DRESS OF A SHOOTER.

THE study of dress in every thing further than always to appear like a gentleman, or strictly in the character of what a man professes (except to the age of two or three and twenty, when it is as natural for a young man to study dress as for a child to play with toys), might possibly, with many persons, give rise to a reflection on a man's understanding, or a suspicion that he was a "knowing hand," who made a business of adorning his person, in order to get on the weak side of weak people. I therefore, lest the book should fall into the hands of some philosopher, feel a hesitation in introducing any subject so frivolous, except for the object of suggesting what contributes to comfort, for the perusal of some citizen, who makes his first start as a shooter. We all know that a jean, nankeen, or any kind of thin jacket, is the pleasantest wear for September, one of fustian for October, and one of velveteen for the winter; and that, for a man who, at all times, uses but one kind of jacket, fustian would be about the medium. That called "baragan" fustian is by far the best and most durable. After having tried almost every thing that is commonly used, and some of the wretched articles that are puffed by advertisement, I have found nothing better for a light summer jacket than what is made at Manchester

by the name of satteen, jeanet, or florentine, which is printed on each side, in imitation of cloth. This stuff far surpasses the others for lightness, comfort, durability, and every thing that can be required for warm weather; but, as there is no particular interest in making it (rather the reverse), it is not every where very easily procured; so that so that your tailor would probably be obliged to order it, in doing which he cannot choose it of too good a quality.

With regard to the other parts of the dress, but few persons appear to know what is really comfortable, and I may, therefore, appear singular for considering as most uncomfortable, that which is commonly, and was till of late years, universally worn: I mean shoes and gaiters. To say nothing of being tormented with two or three dozen of buttons every morning, and having your ankles and knees in a state of confinement through a hard day's exercise, it need only be observed that, if you step in the least puddle, you are wet; if you tread in moist ground, your shoe is pulled down at heel; and you are often liable to be annoyed by your shoes untying, and thorns and bits of stick, &c., getting into them, or between the buttons of your gaiters. How much more comfortable, then, is the dress here recommended! With lambswool stockings and flannel drawers, put on a pair of overall-boots, and then draw over them a pair of trousers, which may be made either of fustian or leather, and so strongly defended inside the knees, that no thorn can penetrate. Thus you are equipped without trouble or loss of time; you have your muscles perfectly at liberty for hard exercise, and are free from every annoyance not to say a word on the advantage and

safety you have in the stirrup, if on horseback, or on the infallibility of this remedy against the annoyance of harvest-bugs in September. Since this was first published, I see that what is here advised has become very much in fashion. I have not, however, the vanity to suppose that it was from my recommendation, but because people now begin to find out the comfort of it.

For those who prefer gaiters, the best way to wear them is with half-boots, that lace close above the ankle, and which require them no longer than just to reach that part.

A shooting-waistcoat of the same stuff as the jacket is always desirable, and economical. It saves an increase of baggage in travelling, and may be made long to cover the loins, with pockets expressly to your own fancy. I have found, however, that one of dark-gray cloth, with mother-of-pearl or bone buttons, is the most comfortable (unless the weather be too warm for it), and will last so as to look well longer than any other. A small side-pocket above the left breast is handy for wadding, which may be got at with the forefinger and thumb, without taking off your glove: and as (by the way) keeping the hands warm in frosty weather is a matter of necessity in shooting, I shall recommend a little bit of copper wire fastened either to the lower button, or the shot belt, which is always ready as a gunpicker; never rusts; will not injure the platina of a touchhole; and, if you fall, will bend instead of running into you. This, if bent to a right angle, does very well too as a probe for the nipples of

detonaters.

A dissertation on a shooting-jacket would be ab

surd, farther than to recommend, that, if you wish to have what is commonly called a harepocket, it be lined with oilskin, by which you may sponge off the blood, instead of having, as many do, a jacket, that would serve as a drag for a pack of harriers, by way of a nosegay for ladies at a breakfast table. But I have now totally discarded black, or dark-green, velveteen jackets, for open partridge shooting. They may please the "kiddies," but they frighten the birds. In the fourth week of September, 1829, an old sportsman laughed at the idea of this. But at last, he changed his black hat, and black velvet jacket with a servant of mine, who followed him, for a light fustian and a straw hat he then became so convinced of his getting nearer to wild stubble-birds, as to swear he "would never mount another dandy-velvet!" Again, when driving a covert, place an old rusty-looking gamekeeper in one station, where hares and rabbits are driven towards him, and the black-velvet exotic in another, and see to which they will approach the nearest; barring, of course, the mask of yew-tree, fir, or holly-bush. When too cold for a straw hat, use a white radical-beaver, or one of the new felt hats, or, what is better, a drab-coloured cap.* When advising all this, remember I am only prescribing for the advanced part of the season; because in the early part of September, while the stubbles are thick and the birds tame, a man might sally forth even in a regimental uniform, and not get a shot the less.

* The most pleasant hats to wear for shooting are those called gossamer, and sold for 4s. 9d. at the warehouse of Mr. Townend, 20. Bread Street, Cheapside. For neat appearance, they so "cut out" the others, that some of the dandy hatters must have been ready to commit suicide on their getting into fashion.

APPARATUS.

It may not be amiss to remind the beginner what articles he should know that he has with him before starting for the field (exclusive of having an oilskin, or, what we now find much better, a Macintosh guncover in case of rain): viz. powder flask, shot, wadding, a knife, and a flint case, with a gunpicker and turnscrew, which, as well as a little chamber-probe, are usually attached to this case. We will say nothing about a game-bag, as a man, who requires to be told all this, is very unlikely to kill more than may be contained in his pockets.

In case he should forget some of these things, I only beg the favour of him to learn one poor line of blank verse, which will be easier remembered than one quarter of what has been here said in prose: —

or,

Take powder, shot, gun, wadding, flints, and knife,

if with detonater,

caps, and case.

To make a cheap nipple-probe get a woman's hairpin and cut it in two; then break off about two inches of a clay tobacco-pipe; put the pin through it; and bend the blunt end so as to keep it firm, and the pointed end to a right angle. Put a cork or piece of elder on it, and carry it in your pocket. This is a plan of mine that I dedicate to misers, because you may get up about twenty of these nipple-pickers for a penny.