"UNDER WEIGH!"

ENGRAVED BY W. GILLER, from a PAINTING BY A. COOPER, E.a.

Under weigh! and with what prospects? Let us look to our letters of advice, as the bagmen say:-"On the front range of the Grampians," then, writes an old correspondent, "the grouse are to be better than last season, though many of the broods are small in size, and will barely be food for powder by the twelfth.' On the green hills of the Ochills, however, the grouse are to be strong on the wing by the opening day; while in the far North-such as in the locality of Carrbrig, and on the high grounds of the Dee and Spey-they will be found a very sorry crop. These ranges of mountains were covered with snow on the twentieth of June, and disease has made sad havoc amongst the old birds since the spring. With anything like good weather, I think we shall have fine sport on the Twelfth."

Another authority, the Banffshire Journal, speaks thus honestly of the coming season; not as with some of our Northern friends, who are sure to make the approaching season, whenever it may happen to be, like Mrs. Jorrocks's rat-"the biggest as ever was seen" :

"We have reports from the principal moors and forests in Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness, and Ross-shires. These accounts speak of disease having been to a slight extent prevalent among the grouse in the earlier dry months of spring. The rains of May and June, however, stopped the epidemic in the old birds, but proved very injurious to hatching, and subsequently to the young broods, especially on the highest grounds. In the valleys appearances are more favourable, pretty large broods having been seen, looking strong and well advanced. On the Banffshire moors the appearances are generally favourable. Of the Benrinnes district, an attentive observer says-The young broods are not as numerous as last year. Scarcely a covey is to be seen on the high ground, only barren birds. Lower down there are a good many young birds, and they are pretty strong. Some of them were on wing six weeks ago, but others are far back, owing to the snow having this year lain so long on the hills, which kept back hatching. The birds have been quite free from disease all the season, and are all, young and old, quite healthy-looking. Of the Billindalloch and Glenlivet moors, a correspondent writing on Wednesday last, says-The snow in May destroyed a great many nests of young grouse on the high grounds, but in the hollows the young birds are pretty numerous-more so than last year, the greater part of them having taken wing. Both old and young are healthy.' From the Cabrach moors, situated partly in Aberdeenshire and partly in Banffshire, a correspondent writes that the prospect of the grouse-shooting this season are not so flattering as some previous years. The open winter and the dry early spring caused the packs to break up and divide into pairs earlier than usual. From Cromar, Aberdeenshire, a correspondent thus writes on Wednesday last-The grouse-shooting on the high hills in this quarter will be one-third deficient in numbers this season, owing to the stormy weather in the end of spring and the beginning of May.' The several gamekeepers on the moors of Culnakyle, Carr Bridge, Kinrara, and

Glenmore, report that the young grouse suffered materially from the long continuance of snow on the hills, and the generally cold and wet nature of the weather during the two preceding months. Only on well-sheltered and low-lying moors can anything like fair sport be expected this season, and even in the most favoured situations appearances are far from promising. From Belleville and the Kingussie moors, Inverness-shire, we learn that in the early months of spring, during the dry weather, a good deal of disease prevailed among grouse. Since the rainy weather commenced disease has disappeared; but the cold stormy days, while in favour of the old birds, have been very much against the young, which are very scarce, quite young, and in small broods, four, five, and six being the largest. From Glenurquhart, Inverness-shire, we have the following particulars of the Balmacaan moors, the property of the Right Hon. the Earl of Seafield:-At the time of nesting, appearances were most favourable to the sportsman. In consequence of the dry weather which prevailed then, and for a considerable time previous, many of the grouse nestled in low situations; and after rainy weather set in, there were several instances where the hens were seen sitting on the nests and the eggs half covered with water. A great many of the eggs have thus been destroyed, and not a few young birds. Nearly one-half of the old birds are barren, and some of the young coveys number no more than three or four in each. Others, however, are more numerous; and though in the high grounds there is also a little disease, yet the sport will be, on the whole, about an average.' From Ross-shire, our correspondent sends the following: -Our moors this season are not promising so well as might have have expected from the favourable winter and open spring. A considerable number of the old birds died by disease in the latter end of March and beginning of April. The highest-lying moors have suffered the most. On some grounds there are frequently met with packs of from five to twenty old birds, and consequently all barren; but, for the most part, these are generally found on or near the moors which suffered from the extensive burning last December, and there is no doubt but the burning is the cause of the old birds collecting together, as it is a well-known fact that grouse and all mountain game breed near where they were hatched.' From another district in Ross-shire, our correspondent writes that-The appearance of the grouse and other mountain game in this quarter this season is very bad, owing to so many of the old grouse dying with disease in the first of the season. The weather being so dry causes them to nestle in wet marshes; and then the heavy rain coming before the young were strong enough to remove, have killed a great many of them. We have not seen a brood with more than eight young birds in it, and there are some with only one.' Of Lord Ashburton's forest of Lochluichart, in Ross-shire, our correspondent says: The grouse are looking well and quite healthy now, but a good many of them died in spring. The young broods are very large, some of them numbering as many as nine. We saw nine on wing in Corimullie moors about a month ago.' The open winter has been very propitious for the deer, and everywhere the stalker's prospects are most favourably spoken of. From Glenlivet, a correspondent writes, with reference, of course, to the Duke of Richmond's well-known forests of Glenfiddich and Blackwater, that the deer are in a very thriving condition. The young fawns are so far advanced, that their horns can be observed at a considerable distance.' Of Glenmore and contiguous forests, a correspondent writes that the velvet-coated and antlered princes of the wood are in prime condition, and already carry a rather formidable exhibition of the articles of defence.' From Ross-shire, a correspondent informs us-The deer are in forward condition, and will be in prime order for the rifle by the 1st of September. The heads will be far superior to last year's, and will lose the velvet covering at least ten day's earlier. Another letter from Ross-shire says Deer are promising well, and royal stags may be expected.""

LITERATURE.

"AGNES WARING." T. E. Newby, Welbeck-street.

99.66

In the present day, when authors seem gifted with a hundred-horse power of scribbling, and quantity, not the quality, appears to be their object-when out of twenty novels that are brought out, the majority might be dismissed with a few words, "unmitigated rubbish, senseless trash"-it is quite refreshing to find a work that will bear the severest test of criticism, and come out, like the purest gold, without alloy. Such is the talented production under notice, which for originality, interest, perfect insight into human life, and a thorough knowledge of character, has never been excelled. Who the authoress is we know not; but none but a lady, and a highly-gifted one, could have described the womanly feelings of Agnes Waring-we were about to write the heroine, but that word in a novel or romance savours too much of some ideal beauty of the author's imagination; whereas Agnes is a woman true to nature, possessing sentiments of love and devotion, and holding religious opinions, subject to all the infirmities of mortal beings. Hence we have a real, not a poetical, creation; and instead of the ordinary story when after a few scenes of match-making, flirting, and scheming, all are made happy in marriage-we have an over-true tale, replete with the most thrilling interest and powerful effects. The principal incident is rather a bold stroke for a wife to take-that of having it given out that she is dead, to escape from a brute of a husband. And it required great tact to handle it nicely; for it was not alone that she broke her marriage vow by this act, but laid her lord and master open, unconsciously, to commit bigamy; and this the writer has accomplished with the most consummate skill and ability, rendering that which in other hands would be deemed extravagant perfectly natural. How many girls there are in the world like Agnes Waring, who, through the solicitations of relatives and friends, have sacrificed themselves to crabbed age with wealth, we will not pause to inquire; but we strongly advise all who have not yet entered the marriage state to read the ills that await those who seek the mammon of riches, and who by so doing convert the rosy fetters of Hymen to the most galling chains. Independent of this startling effect, the interest never for a moment flags; for the journey to Switzerland, the scene at Mont Blanc, the society in Quebec, and the settler's life in Canada, are most graphically described; so much so that, without the aid of the romantic portion of the story, the work itself would rank highly as a descriptive tour through the above countries. In conclusion, we strongly recommend the love, the adventures, the sufferings of Agnes Waring to all classes of readers; not as an ephemeral production to while away an idle hour, but as one that for power of languuge, solid sense, amusing detail, and unflagging interest, will remain as a standard novel, and hold its place by the side of the best writers of fiction of the century. We may probably, on a future occasion, notice other volumes from the pen of this talented writer.