PREFACE. 
** * Why have you not written a book about your sporting 
adventures ? ' " is a question often asked me by my friends 
when they were looking over my sketch books and I \*as 
describing the various scenes, But book writing is not my 
forte and I have not the slightest pretension to any literary 
talent. However, dujrlng my long illness the subject was 
again pressed upon me, and 1 have put together the following 
pages, extracts from my journals, and have selected from my 
sketches those which would best illustrate the scenes and 
adventures described. 1 am writing of years long gone by 
when the muzzle loader, with all its drawbacks, was the chief 
weapon in use." 
I found the above portion of an unfinished preface 
amongst my brothers papers. 1 have endeavoured to carry 
out his wishes by publishing his notes almost precisely as 
