Though large herds of deer do much harm to the neighbourhood, yet the
injury to the morals of the people is of more moment than the loss of
their crops. The temptation is irresistible; for most men are sportsmen
by constitution: and there is such an inherent spirit for hunting in
human nature, as scarce any inhibitions can restrain. Hence, towards the
beginning of this century all this country was wild about deer-stealing.
Unless he was a hunter, as they affected to call themselves, no young
person was allowed to be possessed of manhood or gallantry. The Waltham
blacks at length committed such enormities, that Government was forced to
interfere with that severe and sanguinary act called the "Black Act,"
which now comprehends more felonies than any law that ever was framed
before. And, therefore, a late Bishop of Winchester, when urged to
re-stock Waltham Chase, refused, from a motive worthy of a prelate,
replying "that it had done mischief enough already."
Our old race of deer-stealers is hardly extinct yet: it was but a little
while ago that, over their ale, they used to recount the exploits of
their youth; such as watching the pregnant hind to her lair, and, when
the calf was dropped, paring its feet with a penknife to the quick to
prevent its escape, till it was large and fat enough to be killed; the
shooting at one of their neighbours with a bullet in a turnip-field by
moonshine, mistaking him for a deer; and the losing a dog in the
following extraordinary manner: Some fellows, suspecting that a calf
new-fallen was deposited in a certain spot of thick fern, went, with a
lurcher, to surprise it; when the parent-hind rushed out of the brake,
and, taking a vast spring with all her feet close together, pitched upon
the neck of the dog, and broke it short in two.
Another temptation to idleness and sporting was a number of rabbits,
which possessed all the hillocks and dry places: but these being
inconvenient to the huntsmen, on account of their burrows, when they came
to take away the deer, they permitted the country people to destroy them
all.
Such forests and wastes, when their allurements to irregularities are
removed, are of considerable service to neighbourhoods that verge upon
them, by furnishing them with peat and turf for their firing; with fuel
for the burning their lime; and with ashes for their grasses; and by
maintaining their geese and their stock of young cattle at little or no
expense.
The manor farm of the parish of Greatham has an admitted claim, I see (by
an old record taken from the Tower of London) of turning all live stock
on the forest, at proper seasons, "bidentibus exceptis." The reason, I
presume, why sheep are excluded, is because, being such close grazers,
they would pick out all the finest grasses, and hinder the deer from
thriving.
Though (by statute 4 and 5 W. and Mary, c. 23) "to burn on any waste,
between Candlemas and Midsummer, any grig, ling, heath and furze, goss or
fern, is punishable with whipping and confinement in the house of
correction;" yet, in this forest, about March or April, according to the
dryness of the season, such vast heath-fires are lighted up, that they
often get to a masterless head, and, catching the hedges, have sometimes
been communicated to the underwoods, woods, and coppices, where great
damage has ensued. The plea for these burnings is that, when the old
coat of heath, etc., is consumed, young will sprout up, and afford much
tender browze for cattle; but, where there is large old furze, the fire,
following the roots, consumes the very ground; so that for hundreds of
acres nothing is to be seen but smother and desolation, the whole circuit
round looking like the cinders of a volcano; and, the soil being quite
exhausted, no traces of vegetation are to be found for years. These
conflagrations, as they take place usually with a north-east or east
wind, much annoy this village with their smoke, and often alarm the
country; and, once in particular, I remember that a gentleman, who lives
beyond Andover, coming to my house, when he got on the downs between that
town and Winchester, at twenty-five miles' distance, was surprised much
with smoke and a hot smell of fire, and concluded that Alresford was in
flames; but, when he came to that town, he then had apprehensions for the
next village, and so on to the end of his journey.
On two of the most conspicuous eminences of this forest stand two arbours
or bowers, made of the boughs of oak; the one called Waldon Lodge, the
other Brimstone Lodge: these the keepers renew annually on the feast of
St. Barnabas, taking the old materials for a perquisite. The farm called
Blackmoor, in this parish, is obliged to find the posts and brush-wood
for the former; while the farms at Greatham, in rotation, furnish for the
latter, and are all enjoined to cut and deliver the materials at the
spot. This custom I mention, because I look upon it to be of very remote
antiquity.