walk two hundred and two times round the area of Upper Moorfields, in twenty-seven hours, and accordingly performed this feat within the limited time, walking at the rate of five miles an hour.

SADLER'S WELLS. The following paragraph occurs in the Weekly Journal of March the 15th, 1718, from which an idea may be formed of the audiences at Sadler's Wells about that period. "Sadler's Wells being lately opened, there is likely to be a great resort of strolling damsels, half-pay officers, peripatetic tradesmen, tars, butchers, and others, that are musically inclined, who have also this season an opportunity of tifying their curiosity, by listening to sentences in German, French, and English, pronounced by a Speaking Dog, in sounds so correctly articulate, as to deceive a person who did not see him into a belief, that the vox humana was actually in use at the moment."

WAGERS.

gra

In 1722, eccentric wagers were common. About this time, some young men subscribed for a piece of plate, which was run for in Tyburn-road, by six asses, rode by chimney-sweepers, And two boys rode two asses on Hampstead Heath, for a wooden spoon; attended by above five hundred persons on horseback. Women running for Holland smocks was not uncommon; nay a match was projected for a race of women in hooped petticoats. And another actually took place in consequence of a wager of 1000l, between the

Earl of Litchfield and Gage, Esq. that the latter's chaise and pair should outrun the Earl's chariot and four. The ground was from Tyburn to Hayes; and Mr. Gage lost through some accident. Vast sums were betted on all these occasions.

ST. GEORGE'S FIELDS.

In 1711, St. George's Fields abounded with gardens, where the smoke tobacco, but those were lower classes met to drink and not their only amusements. Mr. Shanks, near Lambeth-marsh, contrived to assemble his customers with a grinning-match. The prize was a gold-laced hat, and the competitors were exhilirated by music bition, twelve at noon; the admisand dancing. The hour of exhision 6d. and in the evening, another portion of the same class were entertained with contortions of another and different description; the performances of a Posture-master, as described in the following advertisement: At Mr. Shanks's great room, near Lambeth-marsh, is to be seen the famous Posture-master of Europe, who far exceeds the deceased posture-masters, Clarke and Higgings; he extends his body into all deformed shapes, makes his hip and shoulder bones meet together, lays his head upon the ground, and turns his body round twice or thrice without stirring his face from the place; stands upon one leg and extends the other in a perpendicular half a yard above his head, and extends his body from a table with his head a foot below his heels, having nothing to balance his body but his feet; with several other postures, too tedious to mention.”

PHEA

PHEASANT STEALING.

ON Saturday, the 11th of April, George Kendrick was tried at the Middlesex Sessions, upon an indictment, which charged him with receiving eight live pheasants, the property of Wm. Butler, Esq. knowing them to be stolen.

Mr. Butler has a seat in the county of Hants, where, as well as in other places, he keeps a considerable number of the most heautiful pheasants, all tamed and bred to the hand. On the night of December the 26th, last year, no less than sixty-eight of the finest of them were stolen and carried completely off.

By some circumstances he was led, in about a month after, to suspect that the defendant was in possession of some of them, and he accordingly obtained a search warrant, and, accompanied by Pearkes, a Bow-street Officer, went to his house in Piccadilly.-There he saw the defendant, whom he interrogated respecting such pheasants, and respecting a person of the name of Gough, but he denied all knowledge of such birds or of Gough. This did not satisfy Mr. Butler, and he proceeded up stairs into a room where there were about two hundred pheasants running about, and seeing also some in baskets, they were searched, and eight of the stolen birds were found. Mr. Butler marked his pheasants in the feet, and to remove such marks, the poor birds were dreadfully cut in the feet, insomuch that the blood was then visible. On this discovery being made, the defendant then acknowledged that he knew Gough, and that he agreed to buy fourteen pheasants from him for 11. each, and that Gough had sent them to him for that purpose,

There was other evidence against the prisoner.

On his behalf he called a man who was a clerk to him to support his case respecting the fourteen pheasants, but in this he failed, and the Jury found him Guilty.

The Court then sentenced him to be imprisoned twelve months in the House of Correction, Coldbathfields, and at the end of that time to give security to keep the peace for two years, himself in 500l. and two sureties in 2001. each, and to be further confined till that security be given.

LAWS OF THE BOTTLE IN ICELAND.

SIR George Mackenzie, in his

Travels through Iceland, gives us the following description of a dinner to which he was invited by the ci-devant Governor of the Island, and of the custom observed at table in the circulation of the bottle.

"On entering the room into which we had at first beeu introduced, we found a table neatly covered, and a bottle of wine set down for each person. This a larmed us a little, as we feared that the old gentleman intended, according to the ancient custom of Denmark, to keep wassel.' The only dish on the table was one of sago soup, to which we were helped very liberally. The appearance of a piece of roasted, or rather baked, beef, relieved us considerably; and we submitted, as well as we were able, to receive an unusual supply of a food to which we were accustomed. We had drank a few glasses of wine, when a curious silver cup, large enough to contain

half

half a bottle, was put upon the table. Our host filled it to the brim, and put on the cover. He then held it towards the person who sat next to him, and desired bim to take off the cover, and look into the cup; a ceremony intended to secure fair play in filling it; after which he drank our healths, expressing his happiness at seeing us in his house, and his hopes that we would honour him with our company as often as we could. He desired to be excused from emptying the cup, on account of the indifferent state of his health; but we were informed at the same time, that if any one of us should neglect any part of the ceremony, or fail to invert the cup, placing the edge on one of the thumbs as a proof that we had swallowed every drop, the defaulter would be obliged by the laws of drinking to fill the cup again, and drink it off a second time. He then gave the cup to his neighbour, who, having drank it off, put on the cover, and handed it to the person opposite to him. Being-filled, the cup was examined by the person whose turn it was to drink next, and thus it went round. In spite of their utmost exertions, the penalty of a second draught was incurred by two of the comWhile we pany. were dreading the consequences of having swallowed so much wine, and in terror lest the cup should be sent round again, a dish of cold pancakes, of an oblong form, and covered with sugar, was produced; and after them sago puddings floating in rich cream. It was in vain that we pleaded the incapacity of our stomachs to contain any more; we were obliged to submit to an additional load; when a summons to coffee in an adjoining room, brought us a most welcome relief.

Our

sufferings, however, were not yet at an end. On first entering the house, I had noticed a very large china tureen on the top of a press; and as it had not been used at dinner, I concluded that it was a mere ornament. We had scarcely finished our coffee, when the young woman who had waited at table came in with this tureen, and set it before us. It was accompanied by some large glasses, each of the size of an ordinary tumbler. I looked at my companions with dismay, and saw their feelings very expressively painted in their countenances.This huge vessel was full of smoking punch; and as there was no prospect of being able to escape, we endeavoured to look chearful, and accomplish the task required

of us. Having at length taken leave, our hospitable friend insisted on attending us to the beach."

ICELANDIC HORSES.

"We now became very anxious to commence our travels, though all our Icelandic friends endeavoured to dissuade us from undertaking any expedition so early in the season. Not being able to procure riding horses, we determined to walk ; and this resolution seemed to astonish the people not a little, as the meanest person in Iceland never travels on foot. A young man who had been educated as a priest, offered his services; he spoke Latin tolerably well; and as he seemed active, and disposed to be useful to us, a bargain was soon made with him. Early in the morning of the 20th, the preparations for our departure commenced; but the motions of the Icelanders were so extremely slow, and they had so many discussions about distributing the loads on the horses which we had procured

procured for carrying our baggage, that it was past two o'clock in the afternoon before all was ready. The packsaddles consist of square pieces of light spungy turf, cut from the bogs. These are tied on with a rope; a piece of wood made to fit the horse's back, with a peg projecting from each side, is fastened over the turf, and on these pegs the baggage is hung by means of cords. The Icelanders pretend to be very nice in balancing the loads; but I do not recollect ever having travelled two miles, without stopping ten times to rectify the baggage. When all the horses are loaded, they are fastened to each other, head to tail. A cord is tied round the under jaw of the second horse, and the other end of it is joined to the tail of the first; and thus I have seen thirty or forty marching through the country. The Iceland horses, though very hardy, and patient of fatigue, are easily startled. When any one horse in a string is alarmed, it often happens that the cords break, and the whole cavalcade is put into confusion. The poor animals, however, never fail to stop where they can get any thing to eat; and at all times they are easily caught. A well-broke riding horse will wait on the spot where his master leaves him, for any length of time. If any grass is near him, he may feed; but if there is none, he will stand perfectly still for hours. Many horses will not even touch grass when under their feet. Every Icelander, of whatever rank, can shoe a borse. The shoes are plain; and the nails, which are very large, are driven firmly through the hoof, and carefully doubled over; and in this simple state the shoes remain firm till completely worn, or accidental

ly broken. Travellers always carry a supply of shoes and nails, when going long journies. For a short journey it is customary to put shoes only on the fore feet of the horses. When iron is scarce, the horns of sheep are made use of for horse shoes.

"It often happens, when horses ́are heavily laden, especially when they are in low condition, that their backs are galled. By way of preventing this accident, or curing any tumour or ruffling of the skin, the Icelanders insert one or more setons of horse hair into the breasts of the animals. This cruel practice, instead of alleviating the pain which the horses suffer from their burdens, only serves to add to their torments; and the artificial sores thus produced, soon become very disgusting."

"When a young horse is thought to promise well, his nostrils are slit up, the Icelanders believing, that when exercised, or ridden hard, this operation will allow him to breathe more freely. I do not suppose that the horses of Iceland could run on our roads at the great rate at which I have seen them go, for any length of time. They are accustomed to scramble slowly through the bogs and over rocks, and to dart rapidly forward whenever they come to dry and smooth ground. In travelling, a man has generally two or three horses with him, and he changes from one to another as they become tired.

"The saddle for the use of the women resembles an elbow-chair, in which they sit with their feet resting on a board. Some of them are highly ornamented with brass, cut into various figures. The common people all ride in the same way, with the legs astride, the wo

men