UPLAND SHOOTING. 
151 
water-logged jack-boots will make a difference in favor of your 
comforts, that words can hardly describe. 
About a shooting-jacket, I have only to say that it cannot be 
too easy, or have too many pockets. For material, every man 
has his own fancy; I prefer strong corduroy for winter, and 
drilling or Russia duck for summer. Game-pockets filling the 
whole inside of both skirts will be found to carry a large bag 
with much less exertion to the sportsman, than the ordinary 
game-bag. 
A low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat is as good for open shoot¬ 
ing as any other head gear ; but for covert work, a close skull¬ 
cap, with a long peak, is the thing. 
The best preparation for keeping boots, or leathern leggins, 
soft, is currier's dubbing , which can be procured of any tanner. 
The best water dressing is equal parts of tar, tallow, and Venice 
turpentine, melted together in an earthen pipkin, and brushed 
slowly and gradually into the leather, before a slow fire, with a 
painter’s sash-tool. This should be repeated every time the 
boots are used ; and it is well to observe that sun-heat is far su 
perior to fire-heat for the drying of wet boots ; and that it 
is scarcely possible to dry saturated leather too slowly. 
These short memoranda, with regard to dress, will do once 
for all; they are equally applicable to all seasons and sports, 
and I am not aware that anything more of real advantage could 
be said in a volume on this subject. 
Now fully equipped with all things necessary for our sport, 
we will take the field ; and supposing the morning to be favor 
able, with a light breeze from the south-westward, the sky sunny, 
yet shadowed by floating clouds, the herbage underfoot dry , but 
the soil moist and succulent, we may make sure of sport. 
In the first place we will begin to beat, and persist in beating 
our ground down-wind , even if we have to make a large and te 
dious circuit in order to do so. The advantage of this, arising 
from the habit of the Snipe, before mentioned, of rising invaria¬ 
bly up-wind, is that the wild birds will be compelled to cross us 
