dom with safety, you having the gratification of hearing, in due course of time, from your friend, that he received a most magnificent present of game! Not so in August; your birds, if to go any distance, must be despatched the moment you return from the hill; and if there has been any delay of a day or two on the road, your friend's letter announces the arrival of his package in a state not fit to be mentioned. Nothing like the wild winter shootings on the Grampians. For my own part, I prefer it to the best August shooting I ever had, and I have had many a glorious day on the moors, and hope that many more are in store for me. But now for the foray; and we will begin with His Grace the Duke of Atholl, in the far-famed forest of Glentilt, where the wild red hart is to be seen in all his pride and glory. His Grace of Atholl had not such good sport in the forest this season as the last, the north wind being so prevalent through the best part of the year; but notwithstanding this insurmountable drawback to sport, some famous harts were killed in the wild conies of the Tilt; and we were glad to hear that that true sportsman, Sir John Athol Macgregor, was very successful, having killed one of the largest and heaviest deer that has been brought out of the forest for many a long day. This noble animal's weight was fully twenty-two stone when clean. Lord Strathallan was also very successful in this renowned forest. Fancy this veteran sportsman, eighty-one years of age, killing right and left at red deer among the wilds of the Tilt. His Grace of Atholl was also very fortunate, and brought many a noble hart to book. The Duke's sport, however, fell short of last season; but then it must be considered that that season was most favourable, the wind all that could be wished for, and the sport, as Dominie Sampson would say, "prodi-gi-ous!" What will the readers of this magazine think, when I mention that 170 red deer fell to the duke's own rifle in that season? Sport scarcely to be credited!" yet still a fact. At grouse, on His Grace's moors, the party had good sport, killing a great number of wild grouse, at an advanced period of the season. The Marquess of Breadalbane and party had also good sport in his Lordship's Black-mount forest, and brought home many a gallant hart. As regards grouse, the noble lord was very careful of them; and will no doubt reap his reward another season, the Breadalbane moors being among the best for grouse in Scotland. Alexander Campbell, Esq. of Monzie, had his share of sport at the wild red harts in his ancient forest of Dallness (Argyleshire), and brought some very heavy deer home, the antlers of which adorn his baronial mansion at Monzie, and which will make a sportsman's mouth water to look at. His grouse shooting, as I mentioned in a former paper, was good, 500 brace of birds being brought to his own gun in the first month of the season. We saw Colonel Long, of Broomly Hall, Kent, on his way to the south, from his shooting-cottage, "Amat" cottage in Inverness-shire, and never saw a man so elated with his sport as he seemed to be this season. The Colonel is a first-rate sportsman, and a crack shot, has rented a small shooting-ground in the north for many years, but told me that he never enjoyed himself so merrily as in the past season among the mountains. What do you think, brother sportsmen, when I tell you that this thorough sportsman brought fourteen red deer to book on his moors (and remember the Colonel has no forest), some of them nearly nineteen stone in weight! His grouse shooting was also good in those parts; but the "gallant soldier" was all for red deer and salmon fishing this season, and was well rewarded for his perseverance. Lord Selkirk, who has a deer forest in the same locality as the Colonel's grouse grounds, had good sport at deer and grouse, and remained at his shootings up to a late period of the season. In the Glenartney forest (Lord Willoughby's) his party had good sport at deer, but found a deficiency of grouse. Lord Sefton, on his return from Glenlyon, remained for ten days at Drummond Castle (Lord Willoughby's seat in this county), and had some good wood-shooting, but not so good as last season. Mr. Cardie, at Rohillion, near Dunkeld, had some noble sport up to the very end of the grouse season, and killed 500 brace, with a large quantity of black game, partridges, woodcocks, snipes, ducks, and roe deer. In the month of November we had a peep into this sportsman's larder, and saw a most splendid show of game. Mr. C. rents his shootings from Sir W. D. Stewart, and, from what we saw of them in November last, there is no better shootings in all the north countrie; for black game it is not to be beat; and where is there a more noble bird than the gallant blackcock, rising from the fern on the wild mountain side? Lord Mansfield did not visit his Rannoch shootings till September; and, owing to the disease among the "red feathery denizens of the mountains, was very sparing with the grouse; but his lordship and party had some famous sport at blackgame, wild duck, snipe, roe deer, and blue or white hares. The slaughter of the latter animal was immense, 2,000 and upwards being brought to bag while his lordship and party remained on the moors. Sir John Athol Macgregor bagged 100 white hares to his own gun in one day this last season, on Lord Mansfield's moors in Rannoch. The worthy master of the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire hounds (Mr. Ramsay, of Barnton) and party had very fair sport at Auchnafree; and although this worthy sportsman's shootings were short of grouse this season, the whole party enjoyed themselves " right merrilie" among the mountains for many weeks; killed 600 brace of grouse, lots of snipes, ducks, &c., had some famous sport at the blue hares, and made a great slaughter among them. The worthy squire (Mr. Ramsay) rents his shootings from Mrs. Williamson, of Lawers; and there are few better grouse shootings than the Auchnafree moors in this large county. Mr. Townend and party had good sport at Aberuchill; but, as the "old gent.," Mr. T., as the season advanced, found it rather severe work to breast the wild face of the Grampians every day, and having wedded a fair lady lately, I daresay he thought a little attention was necessary to her. One day, as two younkers of the party were starting for the mountains, the "old gent." remarked that he would not go to the hill on that day, but amuse himself about the grounds near the castle. On the party returning from the hill in the evening, weary and worn, they found the old man dressed for dinner, and, meeting them at the entrance, asked what sport. The answer was, "Not much; the grouse were very wild to-day.” "Pray what have you done?" was immediately put to the old man by one of the younkers. "Done-done -why I have killed a brace of blackcocks." "The devil you have! Why, we saw a good many on the hill, but could not get within a mile of them." The old man made a few more remarks about his brace of blackcocks, and then the younkers made a rush to the larder, when, lo! and behold! the two blackcocks turned out to be two noble barn-door fowls, of the black Spanish breed, which inhabit the poultry-yard. Sir David Dundas, at Invergeldie; Hon. Mr. Strangways, at Ochtertyre; Mr. Patterson and Lord Seymour, at Logie-almond; Mr. Brown, at Kinloch; and Mr. Patton, at Glen-almond, had all good sport at grouse in the latter part of the season, and have left a fair stock for breeding purposes; and, if disease keep away from the birds, a good season's sport may be expected when the next merry 12th comes on us. The And now for a few words on woodcock and snipe shooting, as regards Scotland. I was particularly gratified in reading Mr. Lloyd's well written remarks on Woodcock and Snipe Shooting," in the October number of your magazine; and as this able writer and true sportsman tells us that he has not shot at cocks and snipe in Scotland, I will here, in a most humble way, point out the best localities in this "land of mountain and of flood," and also record what has come under my eye, as regards sport, and what may yet be done in getting sport at the above-mentioned birds. In the county of Perth some very fair sport may be got at cocks, and the more open and mild the winter the more favourable for sport. A severe winter drives the cocks away from us they emigrate to the sea-side; and I daresay many of them visit the " green isle of Erin," when the weather is very severe here, which may account for them being more plentiful in Ireland than with us during the winter season. But I have had many a good day's cock-shooting in Scotland; and the best and cheapest way to pick up a few couple of cocks, I have found to be, to go out alone, or with a friend, if you have one to accompany you. For my own part, I prefer being alone. You must have a good steady pointer or setter with you. dog must be under every command, and one that will hunt or range as close as you may think proper. Indeed, a steady old pointer or setter that is nearly worn out, will soon get very fond of this sport. I once had a black setter bitch, and there was no better at this sort of work. She would potter about on each side of me, while hunting some of the large pine woods in Forfarshire, and the moment I saw her steady on her game I had nothing to do but to look out for the most favourable opening among the wood-give a signal with my hand-when she would put up the cock, and ten to one but I got a shot at the bird. In this way 1 bagged 13 couple of cocks in one day, in a wood called Carrot Hill, in Forfarshire. Another day, in the same county, I killed 10 couple of cocks, in a large wood called Fotheringham Hill; and in most of the pine woods in Forfarshire there is good sport to be got at cocks during most part of the winter season, and particularly if the weather is not severe. February and March were the two best months through the season for sport; and in this large county (Perth) some good cock shooting may be found. I don't mean to say that it is as good as in Ireland, as regards cocks; but I say that a fair day's sport may be got, and there is always a fair sprinkling of other game to be found. My best bag at cocks in one day, in this county, was nine cou Ι us. ple; with no other assistance than a boy, about 12 or 14 years old, and a good steady pointer. A large army of beaters is a very good way to get at cocks in a large wood; but it is a very expensive plan. The boy and the pointer is a better-more exciting and far less expensive. The large pine woods belonging to the Marquis of Breadalbane, Duke of Atholl, Sir William Stewart, Lord Willoughby, and many others in this county, abound with cocks during the winter season; and it is now past all doubt that many cocks remain with us during the summer, and breed with us. In July last I paid a short visit to Mr. Condie, who rents the Rohillion grouse shootings from Sir William Stewart; and, in the evening of one of the days that I remained at Rohillion, I was seated in a rustic chair, outside of this far-famed shooting lodge, and saw 22 woodcocks cross from one side of the glen to the other to their feeding grounds. This was near the latter end of July; Mr. Condie, his son, and two other sportsmen, being present at the time. So here is "confirmation strong" that many cocks remain to breed with Now for a word on snipe shooting; and I should be happy to show the worthy author of "The Northern Sports" (Mr. Lloyd) a little of our sport in that line; and if ever that worthy sportsman were to visit this part of the wilds, I would endeavour to show him a little of our snipe shootings. Snipes are found in great plenty, in this county, during the autumn, and up to the first frost setting in: after that period, few are to be found till March, when the snipes return to their favourite feeding grounds again. In October and November some famous sport may be obtained. Here is a day's sport Lord Charles Kerr had on the 2nd of November last; and I have not heard of anything better being done in Ireland: 72 snipes, 68 of which were whole snipes; 6 partridges; 3 golden plovers; 1 wild duck, and 2 hares-in all, 84 head. The above nobleman has been, for many years, in Ireland; and I heard him say that he never made such a good bag, in one day, in the 66 green isle.' The above day's sport was obtained over a small piece of swampy ground, on the banks of the Earn, and close to the village of Crieff. The same lord, and over the same grounds, killed 26 couple of whole snipes in one day, in November, 1846. Some good snipe shooting is to be got in Forfarshire, and in the swampy grounds around Forfar Loch I have had good sport. A few years ago I bagged, to my own gun, 25 couple of whole snipes, and shot badly. But, having drawn this paper to a more lengthy state than was intended, and still having more to say on cock and snipe shooting in Scotland, I will here stop for the present, and may in a future paper give the readers of maga a more correct history of the sport than has come under my ken, as regards woodcocks and snipes (a sport I am particularly fond of), in this north country. Grampians, 12th Jan., 1848. CHAP. XIX.-BONNY BARBARA'S NARRATIVE. The Gipsy Prophecy-Battle of Xeres-An Arabian Legend-"The Last Sigh of the Moor"-Queen Barbara proves her Pedigree-The Florentine Mystery-Fitzgeorge and Mary Jessop's Bewilderment-" Coming Events cast their Shadows before them." "Sit there, my children; sit thee down," said old Barbara, disposing the youthful pair on each side of her. "Now, by the gleaming light of heaven's flickering orb I swear, as rest my hands upon the orphan children of Providence, may my old bones lie unearthed, and the dark raven pick my eye-balls from their sockets, if, in aught I may relate, I speak not holy though mysterious truths. Aye, though strange and fearful is the gipsy's tale, ye shall find it verified by facts and circumstances; which, though long buried in the Sibyl's Cave, and fettered by the hand of magical oppression, shall burst the chains of bondage and of usurpation, and spring into life and action with the vigour of Herculean maturity, and the noble, generous courage of the lion. Fitzgeorge!" ejaculated the old crone, and she pressed her skinny fingers on his pulse; "I can feel thy full veins throbbing with feverish excitement, I can test the vivid action of thy youthful heart, can trace thy hurried thoughts and anxious hopes hanging on thy quivering lips and starting from thy swelling eye-balls; but, hush thee, my son, and calm thy troubled spirit-the débris of the mountain is not to be removed at pleasure the time is not yet, but it shall come, and quickly too, when the young flowerets of the vale shall bloom forth in luxuriant freshness, the brighter and fairer for the flinty coatings of the storm-king's rage. 66 I would that I possessed aught might tempt thee, good Barbara, to be less apocryphal," said Fitzgeorge. Come, now; draw aside the misty veil of time, and let us look upon the hidden secrets of our destiny." "It may not be! It must not be!" said old Barbara despondingly. "The iron grasp of the foe is strong, And Fraud may yet his power prolong; "Parable upon parable, Barbara," replied Fitzgeorge. "Remember that hope deferred sickens the heart;' and vigorous minds, like young plants, droop and wither in the shade. "Be of good cheer, young sir," said Barbara; “ thy destiny is not |