LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 145 



The Clipper, carrying the whip, is also no small marvel. 

 He is the oldest horse now taking place in the chase upon 

 Long Island, his age being only so far known that in 

 1883 he cleared six feet at the New York Show. The high- 

 jumping competition was then only in its infancy. Two 

 years ago the record rose to 7 feet 2 inches. Since then the 

 contest has been discontinued, the sole cause being the 

 danger involved in the fact that the bar was nearly solidly 

 fixed, being held in its place by ropes in the hands of three 

 or four stalwart Irishmen. The competition used to take 

 place by electric light, the horses rose off tan, laid upon 

 sand or earth, and some ten thousand people would 

 assemble to witness the struggle. The horses themselves, 

 of their own keen accord, would gallop hard at the jump ; 

 and, so far from getting under it and lobbing over, as a 

 stone-wall jumper more often does, would fling themselves 

 from afar and take it in their stride. It is this faculty of 

 " standing off" at his jump that makes the flying of a high 

 post-and-rails on the part of an accomplished hunter so 

 thrilling and pleasurable a sensation, as I was yet to learn. 

 Clipper, it remains to be added, is a blood-like bay, about 

 15.3 in height, and his legs, beyond bearing one trifling 

 callous enlargement obtained in early youth, show no sign 

 whatever of the almost incessant galloping and jumping he 

 has been called upon to perform. 



No time was lost at the meet ; but hounds were trotted 

 on at once northward, till they reached a small roadside 

 covert known, I believe, as Old Westbury Wood. Here 

 everything was ready for them, and they darted into the 

 wood in full clamour. For a moment it struck me that 

 the sudden break must be riot, till I remembered that, of 

 Q.owv'SQ Fox et prceferea nihil \v3.'s by force of circumstances 

 barred from being the motto of Long Island and its venery 

 (and if I may be forgiven that the old jest rises up unawares). 

 No, they make no secret of it. " As much fox as possible " 

 is their creed. But hunting anyhow, and "a run" in any 

 case. Thus direction is controlled, damages are lessened, 

 a ride is insured, and, as I take it to-day, a sample 

 of country is exhibited according to requirement. Safe 

 and intact upon board ship, it is surely allowed me 



K 



