100 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



country, but, if possible, to take an active part in killing 

 some of the game I tasted almost daily, served up in many 

 delicious forms, by the admirable chef de cuisine of my host, 

 and such a chance was not long in presenting itself. 



It was the beginning of the month of August, and the 

 harvest was finished ; besides, game-laws were not held in 

 much respect here, and shooting continued all the year round ; 

 unfortunately, however, I knew very little of Spanish, and 

 even armed with a double-barrelled gun, it would have been 

 rather a dangerous experiment to have gone out alone, and 

 not without considerable risk both to purse and skin. My 

 host had no sporting propensities whatever, and I had there- 

 fore recourse to a merchant of the place, with whom. I had 

 formed an acquaintance, who professed to be a great sports- 

 man, and was delighted to initiate me into the mysteries of 

 quail-shooting in Spain, which indeed was the principal game 

 we were likely to find at that period; and even for this 

 diminutive chasse it required several days to make arrange- 

 ments, in order to insure safety and success. At length we 

 made up a party of five, and in the cool of a fine evening set 

 out for the village of Saiiti Ponci, two or three leagues from 

 Seville, on the right bank of the Guadal quiver, which is 

 built on the site of ancient Italica, a colony founded by the 

 Scipios, and which gave birth to three of the masters of the 

 world, Trajan, Adrian, and Theodosius. 



We had scarcely passed the bridge of boats, and the 

 faubourg of Triana, with its gipsy population, and com- 

 menced to take the road to Alfarache (country of the 

 famous Guzman, and other pecaros of the same stamp), when 

 our little troop ranged itself in order of battle. We had 

 dogs, both to act as guards and sentinels, as well as pointers. 

 Two of the former marched in front of the line as an avant 

 garde, and being relieved every half hour by two others, fell 

 back to the rear. When their barking announced the ap- 



