Estate / Collection: The Property of a New England Family

[SPORTING]
ELLIOTT, WILLIAM Carolina Sports, by Land and Water; including incidents of devil-fishing, Wild-Cat, Deer and Bear Hunting, etc. New York: Derby and Jackson, 1859. Third edition (the first containing plates). Publisher's embossed cloth, gilt lettered spine. 7 1/8 x 4 3/4 inches (18.5 x 12.25 cm); 292 pp, plates, ads. Spine faded and leaning, rubbing and wear to spine and extremities, contents a bit toned, title page foxed and with occasional pale spots throughout, bookplate of William Richardson Hunt, paper collection label to spine.

A classic piece of antebellum sporting literature, written with great enthusiasm; a book that influenced Theodore Roosevelt, who also hunted "devil-fish." Some of these pieces originally appeared in the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine. The "devil-fish" of the title was rays, which were fished with harpoon and lance. Elliott, a very successful planter, was an all-round sportsman, also riding to hounds, shooting etc. Westwood & Satchell p. 85 (later eds. only); Bruns E20, third entry; Sabin 22287; Phillips p. 111; Wetzel p. 132; Howes E112; Gee, Sportsman's Library p. 136; Henderson p. 108; Litchfield p. 41; Biscotti, Six Centuries of Foxhunting p. 129.