MOST EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE ACCOMPLISHED WITH A BAROUCHE.

A party of gentlemen, on Tuesday, the 10th of March, 1812, for a considerable wager, started from the George Inn, at Portsmouth, in Bellet's Barouche-and-four, to reach London, a distance of seventy-two miles, in seven hours and three-quarters; which to the astonishment of both parties, was accomplished in five hours and thirty-one minutes, being two hours and fourteen minutes less than the given time; averaging fourteen miles an hour. The following is a statement of the distance, and places of changing horses.

From Portsmouth to Horndean

Miles. Min,

10

53

72 331

12

to Hyde Park Corner 12

Changing of the horses

FALCONRY AMONG THE ANCIENTS.

An early writer on this subject gives us the following anecdote :-"I once had (says he) an excellent opportunity of seeing this sport near Nazareth in Galilee: An Arab, mounting a

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swift courser, held the falcon on his hand, as huntsmen commonly do. When he espied the animal on the top of the mountain, he let loose the falcon, which flew in a direct line, like an arrow and attacked the antelope, fixing the talons of one of his feet into its cheeks, and those of the other into his throat, extending his wings obliquely over the animal; spreading one towards one of his ears, and the other to the opposite hip. The creature, thus attacked, made a leap twice the height of a man, and freed himself from the falcon; but, being wounded, and losing both its strength and speed, it was again attacked by the bird, which fixed the talons of both his feet into its throat, and held it fast, till the huntsmen coming up, took it alive, and cut its throat. The falcon was allowed to drink the blood, as a reward for his labour; and a young falcon, which was learning, was likewise put to the throat. By this means the young birds are taught to fix their talons in the throat of the animal, as the properest part: for, should the falcon fix upon the creature's hip, or some other part of the body, the huntsman would not only lose his game, but his falcon too; for the beast roused by the wound, which could not prove mortal, would run to the deserts and the tops of the mountains, whither its enemy, keeping its hold, would be obliged to follow, and being separated from its master, must of course perish.

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SPORTING ADVENTURE OF COURTEOUS KING

JAMIE.

By M. G. Lewis, Esq.

Courteous King Jamie is gone to the wood,

The fattest buck to find;

He chased the deer, and he chased roe,

Till his friends were left behind.

He hunted over moss and moor,

And over hill and down,

Till he came to a ruined hunting hall
Was seven miles from a town.

He entered up the hunting hall
To make him goodly cheer,

For of all the herds in the good greenwood,
He had slain the fairest deer.

He sat him down with food and rest
His courage to restore,

When a rising wind was heard to sigh,
And an earthquake rock'd the floor.

And darkness cover'd the hunting hall
Where he sat all at his meat;
The gray dogs howling left their food
And crept to Jamie's feet.

And louder howl'd the rising storm,
And burst the fasten'd door,
And in there came a grisly Ghost,
Loud stamping on the floor.

Her head touch'd the roof-tree of the house,

Her waist a child could span;

I wot, the look of her hollow eye

Would have scared the bravest man.

Her locks were like snakes, and her teeth like snakes,

And her breath had a brimstone smell:

I know of nothing that she seem'd to be
-But the Devil just come from Hell!

Some meat! some meat! King Jamie,
Some meat now give to me."

"And to what meat in this house, lady,
Shall ye not welcome be?"

Oh! ye must kill your berry-brown stend;
And serve him up to me."

King Jamie has kill'd his berry-brown steed;
Though it caused him mickle care;
The ghost eat him up both flesh and bone;
And left nothing but hoofs and hair!

"More meat! more meat, King Jamie,
More meat now give to me."

"And to what meat in this house, lady, Shall ye not welcome be?"

"Oh! ye must kill your good greyhounds; They'll taste more daintily."

King Jamie has kill'd his good greyhounds,
Though it made his heart to fail:
The ghost eat them all up one by one,
And left nothing but ears and tail.

A bed! a bed, King Jamie,
Now make a bed for me!"
"And to what bed in this house, lady,
Shall ye not welcome be?"

Oh! ye must pull the heather so green;
And make a soft bed for me."

King Jamie has pull'd the heather so green And made for the ghost a bed;

And over the heather, with courtesy rare, His plaid has he daintily spread.

"Now swear! now swear! King Jamie, To take me for your bride;"

"Now heaven forbid !" King Jamie said, That ever the like betide;

That the Devil so foul, just come from Hell Should stretch him by my side:"

"Then yield! then yield! King Jamie,
And take my bridegroom's place;
For shame shall light on the dastard knight
Who refuses a lady's grace."

"Then," quoth King Jamie with a groan,
For his heart was big with care,

"It shall never be said, that King Jamie,
Denied a lady's prayer."

So he laid him by the foul thing's side,
And piteously he moan'd;

She press'd his hand, and he shuddered!
She kiss'd his lips, and he groan'd?

When day was come, and night was gone,
And the sun shone through the hall,
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall!

"Oh! well is me !" King Jamie cried,
"How long will your beauty stay?"
Then out and spake that lady fair,
"E'en 'till my dying day.

"For I was witch'd to a ghastly shape,
All by my step-dame's skill,

Till I could light, on a courteous knight
Who would let me have all my will!"

GIGANTIC CHALLENGE.

A Russian Anecdote.

During his reign, Wladimir had many wars to sustain, particularly against the Petchenegians. In one of the incursions of these people,