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RUSSIA, AND ITS FIELD SPORTS.

BY LINTON.

(Continued.)

In the autumn of 1854 I returned once more to St. Petersburgh, where, in all truth, I must admit having been received with cordial and unaffected hospitality. All my sporting friends appeared determined, if possible, to place me in a position to efface the memory of my previous ill fortune; in fact, I was selected as the destroyer, instead of the witness to the destruction of, at least half the bears which caused so much excitement to the sportsmen of the City of the Czar. Thanks to their attentions, no sooner had the autumnal snows covered the earth again with a white carpet, which remains for six months, than opportunities without ceasing offered themselves in which I might show my prowess; yet, notwithstanding all my perseverance, added to the efforts of my companions, the same ill luck pursued me throughout. I shared in the pleasures of innumerable battues, I assisted at the death of some score bears during the winter, solely to witness the success of my neighbours. During the summer season-in order, if possible, as it is vulgarly termed, to change my luck-I took part in the destruction of a bear under singular circumstances; in fact, the animal was his own destroyer. Few persons are ignorant of the extreme love which bears possess for honey, or with what address they are known to destroy a hive of bees.

When a Russian peasant discovers a bee-hive in the hollow or summit of a tree, he feels certain that a bear will thrust his paws and tongue therein; and consequently he sets the most simple trap in the world for his destruction. At the end of a cord fastened above the hive, and descending beneath it, a large heavy stone or leaden weight is attached. When the animal, attracted by the smell of the honey, climbs up the trunk of the tree and meets with this obstacle, with a shake of his paw he turns it sharply on one side, when it immediately swings and strikes him on its return; he then casts it away with greater force, and it hits him harder; enraged, he at length dashes it afar, and with redoubled force it swings back with a stroke on the head so violent that he falls not seldom to the earth, if not with a broken pate, at least unconscious of all around him; and it is then that his enemies rush from their hiding-places and give him le coup de grâce. I might be enabled to detail a variety of similar means of bear-hunting during the summer months; I prefer, however, the more practical sport which winter offers.

On one occasion we proceeded at least a hundred and fifty versts on the high road to Kowno, travelling from sunset to sunrise by the light of the lanterns which line the telegraph from St. Petersburg to Varsovie. Two bears having been promised in recompence for our fatigues, they were both killed the same day-one in the morning close

to the spot where I was posted, the other under my nose in the evening. Notwithstanding they were enclosed within a circle of beaters, who made a most terrific uproar: nothing could induce the first to leave his retreat; the second was literally forced therefrom by blows. Once on foot, however, growling with rage, he apparently directed his steps towards me, passing several of my companions. Already I heard his heavy steps scattering the frozen snow; I beheld him approach me beneath the underwood, which gave way like reeds before him. I awaited only that he should clear himself from a small enclosure of young pines, in order to fire at twenty paces' distant, when ill luck again assailed me: a friend on my left fired, his ball entering the ear; it passed through his head, and he fell dead almost at my feet.

My next adventure merits a few more details. During one of the last days of a long and severe winter, when the sun rose somewhat higher on the horizon, still without apparently melting the thick covering of snow which four months' frost had cemented on the earth, but which nevertheless softened the air by its rays, some peasants left a village called Zabrich, in the government of Novgorod, and proceeded to St. Petersburgh, to propose to my faithful sporting companion, M. K., a grand expedition. According to their own account, they had marked a herd of large deer of the north, and six bears, all safe at home, calmly waiting to be killed. Here was a cause for excitement ! At length my hopes were to be realized! The offer was indeed most seductive; having referred to the map, however, we discovered that this said village of Zabrich was no less than 200 miles from St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, this great distance did not prevent us; and we accordingly arranged to form a little sporting party of five, with the determination of enjoying the chase for several days. It was therefore necessary to provide ourselves accordingly, which we did, as the following list will prove—

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all frozen, with the addition of a magnificent "pâté de foie gras," and a box of well-selected Smyrna figs, with some Malaga raisins for dessert; tobacco and cigars ad libitum. Thus provided, we might have traversed Arabia, and fancied ourselves dining each day at the "Café de Paris." I may, indeed, assert that Russian sportsmen never forget -without ever being fully sensible of it themselves-the Spanish proverb (who having made it, know not how to practise it), "Tripas lleran corazon"; and I find that Russian sportsmen are correct

"Good cheer warms the heart."

Thus provided, forewarned, and forearmed against hunger and thirst, we started on our journey with much glee. Although we did not halt on the high road to Moscow until we arrived at Tchoudova, a hundred

and-ten versts, our horses did at least five leagues an hour, a pace almost equal to railway travelling. But subsequently, on arriving at Grousina-a place celebrated for the sumptuous building follies committed by Count Aratcheef, the detested favourite of the Emperor Alexander-we were obliged to change our sledges and reduce our horses to two in each, thus simply travelling at the pace of a mail; being finally obliged, when quitting the high roads, to submit to a simple village-sledge, drawn by a small active horse, whose harness was composed of cords. I may here add with much truth that sixty versts are somewhat a long distance thus to travel during a night bitterly cold and dark, with a frozen wind which penetrates to the heart's core, and blinds you with frozen snow fine as salt. It is then, notwithstanding great-coats and furs, that the rigours of a Russian climate finds some hole through which to penetrate.

But it would be very unjust, even when frozen, to accuse the poor beast who drags you; on the contrary, we ought to give him the greatest possible praise and consideration for showing the most unequalled patience and courage amid storms and danger, evincing an extraordinary instinct in reference to the snow-covered tracts which are daily re-covered by wind or fresh storms, however previously beaten and demarked; in fact, an unfortunate animal, without apparent form, nerve, or strength -in fact, a horse scarcely deemed sufficient to convey vegetables to market-will trot sixty versts without halting, over snow-clad fields, through woods, over hedges, and ravines, into which you descend like an avalanche, and rise again by a miracle; and yet, how are these poor beasts-so strong, so patient, so precious, notwithstanding their ugliness-treated when they arrive at their journey's end? Why, they are permitted to suck up with their lips a little frozen snow to refresh themselves; and then turning their heads towards the sledge they have so patiently drawn, they are granted the happiness of eating the hay which has served as litter to warm the feet of its recent occupants. And thus horse and sledge are left generally in an open court-yard, where they are under the covering of heaven day and night. If it snows during the night, an apparently inanimate object may be seen standing immovable by the sledge in the morning. It is the gallant animal who yesterday drew you fifteen leagues, to return the same distance to-morrow.

Notwithstanding the difficulties offered by the roads, the frequent change of equipage, the long suppers and tea-drinkings at the stations, we arrived in twenty-four hours at the village of Zabrich. It was mid-day; consequently we were desirous to make the most of the remainder of the day; nevertheless, it was necessary to calm the illusions of hope. Such is life! Moreover, the deer had quitted that part of the country; in fact, I am not quite satisfied they were ever seen there; while the peasants, to satisfy their consciences, showed us some woods which had been cut in the autumn, whereas we were all but in spring. This argument was unanswerable, as deer always feed on the young shoots. To add to this, out of the six promised bears one had been killed by the officers of the garrison of Novgorod, another sold to the keeper of the forest, and another had followed the example of the deer, and quitted the country; all, therefore, that remained to us were three bears. The first, from want of proper sportsmanlike care, bolted through the beaters before the guns were well placed, and we heard no more of him; the other two

were killed, but, alas! by my comrades. During the second battue, an enormous bear was enclosed by the beaters; I had the best place allotted to me, in the very centre of the line of fire. What then?the animal wounded on my right was killed on my left, after having made a half-circle sufficiently near to be heard, but not seen.

Previous to returning to St. Petersburg, we again visited the village of Lipowski, where Dmitri, our old friend, had prepared for us another chasse of elks. I killed one, which prevented my going homewards with an empty game-bag; I considered it a most honourable consolation. Nevertheless, bear-shooting has great charms; it offers pleasure and excitement to all engaged, inasmuch as, without seeing or killing any, all take an active part in the chance of good fortune.

On arriving at a selected spot, after a long and fatiguing journey over frozen roads or through vast forests, amid the profound solitudes to which the bears retreat-when the immense cord of beaters place themselves silently around the covert, leaving one at each twenty paceswhen the place in the battle-field is allotted to you-when the signalshot is fired-when a thousand assembled voices utter almost deafening sounds, and hatchets innumerable strike the forest trunks-when, in the midst of this hideous uproar, the ear seeks to distinguish the faint sounds of a bear's paw on the frozen snow-when the eager eye pierces here and there the dense forest-when the mind is alive to hope and excitement, and the finger on the trigger, and you await the attack of a fierce and enormous animal ready to sell his life dearly--when the emotion and nervousness, aroused by long waiting, is joined to that of expected battle, and that danger seasons the awaited pleasure-it is then the heart beats, and strange, over-powering, maddening sensations take possession of you, which few other sports or events in life can offer. It is for such that a sportsman readily faces distance, dangers, and expense; and makes such long, fatiguing, and harassing expeditions.

On returning, each gives his personal history of events passed, to while away the time and road; and the general expenses are divided. On this occasion, on one side of the account appeared six hundred versts travelled over; and on the other, two thousand roubles expended, two bears killed.

These trifling sporting details of manhood (added my friend De Marsan) recall forcibly to my recollection those still more simple which occurred during my boyhood, one of which I must give here. It was the first occasion which enabled me triumphantly to declare I had killed a" roe-deer." Those happy days, alas! have long since passed. I was then a scholar at Dijon; when, with a young friend, I went forth one fine morning for a day's shooting, in order to try the merits of our spaniels in the coverts which cover the hill-sides of our precious Côte d'Or. We hired a species of light carriage at a joint expense, ate an omelet at the forester's cottage, and gave him wherewith to drink our health after the day's success. In the evening, as we played at écarté at a penny a game, our good mothers exclaimed to their friends, "Only think of the folly of these boys: they have been three leagues to shoot a roe-deer, and expended half-a-guinea!"

Notwitstanding this, in after-days I have returned from twenty sporting expeditions without killing a bear, and expended hundreds. It was unfortunate-humiliating. Moreover, the First of March was at hand,

when sport, as amusement, is generally at an end in Russia. The approach of Easter closed all the theatres, as the Russians with surprising bigotry conform to church rules with a rigour equal to that of the Turks during the Ramadan. Moreover the period had arrived on which I had fixed for a voyage to Moscow. My carriage was ready, and packed; I was on the point of starting-no more bears; no more battues; no more excitement; no more pleasure or hope: in fact, no more sport— when a royal chase was announced, which at once determined me to remain a few days longer at St. Petersburgh. My star of sporting hope once more rose. The next morning, at eleven o'clock, I received the following note from my friend R. W. :

"Prepare yourself; a bear has been announced at sixty versts from the city, by a Finland peasant. We must start at once."

"A bear within sixty versts!" I exclaimed; "what good fortune!" It appeared as if it had come half-way to meet us. Forthwith I donned again my sporting costume, fur boots and seal-skin cap, pistols and poignard; and, taking my double-barrelled rifle under my arm, I ran to the house of my friend. Two other ardent sportsmen soon joined us. It was necessary, however, to make some preparations, moreover to fortify our inward man with a good breakfast; consequently it was one o'clock ere we started. This was somewhat late for a day's sport at fifteen leagues distant during the still short days of the year. But we made the best of our way, notwithstanding bad roads, formidable ruts, ditches, and ravines, in the spring, deep enough to engulph a sledge altogether. Nevertheless, we overcame all obstacles, and in four hours reached the village of Nenemaki, the home of the Finlander and the bear.

Travelling always towards north, we had made, during the finest season of frost, under a radiant and glorious sun, which coloured the waste of snow with a rose-tint, an interesting and picturesque journey. Far more varied than the central provinces of the Russian empire, and almost mountainous after its interminable plains, Finland offers most pleasing winter landscapes. It presents northern nature in all its most savage yet wild and attractive beauty. I must not forget to mention a small lake, over the frozen surface of which we passed from one end to the other to shorten the distance, between two lines of young fir plantations, so planted as to mark the road during the night as during the snow storms. This lake, at least six miles long, had the appearance of a small sea; but, in comparison with the lake Lagoda, and other lakes in the north of Russia, it is a mere pond. It is charming to look on, and still more charming to glide over when comfortably seated in a sledge, enclosed by surrounding rocky and wood-clad heights; indeed, it resembles a large white table-cloth spread over, the earth. And as you slide rapidly over its frozen surface, innumerable are the varied features it presents of dense forests and rocky inlets which line its interesting banks. Now a little bay is seen sleeping, as it were, in the midst of dense pine woods, the large dark branches of whose trees, ared with frozen snow, stretch their arms as if in protection; here and there a promontory extends itself, on whose granite and a village church, with a pale-green cupola, or some country of strange form, and still stranger architecture-half Eastern, European-stands, regardless of place or weather.

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