288 The Dog Book 
“Field Diversions” is an authority we at one time were so impressed 
with that we expressed the opinion that the pointer first came to England 
about 1735. But Gay’s quoted description of the pointer and shooting 
flying over his points, in his poem published in 1711, disposed of that 
supposition. The quotation in “Field Diversions,” which bears upon 
1735 as the date, is as follows: “This kind of dog [the pointer] was intro- 
duced here in the beginning of the present century, and is acknowledged 
to be a native of Spain or Portugal, as many were, and yet are, brought 
to us from both kingdoms. The first I remember to have seen was about 
forty years back [Mr. Simons’s book was published in 1776]. Black and 
white, heavy, slow, without any regularity in beating, under no command, 
but a natural pointer. The most general import was in liver and white, 
especially mottled. They all fall under a parity of description as to shape 
and performance; nor can nature be much improved upon or assisted by 
art, as they have a ferocity of temper which will not submit to correction 
or discipline, unless taken in hand very young. The activity of our modern 
race of pointers we are indebted for, I presume, to the cross between the 
foreigner and our setter. The mixture in this case was successful;. as 
thereby we are furnishéd a strain that will act in a greater variety of capaci 
ties than any other. 
« | mentioned that a pointer is of more general use than any other dog, 
and that he may be elevated to a setter. [The reverend author did not 
mean the setter of our day, but the net spaniel. The pointer was the only 
dog over which birds were then shot from points.] He answers the purpose 
in one sense, it is certain, but by humble imitation at best. He insults the 
finished, fine setter by invading his province, and admitting that game 
enough may be taken at him, it is the same as challenging a delicate grey- 
hound with a coarse lurcher, because he can kill as many hares. The 
back as Cox’s 1677 edition of “The Gentleman’s Recreation,” and it is undoubtedly older than that. We have also 
been fortunate enough to get a copy of “The Complete Sportsman,” by Thomas Fairfax. It is undated, but a very 
high authority gives the date of publication as 1689. Much of the book is taken bodily from other writers, as was 
the custom by all but Markham, but last of all comes a chapter entitled “Shooting and Shooting Flying,” which begins 
as follows: “Go early into the field, take with you some rum in a wicker bottle that will hold about a gill; this will 
keep out or expel wind, cure the gripes, and give you spirit when fatigued; but do not take too much, for too much 
will make your sight unsteady. When you have got your gun, a turn screw, worm and flints ready, call your pointers.” 
It is not necessary to copy the shooting instructions, but to show that the true sportsman’s feeling then existed we give 
this extract: ‘In firing at a covey always confine your aim to one.” _It is just possible that this copy of the “Com- 
plete Sportsman” might be a later edition and this an added chapter, but the evidence so far is that it is a book 
published in 1689, although this is an early period for the use of the word gun. Another totally different “Compleat 
Sportsman,” by Giles Jacobs, 1718, makes no mention of pointers, but does of shooting flying, and in the only copy 
we have seen of “Art of Shooting Flying,” seventh edition, 1767 (?), by T. Payne, a chapter is devoted to the 
pointer, and he introduces it by stating “as nothing has yet been published on these dogs, at least that I have seen.” 
