460

HESE woods

Tfeeding for de gafford, excreted

in the Autumn feafon, into many parts of the foreft, but efpecially among the oaks, and beeches of Bolderwood, to fatten on maft. It is among the rights of the foreft borderers to feed their hogs in the foreft, during the pawnage month, as it is called, which commonces about the end of September, and lafts fix weeks. For this privilege they pay a trifling acknowledgement at the fteward's court at Lyndhurst. The word pawnage was the old term for the money thus collected.

The method of treating hogs at this feafon of migration, and of reducing a large herd of thefe unmanageable brutes to perfect obedience and good government, is curious.

The first step the fwine-herd takes, is to investigate fome clefe fheltered part of the foreft, where there is a conveniency of water; and plenty of oak, or beech-maft, the former of which he prefers, when he can have it in fufficient abundance. He fixcs next on fome spreading 'trée, round the bole of which he wattles a flight, circular fence of the dimenfions he wants; and covering it roughly with boughs, and fods, he fills it plentifully with ftraw, or ferni

Having made this preparation, he collects his colony among the farmers, with whom he commonly agrees for a fhilling a-head, and will get together perhaps a herd of five or fix hundred hogs. Having driven them to their destined habitation, he gives them a plentiful fupper of acorns, or beechmaft, which he had already provided, founding his horn during the 'repaft. He then turns them into the lifter, where, after long journey, and a hearty meal, they fleep delicioufly.

The

a little next morning he lets them look

pool, or ftream, where they may occafionally drink-leaves them to pick up the offals of the last night's meal; and as evening draws on, gives them another plentiful repaft under the neighbouring trees, which rain acorns upop them for an hour together, at the found of his horn; he then fends them again to fleep.

The following day he is perhaps at the pains of procuring them another meal, with mufic playing as ufual. He then leaves them a little more to themfelves, having an eye however on their evening hours. But as their bellies are full, they feldom wander far from home, retiring commonly very orderly and early to bed.

After this, he throws his fly open, and leaves them to cater for themfelves, and from henceforward has little more trouble with them, during the whole time of their migration. Now and then, in calm weather, when maft falls fparingly, he calls them perhaps together by the music of his horn to a gratuitous meal; but in general, they need little attention, returning regularly home at night, tho' they of ten wander in the day two or three miles from their fty. There are experienced leaders in all herds, which have fpent this roving life before, and can inftruct their juniors in the method of it. By this management the herd is carried home to their refpec- · tive owners in fuch condition, that a little dry meat will foon fatten them.

I would not, however, have it fup. pofed, that all the fwine-herds in the foreft manage their colonies with this exactnefs. Bad governments and bad governors will every where exift; but I mention this as an example of found

policy

Eutopian fcheme; but fuch as hath been often realized, and hath as often been found productive of good order and public utility. The hog is commonly fapposed to be an obftinate, head-strong, unmanageable brute; and he may perhaps have a degree of pofitivenefs in his temper. In general, however, if he be properly managed, he is an orderly docile animal. The only difficulty is, to make your meanings, when they are fair and friendly, intelligible to him. Effect this, and you may lead him with a straw.

Nor is he without his focial feelings when he is at liberty to indulge them. In thefe foreft migrations, it is commonly obferved, that of whatever number the herd confifts, they generally feparate, in their daily excurfions, into fuch little knots and to cieties as have formerly had habits of intimacy together; and in the fe friendly groups they range the foreft; returning home at night, in different parties, fome earlier and fome later, as they have been more or less fortypate in the purfuits of the day.

It founds oddly to affirm the life of a hog to be enviable; and yet there is fomething uncommonly pleafing in the lives of the emigrants-fomething at leaft more defirable, than is to be found in the life of a hog Epicuri de grege. They feem themselves allo to enjoy their mode of life. You fee them perfectly happy, going about at their eafe, and converting with each other, in fhert, pithy, interrupted fentences, which are no doubt, expreffive of their own enjoyments, and of their focial fedlings."

Befides the hogs thus led out in the maft-feafon to fatten, there are others, the property of foreit-keepers, which fpend the whole year in fuch focieties. After the maft feafon is over, the indigenous foreft-hog depends chiefly for his livelihood on the roots of fern: and he would find this food very nourithing, if he could have it in aban

As

Befides thefe ftationary hogs, there are others in fome of the more defolate parts of the foreft, which are bred wild, and left to themselves, without any fettled habitation.. As they coft nothing either in food or care, their owners are content with the precarious profit of fuch as they are able to reclaim.

Charles I. I have heard, was at the expence of procuring the wild boar and his mate from the forefts of Germany, which once certainly inhabited the forefts of England. I have heard too that they propagated greatly in New Foreft. Certain it is, there is found in it at this day, a breed of hogs, commonly called foreft pigs, which are very different from the efual Hampfhire breed; and have about them feveral of the characteristic marks of the wild boar. The forest hog has broad fhoulders, ahigh creft, and thick briftly mane, which he erects on any alarm. His hinder parts are light and thin. His ears are fhort and erect, and his colour either black, or darkly brindled. He is much fiercer than the conimon breed, and will turn against an ordi nary dog. All thefe are marks of the wild boar, from whom, I have little doubt, that in part be derives his pedig ee, though his blood may be contaminated with vulgar mixtures.But though he is much more pictu. refque than the common hog, he is in

much

thinnefs of his flanks appear to great

flitch.

ΤΗ

HE horfe here is gregarious. Herds of twenty or thirty are often feeding together; in fummer efpecially, when they have plenty of pafturage, and can live as they pleafe. In winter they are obliged to feparate, and feek their food as they can find it. In general, indeed, they are left in all feafons to take their chance of the foreft. Where there is no expence, there can be no great lofs; and what is faved is fo much gained. In marfhy parts a fevere winter often goes hardly with them. But in dry grounds, where heath and furze abound, they pick up a tolerable winter fubfiftence, efpecially if they have learned the little arts of living, which neceffity teaches. Of thefe arts, one of the most useful is to bruife and pound with their fore-feet, the prickly tops of furze. This operation, which I have often feen performed, prepares the rigid diet of a furze-bufh in fome degree for maftication, and renders it rather lefs offenfive to the palate.

When fuch colts, as have long run wild, are to be caught for fale, their ideas of liberty are fo unconfined, from pafturing in fo wild a range, that it is matter of no little difficulty to take them. Sometimes they are caught by flight of hand, with a rope and a coofe. But if this method fail, they are commonly hunted down by horfemen, who relieve each other. Colt hunting is a common practice in the foreft

The colts which fed on Obergreen, are fometimes taken by the following fratagem: In this part runs a long bog, defcribed under the name of

Longflade-bottom, which is croffed by a mole thrown over it. With this paffage the colt is well acquainted: and on being purfued, is eafily driven towards it. When he is about the middle of the mole, two or three men ftart up in front, and oblige him to leap into the bog, where he is intangled and seized.

At all the neighbouring fairs, thefe horfes are a principal commodity, and are bought up for every purpofe to which a horfe can be applied. Diminutive as they are, you may often fee half a dozen of them ftraining in a waggon: and as it is fashionable to drive them in light carriages, their price has been enhanced. It is a little fortune to a poor cottager, if he happen to poffefs three or four colts, that are tolerably handsome and match well. He may probably fell them for ten or twelve pounds a-pièce.

In point of value, the New Forest horfe would rife higher, if the fame care were taken in breeding him, which was formerly taken, and which is fill in fome degree taken in the neighbouring foreft of Bere; where, I have heard, the keepers are ordered to deftroy all horfes, which, at three years of age, are under thirteen hands, and all mares under twelve.

There is another evil likewife which tends to injure the foreft colt; and that is, putting him to business at 100 early an age. Though a fmall horfe attains maturity earlier than a large one, yet thefe horfes, bred chiefly by indigent people, and generally of little value, are introduced much fooner to

labour

labour than abler and better horfes commonly are.

The fame and exploits are ftill remembered of a little beautiful grey ho.fe, which had been fuffered to run wild in the foreft till he was eight years of age, when he had attained his full ftrength. His firft fenfations, on the lofs of his liberty, were like thofe of a wild beat. He flew at his keeper with his open mouth; or rearing on bis hind legs, darted his forefeet at him with the most malicious fury. He fell however into hands that tamed him. He became by degrees patient of the bit, and at length fuffered a rider. From this time his life was a fcene of glory. He was well known on every road in the county; was the favourite of every groom; and the conftant theme of every hoftler. But in the chafe his prowefs was moft fhewn. There he carried his mafter with fo much swiftnefs, eafe, and firmnefs, that he always attracted the eyes of the company more than the game they purfued.

The New Foreft horfe is often fuppofed to be of Spanish extraction, from ancestors, imagined to have been fhipwrecked on the coaft of Hampshire in the time of the armada. But I look on this as a fpecies of the ancient vaunt, genus a Jove fummo, and to deferve as little attention. Some of them have a form which would not difgrace fo noble a lineage. The grey horfe is among the most beautiful. But in general, the croup of the foreft horfe is low; and his head is ill fet on, having what the jockies call a fiff jaw. Of this defect a refemblance is common in fome horfes, whofe head is fet on, as thofe of the foreft horfes commonly are. Their claim therefore to high lineage muit in general reft more on their good qualities than on their beauty on the hardi nefs of their nature-on their uncommon ftrength-on their agility and fureness of foot, which they probably

acquire by conflantly lifting their legs among furze.

But though the form of the New Foreft horfe is feldom beautiful, yet,, as the ornament of a foreft fcene, he is very picturefque. The horfe, in his natural ftate, rough with all his mane about him, and his tail waving in the wind as he feeds, is always beautiful; but particularly in fo wild a fcene as this, which he graces exceedingly.

On this fubject I cannot forbear digreffing a little, (and I hope the critical reader will not be too faftidious} on the great indignity the horse fuffers from the mutilation of his tail and ears. Within this century, I believe, the barbarous custom of docking horses came in ufe, and hath paffed through various modifications, like all other cuftoms, which are not founded in nature and truth. A few years ago the fhort dock was the only tail (if it may be called fuch) in fashion, both in the army and in carriages. The abfurdity however of this total amputation began to appear. The gentlemen of the army led the way. They acknowledged the beauty and ufe of the tail as nature made it. The Short dock every where disappeared, and all. dragoon, horfes paraded with long. tails.

The nag tail however ftill continued in ufe. Of this there are feve-, ral fpecies, all more or lefs mutilated. The most deformed one is nicked tail, fo named from a cruel operation used in forming it. The under finews of the dock being divided, the tail ftarts upwards, directly contrary to the po fition which nature intended. The nag-tail is ftill feen in all genteel carriages; nor will any perfon of fathion. ride a horfe without one. Even the gentlemen of the army, who have fhewn the moft fenfe in the affair of horfe-tails, have been fo mifled as to introduce the nag-tail into the light. horfe; though it would be as difficult

to

Two things are urged in defence of this cruel mutilation-the utility, and the beauty of it. Let us as briefly as poffible examine both.

To make an animal feful is, no doubt, the first confideration: and to make a horfe fo, we must neceffarily make him fuffer fome things which are unnatural, because we take him out of a fate of nature. He must be fed with hay and corn in the winter, which he cannot get in his open paftures: for if he have exercife beyond nature, he must have fuch food as will enable him to bear it. As it is neceffary likewife to make our roads hard and durable, it is neceflary alfo to give the horse an iron hoof, that he may travel over them without injuring his feet.. -But all this has nothing to do with his tail, from which no incumbrance arifes.

Yes, fays the advocate for docking; as it is neceffary for the horfe to tra vel, to hunt, and to race, it is ufeful to lighten him of every incumbrance; and as it is neceffary for him to travel through dirty roads, it is ufeful to rid him of an inftrumént which is continually collecting dirt, and lafhing it over himfelf and his rider.

To eafe your horfe of every incumbrance in travelling is certainly right. You should fee that bis bridle and faddle (which are his great incumbrances) are as eafy as poffible: and that the weight he carries or draws be proportioned to his ftrength. But depend upon it he receives no incumbrance from nature. It is a maxim among all true philofophers, that nature has given nothing in vain: and there can be no reasonable doubt, but that nature has given the horfe his tail to balance and affift his motions. That this is the cafe feems plain from the use he makes of it. When the animal is at reft his tail-is pendent,

raifes and preads it as a bird does in the fame fituation. Would the fwallow or the dove be affifted in their flight by the lofs of their tails? or the greyhound in his fpeed by docking him? For myself, I have no doubt, but if the experiment were tried at Newmarket, which I fuppofe it never was, the horfe with his long tail, however the Iterati there might laugh at him, would not be in the leaft injured in his fpeed; and would certainly anfer better, in all his fuðden turns to the intention of his rider. He would extend and spread his helm ; it would fteer his way; and we would feldom hear of his running out of his courfe or on the, wrong fide of the post.

Befides, his tail probably affifts him even in his common exertions, and balances his body when he trots, and prevents his tumbling. I have heard a gentleman who had travelled much in the caft remark, that the Turkish and Arabian horfes rarely ftumble; which he attributed, and with much appearance of truth, to their long tails.

But whatever ufe the tail may be to the horse in action, it is acknowledged on all hands to be of infinite ufe to him at reft. Whoever fees the horse grazing in fummer, and obferves the contlant ufe he makes of his long taik in lafhing the flies from his fides, must be perfuaded, that it is a moft ufeful inftrument and must be hurt to fee him fidget a fhort dock backward and forward, with ineffectual attempts to rid himself of fome plague which he cannot reach.

As to the objection against the tail as an inftrument, which is continually gathering dirt, and lafhing it around, if there be any truth in what I have already obferved, this little objection diffolves itfelf, especially as the inconvenience may with great eafe be remedied when the road is dirty, ei

ther