Sporting anecdotes; original and select; including characteristic sketches of eminent persons who have appeared on the turf: with an interesting ... in the sporting world; a correct description

by Pierce Egan

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1807 edition. ... but, upon attending to her more carefully I found that whenever she got a hearty meal at home she would trot off to the barn and disgorge what she had eat before her whelp, and which he always caUup with great avidity. Not satisfied with this onrthstance, I tried a spaniel bitch, about half a year ago,ii the same way, and found her daily practise the same thing, and which, I suppose, is not confined to my dogs only, but pervades the whole breed. This mode of the bitch feeding her whelps, seems never yet to have been noticed by any author, and may call out the remarks of some of your correspondents." INSTRUCTIONS 10 COCKNEY Sr/ORTSMEN. MY "VliRY GOOD FRIENDS, Permit me, with all due deference and with sincere pleasure, to give you a few hints, v ';ch may render you pleasing to yourselves and terrible to others; but, first, let me attempt to explain the meaning cf the appellation by which you are distinguished, viz. "cocknies." I could, with the greatest facility, deduce this word from the Greek, but as possibly you may not have, your lexicon ready, I prefer deriving it from the two English monosyllables cock and nigh, though I do not mean by the first word either cocksure, or a cock of the game, from boih of which you are equally remote; the signification I allude to is, cocking the optic, and the word nigh, as by sometimes creeping under shelteF of a wall, or hedge, instances have been known of your shooting a fowl, or a turkey, at the distance of five yards. Having, therefore, proved you most indisputably to be cocli-nighs, or, as from the corruption of the orthography, it is at present spelt, cocknies, I shall now proceed to mv instructions. 1. In the choice of a gun, I would advise you to prefer a crooked barrel, as the odds...

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1821

About the author

Pierce Egan (1772–1849) was a British journalist, sportswriter, and writer on popular culture.

Not to be confused with his son Pierce Egan the Younger