stage horses are in this ragged country you seldom see any blind, sprained or lame: our driver informs us they are very hardy, and with gentle driving never tire. A team of four prime, and matches, is worth six hundred dollars, and will fetch seven hundred dollars in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Small flies do not trouble the horses here as in England, never pursuing them in a swarm round the horse's head. There is a small brown swamp horse fly, and two sorts of hornets, black and yellow, rather numerous, and occasionally troublesome. Women all travel on horseback in these mountainous regions-it would be next to impossible for them to travel any other way till the turnpike roads are completed,

"At Pittsburg we noticed a custom of selling horses (common in the Western States :) if a man wishes to sell one, he rides up and down the market and streets, showing his paces, and starts it, say 20 dollars, calling out, as he rides along, Twenty dollars! twenty dollars! and a capital one to rack,' &c.-(racking is a favourite ambling pace.) When he gets a fresh bid, he announces it: the last bidder has the horse. If the owner does not approve of being his own auctioneer, it is done by one of the city officers for a small premium.

"Our afternoon's ride was through the woods, where we saw many tracks of deer: one noble buck passed us within gun shot at an easy trot.

We observed several hunters' and travellers' encampments during the day; they are chosen on an elevated spot of ground, and poles, sticks, and branches, are constructed very roughly into a temporary hut. Mr. Keeman, where we breakfasted, tells us he can always buy a deer's carcase, even if it weighs a hundred weight, for a dollar, and the skin is worth as much more. He says, some of the expert hunters will kill 70 or 80 in a season, besides bears, wolves, foxes, turkeys, and other game: buffaloes, elks, and moose, used to be common here, but they have lately emigrated across he Mississippi and Ohio beavers have also disappeared.

"In the afternoon we passed a party of about a hundred young men and women holding a bárbacue frolic. It consists of a dinner, in which a roasted hog, in the Indian style, is the prominent article; and after it, dancing, wrestling, jumping, squirrel-shooting, &c. Where they all came from, seemed to be the wonder, as we had hardly seen a house the last ten miles,

"From the rascality and quarrelsome behaviour of a few of the Kentucky men, the whole people have got a very bad character amongst the sister states, especially for blackguardism, and their manner of fighting, when intoxicated; but this is certainly confined to the lowest, and is optional to the fighters. The question is generally asked-Will you fight fair, or take it rough and tumble? I can whip you either way,

by G-d!' The English reader knows what fair fighting is, but can have little idea of rough and tumble; in the latter case, the combatants take advantage, pull, bite, and kick, and with hellish ferocity strive to gouge, or turn each other's eyes out of their sockets. I never saw a gouging match, and though often of necessity in the lowest company, never had any one offer to do me that favour. I believe it is not so common by any means as is represented. I saw but two men who had been injured by this method of fighting-one kad almost lost an eye, and the other, a free negro, was nearly or totally sightless. They both lived on the banks of the Ohio, where this dreadful art is most practised; it was introduced from the Southern states. There certainly ought to be a strong law en acted to prevent a resort to so brutal a practice; surely it is a disgrace and stigma to the legislature. Prize-boxing is unknown in the United States."

DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND THE SHEPHERD.

In the year 1818, as the Duke was upon a sporting visit at the seat of the marquis of Salisbury, Hatfield, he met with the following curious adventure.

A farmer who had been much annoyed by the hunters riding across his corn, directed his shepherd to stake up and make fast all his gates that adjoin the roads. It so happened that the Duke

rode up to one of these gates, which the shepherd was lolling over and who was directed by the Duke to open the gate for him. The shep

herd refused compliance, and told him to go round, for he should not ride over his master's corn. The Duke therefore rode off. When the man went home, his master inquired of him if he had stopped the hunters?" Ay, master," the shepherd answered, "that I have-and not only them, but also that soldier-man that Bonaparte could not stop." The farmer took an early opportunity of apologizing to Lady Salisbury for the rudeness of his servant, and stated, that had he been aware that the Noble Duke would have been out that day, his gates should not have been fastened, and at the same time mentioned what his man had said, which on being related to the Duke, caused, as may be expected, a hearty laugh.

AN EPITAPH.

Beneath this turf a female lies,

That once the boast of fame was;
Have patience, reader, if you're wise,
You'll then know what her name was.

In days of youth, (be censure blind)
To men she would be creeping;
When 'mongst the many one prov'd kind,
And took her into-keeping.

Then to the stage* she bent her way,
Where more applauded none was;

A little spaniel bitch strayed into the Theatre, in DruryLane, and fixed upon Mr. Beard as her master and protec

Of the Wold Cottage, Yorkshire. Every public character who has in the least degree contributed towards the wellbeing of society merits some notice to posterity; and few are there to be found who have performed a more active part than the subject of the present memoir, either in fashionable life, or in the more healthful and invigorating pursuits of the sports of the field.

Major Edward Topham is the son of Francis Topham, Esq. LL.D. who was master of the faculties and judge of the perogative court of

tor, was "constantly at his heels, and attended him on the stage in the character of Hawthorn. She died much lamented, not only by her master, who was a member of the Beef Steak Club, but by all the members; at one of their meetings, as many as chose it, were requested to furnish, at the next meeting an epitaph. Among divers, preference was given to the above, from the pen of the late worthy John Walton, to whom the club were obliged for the wellknown ballad of "Ned and Nell," and some beautiful songs.