FIRST STAG HUNT IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1013, 31 July 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

FIRST STAG HUNT IN NEW ZEALAND.

A FIASCO. What was advertised as the first stag hunt in New Zealand took place, under the auspices of the United Hunt Culb, at Miramar on Saturday last. There -was a large field, and the meet was attended by a great many residents ftom town, some on horseback and others in traps. The day was lovely as far as weather went, and had there been anything like bona fide sport the olub could not have had any reason to complain. As a matter of faot the expected hunt ended in a fiasco, owing to the uosuitableness of the stag, which appeared, to those looking on, to be a young calf which had been brought up as a pet. At any rate the animal was quite unfit to be bunted, never for a moment realising the danger it was iu from the hounds. Instead of jumping the wire fences it scrambled through them, and on one occasion took refuge in a stockyard full of milking oows, for whose protection it seemed to plead. Getting into a paddock, the poor little beast ran up to the side of a cow, and would not move from its protector until goaded beyond endurance by the hounds. The wire fences proved to be the main trouble to the stag, which seemed to be perfectly scared at itß surroundings. Here we may mention that some of the huntsmen blamed the onlookers, especially those on horseback, for getting in the way and making the quarry more frightened than it would otherwise have been. About a quarter of an hour before the start Dick Roake, the huntsman, rode up with the hounds. All around the hill sides were covered with spectators, while close on 200 horsemen lined the roadways, watching the uncarting of the stag, which took place in a pad. dock about half a mile off the road. On being liberated the stag gave two or three little jumps, and then commenced grazing in au unconcerned manner. A crack or two of a whip warned him, however, to be up and stirring, and he moved forward in an easy matter of fact way. The huntsman then went back and got the hounds, which did not seem to realise that the stag was in any way connected with the Bcent that they were following up. The poor little animal soon got into trouble to a number of the huntsmen cornering him near some wire fencing, but the hounds coming up, he broke away and went across a paddook towards the outbuildings, presumably intent upon getting baok to his loose-box. On his way the stag came to a stockyard in which a number of cows were herded, and an indescribable scene ensued, for horsemen, hounds, cows, and stag got mixed up in the utmost consion. The poor beast appeared to be paralysed with fear, and it was some time before the huntsman succeeded in whipping the hounds off One would have thought that the experience so far would have convinced those responsible that to continue the hunt would be cruelty to the stag. But no; for being recaptured, the poor animal was taken across the road—at the end of what appeared to onlookers to be a piece of string—and liberated again. This time the quarry went in a straight line for the kennels, jumping through a wire fence, and so speeding on. When about a chain or so from his loose box he was again captured, and much to the relief of the spectators the hunt ended.

The general impression of those present watching the proceedings was that this socalled “ first stag hunt in New Zealand ” was not only a fiasco, but an exhibition of sheer cruelty to a poor little animal unable through fear to take flight and save itself from the hounds. Whether the huat can be justly stigmatised as an exhibition of cruelty or not. it is to be hoped that we shall not see a repetition of Saturday’s proceedings. It is said by members of the Club itself that the proceedings were unsportsmanlike and cruel, though not intentionally ao. Men often err through want of judgment, but it is the general opinion that the tameness and inoffensive nature of the stag referred to, should have prevented any sportsman allowing it to be hunted with hounds. The result of these proceedings is the following correspondence, whioh has been handed to us for publication : Government House, Wellington, N.Z., 26th July, 1891. Sir, — I am directed by Hie Excellency the Governor to request that you will withdraw his name as patron of the United Hunt Club. His Excellency declines to be associated with a Bociety of so-called sportsmen who can be responsible for sueh treatment of a halfgrown animal as occurred at the meet yesterday. It was an exhibition which, His Excellency is credibly informed, would have been ludicrous in the extreme, if it had not been so unutterably disgusting. By His Excellency’s desire I am sending a copy of this communication to the newspapers. I have. &e., (Signed) Riversdvle Walrond. Wm. Lingard, Esq., Hon. see. United Hunt Club. Vivian street, 26th July, 1891. To R. Walrond, Esq., Government House.

Dear Sir,— Your letter of this morning duly to hand, conveying His Excellency the Governor's request to have his name withdrawn as “Patron of the United Hunt,” which request shall be duly attended to. I presume, from the tenor of your letter, that some act of gross cruelty must have been perpetrated at the hunt yesterd.y ; and allowing such to be the esse, nobody would more deeply regret the fact than I would myself, liut not having been present, and not having had an aocount of what actually did take place, I am totally in the dark as to the “ ludicrous or dlgustiog scene ’’ that presumably must have occurred. To preveut any possible roughness being shown, I sont a letter to the Master in the morning, prior to the hunt, urging him to take every possible precaution, as any act of cruelty would cause the Club to lose the sympathy of all true sportsmen. I cannot believe that the Master or the members of the Hunt, had they anticipated

an exhibition as described in your letter, would have ever couuteuanoed, or would ever have permitted, suoh an “ unutterably disgusting ” scene, and personally knowing the majority of the members, who would probably have been there, and who, like myself, are quite competent to discriminate between “sport” and brutality, are thoroughly averse to cruelty. lam very muoh “inclined to think,’ and I also trust, that His Excellency must have had a very exaggerated account of wbat did take place Regretting very much that such a report should have reached His Excellency s ears, but more so if euoh acts of crueltv did take place,— 1 remaiu, dear sir, Faithfully yours, Wm. Lingard.

P.S.—I am replying to your letter immediately on receipt of same, and consequently am unable to authoritatively contradict the report that has reached His Excellency, but I will at once institute an enquiry, anil will then oommunicate with you on the subject. I note that His Excellency's letter is to be published in the newspapers, consequently I deem it expedient to take a similar course with regard to my reply.—W.L.

Government House, Wellington, N.Z., 29th July, 1891. Sir, —I regret that I was unable to accept your invitation conveyed to me yesterday by telephone to accompany you to Miramar, when you went to enquire whether there was any truth in certain rumours current, that the stag had been more or less injured on Saturday ; though, as I in-, formed you at the time, I had been very careful in giving the information to His Excellency the Governor, on which he based his letter of 26th inst., to say that I, for one, had seen no actual injury inflicted on the stag, and that I did not believe that any such had occurred. I shall be glad, as arranged, to learn, for His Excellency’s information, in what condition you found the animal yesterday, and whether there was any ground for the rumours 1 have referred to. I have, &0., (Signed) Riyersdale Walrond. Wm. Lingard, Esq., Hou. seo. United Hunt Club. Wellington, 29th July, 1891. To Riversdale Walrond, Esq., Government House.

Dear Sir, —Your letter of the 29th inst. just to hand. In accordance with the message conveyed to you yesterday morning by telephone myself, together with the various representatives of the press, and accompanied with a veterinary surgeon, drove out to Miramar yesterday afternoon to inspect the stag that has been the subject of this correspondence. On arrival there we ascertained from the Master that the animal had died the night before. We, however, went to the loose-box, in which he had been housed since the hunt, to inspeot his remains. The animal proved to be a nearly full-grown stag, hia teeth indicating that he was approaching three years old, and, from what we could learn, was wild in the bush a few months since. On examination we found the hide entirely free from any wounds whatever, with the exception of a slight bruise on the forehead, probably sustained while rushing through some wire fence.

Mr Melhuish, “the veterinary surgeon,” who accompanied us, asserted as his opinion “that the animal had died from being too fat internally to admit of being hunted, but not from any wounds or injuries it had received last Saturday.” The whole business has been most unfortunate from beginning to end, and the members of the United Hunt, one and all, “ as much as His Excellency possibly can do,” sincerely regret the unfortunate circumstances attending our first attempt to introduce stag hunting into this country. I remain, &c , (Signed) Wm. Lingard, Hon Sec., United Hunt.

Government House, Wellington, N.Z., 29th July, 1891. Sir, —I am in receipt of your letter of to. day, written in reply to mine of the same date.

From the expressions used in your letter, His Excellency recognises that you must be as fully alive as himself to the necessity he felt for at once withdrawing his patronage from the Club, on hearing of the proceedings of Saturday ; but he desires me to assure you that he accepts with pleasure your manly and straightforward expression of the regret felt by the members of the Club at this unfortunate occuireuce, which. His Excellency feels, their own good feeling, as well as that of the community, will render impossible for the future, —I have, &c., (Sigoed) Riyersdale Walrond. Wm. Lingard. Esq., Hon. Sec., United Hunt Club.