150 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
Indian rubber is an abomination; as, if it excludes water, it 
also excludes air, prevents ventilation, and enclosing all the 
exudations and transpirations of the pores, is equally uncom¬ 
fortable, unwholesome, and filthy. The moment boots are full 
of water, they are a dead weight, and of course a disadvan¬ 
tage ; I have, therefore, in all ordinary ground, long abandoned 
the attempt to keep dry; and invariably use laced ancle boots 
of heavy cowhide, for all sorts of sporting. These may be worn 
either with short gaiters and trousers; or, what I consider 
in every particular superior, and especially in the facility they 
give to movement in encumbered ground, or among brushwood 
and stumps, knee-breeches, and leathern leggins, buttoned on 
the outside. The breeches may be made of corduroy or fus¬ 
tian for spring and winter, of duck or drilling for summer 
shooting ; and, if made long and loose from the hip to the knee, 
I believe no walker who has once adopted them in this climate 
will ever return to heavy boots and trousers. 
If, however, the Snipe-shooter is determined on endeavoring 
to keep himself dry, he had better provide himself with long 
boots from Canada, which he can procure, perfectly water¬ 
proof and of excellent quality, of any maker in Montreal or 
Quebec, for eight dollars a pair; whereas the same, not equal¬ 
ly well-made, would cost him double the price, in New-York 
I will here, farther state, that Mr. Cullen, No. 119 Broad¬ 
way, New-York, is the only workman on this side the Atlantic, 
whom I know, that can turn out a real-working-shooting-boot 
or shoe. 
If you adopt my plan, reader mine, you must make up your 
mind to get wet through in five minutes after going out, and to 
continue wet through, until your return home at night; but be¬ 
lieve me, as in many other cases, ce n’est que le ‘premier pas qui 
coute, the first shock is all that you have to dread; the water 
within the shoe immediately becomes warm, by contact with 
the foot, and you think no more about it, after five minutes j 
while in a long day’s fag the absence of the heavy, dragging 
