SPORTING FOR MEN OF MODERATE MEANS 261 



tury ago never saw London ; they might have heard 

 of it, but it was the work of a week to get up, and 

 another to get back, and a visit to London about 

 once or twice in their lives was as much as many 

 could boast of, and gave them food for gossip for 

 years and years after. 



Shootings in those days were not of much value, 

 and a man might have had a great deal of sport for 

 a very little money ; but now all is changed, though 

 it is only within the last thirty or forty years that 

 Scotch shootings have risen in value ; some moors 

 that were rented then for fifty pounds per annum 

 are now nearer five hundred. 



Directly people found out they could get down to 

 Scotland at comparatively little cost and trouble, 

 the prices of shootings went up — and they will con- 

 tinue to rise. England is much wealthier than she 

 was. Commerce is much more extended ; money is 

 easier ; speculation is more rife ; more gold dis- 

 covered, which I cannot see makes one iota differ- 

 ence ; yet in spite of all this, and the heavy taxes 

 we groan under — many raised and " thrust upon 

 us " for the purpose of maintaining a lot of hungry 

 foreigners, who, by the way, have the pick of all the 

 good things. Well, well ! that game will be played 

 out before very many years are gone by ; there will 

 be a most signal " check-mate," a " right-about," 



