it would be a good thing if Jean's remains
could be driven so far into this soft stratum
that the drags and hooks of the hungry Chinese
might never be able to grapple her up again.
This advice was much applauded, and at once
acted upon with that happy facility of resource
which it is, and the pride of the profession to
have always in store, for small, as well as for
great occasions. The dead sow was first laid
on its back, and then two masses of iron ballast
being placed, one on each side of the cheek,
were lashed securely to the neck and shoul-
ders, in such a manner that the ends of the
kentlage met across her nose, and formed, as
it was very properly called, an extra snout for
piercing the mud. When all was ready, the
midship cannonade was silently dismounted,
the side unbolted, and the whole removed out
of the way. Jean's enormous corporation
being then elevated by means of capstan bars
and handspikes, was brought on a level with
the port-side. A slip rope was next passed
between her hind legs, which had been tied
together at the feet, and poor miss PIGGY,
being gradually pushed over the ship's side,
was lowered slowly into the water. When
fairly under the surface, and there were no
fears of any splash being caused by letting
her go, one end of the rope was slipped, upon
which the well-loaded carcase shot down per-
pendicularly, at such a rate that there could
be no question of its being immersed a fathom
deep, at least, in the mud, and, of course, far
beyond the reach of the disappointed Chinese !"
The above conduct of the captain and his
jolly-hearted crew reflects the highest credit
on their feelings as British tars.
PUGILISM DEFENDED.
By Tom Reynolds, of the London Ring.
I must acknowledge the gentlemen of the
press are favorable to the cause of pugilism :
and it is not surprising when we consider that
the persons conducting it are men, in general,
possessing a liberal education, and blessed
with a greater share of brains than batter.
Yet there are no rules without exception ;
for two or three of the London journalists,
imitated by a few country fiats, occasionally
give us a facer, though, I am confident, it is
not from conviction, but they think a little
opposition to generally received opinions may
suit their pockets better than following the
tide where the brightness of their genius would
not make them conspicuous. One of these
worthies speaks of us as monsters that bru-
talize the country : another describes our poor
little twenty-four foot ring, as the only pJaco
in the three kingdoms where rogues and black-
legs spring up like mushrooms : a third says,
a pair of boxing-gloves debase the mind, and
recommends the use of the foils as a prefer-
able exercise : and a fourth, after a most vio*
lent phillippic against the ring, blames govern-
ment for not immediately putting- an end to
pugilism, and recommends, as a substitute,
that government should take into their wise
consideration the propriety of giving greater
encouragement to dancing assemblies. The
idea is ridiculous. Certainly, if the editor
fills up his leisure hours as a hop-merchant, I
do not blame him for putting in a good word
for the shop ; but what the devil has dancing
to do with fighting ? can two men decide a
mill by " tripping on the light fantastic toe ?"
The French dance every night in the week,
and all day on Sunday, and what are they the
better for that ? are they better men ? or can
they boast nobler feelings than Britons ? they
certainly make graceful bows, and there is no
doubt dancing has an effect on the heels, for
Wellington has often scratched his head, and
given them a left-handed blessing, for their
quickness in giving leg-bail.
Because the English are not considered a
dancing nation, that is no reason they are
brutalized. The most savage people dance.
The American Indian dances round his captive
while he is roasting him alive. The Italians
dance, fiddle, and sing ; and, if they consider
themselves offended, employ ruffians to assas-
sinate the offender. The dancing Frenchman
would shudder with horror at the sight of two
London porters giving each other a black eye,
or a bloody nose, and say 'twas a brutal prac-
tice ; yet the same fellow, in his own country,
would take snuff, grin like a monkey, and cry
" Bravo !" at seeing two poor devils boring
holes in each other's hide with a yard of steel.
So much for the consistency of the " Grande
Nation," and the sense of the men who re-
commend dancing as a substitute for pugilism.
I am no enemy to dancing: in fact, I am
passionately fond of music ; but there is a time
for all things. With every inclination in the
world to let every one ride his own hobby in
his own way, I see no reason why a poor prad
should take a facer from the rider of the foil.
Two hundred years ago, when the sword was
worn, and decided quarrels in the streets,
fencing was, without doubt, a necessary part
of every man's education ; but, at the present
day, though the foils may be very good exer-
cise, I consider it the height of folly for any
man to throw away his money and time in the
attainment of an art that can never be of any
use. But we will suppose two pupils taking
their lessons, the one with the gloves, attaining
a graceful method of drawing a cork, painting
the margin of an ogle with some of the most
beauteous tints of the rainbow, or directing a
customer to the victualling -office ; the other,
with the foil, passes away his hours in attain-
ing precision to pierce the centre of the heart,
or in transfixing the ball of the eye, to cause
instant death by perforating the brain. Let
me ask, in this mimic warfare which man's
mind was most debased ? Black-legs are not
the peculiar growth of our ring. Wherever
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
171
men will sport on chance events, there Mr.
Blackshanks will be found walking, and that
too, on shores where the fist is irever used
except by our brave tars, that often make them
scamper by the mere flourish of their bunch of
Jives. Thieves may be found in the mob that
surrounds our ring ; but where are they not
to be found ? A radical or Bible meeting is
not exempt from their visits, and they will
even be found at a charity sermon, praying
they may have good luck when the bustle
comes on, and may be considered as instru-
ments of divine mercy, sent to deliver good
men from the sinful dross of the earth.
The only charge that can be brought against
the ring is crossing fights ; and though the
members of the press growl, and very justly
too, whenever a X takes place, yet none of
them attempt to point out the cause or remedy.
Fighting men are not all alike, neither are
kings ; for who would compare our beloved
sovereign with the scoundrel Ferdinand ?
There are men in our ring with integrity that
would adorn a more elevated situation men
that would sooner drop senseless under pu-
nishment, though fighting for little more than
the colours that are tied to the stakes, than
receive five hundred pounds to lose wilfully.
I do deny most positively that pugilistic exhi-
bitions debase, demoralize, or brutalize us as
a nation ; on the reverse, I am confident they
introdnce chivalrous (they may be rude)
notions of honor, courage, fortitude, and love of
manly fair play ; characteristics so strongly
indented in the British character, that they
are known and acknowledged from pole to
pole. And who will be hardy enough to say
the excitement to those feelings does not ori-
ginate in the very same cause which our
enemies say brutalizes the feelings of the
country ?
Even on the score of humanity, pugilism
ought to be encouraged : for, wherever it
does not exist, murder, by violence and trea-
chery, more frequently takes place ; and,
without going to foreign countries for proof, a
single glance at home will strike the blindest
with the necessity of its encouragement. The
men of Lancashire, twenty years ago, were up-
and-down fighters ; then murder was almost
an every-day occurrence. Indeed, some of
the old ones of that day took no little pride
to themselves if they could boast of having
stopped the smoke of a chimney (choked a
man), after the manner of Virginius. Since
pugilism has been introduced, though the po-
pulation is fourfold, yet murder seldom or
never takes place. Compare the population
of Ireland, where the stick has been thrown
aside, and the fist used, to the other parts ;
the difference in the number of deaths by
violence will strike conviction on the dullest.
In fact, though chivalry did much to smooth
down the roughness of the darker ages, 'tis
only the BOXING GLOVES can give the true
polish of civilization to the world And, I
am confident, if Adam had been fly he would
have taught his sons to box; then the club
would not have been used, and murder pre-
vented. Cain would have given Abel a good
miUing, perhaps queered his ogles, or spoiled
his box of dominoes ; but they would have been
found next morning supping porridge as com-
fortably as lord mayor's sons.
Greece, the birth-place of the arts and sci-
ences, encouraged pugilism ; and the first man
of the day considered not only himself, but his
family, honored, if lucky enough to mill his
man at the Olympic games. Look at the effe-
minate beings that now parade the streets of
Rome, once trod by the conquerors of England,
and the world ; but then a boxing or a milling
match would have had more charms than the
finest strains of Von Weber. The government
knew the advantage of exhibitions that would
excite an admiration of courage and fortitude,
"f was this reason induced the Athenian gene-
ral to stop his army, that they might look at
a cock-fight ; 'tis this that has secured our
ring the patronage of the NOBLEST BLOOD,
RANK, AND TALENT, in the country ; and long
may we deserve the support of men that soar
above the braying of asses, or the cant of
hypocrites.
With all due submission and thanks to the
ancients, as the first inventors of milling, yet
I cannot help feeling pride at the vast supe-
riority our ring possesses over theirs ; for
death was too frequently the result, in conse-
quence of the metal which was braced to
their arm. When our ring is formed, the
combatants are left to themselves, without
fear of interruption from a third person.
Temperate, manly courage, is loudly ap-
plauded passion, cowardice, or foul play, as
loudly blamed : and should either of the men
display any little act of humanity to his sink-
ing opponent (of which I could state number-
less instances), his gallantry is praised to the
skies ; but the moment the dreadful word
ENOUGH is uttered, hostilities cease, and the
conqueror, shaking hands with his fallen
antagonist, wishes him better luck next time,
and, in a kindly voice, expresses a wish that
he may soon recover.
Man is the creature of habit, and force of
example ; and, I again repeat, exhibitions of
this kind have their good effects, which can
be traced to us as a nation, and, independent
of fighting, influence other actions of life.
Show me the man completely opposed to pu-
gilism, and you will find his character to be,
a bad neighbour, and a tyrant under his own
roof. The immortal Wyndham was the
staunch advocate and patron of our Ring,
and champion for the abolition of the slave
trade. Have dealings with any other country
will you find them, in the mass, so honest
or so honorable as Britons ? In every part of
the known world, who are more welcome than,
our merchants ? What flag more respected or
feared ? Quarrel in the streets of any other
country, you will have more than one to con-
tend wiih. If an object o f distress is pointea
172
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOftTS
out, who is more ready to assist 'han a Briton ?
In other countries murder and robbery go
hand in hand. In ours the most desperate
men never dip their hands in blood, unless to
protect themselves from ill-judged resistance.
And who can boast an army or a navy so gal-
lantly brave, or so ready to extend the hand
to save, as Britons ? Tell me a nation would
meet our brave sons on equal terms in the
field or on the wave ; yet, if conquered, which
of them but would sooner become a prisoner
to a British sailor or soldier than any other ?
Theirs is not the frenzied courage like that
inspired by brandy, which, after the first gust
of passion, leaves its helpless, hopeless, pant-
ing possessor ; but 'tis that kind of round-
after-round courage which will admit of think-
ing and command, and knows no abatement till
wearied nature and death closes the scene. Fair
play is a Briton's motto : she would extend it to
the extremities of the earth. No consequence
what country, religion, or colour. The sable
African, throwing aside the chains that level-
led him with the beast, now walks erect, in
all the majesty of freedom and liberty, calling
down blessings on the country that, in spite of
all the world, burst his bonds asunder. If
these are the symptoms that the country is
brutalized by pugilism, long may she continue
so ! Long may she be the home for the exile
the defender of the oppressed the best
boxer and arbiter of the world !
TOM REYNOLDS.
GEORGE IV.'s ATTACHMENT TO HORSES.
Wild Boy, his late Majesty's favorite white
riding horse, died at the King's Mews, under
very curious circumstances. The noble ani-
mal was suddenly attacked, apparently with-
out any cause, with all the usual symptoms
of inllammation of the bowels. A consulta-
tion of eminent veterinary surgeons was
held, and the remedies which have on several
occasions been employed in the Royal S+ud
with marked success were had recourse to.
The disease, however, gained ground, and his
Majesty, whose knowledge of the anatomy of
the horse is well known, expressed his belief
that something more than mere inflammation
was the cause of the rapid illness. Sir H.
Hal ford coincided in this opinion, and Mr.
Godwyne, veterinary surgeon to the King,
suspected that the complaint was an intus-
susception that is, the passage of one portion
of the bowel within the other, by which its
canal becomes obstructed, and a fatal inflam-
mation induced. The patient lived only
twenty hours from the commencement of the
attack and, on dissection, the opinion formed
of its nature was found to be strictly correct.
His Majesty, with his usual consideration for
the veterinary science, ordered an eminent
artist to take a cast of the diseased portion,
which, with the bowel itself, have been depo-
sited in the Royal Veterinary Museum.
SET THE BLIND TO CATCH TH* BLIND !
In the notes to the Waverley novels, it
appears, that Sir Walter Scott happened to
be standing by with other gentlemen while
the Captain of the Selkirk Yeomanry was
purchasing a horse for the use of his trum-
peter. The animal offered was a handsome
one, and neither the officer, who was an
excellent jockey, nor any one present could
see any imperfection in wind or limb. But a
person happened to pass, who was asked to
give an opinion. This man was called Blind
Willie, who drove a small trade in cattle anu
horses ; and, what seemed as extraordinary,
in watches, notwithstanding his having been
born blind. He was accounted to possess a
rare judgment in these subjects of traffic. So
soon as he had examined the horse in ques-
tion, he immediately pronounced it to have
something of his own complaint, and, in plain
words, stated it to be blind, or verging upon
that imperfection, which was found to be the
case upon close examination. None present
had suspected this fault in the animal ; which
is not wonderful, considering that it may fre-
quently exist without any appearance in the
organ affected. Blind Willie being asked
how he made a discovery imperceptible to so
many gentlemen who had their eye-sight, ex-
plained that, after feeling the horse's limbs,
he laid one hand on its heart; and drew the
other briskly across the animal's eyes, when,
finding no increase of pulsation in conse
quence of the latter motion, he had come to
'the conclusion that the horse must be blind.
DESPERATE FIGHT BETWEEN SOME SWORD Jfisii
AND A WHALE.
Captain Crow, in a work recently pub-
lished, relates the following as having oc-
curred on a voyage to Memel : " One morn-
ing during a calm, when near the Hebridges,
all hands were called up at three in the
morning to witness a battle between several
of the fish called thrashers, and some sword-
fish on one side, and an enormous whale on
the other. It was in the middle of Summer,
and the weather being clear, and the fish close
to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of wit-
nessing the contest. As soon as the whale'a
back appeared above the water, the thrashers
springing several yards into the air, descended
with great violence upon the object of their
rancour, and inflicted upon him the most
severe slaps with theii tails, the sound of
which resembled the report of muskets fired
at a distance. The sword-fish, in their turn,
attacked the distressed whale, stabbing him
from below ; and thus beset on all sides and
wounded, when the poor creature appeared,
the water around him was dyed with blood.
In this manner they continued tormenting
and wounding him for many hours, until we
lost sight of him ; and I have no doubt they,
in the end, accomplished his destruction.
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
173
SINGULAR OCCURRENCE : FIGHT BETWEEN A
TERRIER AND AN OPOSSUM.
Mr. Fergussou had a young terrier bitch,
about sixteen months old, liver and white,
weight about 25lb. Mr. Jenkins had an
opossum, brought from New South Wales,
supposed to be about three years old, and
weighing 27lb. The opossum is something
like a fox (and thence called the vulpine opos-
sum), but inferior in size ; the toes on the fore
feet are five in number, the inner one high up,
and inverted, with remarkably strong claVfrs
to each ; the hind feet have four toes, and a
thumb, of two joint?, without a claw ; the
legs are short, but well put together ; it has
in each jaw four grinders, and eight canine
teeth, which are longer, more sharp and pointed
than the generality of them. The bitch and
opossum fought on the Gth of January, 1829,
and the day being very rough, the fight was
obliged to take place in a barn instead of
Hempton Green, as had been contemplated,
to the vexation of numbers, who could not
get admission at any price ; so much stir did
the affair make in the neighbourhood. A great
deal of betting took place previous to the
match, at guineas to pounds, Possey the fa-
vorite ; and some of our Norfolk knowing
and learned country swells, who were ac-
quainted with the " nature of the beast,"
Rafter seeing the excellent trim he was got into
by his trainer, Jemmy Neal) even went as high
as three to two, and I did hear of two to one
being offered, but cannot state it as a fact.
The bitch received the attentions of Tom
Riffley.
Round 1st. Possey Booked very fell, shook
his bushy tail, and darted at the bitch as quick
&s lightning, caught her by the shoulder, and
tore a piece out of it; he then drew back,
made another spring at the fore leg, but missed
it. Meantime the bitch was not idle she
made several attempts at a hold, but the gen-
tleman's furry coat deceived the poor bitch,
vno brought away a mouthful of his outer
garment every time she sprung at him ; at
length, she caught him " where the Irishmen
put their lundy," and punished him severely,
while he returned by making use of his claws,
With which he scratched dreadfully. At
length, he got away, and was taken to his
Louse ; and after two minutes rest, began
Round 2d. Both darting at one another,
their heads met, and both were knocked over.
Returning, Possey seized the bitch by the
throat, and threw her quite over him, flung
out his hind feet, and almost knocked all the
wind out of the bitch (four to one on Possey
freely offered no takers.) The bitch fought
shy till she got a little \vmcl, then made for
him, seized his proboscis, and pulled him
about in good style, in spite of his claws,
which made dreadful havoc with the bitch ;
Possey got away, and was taken to his house.
This lasted nine minutes and a half.
Round 3d, The bitch made first play, and
began by taking Mr. Possey by the nose,
where she held him, and pulled him about
for two minutes and a half, he keeping his
claws in exercise all the while, when she lost
her hold, and sprung at his neck (which in
the previous round, she had cleared of the fur)
which she lacerated in a shocking manner
when he got away, and was led to his house.
Possey became rather weak from the loss of
blood, but was restored upon Riffley applying
something to his nostrils.
Round 4th, and last. The bitch again made
for the foreigner's neck, where she left the
marks of her toothy work ; she then seized
him by the shoulder, got an excellent hold,
and, for the first time, Possey uttered a dismal
yell, and, on getting away, made for his house,
from whence he could no more be brought
to the scratch. The bitch was consequently
declared the winner.
The fight lasted thirty-seven minutes.
CARRIKII PIGEONS.
The first mention we find made of the em-
ployment of pigeons, as letter carriers, is by
Ovid, in his " Metamorphoses," who tells us
that Taurosthenes, by a pigeon stained with,
purple, gave notice of his having been victor
at the Olympic games on the very same day
to his father at /Egina. When the city of
Ptolemais, in Syria, was invested by the
French and Venetians, and was ready to fall
into their hands, they observed a pigeon fly-
ing over them, and immediately conjectured
that it was charged with letters to the garri-
son. On this, the whole army raising a loua
shout, so confounded the poor aerial post, that
it fell to the ground ; and on being seized, a
letter was found under its wings, from the
sultan, in which he assured the garrison,
that *' he would be with them in three days,
with an army sufficient to raise the siege."
For this letter, the besiegers substituted
another to this purport (< that the garrison
must see to their own safety, for the sultan
had such other affairs pressing upon him, that
it was impossible for him to come to their
succour;" and with, this false intelligence
they let the pigeon fly on his course. The
garrison, deprived by this der.rce of all hopeg
of relief, immediately surrendered. The'sul-
tan appeared on the third day, as promised,
with a powerful army, and was not a little
mortified to find the city already in the hands
of the Christians.
Carrier pigeons were again employed, but
with better success, at the siege of Leyden,
in 1675. The garrison were, by means of the
information thus conveyed to them, induced
to stand out, till the enemy, despairing oi
reducing the place, withdrew. On the siege
being raised, the Prince of Orange ordered
that the pigeons which had rendered such
essential service should be maintained at tha
public expense, and that at their death they
174
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
should bo embalmed and preserved in the
town-house, as a perpetual token of gratitude.
In the East, the employment of pigeons for
the conveyance of letters is still very com-
mon, particularly in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt.
Every bashaw has generally a basket full of
them sent him from the grand seraglio, where
they are bred, and incase of any insurrection,
or other emergency, he is enabled, by letting
loose two or more of these extraordinary mes-
sengers, to convey intelligence to the govern-
ment long before it could be possibly obtained
by other means. The diligence and speed
with which these feathered messengers wing
their course is extraordinary. From the
i nstant of the liberation, their flight is directed
through the clouds at an immense height, to
the ' place of their destination. They are
believed to dart onward in a straight line,
and never descend, except when at a loss for
breath, and then they are to be seen com-
monly at dawn of day, lying on their backs
on the ground, with their hills open, sucking
in with hasty avidity the dew of the morning.
Of their speed, the instances related are
almost incredible.
The consul of Alexandria daily sends dis-
patches by these means to Aleppo in five
hours, though couriers occupy the whole day,
and proceed with the utmost expedition from
one town to the other.
Some years ago, a gentleman sent a carrier
pigeon from London, by the stage coach, to
his friend at St. Edmunsbury, together with a
note, desiring that the pigeon, two days after
its arrival there might be thrown up precisely