Beat over all the ground about the Halfpenny Hatches, and found nothing but one cat, which all of 'us fired at; but being only six in number, and a cat having nine lives, we missed killing, though we severely wounded her.

Met two men driving geese at Kennington Common -offered them eight-pence, which they accepted, for a shot at the flock at twenty yards. Drew lots who should fire first. It fell to Billy Candlewick's chance, who, from his father belonging many years to the Orange regiment of City Militia, knew something of taking aim.

The goose-driver stepped the ground, and Billy took aim for about ten minutes, when shutting both his eyes, lest the pan might flash in his sight, he snapped and missed fire-he took aim a second time, snapped and missed again-borrowed Bob Tape's scissars, and hammered the flint-snapped and missed fire a third time-thought the devil had got hold of the gun; examined her, and found she was neither loaded nor primed. The goose-driver refused to let Billy try again, so we gave him another sixpence, and he sold us a lame gander, which we placed at about six yards, and taking a shot apiece at him, killed him, and put him into Ned Thimble's cabbage-net.

Un

When we came within sight of the Swan at Stockwell, we all ran as fast as we could to see who should get in first, as we had agreed to breakfast there. fortunately, our guns being cocked, I made a stumble, and the trigger being touched by something, off went the piece, and lodged the contents in the body of a sucking pig that was crossing the road. The squeaking of the poor little animal roused the maternal affection of the sow, and set the fox-dog, the terrier, the Newfoundland bitch, and the mastiff, a-barking. The noise of the sow, the pig, and the dogs, with the report of the gun, brought the people of the house, and

indeed>

indeed of the neighbourhood; and being threatened by one, and laughed at by another, we thought it best to buy the pig at four shillings, which we did, and put it into Bob Tape's game-bag, which by the by was nothing but half a bolster-tick: we made the best of our way to the Plough, at Clapham, where we had some cold buttock and ale for breakfast.

Tried all the common round, beat every bush with the muzzle of our guns, set the dogs on the pigs, and found but one chaffinch, which was rather wild, not Jetting us come within eight yards, so that we could not make sure of our bird. We hunted him from spray to spray for above an hour, without being able to get in a parallel line, so as to take sure aim, when at last he was killed by a little boy, who knocked him down with a stone; bought him, and put him into the net with the goose.

Resolved to make for Blackheath, and so cut across the country, that we might get amongst the stubbles missed our road, and by some kind of circumbendibus got into Brixton Causeway, where we asked if there were any birds in the neighbourhood. We were directed to a dead horse, where two ravens and several magpies were assembled; but they would not stay our arrival, for the moment they saw us they made off.

Crossing a field near Camberwell, we thought we saw a covey of partridges at the side of a ditch-so we all made up to them with our guns cocked, tying the dogs to our legs, that they night not run in and spring the game.

What we thought to be a covey of partridges proved to be a gang of gypsies who were squatted under the hedge, peeling turnips and preparing potatoes for din-

ner.

It was the mercy of God we did not fire at them,, as our pieces were up to our shoulders, and we had but one eye apiece open, when that which we took:

to be the old cock rose up, and said in a loud voice, What the devil are you about?"

After many difficulties, and but little sport, got, by the direction of the gypsies, into the Greenwich road, where, being rather fatigued, we stopped at the Halfway-house until a coach came by, when mounting the roof and the box, we were conveyed near to Blackheath, to our unspeakable joy.

Never saw the heath before-amazed at the number of furze-bushes, and the wide extent there is for game. Had an excellent chase after a jack-ass, which the mastiff tore in the leg. Kept close together for fear of Losing each other.

The terrier came to point at a thick bunch of fern. We were now sure this must be a covey of partridges, and we prepared accordingly. The mastiff ran in, and brought out one of the young ones. It proved to be a nest of grass mice-took every one and put them into the bolster.-Grass mice are better than no thing.

Much fatigued, and agreed to shoot all the way home-fired off our guns at the foot of Greenwich Hill, and were laughed at by the inhabitants-loaded them again, and fired at a sheet of paper for half an hour without putting a grain in it-got to Smith's at dusk, and discharged our pieces in the air before we went in-had something to eat and drink, then set off for the city, and squibbed our guns all the way along, while the powder lasted.

La Got home much fatigued with the day's sportwent to our club, and told a thousand lies about the birds we killed, and the presents we made of them— moked our pipes, and by twelve got to bed..

(9)

KATE KEARNEY OF THE LAKE OF KILLARNEY.

[From the Morning Chronicle.]

THE fatal beauty of the heroine of the Lake of Killarney is celebrated in a Song, written by her illustrious countrywoman; but there is not the slightest allusion to any of the strong features which marked the mind and misfortunes of this female, whose heart, though one in which all the tender susceptibilitieswere mature even to luxuriance, was too much oppressed by feelings of another kind, to cherish those of love. If her eye was exquisitely penetrating, the tear which early adversity filled it with, obtruded often: enough to quench the flame of its glance; and the spell that is said to have lurked in it, was more calcu lated to conjure up a spirit of commiseration, than one of wild and ungovernable passion.

The tale which we are about to relate, as it is only upon oral record, has a great deal of the fabulous in it, which can be accounted for by the romantic spirit of the people of Ireland, and the ignorance of that parti of them who lived in the interior of the country, upwards of two centuries ago. It is, however, easy to collect from it, that Kate Kearney lost a father upon whom she doated, and that his loss was the occasion of her despondence and death.

Upon the borders of the most beautiful part of this extensive Lake lived Kate Kearney, with her father: she had been educated under the immediate eye of her parent, and imbibed notions of virtue which were perhaps too much tinged with enthusiasm. Her father was a widower some years, and had been in the habit of officiating as Clergyman in his neighbourhood-he was, of course, an object almost of idolatry, amongst the hordes whose minds he succeeded in reducing to a kind of civilization. He possessed a character of the most extraordinary humanity, and his mind was ele

B. 5

vated

IO KATE KEARNEY OF THE LAKE OF KILLARNEY.

vated by inspirations of a mild and comprehensive reFigion-he looked as if his thoughts were in the grave -he spoke as if his hopes were in the heavens !

The relaxations in which his daughter used to indulge, were chiefly music and fishing, and he was in the habit of visiting a small island distant from his habitation about a quarter of a mile. One morning the young lady was alarmed at the delay of her father, who had repaired to the island in his boat at a very early hour; and having waited a considerable while in much agitation, she determined to go to the island herself and seek him. She immediately ordered her female attendant to prepare her skiff; and, upon her arrivaľ at the island, was horror-struck, upon seeing her father's boat lying empty in the midst of it, about 500 yards from the water. The island appeared as if the waves of an ocean. had washed' it, several of the trees were levelled to the ground, and every thing had the signs of an agitation which must have been caused by the joint powers of all the elements.

The boat alone seemed to have been uninjured. An ear was at each side, a fishing-net lay at the bottom of it, and an old manuscript which her father was fond: of perusing, lay upon one of the seats. In an indescribable state of distraction the afflicted girl ran through every part of the island, calling upon the name of her beloved father; but no answer was returned, and she was carried in a state of insensibility to her boat. These dreadful. circumstances were soon. diffused through the country. The poor object of Commiseration refused for a long time to take any food; and such were the effects which sorrow hadi upon her countenance, that she was called by all those who lived near her paternal dwelling, "the Queen of Grief. An elderly lady, who had been in habits of intimacy with the family, took her into her house, and endeavoured to. comfort. her. Her efforts were not en