Cures for Distempers Incident to the Cock or Chick of the Game
For Lice, being most common, I begin with; proceeding from corrupt Meat, and want of Bathing, &c. Take Pepper beaten to Powder, mix it with warm Water, and wash them with it.
For the Roup; a filthy swelling on the Rump, and very contagious to the whole body, the staring and turning back of the Feathers is it Symptome. Pull away the Feathers, open and thrust out the Core, and wash the Sore with Water and Salt, or Brine.
For the Pip; visit the mouth, and examine what hinders your Cocks, Hen, or Chicks feeding, and you’ll find a white thin Scale on the Tip of the Tongue, which pull off with your Naile, and rubbing the Tongue with Salt, will cure it.
For the Flux; proceeding from eating too moist Meat, give them Pease-Bran scalded, will stop it.
For the Stoppage of the Belly, that they cannot mute; Anoint their Vents, and give them either small bits of Bread or Corn, steep’d in Urine of Man.
For the Eyes, I have spoken before, and refer you to that; and for other Infirmities, let Practise be your Directory.
And now I have one Word of Advice to him that is a Lover (or would be so) of this Royal-Sport; and then have done: Come not to the Pitt without Money in your Breeches, and a Judgment of Matches; Done and Done is Cock-Pitt Law, and if you venture beyond your Pocket, you must look well to it, or you may loose an Eye by the Battle.
Thus much for Cock-Fighting.
This is a Recreation so full of Variety; that it would take up a great many Words and Time to discover it; but varying indeed from this Design, I shall not dilate on its several parts, but as succinctly as may be, give you some methodical Instructions, as may make a man capable of the Active as well as Passive part of this Pleasure, and without the one he cannot have the other.
Now then the Ingenious Fowler, like a Politick and sagacious Warrior, must first furnish and store himself with those several Stratagems and Engines, as suit with the diversities of Occasion (i. e. Time,) Place, and Game; or else he cannot expect the Conquest.
And first of Nets, which must be made of the best pack-thread, and for taking Great Fowl, the Meshes must be large, two Inches at least from point to point, the larger the better; (provided the Fowle creep not through;) two Fathom deep, and six in Length, is the best and most manageable Proportion; Verged with strong Cord on each side, and extended with long Poles at each end made on purpose. But for small Water-Fowle; Let your Nets be of the smallest and strongest Pack-thread, the Meshes so big, as for the great Fowle, about two or three foot deep: Line these on both sides with false Nets, every Mesh a foot and half Square. For the Day-Net, it must be made of fine Pack-thread, the Mesh an inch square, three Fathom long, and one broad, and extended on Poles according to its Length, as aforesaid.
Birdlime is the next, and thus made. Pill the Bark of Holly from the Tree at Midsummer, fill a Vessel, and put to it running Water; boile it over the fire till the Grey and White Bark rise from the Green; take it off the fire, draine the Water well away, and seperate the Barks; and take the Green, lay it on some moist floor and close place, and cover it with Hemblocks, Docks, Thistles, and all manner of Weeds; let it lye a fortnight, and in that time it will rot, and turn to a filthy slimy Substance: Then put it into a Morter, beat it till you perceive not what it was; take it out and wash it soundly at some running stream, till the Foulness is gone: Then put it in a close Earthen pot; let it stand four or five dayes, look to its Purging, and scum it: When clean, put it into another Earthen Pot, and keep it close for Use.
Your Setting-Dog comes next, and sayes you must Elect and Train him thus: He must be of exquisite Scent, and love naturally to hunt Feathers. The Land-Spaniel is best, being of good nimble size, and couragious mettle, which you may know by his Breed; being of a good Ranger, &c.
Having chosen your Dog, begin to instruct him at half a Year old. First make him familiar and acquainted well with your self above others, by feeding him your self, alwayes going abroad with you, and correcting him with Words not Blows. So that he will follow none but you, distinguish your Frowns from smiles, rough from smooth Words.
The first Lesson is, to make him Crouch and lie down close to the ground; and this is done by frequent laying him on the ground and crying Lye close; upon his doing well reward him with Bread; and on the contrary chastise him with Words, not Blows.
Next, To creep to you with his Body and Head close upon the ground, by saying, Come nearer, Come nearer, or the like Words; to understand and do it, entice him with shewing him Bread, or the like: Thrusting down any rising part of his Body or head, and roughly threatning him; if he slight that, a good Jerk or two with a slash of Whip-cord will reclaim his Obstinacy. Repeat his Lessons, and incourage his well doing. And this you may exercise in the Fields as you walk, calling him from his busie Ranging to his Duty. And then teach him to follow you close at the heels in a Line or string, without straining.
By this time he is a year old, now (the season fit) into the Field, and let him range, [obediently.] If he wantonly babble or causelesly open, correct him by biting soundly the Roots of his Ears, or Lashing. Assoon as you find he approaches the Haunt of the Partridge, known by his Whining, and willing, but not daring, to open, speak and bid him, Take heed: If notwithstanding this he rush in and Spring the Partridge, or opens, and so they escape, correct him severely. Then cast him off to another Haunt of a Covie, and if he mends his Error, and you take any by drawing your Net over them swiftly, reward them with the Heads, Necks, and Pinions.
As for the Water-Dog, the Instructions above for the Setter will serve; only to fetch and bring by loosing a Glove, or the like, is every mans common Observation, and therefore shall here for Brevities sake omit; only keep a strict Subjection in him, and Observance to your Commands.
I shall say something too of the Fowling-Piece and Stalking-Horse, and then to your sports. The longest Barrel is the best Fowling-Peice, five and half, or six foot long, with an indifferent Bore, under an Harquebuse; and shooting with the Wind, and side-wayes, or behind the Fowl, not in their faces, is to be observed; having your Dog in Command not to stir till you have shot.
A Stalking-Horse for shelter, to avoid being seen by the shie Fowle, is an old Jade trained on purpose; but this being rare and troublesome, have recourse to Art, to take Canvas, stuft and painted in the shape of a Horse grazing, and so light that you may carry him on one hand (not too bigg:) Others do make them in the shape of Ox, Cow, for Variety; and Stag, Trees, &c.
Thus being provided with necessary Engines for prosecuting and effecting so cunning and pleasant a work, Let’s abroad; and let not the Ale-House, Tavern, or Brothel-Houses, debauch and benumn our Spirits, but let us with the Fowler exhilerate our Minds, refresh our Bodies, & for a little Pains reap a great deal of Pleasure & Satisfaction, whet our Appetites, and get Meat too for them.
Now then according to my proposed Method, let us first examine Where to find our Game? that is, The Haunts of Fowle, whether Land or Water Fowle; by which two Characters I distinguish them, because of their Variety and Multiplicity.
The greater Fowle, or those who divide the Foot, reside by shallow Rivers sides, Brooks and Plashes of Water; and in low and boggy places, and sedgie, Marish, rotten Grounds. They also delight in the dry parts of drowned Fens, overgrown with long Reeds, Rushes and Sedges; as likewise in half-drowned Moors, hollow Vales of Downs, Heaths, &c. Where obscurely they may lurk under the Shelter of Hedges, Hills, Bushes, &c.
The Lesser, or Web-footed, Fowle, allwayes haunt drowned Fens, as likewise the main streams of Rivers not subject to Freeze, the deeper and broader, the better; (tho of these the Wild-Goose and Barnacle, if they cannot sound the depth, and reach the Ouze, change their Residence for shallow places, and delight in Green-Winter-Corn, especially if the Lands ends have Water about them:) Small Fowle also frequent hugely little Brooks, Ponds, drowned Meadows, Pastures, Moors, Plashes, Meres, Loughs, and Lakes, stored with unfrequented Islands, Shrubs, &c.