250 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



4. DAY'S SHOOTING NEAR BOPPART. 



I PASSED the latter part of the summer of 18 , at the 

 hydropathic establishment, or rather at the fine old monastery 

 that commands the town of Boppart, on the Rhine, and is 

 now devoted to that simple, yet eminently useful and curative 

 process. It possesses, indeed, all the essential elements of 

 tins hygenic system fine air, pure water, and glorious 

 scenery both for exercise and amusement, plenty of space 

 amidst its lofty chambers, wide halls, and long corridors and 

 cloisters, are not amongst the least of its recommenda- 

 tions so different from establishments of the same kind 

 in England. Presnitz, indeed, could not have held his 

 court in a more suitable locality, where everything was 

 favourable to the full development of his doctrine, save and 

 except one most important point, the cuisine, which was 

 detestable, and comprised more greasy varieties, animal and 

 vegetable, than all the brunnens of Mariendorf were capable 

 of washing out of delicate digestive organs ; and, indeed, as 

 my residence there was not so much for any sanitary purpose 

 as for exercise, amusement, and, above all, cold bathing, 

 for which I have a weakness approaching to idolatry, I 

 rarely took my meals in the same place, but wandered about 

 with gun or fishing-rod wherever my fancy led me. 



It was at this place (Boppart) that I formed an acquaint- 

 ance with the sprach lehrer, or government schoolmaster, a 

 man of feeble body and not very strong mind, but who in his 

 mellow moments, which were not rare, was always vaunting 

 his powers and capacities as zjagfier, and the number of roe- 



