Tae cold weather always brings with it tales of shooting adventure, and generally of some cases of "trouble." Sometimes it is a misunderstanding about the ownership of a pheasant; sometimes, as in the now famous Quinsan case, it assumes a more serious aspect. But, as a general rule, excursionists testify to the good will shown by the peasantry, and their readiness to have sportsmen shoot over their land. That they should make a fuss if one of their number gets shot, is not unnatural; but no gentleman would refuse ample compensation in such a case, if the natives listen to reason and refrain from menace, Both good feeling and good sense prompt such a course, An accident is a source of great regret to the sportsman, and it is infinitely preferable to avoid bringing the mandarins on the scene, either as complainants or protectors. It is, happily, not often that accidents occur, and still Jess often that the matter cannot be arranged at the time, without quarrel or disturbance, But it is unquestionable that each ease of the kind goes to lessen the willingness of the people to have Foreigners shoot freely in their neighbourhood; and it behoves sportsmen to exercise very great care in their movements. It is questionable whether this care is always remembered to the extent it should be, in the point of avoiding populous neighbourhoods. The temptation is strong, if birds get up, to shoot at them, although people may be thickly sprinkled about also; and though o man's skill may carry him safely through fifty such shots, the fifty-first may hit some one who was somewhere unseen in the line of fire, A more frequent cause of misunderstanding is the inclination which is every season increasingly shown by the Chinese, to appropriate game that has been shot on their lands. Sportsmen like to keep their birds or their deer, partly with the very courteous wish to make presents to their friends; partly because they like to have material evidence of a good bag. But after all, the sport is the main object. It is for the pleasant excursion, and the excitement of the day's shooting, that men go up country, far more than for the sake of the actual pheasants or wild duck they can acquire; and it would be wise to give away a few birds or deer, rather than have a misunderstanding with the people whose land is being shot over, The Chinese do not, as a rale, at all dislike the proceedings of Foreign sportsmen. On the contrary, they recognise the destruction of plicas sants and deer, as the destruction of so many enemies to their crops. It is far wiser to encourage this goodwill, by surrendering tothem towhead of game, than to risk upsetting it by clinging to every bird shot, at the risk of a fracas, Whit, after all, is the value of a phon. sant compared to the privilege of free sport over an unlimited extent of country The subject has suggested itself for remark, because there is an evident tendency among the provincial and local officials to look unkindly on shooting excursions, and it is far better to keep the privilege on the present footing of goodwill and friendly relations with the farmers and peasantry, than to fight for it under Art, IX. of the Tientsin treaty, The right of British subjects to travel "for their pleasure or purposes of trade, to all parts of the interior, under passe ports which will be issued by their Consuls and counter-signed by the local authorities," is therein clearly enough laid down, It would be as reasonable to object that shooting is nob specified, as to object that a traveller is not specifically entitled to bathe in the creeks, or bay oranges at fruit shop. The officials have no ground of interference 40 long as the people themselves are willing that Foreigners should shoot, as they have been so long in the habit of doing, freely over their ground. But we well know what an instrament the officials can make of popular opposition, and how easily they can excite it if they wish, It is the interest therefore. of Foreign residents to conciliate this popular good will, as much as it is the duty of Foreign officials to oppose firmly the endeavours which are npparent on every hand, to limit our intercourse and restrict the interpretation of the treaty. The power of the mandarins is great for good or for well with the people. Collisions vill Let alone, we get along fain
sometimes occur; less can hardly be expected where ideas and habits so dissimilar come in contact. The officials can very ensily inflame into hostility the shyness with which their country men instinctively regard strangers of whose proclivities they are ignorant they can as easily allay that shyness and encourage friendly intercourse, by telling their people to believe that we are reasonable beings, and are as amenable to laws of right and wrong as them. selves. Unhappily their influence is not always exerted as right, duty and good sense would dictate. They donot repudiate their treaty obligation "to afford the fullest protection to the persons and property of British subjects, whenever thes
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.