THE HALF-WATER.

Ad filum medium aquæ-LAW TERM.

THERE are about two miles of water running by the side of the long meadows in which the right of fishery is divided between us and the Laughton's. It is the finest pike fishery I know. The water is about eight feet deep, well weeded, with here and there a deep hole and gull followed by good gravelly scowers and swift shallows; where of course, there is excellent casting for roach, dace, and gudgeon. The stream is not too swift, neither is it too dull: for lying between Penn Staunch and Allanford, every day, and frequently oftener, there comes down a staunch water which sets the fish on the move, and ensures us excellent sport. Well, we always fish the Half-water for the first time the first Monday in July, for several reasons. Pike never bite well at trimmers until July. The water is best calculated for trimmering and ill adapted for trolling from the same cause-the weeds : which, while they form the finest and surest haunts for large pike, and being cut in holes afford splendid sport for a trimmer, effectually block the troller from doing much good, fish with whatever hook he may. I do not mean to say that the arrow gorge-the common old gorge-hook and several modern hooks (to which I have alluded in earlier vols. of the N. S. M.) may not be worked, and well worked, and with good success too, amongst weeds; but in the Half-water they are so thickly bedded and so interminable that we always trimmer here and troll elsewhere in summer. A hint which may not be amiss in regard to many other waters.

Now, the old and excellent method of trimmering among weeds is to cut holes with a small hook or scythe at about twenty yards asunder, and then fixing the living bait with a good sized bullet (proportioned in weight to the swiftness of the stream) and sinking the roller with a stone or brick, to set a mile or half a mile of water on one side or both about once a fortnight. Perhaps there is no better plan-but there is another plan which a trial will speak for better than I can. It is to cut several runs through the weeds about three feet in width and thirty or forty feet in length, making a circular cut at each end, and there placing a trimmer. We had an enormous pike in the Half-water last August, and as his haunt was as well known to us as possible, we had several sets for him, but all failed. At length I thought of this mode of fishing, and, no sooner thought than done, I got the boat and weed-hook, and cutting a lane through the weeds, made two good sized holes at each end. I then left the place quiet for three weeks. One

Thursday morning there was a fine southerly wind and very little sun, and the Gov. having a party that day, I told him what was up and went to work. With a moderate roach baited in either hole, I fixed myself on the shore, waiting patiently, while angling for perch, the issue of my manœuvre. About an hour had elapsed and I heard him strike-five minutes more and he flung out of water a yard, if he sprung an inch. The hook was in his gullet: he was mine. I had never taken my eye from the spot after I heard the strike until I saw his plunge, and then packing up my perch tackle and gathering my perch together I got into the boat and went in quest of my prize. About a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes had elapsed and I knew he was mine, unless some" untoward event" had spoilt all. "To the hole with the boat and row steady, Ned," quoth I," and where's the line?" The first grope with the sprit missed it, but it came with the second-taught as a cable. He had run far in the weeds-it is astonishing how a large pike imbeds himself in weeds when he is deeply hooked, but quietly and cautiously clearing them from the line, and coiling it carefully in the boat, by and bye we came up with him, and after the usual plunge, splash, and struggle, he was safe in the peck -32 inches from eye to fork. Since that day, whenever I mean mischief, I cut a dozen lanes or weed-paths, and then, after giving a week or ten days to the pike to use them in security, with two dozen trimmers, am safe of a splendid day's sport. Thus, if all's well, I shall cut my lanes the longest day—and four days after I figure in print, be quietly at work in the Half-water, amongst my lanes and holes. A kind of "City of the Sea" is thus around me. Broad streets and ample squares for the habitants of the waters, and I, the architect of all. And so the love of fields and flowers and waters which belongs to country-life, and lends to fishing and shooting half their zest and enjoyment, may find a fresh fund of pleasure and amusement in the mimic scene of artificial towns in the Nene, the Welland and the Cam. 1st June, 1842. CHARLES WILLOWDALE.

ATTILA, WINNER OF THE DERBY STAKES AT EPSOM, 1842. ATTILA, a small sized, but a strongly formed horse of a rich bay colour, was got by Colwick, out of Progress by Langar, dam by Blacklock— grandam by Knowsley, out of Surveyor's.dam.

Attila is a peculiarly neat and well-shaped horse, and goes with such high action, that it looks as if it would stop, rather than help him. He is engaged in the Drawing Room Stakes at Goodwood, and in the St. Leger, Gascoigne, and Scarborough Stakes at Doncaster; but the general belief is that he will not run at Goodwood, being kept altogether for his Doncaster engagements.

THE KRAAL.

BY MASTER HARRY.

ABOUT the most interesting spectacle to the sportsman in Ceylon is the KRAAL, or capture of wild elephants for agricultural or other purposes. This takes place, on Government account, about twice a year, in the district most frequented by these animals; notice of which is given to the Adigar, or chief man of that part of the country, who is required to raise a sufficient force of niggers to carry out the scheme; and this dangerous service, to do them justice, they accept as readily as the Spanish Matador enters the arena against his adversary. I should certainly say, however, that the Cingalese were exposed to the greater peril, but the fact of invariably escaping unscathed, has made them blind to danger; and they will walk up to an elephant in its wild state with as much sang froid as to a tame one, and by means of a white wand, of which the animals have an inexplicable dread, I have seen them turn them in any direction they may desire. A whole village or two of these men are put into requisition on the occasion of a kraal, and the first thing to be done is the making the kraal, or trap. For this purpose, if there is not already a kraal of preceding years in the district, a large circular space on the edge of a jungle is cleared away, capable of holding from fifty to a hundred elephants. The trees surrounding the open space are consequently left close together, so as to admit of large branches of trees to be interwoven from one to another, making what in the west country we call a frith, about twenty feet in height, and if not bomb-proof, at least elephant-proof. On one side of this, viz. that adjoining the midaun, or space of plain ground contiguous, is the entrance of the snare, which is made on the same principle as those in wire rat-traps, which lets the animal in, and when in, leaves him only to wonder how on earth he got there; but as the elephant is not generally enticed to enter unexplored regions as easily as the aforesaid vermin, stratagem is had recourse to, and I can hardly agree that such a stratagem as used in this case is fair; it is much more like treachery and I have no doubt would be treated as such, could the "interesting ensnared" ever catch the traitor in their own domains, with "fair stage and no favour." It is done in this way. A rascally old elephant, who has been long domesticated, and who only thinks of the magnificent "blow out" of rice or grain he will obtain as the reward of his treachery, is kept in waiting close to the entrance of the snare, and on smelling the contiguity of his kindred (for the brutes are guided entirely by scent) he sets up a most melancholy and inharmonious squalling, which the wild ones take naturally enough to be the signals of a brother in distress; and as they have been badgered in no slight degree themselves by the

black gentlemen with white wands, they hasten with all possible speed to the place from whence the cries proceed. Directly on their emerging from the jungle, the old traitor runs forward and joins them with much apparent delight, and after a long council of war, intelligible solely to themselves, appearances leave no doubt that it has ended in the old gentleman being appointed, or having appointed himself, their leader on the occasion,

About three or four years ago, when the late Sir Robert Horton was Governor of Ceylon, I was invited to a kraal of a more splendid character than usual. Sir Robert himself and all his suit, in short, half the island, were to be in attendance. It was a beautiful morning in May, and we were all on the ground at five o'clock in the morning. On excursions of this sort in Ceylon it will not do to be over fastidious as to board and lodging on the road, those conveniences yclept hotels, taverns, and "publics," not having yet found their way to the Cinnamon Isle. However, on the present occasion we mustered about forty Europeans, (I cannot get out of that vile Indian habit of calling the English residents Europeans), forty English, civil, military, and ladies, of which latter there were about a dozen, in consequence of whom we had to put up for one night with stables for our night accommodation. If I remember right, in the stall in which I slept, one tattoo pony, two spaniels, a native female grass-cutter, and six gentlemen, were my companions; and if it had not been for the brute of a pony, who made himself very disagreeable, we should have got on well enough. The morning, however, relieved us from our situation, and we started off to the ground, surrounded on all sides by elephants, which we plainly heard tearing the branches from the trees in all directions. As we were also to have a little elephant shooting after the kraal was over, every one had brought one or more double barrels. Our nearer approach to the ground was more than once impeded by an elephant grazing in the path, but we were prevented from firing, as in case of a report of a gun, the whole herd would have been some miles off in about an hour, instead of where we wanted them, viz. in the kraal. On reaching the spot, we found all the trees overlooking the kraal provided with seats, or rather perches, from which we were to view the exhibition below. Here was the old Adigar also, in all his native glory and nakedness (which, however, was not as palpable as usual, he being made aware before hand that he was to be honoured with ladies' company), waiting to receive us with all the honours. He was an extraordinary little man, and from having lived so entirely amongst elephants, could, I firmly believe, have told you what any one of those animals might be thinking about, by merely looking in its face. With him came all his functionaries, from dessar (prime minister) down to appos (butler), the latter having a stock of plantains, guavas, milk, &c., but no cigars or brandy and water. Our several

places in the trees being allotted to us, the next thing was to get up there, for this was no easy task for even the male portion of the party. My nautical experience was here called into play, and I had the honour of inventing a mode of hoisting the females by means of a chair and rope, what we call in the navy a whip," and which I have no doubt I might have got a patent for had I applied on the spot.

Into the jungle now rushed about a hundred and fifty niggers, with about as much clothing on them as Adam had after he adopted the fashionable fig leaf. The business of these fellows now was to surround the elephants that happened to be in the neighbourhood, and drive them, by beating their tomtoms (an instrument capable, when used to advantage, to drive man or beast irremediably crazy; within a narrower circumference, until by degrees they forced them into the plain, on the border of which was the kraal; and now began the manoeuvres of the tame elephant. I think the number of elephants collected on this occasion was between one hundred and fifty and two hundred, eighty of which entered the kraal, when there was no room left for any more. Their fright at finding themselves entrapped, seemed to take from them all sense of self defence or action, they simply set to making the most horrific noise, using no force whatever to break down the enclosure and get out. The natives now lost no time in entering the kraal, amidst the elephants; and crawling under their bellies, they commenced tying them together by the legs, or fastening them to trees, as might be more convenient and during this operation, strange to say, no accident of any kind happened, although one would suppose that the certainty of being trampled to death would be inevitable. During this time we spectators had been comfortably and safely seated in our roosts, smoking cigars, and enjoying the fun; but it was now time for us to descend, to get some shooting at those who had escaped the kraal.

The animals that had escaped from the Kraal were still in the neighbourhood, astonished no doubt at the sudden disappearance, as if by magic, of so many of their associates, but unwilling to leave them in the lurch altogether-two or three parties of six each were speedily formed, and went out in different directions to drive them inwards towards the kraal, where were stationed the governor and his party, of which I formed one. We soon heard the reports of our companions, guns, which gave us notice that the elephants were found, and that we might expect them on us every instant. The firing shortly increased in every direction, and we began to think we should be charged in flank and front by the animals at the same moment, which would be dangerous work. I had taken up my station close to an old and