Punch: Punch (69.1875)

238 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [December 4, 1875.

FOX-HUNTING AND FALLS.

hair.- "Successto
Fox-Hunting!"
This toast,"given
by Viscount
Hardinge, at
the annual din-
ner of the West
Kent Fox-Hun-
ters, the other
day, at Pens-
hurst, was
drunk, of course,
with acclama-
tion. But could
not Fox-Hunt-
ing possibly be
too successful ?
In India, Tiger-
Hunters might
drink " Success
to Tiger-Hun-
ting I "—which,
as generally un-
derstood, would
imply the ex-

1 VAj^^i^^^^Pb^fS^^ termination of

A i^ 'V^ vo!' [ W*r, A x tigers, and, con-
sequently, an end
of hunting them.

Who, except very utilitarian but short-sighted farmers, are they
that would wish Fox-Hunting to succeed so ?

In a Fox-Hunter's sense, " Success to Fox-Hunting " means, on
the contrary, no end of Fox-Hunting, and, therefore, perpetuity to
the breed of Foxes. In prefacing that toast, proposed in that point
of view, with an appropriate speech, the noble Viscount said: —

" He had ventured to touch lightly on the accidents of Fox-Hunting, and he
would allude as lightly to the drawbacks. There were drawbacks to every
sport. There were such things as broken fences, and, unfortunately, the
foxes ate pheasants, and they ate chickens, too. But, as he had said before,
all the difficulties could be overcome by a spirit of good will and conciliation."

Doubtless; all the difficulties about the poultry and game
devoured, and the fences broken. But how to get over the difficulty
of other breakage—that of broken bones ? For, though even this
drawback to Fox-Hunting can to a large extent be surmounted by
surgery, it is occasionally insuperable. Now and then Fox-Hunting
results in a broken neck, which no science can set. The only
wonder is that this difficulty does not happen more often. The
infrequency of serious accidents in the hunting-field happening to
be mentioned to a late eminent Surgeon, he, with dreadful disrespect
for a noble sport, accounted for it by quoting the adage that,
"Providence takes care Jof drunken men and fools." Where can
that irreverent Surgeon have gone to ?

MUSIC AND ITS MURDERERS.

These are some people in the world who seem never to shrink
from annoying other people. They take the wrong side of the pave-
ment when they walk along the streets, and either push you off it,
or elbow you aside. They swing their walking-sticks about, so as
to hit you in the eye if you happen to be near them; or they tread
upon your heels by coming suddenly behind you, and with the
point of their umbrellas, couched like lances at a tournament, they
prod you in the back. Such people take delight in coming last into
a theatre, and treading on your toes while stalking to their stalls.
Such persons are especially a nuisance in a concert-room, which they
are pretty sure to enter with abundant noise and bustle after the
commencement, and to leave with the like tumult in the midst of
the last piece.

To persons such as these does Mr. Arthur Chappell make a
sensible appeal, beseeching them to cease from worrying the audience,
as well as the performers, at the Monday Popular Concerts, where
so charming is the music that there is no excuse for spoiling it by
noise. Says Mr. Chappell on the matter :—

"The inconvenience is not merely felt by earnest listeners, but by the
Artists themselves, who have to begin tbe concert and also to bring it to a
conclusion, and whose attention is inevitably distracted."

The person who disturbs a concert-room in this way is one whom
it were flattery to call a selfish snob. Better far that he or she
should stay at home/and go to sleep over the newspapers, than come
to worry people by unmannerly intrusion, and disturbance of their
pleasure. Though secular in general, the music at the Monday

Concerts may": be looked upon as sacred to the cause of Art. It
should be listened to with reverence, and not interrupted wantonly.
The works of Mendelssohn and Beethoven are works of inspira-
tion ; and such of them as may not be adapted for a Church, should
not be spoilt by brawling, when given by a Chappell.

PUNCH'S NAYAL SIGNAL CODE.

{For the Use of Iron-dads!)

Distinguishing
Pennant.

Red

»»

11
>>

u

White

1

it

3

t)

49,076

n

2

Blue

1

ii

2

i >

74,899

ii

3

>»

4,609

) J

99,999

11

88,743

> >

4

1)

2

Black

4

!»

7

))

8

))

9

))

25

) >

49,760

) )

99,876

II

3

)>

1

)>

5

1 >

10

Green

1

Number.

21,m
2
4
578
1

17,865
4,809
43

783

18,405

Signal,

Great fun.

Immense joke.

We are sinking.

Got no ammunition on board.

The Captain is asleep.

First Lieutenant is playing on the piano.

First Lieutenant just taken G sharp.

The Second Lieutenant is smoking in the

empty powder-magazine.
The Midshipmen are skating on wheels on

the Quarter-deck.
The Navigating Lieutenant is reading a

novel.

The Crew have just heard that we are
sinking.

The Crew are putting on their new clothes
to sink in.

The Captain is waking up.

The Captain is awake.

We have carried away three anchors.

The pumps won't work.

We are getting into the boats.

We are trying to save the ship.

All the water-tight compartments are open.

We shall have time to dine comfortably
before the ship goes down.

We are returning from the boats.

We are trying to plug up a hole in the side
of the vessel.

We are resigned to our fate.

We shall not have any amateur theatricals
to-night in consequence of the disaster.

This sinking is putting out all our arrange-
ments.

The Captain is much annoyed.

So is the First Lieutenant.

So is the Navigating Lieutenant.

So are the Sub-Lieutenants and Naval Cadets.

We are in deep water.

The engines are at work.

Fires in the engine-room gone out.

Can you help us ?

We are leaving the ship.

Order dinner for us on shore.

The ship has sunk.

The Judicature Acts.

Messrs. Btjtterwell have sent for our revision the proof sheets
of a work on these Acts by Mr. J. C. Day, Q.C., and Mr. A. G.
Marten, Q.C. The learned editors indulge in so many adverse
criticisms on the Act, that we would suggest, as a title for their
treatise, " Day and Marten's Blacking.''1

a prettt pass.

Mr. Punch's cook has actually declined to clean the steps during
Christmas week, on the ground that she will be too much absorbed
in " the affairs of Turkey" !

to a host oe correspondents.

You are all wrong. The Khedive's act in selling to England his
shares in the Canal is one of self-preservation—m fact the reverse
of Suez-cidal.

Dleeerence Between Britons and Tubes.—The one pays his
debts like a man, the other like a Not-a-man !