 : — 



' I walked up to the public-house where I Avas to sleep. 

 This was about ten o'clock, but I found such a noise and smok- 

 ing, that I did not go to bed until half-past eleven, and rose 

 again at one o'clock as we had nine miles to ride to Bowes- 

 moor. I never slept a wink, rose at one and started at two. 

 We arrived at our post at half-past three, but could not see 

 to shoot. There were several parties lying near us watching 

 for the light, and we nearly all started together. It put me 

 in mind of what one reads of a storming party springing from 

 the trenches. Owing to Wood's delay (in the night I may call 

 it) we were obliged to leave him behind and shoot with any of 

 the dogs that would follow. Inman and I and Wood contrived 

 so badly that neither he nor Wilson found us till six o'clock, 

 and would have lost us altogether, if we had not beaten back 

 on the same line we began. I thought at first we should kill 

 nothing, but I ended the day with bagging 22 brace ; no other 

 man that I could hear of killing above 12| brace. I hardly 



86 



