The Sportsman in France (Volume 1); Comprising a Sporting Ramble Through Picardy and Normandy, and Boar Shooting in Lower Brittany (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. Partridge-shooting in the neighbourhood of Dieppe--La Ville d'Eu--Vassonville--Madame La Duchesse de Berri--Sport at Blangy--How to catch a pike--And when caught, how to dress and carve him. Some eighteen months prior to my meeting with Mr. W at Brighton, in 1830, and which led to my accompanying him to Dieppe, it so happened that I was on a visit at Abbeville, having run over from St. Omer, to try the swamp for snipe. Capt. P and Mr. W having heard of my being in their neighbourhood, wrote me a pressing invitation to join them at La Ville d'Eu, and shoot in the preserves of the then Duke of Orleans--his Royal Highness (now Louis Philippe) having condescendingly granted us permission to shoot on his estate whenever we pleased. This was a proposal too tempting to be resisted, and on the appointed day I started, en Berline, from Abbeville, for the royal preserves, and joined my friends at the hotel of this pretty little town, which faces the gates leading to the park and chateau. This delightful residence is distant not more than sixteen or eighteen miles from Dieppe, and the drive is picturesque and beautiful in the extreme. We were waited upon by the head keeper almost immediately after our arrival, who informed us that his helpers were in attendance, and all prfyaratifs had been made for our re ception. After a slight refection, we put our guns together, and set off for the preserves, in the hope of doing wonders. Having declined the proffered aid of divers chiens de chasse, we took with us a brace of Captain P 's Leicestershire black-and-tan pointers, a setter of Mr. W 's, and another, a fine old staunch dog, of my own. Mr. W 's setter was a superlatively handsome animal, and looked so promising that I was induced to inquire where he had pu...