338 FIELD AND FERN. 



Peter Lely was hired from Mr. Knapton of York ; 

 he got good dark bays and browns, and, like Satan, he 

 just stayed for one season. Satan^s son Idle Boy from 

 Kachel, with his Arab quarters and rather peacocky 

 carriage, was kept mneh longer, and distinguished 

 himself as the sire of Paphos and Urania. Corinthian 

 by Comus was hired from the late Mr. James, M.P., 

 who once owned Saucebox, and was a capital 

 gentleman-rider when Sir Tatton Sykes wore the 

 Sledmere blue and orange ; but this champion ches- 

 nut of Cumberland did very little for Mr. Wilkin 

 beyond Clem o' the Cleugh, an honest £50 Plate 

 horse, and much beloved of Tommy Lye, when the 

 lads had to be dodged in heats. The beautiful dark- 

 brown Vulcan by Voltaire from Eryx^s dam did long 

 and good service, and the county was full of his 

 daughters. Both his horses and mares were very capi- 

 tal and compact dark-browns or blacks, generally 

 with a crown-piece of white on one of their heels. 

 General Sharpens Malek, with his big mealy ches- 

 nuts, and Mr. Johnstone^s St. Martin, the sire of 

 many a hardy, brown hunter, gave the county a great 

 chance ; but, although The Era is popular, there is 

 not much enthusiasm for horse-breeding now, and 

 Vulcan would have to forge on a different anvil. 



It is upwards of forty years since the new race-course 

 was opened. On the occasion of the meeting in Oc- 

 tober, the yard of Tinwald Downs as like a training 

 stable for nearly a fortnight. Every cart- shed was 

 boarded up and extempore stalls invented, and thanks 



