The ponies of Wales seem to be original and unmixed. They are much
esteemed for the neatness and beauty of their forms, for the nimbleness
of their motions, and, above all, for being remarkably surefooted on the
most difficult roads, which renders them extremely valuable in the
mountainous tracts to which they originally belong. In point of size and
hardiness, they bear a near resemblance to the best of the native breed
of the Highlands of Scotland, and other hilly countries in the north of
Europe. These animals are too small for the two horse ploughs now in
use, but few horses are equal to them for enduring fatigue on the road.
“I well remember,” says Cully, “one that I rode for many years, which,
to the last, would have gone on a pavement in preference to a softer
road.”—_Le Keux._
WHEAL, _s._ A pustule, a small swelling filled with water.
WHEAT, _s._ The grain of which bread is chiefly made.
WHEATEN, _a._ Made of wheat.
WHEATEAR, _s._ A small bird very delicate.
WHEEL, _s._ A circular body that turns round upon an axis; a
circular body, a carriage that runs upon wheels; rotation; a
compass about, a track approaching to circularity.
WHELP, _s._ The young of a dog, a puppy; the young of any beast of
prey.
WHELP, _v._ To bring young.
WHIMBREL (_Scolopax Pharopus_, LINN.; _Le Petit Courlis_, BUFF.)
_s._
The whimbrel is only about half the size of the curlew, which it very
nearly resembles in shape, the colours of its plumage, and manner of
living. It is about seventeen inches in length, and twenty-nine in
breadth, and weighs about fourteen ounces. The bill is about three
inches long, the upper mandible black, the under one pale red. The upper
part of the head is black, divided in the middle of the crown by a white
line from the brow to the hinder part; between the bill and the eyes
there is a darkish oblong spot; the sides of the head, neck, and breast,
are of a pale brown, marked with narrow dark streaks pointing downwards;
the belly is of the same colour, but the dark streaks upon it are
larger: about the vent it is quite white; the lower part of the back is
also white. The rump and tail feathers are barred with black and white;
the shafts of the quills are white, the outer webs totally black, but
the inner ones marked with large white spots; the secondary quills are
spotted in the same manner on both the inner and outer webs. The legs
and feet are of the same shape and colour as those of the curlew.
The whimbrel is not so commonly seen on the sea shores of this country
as the curlew; it is also more retired and wild, ascending to the
highest mountain heaths in spring and summer to feed and rear its
young.—_Bewick._
WHIMPER, _v._ To cry without any loud noise.
WHINNY, _v._ To make a noise like a horse or colt.
WHIP, _s._ An instrument of correction tough and pliant.
WHIPCORD, _s._ Cord of which lashes are made.
WHIPHAND, _s._ Advantage over; right hand.
WHIPLASH, _s._ The lash or small end of a whip.
WHIPPER-IN, _s._ The field assistant to the huntsman.
You that know so well how necessary it is for a pack of fox-hounds to be
steady, and to be kept together, ought not to wonder that I should
prefer an excellent whipper-in to an excellent huntsman. No one knows
better than you do how essential a good adjutant is to a regiment;
believe me, a good whipper-in is not less so to a pack of fox-hounds.
But I must beg you to observe that I only mean, that I could do better
with mediocrity in the one than in the other.
You say you agree with me, that a huntsman should stick close to his
hounds. If then his place is fixed, and that of the first whipper-in
(where you have two) is not, I cannot but think genius may be at least
as useful in one as in the other: for instance, while the huntsman is
riding to his head hounds, the whipper-in, if he has genius, may show it
in various ways; he may clap forward to any great earth, that may by
chance be open; he may sink the wind to halloo, or mob the fox, when the
scent fails; he may keep him off his foil; he may stop the tail hounds,
and get them forward; and has it frequently in his power to assist the
hounds without doing them any hurt, provided he has sense to distinguish
where he is wanted most. Besides, the most essential part of
fox-hunting, the making and keeping the pack steady, depends entirely
upon him; as a huntsman should seldom rate, and never flog a hound. In
short, I consider the first whipper-in as a second huntsman; and to be
perfect, he should be as capable of hunting the hounds as the huntsman
himself.
You cannot too much recommend to your whipper-in to get to the head of
his hounds before he attempts to stop them. The rating behind is to
little purpose, and if they are in cover, may prevent him from knowing
who the culprits are. When your hounds are running a fox, he then should
content himself with stopping such as are riotous, and getting them
forward. They may be condemned upon the spot, but the punishment should
be deferred till the next day, when they may be taken out on purpose to
commit the fault and suffer the punishment. I agree with you that young
hounds cannot be awed too much; yet suffer not your punishment of them
to exceed their offence. I could wish to draw a line betwixt justice and
barbarity.
A whipper-in, while breaking in young hounds, sometimes will rate them
before they commit the fault: this prevents them for that time, but they
will be just as ready to begin the next opportunity. Had he not better
let them quite alone, till he sees what they would be at? The discipline
then may be proportioned to the degree of the offence. Whether a riotous
young hound runs little or much is of small consequence, if he be not
encouraged; it is the blood only that signifies, which in every kind of
riot should carefully be prevented.
My general orders to my whipper-in are, if when he rates a hound, the
hound does not mind him, to take him up immediately, and give him a
severe flogging. Whippers-in are too apt to continue rating, even when
they find that rating does not avail. There is but one way to stop such
hounds, which is to get to the heads of them. I also tell him never on
any account to strike a hound, unless the hound is at the same time
sensible what it is for; never to strike a hound that does not deserve
it, and to strike those hard that do.
Such of my hounds as are very riotous are taken out by themselves on the
days when they do not hunt, and properly punished; and this is continued
while my patience lasts, which of course depends on the value of the
dog. It is a trial betwixt the whipper-in and the dog, which will tire
first; and the whipper-in, I think, generally prevails. If this method
will not make them steady, no other can: they are then looked upon as
incorrigible, and are put away.
Such hounds as are notorious offenders should also feel the lash, and
hear a rate, as they go to the cover; it may be a useful hint to them,
and may prevent a severer flogging afterwards. A sensible whipper-in
will wait his opportunity to single out his hound; he will then hit him
hard, and rate him well; whilst a foolish one will often hit a dog he
did not intend to hit; will ride full gallop into the midst of the
hounds; will perhaps ride over some of the best of them, and put the
whole pack into confusion. This is a manœuvre I cannot bear to see.
Have a care! are words which seldom do any harm; since hounds, when they
are on a right scent, will not mind them. Let your whipper-in be careful
how he encourages the hounds: that, improperly done, may spoil your
pack.
A whipper-in will rate a hound, and then endeavour to flog him. A dog,
after having been rated, will naturally avoid the whip. Tell your
whipper-in, whenever a hound deserves the lash, to hit him first, and
rate him afterwards.
When there are two whippers-in, one ought always to be forward. When
there is only one, he, to be very perfect, should be a very Mungo, here,
there, and everywhere.
You will find it difficult to keep your people in their proper places. I
have been obliged to stop back myself to bring on hounds which my
servant had left behind. I cannot give you a greater proof how necessary
it is that a whipper-in should bring home all his hounds, than by
telling you that I have lost an old hound for ten days, and sent all the
country over to inquire after him; and at last, when I thought no more
about him, in drawing a large cover in the country where he had been
lost, he joined the pack: he was exceedingly emaciated, and it was a
long time before he recovered. How he subsisted all that time I cannot
imagine. When any of your hounds are missing, you should send the
whipper-in back immediately to look for them: it will teach him to keep
them more together.
The getting forward the tail hounds is a necessary part of fox-hunting,
in which you will find a good whipper-in of the greatest use. He must
also get forward himself at times, when the huntsman is not with the
hounds; but the second whipper-in (who frequently is a young lad,
ignorant of his business) on no account ought to encourage or rate a
hound, but when he is quite certain it is right to do it; nor is he ever
to get forward, as long as a single hound remains behind.
Halloo forward is certainly a necessary and a good halloo; but is it not
used too indiscriminately?—it is for ever in the mouth of a whipper-in.
If your hounds are never used to that halloo till after a fox is found,
you will see them fly to it. At other times other halloos will answer
the purpose of getting them on as well.
Most huntsmen, I believe, are jealous of the whipper-in: they frequently
look on him as a successor, and therefore do not very readily admit him
into the kennel; yet, in my opinion, it is necessary he should go there;
for he ought to be well acquainted with the hounds, who should know him
and follow him as well as the huntsman.—_Beckford._
WHIRLBAT, _s._ Anything moved rapidly round to give a blow.
WHIRLPOOL, _s._ A place where the water moves circularly, and draws
whatever comes within its circle towards its centre, a vortex.
WHIRRING, _a._ A word formed in imitation of the sound expressed by
it, as the “whirring pheasant.”
WHISPERER, _s._ One who speaks low; a private talker.
WHIST, _s._ A game at cards, requiring close attention and silence.
This game, which requires great care and attention, is played by four
persons, who cut for partners; those who cut the two highest cards are
partners against the two lowest, and the person who cuts the lowest card
is entitled to the deal. In cutting, the ace is accounted the lowest.
Though it is customary for only the elder hand, and afterwards the
dealer, to shuffle the cards, yet each player has a right so to do
before the deal, but the elder hand ought to shuffle last, except the
dealer.
The pack is afterwards cut by the right-hand adversary, and the dealer
is to distribute the cards, alternately, one at a time, to each of the
players, beginning with the left-hand adversary, till the last card,
which must be turned up, being the trump, and left on the table till the
first trick is played.
No one, before his partner plays, should intimate, that he has or has
not won the trick; even the attempt to take up a trick, though won
before the last partner has played, is deemed very improper. No
intimations of any kind during the play of the cards between partners
are to be admitted. The mistake of one party is the game of the
adversary. However, there is one exception to this rule, in case of a
revoke: if a person happen not to follow suit, or to trump a suit, the
partner is permitted to inquire, whether he is sure he has none of that
suit in his hand. This indulgence must have arisen from the severe
penalties annexed to revoking, which affect the parties equally.
The person on the dealer’s left-hand is called the elder hand, and plays
first; and whoever wins the trick becomes the elder hand, and plays
again; and so on till all the cards are played out. The tricks belonging
to each party should be turned and collected by the respective partners
of whoever wins the first trick in that hand. Each trick above six is
reckoned one point towards the game. The ace, king, queen, and knave of
trumps, are called honours; and when either of the parties has in his
own hand, or between himself and his partner, three honours, they count
two points towards the game; and if they should have the four honours,
they count four points. Ten points make the game.