1 8 The Course^ the Camp, the Chase 



Once, when a very young child, I was taken on a 

 pony to watch my grandfather, Mr, E. J. Thompson, 

 shooting on his pony, at the advanced age of eighty-two. 

 A most vivid remembrance has ever lingered of seeing 

 him led up to a " point " in a turnip field, and of his 

 killing a right and left out of the covey, without dis- 

 mounting. When a young man he joined the 4th 

 Dragoons, who were very soon employed in hunting the 

 adherents of the unfortunate " Prince Charlie " in Scot- 

 land. Some of the entries in his diaries are very 

 interesting ; and how stern discipline was then, is well 

 shown by the entry on 6th August 1793 : — 



" A court-martial, in which Barnsley received 520 

 lashes, and Jones 420. Their sentence was 1000 for 

 desertion." 



A more amusing entry appears 11th June 1794 : — 



" Went to see Gretna Green, four miles from Long- 

 town, and made the old parson who performs so drunk 

 that he could not read ye marriage ceremony to a couple 

 who went there soon after to be married, and they were 

 obliged to wait till he was sober." 



I7th July 1795 has the grave note: — 



" Marched to GuUayn Links to attend the execution 

 of Fraser and Mctosh, two mutineers of ye Grants who 

 were condemned to be shot. Fraser made much resist- 

 ance." 



On 27th December 1798 he "shot three wild geese, 

 one with ball at 150 yards flying, and another at 100 

 measured yards flying." 



25th March 1799 gives — "Great race at Newmarket 

 between ' Diamond,' Cookson's horse, and ' Hambletonian,' 

 Vane Tempest's, for 3000 guineas. 'Hambletonian' won." 



