on.

"The Cranborne chase pack had one of the finest runs ever known in the
western part of the kingdom. They unkennelled at Punpernwood, four miles
east of Blandford. The fox went off immediately for "the chase," and
having taken a round in the West-walk, broke off over Iwern hills, and
entered the vale of Blackmore, leaving the parish of Shooten to the
left, making his play towards Duncliffwood near Shaston; but having been
headed, he bent his course to the river Stow, which he boldly crossed in
defiance of the flood, and after running the vale many miles passed
through Piddleswood towards Okeford, Fitzpaine, but the hounds pressing
him hard he was obliged to return to the cover, where having taken a
turn or two he broke on the opposite side near the town of Shirminster,
and crossed the commons to Mr. Brunes's seat at Plumber, where he
entered a summer-house, passed through the chimney flue, and entered a
drain, whence being bolted, he was run into and killed at Fifehide
Neville, fourteen miles straight from the place where he was found,
after a chase of two hours and ten minutes.

BACKGAMMON.

"It appears from the glossary to the Welch Laws that the game of
backgammon was invented in Wales, sometime before the reign of Canute
the Great, and that it derived its name from _Back_, which in the welch
language meant _little_, and _Cammon_, which in the same language
signified _Bottle_.

"A blacksmith of Winchester in Hampshire, undertook, for a wager, to
shoe six horses, and make the shoes and nails himself complete in _seven
hours_. He accomplished it in twenty-five minutes less than the time.

"Mr. Brewer of the Crown inn, Nothingham, undertook for a wager of forty
guineas to go with a mare belonging to him in a cart, to Newark and back
again, being a distance of _forty miles, in four hours_. He performed it
in twelve minutes less than the given time. Considerable bets were laid
against the performance. The mare is under fourteen hands high.

DICK THE HUNTER.

"A poor fellow, half an ideot, has by his singularity got himself so
noticed by the sporting gentlemen at Newmarket, that his picture has
been painted by Mr. Chalon, and engravings from it have been published.
He was intended for a blacksmith, but being untractable, was allowed to
follow his own inclination. Being always fond of hunting he soon
attracted the attention of the gentlemen of the chase, and never failed
joining the hounds whenever the