Sunday, July 5, 2015

How to cite our website

How to cite our website

If you enjoyed our content and would like to use part of it in your work or on your website please use it.
We ask only that you cite us and place a small link to our website in accordance with the rule and the example below:

Rule:

#. "Title of article," Site Name, date of access, URL (with link).


Example:

The Monarda fistulosa, a hardy herbaceous plant, growing spontaneously in Canada, and other parts of North-America. (1)

1. "145 Flower Monarda Fistulosa Crimson Monarda Diandra Monogynia," Flowers: A Botanical Flower Collection, 8 October, 2013, http://flowers.f1cf.com.br/flowers-145.html


Or:

The Monarda fistulosa, a hardy herbaceous plant, growing spontaneously in Canada, and other parts of North-America. (Source: "145 Flower Monarda Fistulosa Crimson Monarda Diandra Monogynia," Flowers: A Botanical Flower Collection, 8 October, 2013, http://flowers.f1cf.com.br/flowers-145.html)



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Saturday, July 4, 2015

Safety Warning

Safety Warning

Some methods or practices described in this book may be dangerous
and should not be tried at home.

The content of this book does not represent the opinion of the website owner or hoster.
This content was written by an independent autor many years ago and who´s opinion was expressed in this material.
We don´t take any responsability for the bad use of the information published in this website.
This publication is free and we give no warranties. It´s up to you user to judge if the content is reliable, actual, or safe for you.


Friday, July 3, 2015

Copyright

Copyright

NORTH COUNTRY SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Wrestling and Wrestlers:

Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring;

TO WHICH IS ADDED

Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting.

BY

JACOB ROBINSON

AND

SIDNEY GILPIN.

Of all the athletic amusements of the people, Wrestling is beyond doubt the best.Christopher North.

LONDON: BEMROSE & SONS.
CARLISLE: THE WORDSWORTH PRESS,
75 Scotch Street.

MDCCCXCIII.


TO THE MEMORY
OF
JACOB ROBINSON,

THESE PAGES ARE
GRATEFULLY DEDICATED,
BY
HIS FELLOW-WORKER,

SIDNEY GILPIN.


This book is now a public domain material.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

The bull was a substantial bull

The bull was a substantial bull

The bull was a substantial bull



But they were no bubbles; the bull was a substantial bull, and took no harm at all from being turned out occasionally at midnight for a chase of fifteen or eighteen miles. The bull, no doubt, used to wonder at this nightly visitation; and the owner of the bull must sometimes have pondered a little on the draggled state in which the swamps would now and then leave his beast; but no other harm came of it.


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Thomas de Quincey.

Thomas de Quincey.

Thomas de Quincey.


Represent to yourself the earliest dawn of a fine summer's morning, time about half-past two o'clock. A young man, anxious for an introduction to Mr. Wilson, and as yet pretty nearly a stranger to the country, has taken up his abode in Grasmere, and has strolled out at this early hour to that rocky and moorish common (called the White Moss) which overhangs the Vale of Rydal, dividing it from Grasmere. Looking southwards in the direction of Rydal, suddenly he becomes aware of a huge beast advancing at a long trot, with the heavy and thundering tread of a hippopotamus, along the public road. The creature is soon arrived within half a mile of his station; and by the grey light of morning is at length made out to be a bull, apparently flying from some unseen enemy in his rear. As yet, however, all is mystery; but suddenly three horsemen double a turn in the road, and come flying into sight with the speed of a hurricane, manifestly in pursuit of the fugitive bull. The bull labours to navigate his huge bulk to the moor, which he reaches, and then pauses panting and blowing out clouds of smoke from his nostrils, to look back from his station amongst rocks and slippery crags upon his hunters. If he had conceited that the rockiness of the ground had secured his repose, the foolish bull is soon undeceived; the horsemen, scarcely relaxing their speed, charge up the hill, and speedily gaining the rear of the bull, drive him at a gallop over the worst part of that impracticable ground down to the level ground below. At this point of time the stranger perceives by the increasing light of the morning that the hunters are armed with immense spears fourteen feet long. With these the bull is soon dislodged, and scouring down to the plain below, he and the hunters at his tail take to the common at the head of the lake, and all, in the madness of the chase, are soon half engulphed in the swamp of the morass. After plunging together for about ten or fifteen minutes all suddenly regain the terra firma, and the bull again makes for the rocks. Up to this moment, there had been the silence of ghosts; and the stranger had doubted whether the spectacle were not a pageant of aërial spectresghostly huntsmen, ghostly lances, and a ghostly bull. But just at this crisis, a voice (it was the voice of Mr. Wilson) shouted aloud, "Turn the villain! turn that villain! or he will take to Cumberland." The young stranger did the service required; the villain was turned, and fled southwards; the hunters, lance in rest, rushed after him; all bowed their thanks as they fled past; the fleet cavalcade again took the high road; they doubled the cape which shut them out of sight; and in a moment all had disappeared, and left the quiet valley to its original silence, whilst the young stranger, and two grave Westmorland "statesmen," (who by this time had come into sight upon some accident or other) stood wondering in silence, and saying to themselves, perhaps,

"The earth hath bubbles as the water hath;
And these are of them."

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Within the memory of living man

Within the memory of living man

Within the memory of living man



Within the memory of living man, badgers have burrowed in the sand hills on Brocklebank, where it was not uncustomary for the tag-rag and bob-tail fraternity of Keswick, to hunt and capture them for the purpose of baiting.

About the year 1823, Tom Wilson, a shoemakerreared at The Woodman inn, Keswickremembers one being caught in a sack at the foot of Brockle-beck, when a novel but extremely foolish experiment was tried in the way of hunting it. It was let off in the midst of a gang of rough men, half-grown lads, and dogs, in deep water, near Lord's Island on Derwent Lake, and the chances are that the poor animal perished by drowning. At all events, it soon disappeared under the surface, and was never seen again by man or dog.

A husbandman, named Jonathan Gill, captured another on Great How, a steep wooded mountain which rises on the east side of Thirlmere lake. These are the two last badgers in the Keswick locality, of which we have any tidings. It is more than probable that the Brocklebank herd became dispersed or extinct about this period.



Monday, June 29, 2015

In addition to the haunts of the badger incidentally mentioned

In addition to the haunts of the badger incidentally mentioned

In addition to the haunts of the badger incidentally mentioned



In addition to the haunts of the badger incidentally mentioned, Brock-stones, in Kentmere; Brock-holes, at the foot of Tebay Fells; Graythwaite woods, in Furness Fells; Greystoke forest, near Penrith; Brockley-moor, in Inglewood forest; Brock-hills, near Hesket Newmarket; and Brocklebank, on the east side of Derwentwater;these and many other like coverts in the Lake Country, (as their names indicate,) were all strongholds and places of much resort for these animals, in the olden time.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Several proverbial sayings are current

Several proverbial sayings are current

Several proverbial sayings are current



Several proverbial sayings are current, which have been drawn from the nature and habits of this animal. For instance, a man of much and long continued endurance, is said to be "as hard as a brock;" and any one, upon whom age is creeping, and whose hair has lost a good deal of its original brightness, is said to be "as grey as a badger." Relph of Sebergham, in detailing in his native patois, the woes of a young and lusty love-sick swain, gives an illustration of one of the modes of hunting the animal:

Nae mair i' th' neets thro' woods he leads,
To treace the wand'rin' brock;
But sits i' th' nuik, an' nowt else heeds,
But Jenny an' her rock.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Let the following example be taken

Let the following example be taken

Let the following example be taken



To give an idea of the extreme sensitiveness for cleanliness which characterize the habits of the badger, let the following example be taken. On being drawn from its barrel by the dog, it not unfrequently happens in the scuffle which ensues, that the animal is rolled over and over, among the mire of the road, or the dirt of some neighbouring dunghill. Should the badger, however, be able to escape to its place of refuge in the barrel, even for a minute or two, the onlooker is surprised to find it turn out again as "snod" and clean, as if the dragging process through the dirt had never been undergone.

Friday, June 26, 2015

The badger is not often much hurt in the drawing

The badger is not often much hurt in the drawing

The badger is not often much hurt in the drawing



The badger is not often much hurt in the drawing, the thickness of their skin being sufficient to prevent them from taking any great harm. The looseness of the skin is such that they can turn easily, and, moreover, they are so quick in moving about, that the dogs are often desperately wounded in the first assault, and compelled to give up the contest.