JOHNA.SEAVERNS o THOUGHTS UPON HARE AND FOX HUNTING, IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO A FRIEND, IN •WHICH ARE GIVEN Ample directions for. erecting a kennel, thb management of hounds, and the duties and (qualifications necessary for. the huntsman and whipper-in, ALSO AN ACCOUNT OF 7 HE Mofl Celebrated Dog Kennels in the Kingdom. Illui^ratcd with twenty beautiful Engravings. Bv PETEPv BECKFORD, Esq, ' Si quid novifti rcflius illi<;, Candidus imperti : fi non, his uteie mecum, HoK," A NEW EDITION; LONDON; Printed for. ternor and hood, birchin lane, cornhill. 1796. ADVERTISEMENT. npKE Publi filers of the prefent Edition of this much-admired Treatife upon Hunt^ i?ig feel themfelves impelled to Hate candidly, but briefly, the motives which induced them to undertake it. That moft fportfmen who Were not already poireffed of the former editions of this valua- ble library of fportitig knowledge^ have been defirous of procuring it, but fought for it in vain, is a fad: well known to every fre- quenter of the chace : the book, therefore, meets the public eye in its prefent embellifhed ftate, in confequence of repeated folicitations from gentlemen in almoft every quarter of the kingdom, accompanied with well-grounded aflfu ranees from many of them^ that it would by no means be difagreeable to Mr. Beckford* A % Con- IV ADVERTISEMENT. Confcious of not being able to add to the literary fame which the writer has acquired by this pubhcation, they have confined them- felves merely to the decorative, inferting only fuch explanatory defcriptions of the plates as appeared neceflary. On the whole, they truft, that without giving any offence to the ingenious author, (the idea of which would be painful to them) tkey have contributed not a little to the grati- fication of every admirer of the cheerful and manly amufements of the field. PRE- PREFACE. A S the author of the followinv^ letters hath been charged with inhumanity, and yet conjedured to be a clergyman, it is now be- come neceflary to publifh his name; and though it may not be ufual to anfwer an ano- nymous writer, yet, as it is not impoilible that fome readers may have adopted his fentiments, this confideration, and this alone, induces fhe author to anfwer the objed:ions which the critic hath fo wantonly made. Whatever may be the imperfedion of thefe letters, the au- thor is defirous that it fhould fall, as it ougnt, upon himfelf only. The objedions, which he thinks were unnecelTarily made, he has endeavoured to remove. All intentional cruelty A 3 he VI PREFACE. he entirely difclaims. His appeal from that accufation hes to thofe whom he addrefTes as his judges j not (as the critic may think) be- caufe they are equally barbarous with himfelf, but becaufe fportfmen only are competent to decidca CON- CONTENTS. LETTER I. Page i. The fubjeB mtroduced — Himt'mg recommended not only as an entertaining^ but alfo as a wJiolefome exercife Cervantes^ and the SfeBator their opinion of hunting — For whom thefe letters ar^ intended-— Explanation of the frontifpece* LETTER n. Page 15. The kennel defcrihed zvith all its parts, LETTER in. Page 27. Of hounds ill general — Hounds of the middle fi%e recommended — AperfeB hound defcrihed — Skirt ers difapp-oved of — Obje£iions to a large pack. A 4 LET- mn CONTENTS. LETTER IV. Page ^7- Pf feeding hounds, and managing them in the ken-; neJ — Of fjie feeder — Cleanllnefs reccnimended—-: Time of feeding lllfiuted to feverify. LETTER V. Page t^^. Of breeding hounds, and naming them — Of th^ treatment of whelps^ ivlicn firfi taken into^ the kennel— Of rounding the7n, and fpaying hitches — - Of the numher n&i:ejfary to keep up the flock-— A lijl of names. LETTER VL Page 76. Of coupling young hounds, and breaking them fi'on^ Jlieep — Of entermg them — Befi method to mak^ them fieady — Kennel di/cipline ohje6fed to. LETTER VII. Page 86. The fame fubjeul continued — Hounds made handy by being taken out often — Different methods of en- lering young fox -hounds defer ibed Entering them at the martin 'cat recommended — Entering them at hare cenfured. LET- CONTENTS. iX LETTER VIII. Page 107. Of dijeafes and their rmedies — A curious frefcrip- t'wn for the cure of the mange, either in man or heafi — Ohfervations on madnefs. LETTER IX. Page 122. Pf the huntfman and whipper-in — Ohfervations ou fcent. LETTER X. Page 133. Hare-hunting defcrihed in all its parts — Of hounds heft fuited to that d'lverfion — Of the heji method of hunting them Sportfmen not intentionally cruel — Of the trial in a morniug — Of hare find- ers A particular method of hare-hunting re- lated— Curious advice about dr effing a hare. LETTER XI. Page 145. Hare-hunting continued — The many fliifts which a hare makes dejcnbed — A hint to fuch fportfmen as continue talking when their hounds are at fault —Chopping hares cenfured \ dire^fions how to frevefit it — Of the harmony of a pack — A hint to fuch ffortfnmi as ride over their houtuls, LET. K CONTENTS. . LETTER XIL Page 154. Of a hare-warre?! — Tke hares how caught — Beji method of turn'm Some remarkable inftances of tJiem — IVhen a fox ought not to be given up — When a pack of fox- hounds may be fuffered to try hack — Iflien fportf- men ought to he filent — Method of treating a fox defcribed — IVh-en it is the heft time to eat him. LETTER XVn. Page 199. ^ digreffion in favour of fox-hunting — Fievj halloos, whefi too frequently given, cenfured — Of flopping the tail hounds, and throwing' them in at head — Of fkirters, when they do hurt — A hint to thofe •who follow hounds — IVhen foxes are in too great plenty, how to difperfe ihe?n A Frenchnmns opinion of a fox-chace, LETTER XVlir. Page 209. When an excellent whipper-in may be of more ufe than an excellent huntfnan — Barbarity defined — XJnneceffary feverity cenfured — Duty of a whip^ per-in — A perfe6l one defcribed — Of fteadinefs — Of hounds that kill Jlieep — NeceJJity of obedience '''—After hounds are made Jleady^ fonie caution I required Xil CONTENTS. required to keep them Jo — A curious letter from a huntj'manr LETTER XIX. Page 227. Mow a huntfman Jhould draw his hounds — Placing hounds advantagcoujly , a 7ieccjfary part of fox- hunting — When hounds do not hunt, how they JJiould he fed — Of drafting hounds When a huntfman ffioidd he after his time — JVhere foxes like hefi to lie — When gentlemen may he of fervice to hoiuids — Long drags, the objedion to them — The fagacity of the huck-hound. accounted for -—Correttion of hounds by the huntj]nan^ objected to Hounds that wdl not leave a cover, how treated — Of the good management of a pack of fox -hounds^ LETTER XX. Pago 246. Jim.v a himtfman fJionld cafi his hounds When hounds had better be exercifed on the turnpike road, tJian hunted — When it may be right to flop the tad hozcnds, and throw tliem in at head Huntfmen that are JIovj cenfured — When they ^ould be careful riot to run the heel When hounds have many fcoits, how they Jhould be managed — Of the heading back of foxes — What i'jnjiitutes a perfect liun'jinan, LET- CONTENYSi Xlil LETTER XXI. Page 266. A hare-hunter an improper hunt/man I0 a pack of fox-hoimds — The harrier and fox-hound, in what they materially differ — Fitncfs ejfential to heauty — Ho\!D fportfmen may he of fervice to tired hounds — Of lotig days, the difad-vantage — The life — Why a fox hound JJiould he ahove his work — Much encouragement to hounds on had fcenting daySy ohjeBedto — Of hounds that run falfe. LETTER XXIL Page 278. Blood nee effary to a pack of foci-hounds — -The like- liefi method to procure it — Of accidents that hap- pen in fox-hu?iting — Of the proper time to leave off fox- hunting — A wanton deJlruBioyi of foxes cenfured Inequality of fcent unfavourcdde to hounds — An extraordinary character of a hunt/- man. . LETTER XXIIL Page 295. Bag -foxes : fome objection to them — A fox- court re- commended— Directions how cidis Jliould he treated — Some caution nee effary in huying of foxes — Of digging foxes — Badgers ohje^ed to — A method to fiink an earth — Hozv hadgers may he caught — Of terriers — Of dejiroying foxes — A remarkahle in- fiance of the lex talionis^ LET- %if CONTENTS^ LETTER XXIV. Page 309, iSichje3 concluded — Some ohfefvaiions concerning the management of a hunter — Remarks upon Jhoehig • — Summer hunting ohje6fed to — P^irgd, Horace^ Pliny : their opinion of a country life — Hunting not fo dangerous as it has been thought— 'Some quotations from other authors. Account of the moft celebrated dog-kennels, page 326. tJlREC- DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER, FOR PLACING THE u r S. F Pa^^. OX-Chace at, Caftlc Coombe To face Title, Richard Fairbrotber - - - 131 Going out in the Morning - - 139 Finding the Hare - - - - 140 Trying for a Hare - - - - 145 HareinViciw ----- 146 Hitting her off at a Fault * - 147 Death of the Hare - - - - 151 Drawino; Cover - - - - i6a Breaking Cover - - - - 163 In View - - - - - 1 65 At Fault - - - - - 167 The Death - - - - - 169 Earth flopping - - . - , 241 His Majefiy's Dog Kennel, at Afcot - 326 Swinley Lodge - - - - 3^9 Duke of Richmond's Dog Kennel, at Goodwood - - - - 331 Duke of Bedford's Stables, &c. at Woo- burn ----- 334 Sir William Rowley's Dog Kennel, at Tendering Hall - - - - 336 Plaia of ditto - - * ' 33^^ THOUGHTS UPON N T I N G. LETTER L Briftol Hot-Wells, March 20, 1779. '\7'OU could not have chofen, my friend, a -*- better feafon than the prefent, to remind me of lending you my Tiioughts upon Hunting; for the accident that brought me hither is Hkely to detain me fome time: belides, I have no longer a plea for not obeying your commands. Hitherto, indeed, I had excufed myfelf, in hopes that fome publication on the fubjedl might have rendered thefe letters needlefs; but lince nothing of the kind, although fo much wanted, has appeared, as I am now fufficiently unoccupied to undertake the talk, I fhall not think it a tri- B iiing 2 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. fling fubjec'^, if you think it a neccltliry one:} and I wifh my own experience of the diverlioii may enable me to anfwer the many queftions which you are pleafed to propofe concerning it. • Knowing your partiality to rhyme, I could wifh to fend you my thoughts in verfe; but as this would take up more time, without anfwer- ing your purpofe better, I mull: beg you to ac- cept them in humble profe, which, in my opi- nion, is better fuited to the fubjed. Dida6lic cf- fays fhould be as little clogged as poflible; they fliould proceed regularly and clearly ; fliould be ealily written, and as eafily underflood, having lefs to do with words than things. The game of cramho is out of falhion, to the no fmall preju- dice of the rhyming tribe; and before I could find a rhyme io porringer, I fhould hope to finifli a great part of thefe letters : I fhall therefore, without farther delay, proceed upon them: this, however, I mutt defire to be firft underflood be- tween us; that when, to lave trouble to us both, I fay a thing is, without tacking a falvo to the tail of it, fuch as, in my opnion — to the hejl of 7ny judgment, he. &c. — you ihall not call my humi- lity in queftion, as the afTertion is not meant to be mathematically certain. When I have any better authority than my own, fuch as Somervile, for inflance, (who, by the bye, is the only one that has written intelligibly on this fubje6t) I fhaU THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^ ^all fake the liberty of giving it you in his own words, to fave you the trouble of turning to him* You may remember, perhaps, that when we were huntine: together at x urin, the hounds having loft the ftag, and the piqueurs (ftill more in fault than they) being ignorant which way to try, the king hid theip. alk Milord Anglois. Nor is it to be wondered at, if ^n Englifhman fhculd be thought to underftand the art of hunting, as the hounds which this country produces are uni- verfally allowed to be the bcft in the world : from whence T think this inference may be drawn, that although every man who follows this diverlion may not underftand it, yet it is extraordinary of the many who do, that one only of any note fhould have written on the fubject. It is rather unfortunate for me that this ingenious fportfman fhould have preferred writing an elegant poem to an ufeful leftbn ; lince, if it had pleafed him, he might eaftly have faved me the trouble of writing; thefe letters. Is it not flrange in a country where the prefs is in one continued labour with opi- nions of almoft every kind, from the moft ferious and inftrudiive to the moft ridiculous and tri- fling; a country beftdes, fo famoAis for the beft: hounds, and the beft horfes to follow them, whofe authors fometimes hunt, and whofe fportf- men fometimes write, that only the pradical part B a of '4 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. of hunting fhould be known? There is, how- ever, no doubt that the pradical part of it would be improved, were it to be accompanied by theory. France, Germany, and Italy, are alfo iilenty I beheve, on this lubjec^, though each of thefe countries has had its fportfmen. Foxes, it is Irne, they never hunt, and hares but feldom ; yet the flag and wild boar, both in France and in Germany, are flill purfued with the utmoft fplen- dour and magnificence. In Italy there has been no hunting lince the death of the Duke of Par- ma : he was very fond of it, and I apprehend all hunting in that country ceafed v/ith him. The only fportfmen now remaining are gentlemen in green coats, V'/ho taking their couieaux de chajfe along with them, walk into the fields to catch fmal thirds, ssX^xohXh^y c-^X andar ala cacc'ia^ or, rn plain Englifh, going a hunting; yet it has not been fo Vv'ith horfemanlhip; that has been treated fcientifically by all — in Italy by Pignatelli — in Germany by Ifenbourg — and in France by La Guerinierc : nor are the ufeful leflbns of the Duke of Newcaftle confined to this country only; they are both read and pra61ifed every where; nor is he the only noble lord who has written on the fubje6t. While upon hunting, all are filent, and were it not for the mufe of Somervile, who has fo judicioufly and fo fwectly fung, the dog,. tllAt THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 5 that iifeful, that honeft, that faithful, that difin- terelted, that entertaining animal, would be fuffered to pafs unnoticed and undiflinguifhed. A northern court once, indeed, did honour this animal with a particular mark of approba- tion and refpe^l; but the fidelity of the dog has iince given place to tlie fagacity of the ele- phant.* Naturalifts, it is true, have included dogs in the fpecific defcriptions they have given us of animals. Authors may liave written on hunting, and bookfellers may know many that to fportfmen are unknown; but I again repeat, that I know not any writer, ancient or modern, from the time of Nimrod to the prefent day (one only excepted) who has given any ufeful infor- mation to a fportfman.-^ It may be objected, that the hunting of a pack of hounds depends upon the huntfman, and that the huntfman, generally fpeaking, is an il- literate fellow, who feldom can either read or write: this cannot well be denied. I muft, tlierefore, obferve, that it is impoffible for the bull nets of a kennel to go on as it ought, unlefs * Vide Mr. Pope's Letter to Mr. Cromwell. t Many French authors have given rules for hunting the "hare, and flag ; to make this paflage lefs exceptionable, there- fore, it may be better perhaps, inftead ol fportjman.^ to read fox-hunter. B 3 the € THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. the mafter himfelf knows fomething of it. There mull be an underftanding fomewhere, and with- OLit it no gentleman can enjoy in perfection this jioble diversion. It was the opinion of a great fporttman, that it is not lefs difficult to find 'i perfect huntfman, than a good prime minifter. "Without taking upon me to determine what requifites may be neceffary to form a good prime minifter I- will defcribe fome of thofe which arc effentially ne- ceffary towards forming a perfc6l huntfman ; qualities which, I will venture to fay, would not difgrace more brilliant fituations : fuch as a clear head, nice obfervation, quick apprehenlionj un- daunted courage, flrength of conftitution, a6li- vity of body, a good car, and a good voice. There is not any one branch of knowledge, commonly digniiicd with the title of art, Vy'hich has not fuch rudiments or principles, as m.ay lead to a competent degree of fkill, if not to perfec- tion, in it : whilft hunting, the fole bufinefs of fome, and the amufement of moll of the youth in this kingdom, feems left entirely to chance. Its purfuit puts us, both to greater expence, and ^Ifo, to greater inconvenience than any other ; yet, notwithftanding this, we truft our diverfior^ in it to the fole guidance of a huntfman : we follow jull as he iliall chufe to conduct vis j and THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIxVG. >? we fufFer the fuccefs, or difappointment of the chace to depend folely on the judgment of a fel- low, who is frequently a greater brute than the creature on which he rides. I would not be un- derftood to mean by this, that a huntfman fhould be a fcholar, or that every gentleman fhould hunt his own hounds : it is not neceflary a huntf- man fhould be a man of letters ; but give me leave to obferve, that had he the bell undcrfj-and- ing, he would frequently find opportunities of exercising it, and intricacies whicli might put it to the teft. You will fay, perhaps, there is fonie- thing too laborious in the occupation of a huntf- man for a gentleman to take it upon himfelf ; you may alfo think it is beneath him ; I agree with you in both — yet I hope that he may have leave to underftand it. If he follow the diver- lion, it is a lign of his liking it ; and if he like it, furely it is fome difgrace to him to be ignorant of the means mofh conducive to obtain it. I find there will be no neceffity to fay much in commendation of a diverfion to you, wdiich you fo profefledly admire ;* it would be needlefs, there- * Since the above was written, hunting has undergone a fevere cenfure, (vide iV'onthly Review for September, 1781) nor will any thing fatisfy the critic lefs than its total abolidon. He recommends feats of agility to be praftifed and exhibited inftead of it. Whether the amendment propofed by the learned. B 4 gentle- ,S THOUGHTS UpON HUKTINGa therefore, to enumerate the heroes of antlqiiity who were taught the art of hunting; or the many great men (among whom was the famous Galen) who have united in recommending it. I fhall, however, remind you, that your heloved hero, Henry the Fourth of France, made it his chief amufement, and his very love letters, ftrange as it may appear, are full of little elfe : and that one of the greateft minifters which our own coun- try ever produced, was fo fond of this diverfion, that the firft letter he opened, as I have been told> was generally that of his huntfman. — In moft countries, from the earliefl times, hunting has been a principal occupation of the people, either for ufe or amufement ; and many princes have made it their chief delight : a circumilance which occafioncd the following hon mot. — Louis the Fifteenth was fo paffionately fond of this di- vertion, that it occupied him entirely ; the King of Pruflia, who never hunts, gives up a great deal of his time to mufic, and himfelf plays on the flute : a German, lall war meeting a French- gentleman be defirable or nof, I fliall forbear to determine ; taking the liberty, however, to remind him, that as hunting hath flood its ground from the earlieft times, been encouraged and approved by the beft authorities, and praftifed by the greateft men, it cannot now be fuppofed to dread criticifm, or to need fupport. Hunting originates in nature itfelf, and it is in perfed correfpondence to this law of nature, that the feve- ral animals are provided with neceiTary means of attack and defence. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^ man, aiked him very impertinently, " Si/on ^naitrt ^' chajfo'it toujour sT'' " Ou'i^ out,'''' replied the other — '^ il ne joue jamais de la jiute^'' — The reply was excellent, but it would have been as well, per- haps, for mankind, if that gi^eat man had never been otherwife employed. — .Hunting is the foul of a countrv life ; it gives heaUh to the body, and contentment to the mind ; and is one of the few pleafures we can enjoy in fociety, without prejudice either to ourfelves, or our friends. The Speculator has drawn with infinite humour the chara6ler of a man who pafles his whole life in purfuit of trifles ; and it is probable, other Will Wimbles might ftill be foiind. I hope, however, that he did not think they were con- fined to the country only. Triiicrs there are of every denomination. Are we not all triflers ? and are we not told that all is vanity ? — The Spectator, v/ithout doubt, felt great compallion for Mr. Wimble ; yet Mr. Wimble miglit not have been a proper object of it ; fince it is more than probable he was a happy man, if the em- ployment of his time in obliging others, and plealing himfelf, can be thought to have made him fo. — Whether vanity miflead us or not in the choice of our purfuits, the pleafures or advan- tages which refult from them, will heft determine, —I fear the occupation of few gentlemen will ^dmit of nice fcrutiny ; occupations, therefore, that 10 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* that amufe, and are at the fame time innocent t that promote exercife and conduce to health ; tliough they may appear trifles in the eyes of otherSj certainly are not fo to thofe wlio enjoy them. Cf this nun:ber I think I may reckon hunting ; and I am particularly glad the fame author furnilhes a quotation in fupport of it; " for my own part/' fays this elegant writer, " I *' intend to hunt twice a week during my ftay " with Sir Roger ; and fhall prcfcrihe the mo- *' derate ufe of this exercife to all my country ^ friends, as the beft phytic for mending a bad " conftitution, and preferving a good one." — The inimitable Cervantes alfo honourably men- tions this diverlion : he makes Sancho fay — " Mercy on mc, what pleafure can yon find, any " of ye all, in kilhng a poor bead: that never '- meant any harm !" th;it the Duke may reply, •.- — You are miltaken, Sancho; hunting wild *' beafts is the moil proper exercife for knights '^ and princes; for in the chace of a ftout noble *' beafl, may be reprefcnted the whole art of *^ war, ilratagems, policy, and ambul^ades, with •' all other devices uliially praclifed to overcome " an enemy with fafety. Here we are expofed *^ to the extremities of heat and cold ; cafe and ** lazincfs can have no room in this diverlion ; ♦* by this we are inured to toil and hardfhip, our **■■ limbs are ftrengthened, our joints made fupple, *' and our whole body hale and active : in fhort. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, I| '* it is an exercife that may be beneficial to many, ^^ and can be prejudicial to none." — Small, in- deed, is the number of thofe, who in the courfe of 5000 years have employed themfelves in the advancement of iifeful knowledge. Mankind have been blell with but one Titus, that we know of; and, it is to be feared, he has had but few imitators. Days and years fly away, nor is any account taken of them, and how many may realbnably be fuppofed to pafs without affording even amufement to others, or fatisfadion to our- feives. Much more, I think, might be faid in favour of the Wimbles ; but it muft be confeffed, that the man who fpends his whole time in trifles, pafies it contemptibly, compared with thofe who are employed in refearches after knowledge ufeful to mankind, or in profeffions ufeful to the flate. I am glad to lind that you approve of the plan I propofe to obferve in the courfe of thefe letters, wherein it fhall be my endeavour not to omit any thing which it may be necefTary for you to know ; at leail, as far as my own obfervation and experience will give me leave. The expe- rience I have had may be of ufe to you at pre- fent ; others, perhaps, hereafter may write more judicioufly and more fully on the lubje6l : you. know it is my interell to wifli they would. The few who have written on hunting, refer you to Ifheir predeceffors for great part of the informa- tion 12 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. tion you might expe6l from them ; and who their predecelTors were I have yet to learn. Even So- mervile is lefs copious than I could with, and has purpofely omitted what is not to be found clfewhere ; I mean receipts for the cure of fuch difcafes as hounds are fubje6l to. He holds fuch information cheap, and beneath his lofty mufe. Profe has no excufe, and you may depend on every information that I can give. The familiar manner in which my thoughts will be conveyed to you in thL'fe letters, may -fuffieiently evince the intention of the author. They are written with no other delign than to be of ufe to fportf- men. Were my aim to amufe, I would not en- deavour to inftriidl. A fong might fuit the pur- ^pofe better than an effay. To improve health by promoting exercife ; to excite gentlemen who are fond of hunting to obtain the knowledge necefiary to enjoy it in perte6lion ; and to Icflcn the punilTiments which are too often infli6^ed on an animal fo friendly to man, are the chief ends •intended by the following letters. I fhall not pretend to lay down rules which are to be equally good in every country ; I fhall think myfelf fuihciently juftified in recommend- ing fuch as have been tried with fnccefs in the countries where I have generally hunted. As almoft every country has a different dialed, you will alfo excufe, I hope, any terms that may not be THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, IJ be current with you : I will take the beft care I can that the number fhall be fmall. I need not, I think, adviie you not to adopt too ealily the opinions of other men. You will hear a tall man lay it is folly to ridci any but large horfes ; and every little man in company will immediately fell his little horlcs, buy fuch as he can hardly mount, and ride them in hilly countries, for which they are totally unfit. Pride induces fome men to dictate ; indolence makes others like to be dictated to ; fo both parties find their account in it. You will not let this miflead you. You will dare to think for yourfelf. — Nor will you believe every man who pretends to know what you like better than you do yourfelf. There is a degree of coxcombry, I believe, in every thing : you have heard, I make no doubt, that greyhounds are either black, or white, or black and white ; and if you have any faith in thofe wlio fay they know beft, they will tell you that there are no others.* Prejudice, however, is by far too blind a guide to be depended on. I have read ibmewhere, that there is no book fo bad, but a judicious reader may derive fome advantage from the reading of it ; I hope thefe * There is a fafliion in greyhounds: fonie couiTers even pretend that all not being of the fafliionable colour are curs, and not greyhounds. Grej-hound feems to be a corruption from fome other ward— iriofl probably from gaze-hound. J letters l4 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. letters will not prove the only exception. Shouli^ they fall into the hands of fach as are not fportf- men, I need not, I think, make any excufes to them for the contents, lince the title fufficiently Hiews for whom they were defigned. Nor are they meant for fuch fportfmen as need not in- ilruc^ion, but for thofe that do; to whom, I prefume, in fome parts at leall:, they may be found of ufe. Since a great book has been long looked upon as a great evil, I fhall take care not to lin that way at leaft, and fliall endeavour to make thefe letters as Ihort as the extent of my fubje(5l will admit. I ftiall now take my leave of you for the pre- fent ; in my next letter I Ihall proceed according to your defire, till I have anfwered all your quef- tlons. Remember you are not to expe6t enter- tainment ; I wifh that you may find fome in- ftru6lion : the drynefs of the fubjedl may excufe your want of the one, and I cannot doubt of your indulgence, whilfL I am obeying your commands, though /fhould fail in the other. L E T^ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. j d L E T T E R IL C ^N'CE you intend to make liunting your chief ^^ amufemcnt in the country, you are certainly in the right to give it fome confideration before you begin, and not like Mafter Stephen in the piny, firiz boy a hawk, and then hunt after a book io keep it by. I am glad to find that you intend to build a new kennel, and I flatter my- felf the experience I have had may be of fome ufe to you in building it : it is not only the iiril thing that you fhould do, but it is alfo the motl important. As often as your mind may alter, io often may you eafily change from one kind of hound to another ; but your kennel v/ill flill re- main the fame ; will ftill keep its original ira- perfed^ions, unlefs altered at a great expence ; and be lefs perfect at laft than it might have been made at firfi, had you purfued a proper plan. It is true, hounds may be kept in barns and fta- bles ; but thofe who keep them in fuch places can bed inform you whether their hounds are capable of anfvvering the purpofes for which they were deiigned. The fenle of fmelling, the odora canian rw, as Virgil calls it, is fo exquilite in a hound, that I cannot but fuppofe every flench is hurtful to it. It is that faculty on which all our hopes depend; X6 THOfGHTS ITPON HUNTING. depend ; it is l/uii which mufl lead us o'er greafy fallows, where the feet of the game we piirfue being clogged leave little fcent behind, as well as o'er ftony roads, through watery meads, and where fheep have ilained the ground. Cleanlincfs is not only abfolutely necefTary to the nofe of the hound, but alfo to the preferva- tion of his health. Dogs are naturally cleanly animals ; they feldom, when they can help it, dung where they lie ; air and frefh ftraw are ne- ceflary to keep them healthy. They are fubje61: to the mange ; a diforder to which poverty and naliincfs will very much contribute. T/iis, though eafily flopped at its firfl appearance, if fuffered to continue long may leilcn the powers of the animal ; and the remedies which are then to be ufed, being in themfelves violent, mufl injure his conftitution : it had better be prevented : let the kennel, therefore, be an objedt of your par- ticular care. *' Upon fome little eminence ereft, And fronting to the ruddy dawn ; its courts On either hand wide opening to receive The fun's all-checring beams, when mild he fhines, And gilds the mountain tops."— — — Let fuch as Somervile direcls be the lituation; its fize muft be fuited to the number of its inha- bitants; the architedlure of it maybe conformable to THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. tj to your own tafle. Ufelefs expence I fliould not recommend; yet, as I fuppole you will often make it a vilit, at leaft in the hunting feaibn, I could wifh it might have neatnefs without, as well as cleanlinefs within, the more to allure you to it ; I fhould for the fame reafon wifh it to be as near to your houfe as you will give it leave. I know there are many objedtions to its being very near; I forefee ftill more to its being at a diflance: there is a vulgar faying, that it is the mailer's eye that makes the horfe fat ; I can affure you it is even more necefiary in the kennel, v/here clean- linefs is not lefs effential than food. There are, I make no doubt, many better kennels than mine, feme of which you fhould fee before you begin to build ; you can but make ufe of my plan in cafe that you like no other better. If, in the mean time, I am to give you my opinion what a kennel ought to be, I mufl fend you a defcription of my own, for I have not feen many others. I would advife you to make it large enough at firft, as any addition afterwards muft fpoil the appearance of it. I have been obliged to add to mine, which was built from a plan of my own, and intended, at firft, for a pack of beagles. My feeding-yard being too fmall, I will endeavour to remedy that defed in the defcription I fend you, C which- l8 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. which may be ftill enlarged or leflened, as yen think fit, or as your occafions may require. Thd feeding troughs fhould be wide at the bottom, and mull have wooden covers. .1 think two kennels abfolutely neceflary to tlie well-being of the hounds; when there is but one, it is fcldom fweet ; and when cleaned out, the hounds, particularly in winter, fufFer both whilii it is cleaning, and as long as it remains wet afterwards. To be more clearly underflood by you, I fhall call one of thefc the himting- kenneJ, by which I mean that kennel into which, the hounds, intended to hunt the next day, are drafted. Ufed always to the fame kennel, they will be drafted with little trouble ; they will an- fwer to their names more readily, and you may count your hounds into the kennel with as much eafe as a Ihepherd counts his flicep out of the fold. When the feeder firft comes to the kennel in a morning, he fhould let out the hounds into the outer court ; and in bad weather he fliould open the door of the hunting-kennel, lefl: want of reft fhould incline them to go into it. The lodging- room fhould then be cleaned out, the doors and windows of it opened, the litter fhaken up, and the kennel made fweet and clean before the hounds return to it again. The great court and the THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ig the other kennels arc not lefs to be attended to, nor fliould you pafs over in lilence any omiliion that is hurtful to your hounds^ The floor of each lod£rinj2;-room fhould be l)ricked, and floped on both fides to run to the centre, with a gutter left to carry off the water, that when they are wafhed they may be Iboti dry. If water fhould remain through any fault in the floor, it fhould be carefully mopped up ; for as warmth is in the greatefl degree neceflary to hounds after work, fo damps are equally pre- judicial. You will think me, perhaps, too par- ticular in thefe diredlions ; yet there can be no harm in your knowing what your fervants ought to do ; as it is not impolTible it may be fometimes neceffary for you to fee that it is done. In your military profellion you are perfectly acquainted with the duty of a common foldier, and though you have no further bulinefs with the minutise of it, without doubt you ftill find the knowledge of them ufeful to you : believe me, they may be ufeful here ; and you will pardon me, I hope, if 1 wifh to fee you a Martinet in the kennel as well as in the field. Orders given without fkill are feldom well obeyed, and wiiere the mafier is either ignorant, or inattentive, the fervant will be idle. € % I alfo SiiO THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I alfo wifli that, contrary to the ufual pra^bice in building kennels, you would have three doors; two in the front, and one in the back ; the laft to have a lattice-window in it, with a wooden fhut- ter, which is conftantly to be kept clofed when the hounds are in, except in fummcr, when it fhould be left open all the day. This door an- fwers two very neceffary pur]>ofes : it gives an opportunity of carrying out the flraw when the lodging-room is cleaned, and as it is oppofite ta the window, will be a means to let in a tho- rough air, which will greatly contribute to keep it fweet and wholefomc. The other doors will be of ufe in drying the room, when the hounds are out ; and as one is to be kept fhut, and the other hooked back, (allowing juft room for a dog to pafs) they are not liable to any objection. The great window in the centre fliould have a folding-flmtter ; half, or the whole of which, fnay be fhut at nights, according to the weather j and your kennels by that means may be kept warm or cool, jufl as you pleafe to have them. The two great lodging-rooms are exadly alike, and as each has a court belonging to it, are dif- tin6l kennels, lituated at the oppolite ends of the building ; in the centre of which is the boiling- houfe and feeding-yard ; and on each tide a lefler kennel, either for hounds that are drafted ofF,- hounds that are Hck or lame, or for any other purpofe, as occalion may require. At the back of THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2 1 of which, as they are but half the depth of the two great kennels, are places for coals, &c. for the ufe of the kennel. There is alfo a fmall building in the rear for hot bitches. The floors of the inner courts, like thofe of the lodging- rooms, are bricked and floped towards the cen- tre : and a channel of water, brought in by a leaden pipe, runs through the middle of thein. In the centre of each court is a well, large enough to dip a bucket to clean the kennels ; this muft be faced with ftone, or it will be often out of re- pair. In the feeding -yard it fhould have a woodeu cover. The benches, which muft be open to let the urine through, fhould have hinges and hooks in the wall, that they may fold up, for the greater, convenience in wafhing out the kennel ; they fhould alfo be made as low as poffible, that a hound, when he is tired, may have no difficulty in jumping up ; and at no time may be able to creep under :* let me add, that the boiler fliould be of. caft iron. * Benches cannot be too low : — If, owing to the fmalhiefs of the hound, it fhould be difficult to render them low enough, a projeAing ledge will anfwer the fame purpofe, and the benches may be boarded at bottom to prevent the hound from creeping under. C % The 2Z THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIIS'G. The reft of the kennel confifls of a large court in front, which is alfo bricked, having a grafs- court adjoining, and a little brook running through the middle of it. The earth that was taken out of it is thrown up into a mount, where the hounds in lummer dehght to fit. This court is planted round with trees, and has, befides, a lime tree, and fome horfe chcfnut trees near the niiddle of it, for the fake of fhade. A high pale inclofes the whole ; part of which, to the height of about four feet, is clofe ; the other open ; the intcrftices are about two inches wide. The grafs- rourt is pitched near the pale, to prevent the hcun is from fcratching out. If you cannot guefs the intention of the pofis which you fee in the courts, there is fcarcely an inn window on any road, where the following line \vill not let you into the fecret : ** So dogs will p— where dogs have p — -d before." This is done to fave the trees, to which the urinary (idts are prejudicial. If they be at firft backward in coming to them, bind tome ftraw roiind the bottom, and rul) it with galbanura. The brook in the grafs-court may ferve as a flew : your fifh will be very i'dfc* * It may alfo be ufed as a cold bath for fuch hounds as fland in need of it. For lamenefs in the flifle, and for ftrains, it will be found cf fervice. At THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2^ At the back of the kennel is a boufe, thatched and furzed up on the fides, bi^ enough to con- tahi at leafl a load of ilraw. Here fliould be a pit ready to receive the dung, and a gallows for the fleih. The gallows fhould have a thatched roof, and a circular board at the pofts of it, to prevent vermin from climbing up. If you can indole a piece of ground adjoining to your ken- nel, for fuch dog horfes as may be brought to you alive, it will be of great ufe, as it might be dan.o-erous to turn them out where other horfes go ; for you may not always be able to difcover their diforders. Hither you may aUb bring your hounds, after they have been fed, to empty themfelves ; here you will have more opportunities of feeing them than in the kennel, and will be enabled, therefore, to make your draft for the next day with greater accuracy. A flove, I believe, is made ufe of in fome ken- nels ; but where the feeder is a good one, a mop, properly ufed, will render it unnecefTary. I have a little hay-rick in the grafs-yard, which^ I think, is of ufe to keep the hounds clean and fine in their coats ; you will tind them frequently rubbing themfelves againft it : the fliade of it alfo is ufefiil to them in fummer. If ticks at any time be troublefome in your kennel, let the walls of it be well walhed; if that fhould C 4 not t4- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. not deftroy them, the walls muft then be whitc- wafhed. In the fummer when you do not hunt, one kennel will be fufficient ; the other then may be iet apart for the young hounds, which fliould alfo have the grafs-court adjoining to it. It is beft at that time of the year to keep them feparate, and it prevents many accidents which otherwife might happen ; nor fhould they be put together till the hunting feafon begins.* If your hounds be very quarrel fome, the feeder may fleep in a cot, in the kennel adioinincf; and if thev be well ch ail: i fed at the firft quarrel, his voice will be fufhcient to fettle all their differences afterwards.-}- Clofc to the door of the kennel, let there be always a quantity of little fwitches, which three narrow boards, nailed to one of the poils, will eafily contain.:}: •* The dogs and the bitches may alfo be kept feparate from each other during the funimer months, where there are conve- niences for it. f In a kennel in Oxfordfliire the feeder pulls a bell, which the hounds underftand the meaning of; it filences them im- mediately, and faves him the trouble of getting out of his bed. I When hounds are perfeftly obedient, whips are no longer neceflary ; fwjtches, in my opinion, are preferable. The whips I life are coach whips three feet long, the thong half the length of the crop. They are more handy than horfe whips, curred the hounds as well, and hurt them lefs, My THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 1^ My kennel is clofe to the road-fide, but it was unavoidable. This is the reafon why my front pale is clofe, and only the fide ones open ; it is a great fault : avoid it if you can, and your hounds will be the quieter. Upon looking over my letter, I find I begin recommending, with Mr. Somervile, a high litu- ation for the kennel, and afterwards talk of a brook running through the middle of it ; I am afraid that you will not be able to unite thefe two advantages; in which cafe, without doubt, wa- ter fhould be preferred : the mount I have men- tioned will anfwer all the purpofes of an emi- nence : belides, there Ihould be moveable fiages on wheels for the hounds to lie upon ; at any rate, however, let your foil be a dry one. You will think, perhaps, my lodging-rooms higher than is neceflary. I know they are con- fiderably higher than is ufual ; the intention of which is, to give more air to the hounds ; and I have not the leafl: doubt that they are the better for it. — I will no longer perfecute you with this unentertaining fubje61, but take my leave. [Mr. Beckford has here pointed out with m.uch ^xadnefs the aiethod of creding a Kennel. — The 2d THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. The editor of the prefent edition, by way of further ill ufl ration, concludes the work with a di'frription of thofe of the grcateft celebrity in the kingdom, accompanied with four beautiful and pi6lurefque views of them.] I. E T. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 27 I LETTER III. I BEGIN this letter with aflurlng you that I have done with the kennel: without douht, you will think I had need. If T have made even the name frightful to you, comfort yourfelf with the thoughts that it will not appear again. Your criticifm on my fwitches I tliink unjuH:. You tell me felf-defence would of courfe make you take that precaution — do you always walk with a whip in your hand, or do you think that a walking ftick, which may be a good thing to knock a dog on the head with, would be equally proper to correct him fhould he be too familiar ? You forget, however, to put a better fu^^ it it ute in the room of them. — You defire to know, what kind of hound I would recommend : x\s you mention not for any particular chace, or country, I underhand you generally ; and iTiall anfwer, that I moft approve of hounds of the middle iize. I believe all animals of that defcription are ftrongeft, and beflr^able to endure fatigue. In the height, as well as the colour of hounds, moft fportfmen have their pre- judices ; but in their fhape at Icafi, I think they piuft all agree. I know fportfxnen, who boldly affirm' 1§ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIK^G. affirm, that a fmall hound will oftentimes beat a large one ; that he will climb hills better, and go through cover quicker ;— whilft others are not lefs ready to ailert, that a large hound will make his way in any country, will get better through the dirt than a fmall one ; and that no fence, how- ever high, can ftop him. — You have now three opinions ; and I advife you to adopt that which fuits your country belt : there is, hov>^ever, a cer- tain lizc, befi: adapted for bufinefs ; which I take to be that between the two extremes ; and I will venture to fay, that fuch hounds will not fnffer themfelves to be difgraced in any country, Somervile, 1 find, is of the fame opinion. — — ■ " But here a mean Obferve, nor the large hov.nd prefer, of fizs Gigantic ; he in the thick-woven covert Painfully tugs, or in the thorny brake Torn and enibarrafs'd bleeds : but if too final!, Tiie pigmy brood in every furrow fwims ; Moil'd in clogging clay, panting they lag Behind inglorious ; or elfe fliivering creep, Benumb'd and faint, beneath the fliell'ring thorn. For hounds of middle fize, aftive and fti'ong, Will better anfwer all thy various ends, And crown thy pleafing labours with luccefs." I perfe6lly agree with you, that to look well they fhould be all nearly of a fize ; and, I even think, they fiiould all look of the fame family. — " Fades non omnibus una, Kec divcrfa tamen, qualem decet elfe fororum." ' If TKOUGHTS UFO\" HUNTIKG. 2,^ If liandfome withall, they are then perfect. With resfard to their beina; lizeable, what Somervilc fays, is lb much in your own way, that I fhali fend it you. — *' As fome brave captain, curious and cvaft, By his fix'd ftandard forms in equal ranks His gay battalion, as one man they move Step after ftep, their fize the fame, their arms Far-gleaming, dart the fame united blaze ; Reviewing generals his merit own ; How regular ! how juft ! and all his cares Are well repaid, if mighty George approve. So model thou thy pack, if honour touch Thv generous foul, and the world's juft applaufe." There are neceffary points in the fliape of a hound, which ought always to be attended to by a fportfman ; for, if he be not of a perfect fym- metry, he will neither run fafl, nor bear much work : he has much to undergo, and fhould have flrength proportioned to it. — Let his legs be ftraight as arrows ; his feet round, and not too large ; his flioulders back ; his breaft rather wide than narrow ; his chefl deep ; his back broad ; his head fmall : liis neck thin ; his tail thick and brufliy ; if he carry it well, fo much the better: This lafl point, however trifling it may appear to you, gave rife to a very odd queflion : A gentle- man, (not much acquainted with hounds) as we were hunting together the other day, faid, " I I " obferve, ^b THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINGi ** obferve, Sir, that fomc of your dogs tails Hand *' lip, and fomc hang down ; pray which do you *' reckon the bejl hounds ?"" — Such young hounds as are out at the elbows, and fuch as are weak from the knee to the footj fliould never be taken into the pack. I find that I have mentioned a fmall head, as one of the nccctlary requiiilcs of a hound; but you will underftand it as rehitive to htauty only ; for as to goodnffs, I beUeve large-headed hounds are in no wife inferior. Somervilc, in his dcfcrip- tion of a perfe6l hound, makes no mention of the head, leaving the fize of it to Phidias to deter- mine; he therefore mu ft have thought it of Hltle confcquence. I fend you his words. — ■: — — — " See there with countenance blythcj. And with a courtly grin, the fawning hound Salutfs thee cow'ring, his wide-op'niiig nofe Upwards he curls, and his large floe-black eyes JVlelt in foft blandifhments, and humble joy ; Hlsglolfy fkin, or yellow-pied, or blue, In lights or fliades by nature's pencil drawn, Reflefts the various tints ; his ears and legs Fleckt liere and there in gay enaniel'd pride, , Rival the fpeckled part; his rufh-grovrn tail O'er his broad back bends in an ample arch ; On flioulders clean, upright and firm he ftands ; His round cat foot, ftraight hams, and wide-fpread thighsj And his low dropping cheft, confefs his fpeed, His ftrength. his wind, or on the fteepy hill, Or THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 3! Or far extended plain ; in every part So well proportion'd, that the nicer fkill Of Phidias himfelf can't blame thy choice. Of fuch compofe thy pack. The colour, I think of little moment ; and am of opinion, with our friend Footc, refpeding his negro friend, that a good dog, like a good can- didate, cannot be of a bad colour. Men are too apt to be prejudiced by the fort of hound they themfelves have been moil accuftjraed to. Tliofe who have been uled to the fharp- nofed fox-hound, will hardly allow a large-headed hound to he a fox-hound ; yet they both equally are. — Speed and beauty are the chief excellencies of the one ; whilft floutncfs and tcndernefs of nofc in hunting,* are chara6leriftic of the other. I could tell you, that I have feen very good fport with very unhandlbme packs, confifling of hounds of various lizes, differing from one another as much in fhape and look, as in their colour ; nor could there be traced the Icaft lign of confan- guinity amongfr them : conlidered feparately, the hounds were good ; as a pack of hounds they were not to be commended ; nor would you be fatisfied with any thing that looks fo very incom- * II paroit que la finelTe de I'odorat, dans les chiens, depend 4e la grofleur plus que de la longueur du mufcau. BUFFON. ^ plete. ^2 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. plete. — You will find nothing fo eflcntlal to yout {port, as, that your hounds fhould run well to- gether ; nor can this end be better attained, than by confining yourfclf, as near as you can to thofe of the fame fort, fize, and fhape. A great excellence in a pack of hounds is the head they carry ; and that pack may be faid to go the faftefl, that can run ten miles the foonelt ; notwithftanding the hounds, feparately, may not run fo fail as many others. A pack of hounds, confidcrcd in a colle6live body, go faft in propor- tion to the excellence of their nofes, and the head they carry ; as that traveller generally gets fooneft to his journey's end, who flops Icaft upon the road. Some hounds that I have hunted with, would creep all through the fame hole, though they might have leapt the hedge, and would fol- low one another in a llring, as true as a team of cart-horfes. — I had rather fee them, like the liorfcs of the fun, all a-hreaji. A friend of mine killed thlrty-feven brace of foxps in one fcafon : twenty nine of the foxes were killed without any intermiffion. I mull tell you at the fame time, that they were killed v/ith hounds bred from a pack of harriers ; nor had they, I believe, a fingle lldrter belonging to them. There is a pack now in my neighbourhood of all forts and lizes, wliicli feldom mifs a fox; when they TfiOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 33f they run, there is a long firing of them, and every fault is hit off by an old fouthern hound. How- ever, out of the lali eighteen foxes they hunted, they killed feventeen ; and I have no doubt, that as they become more complete, more foxes will efcape from them. Packs which are compofed of hounds of various kinds, fcldom fun v^^ell toge- ther, nor do their tongues harmonize ; yet they generally, I think, kill moft foxes; but unlefs I like their ftyle of killing them, whatever may be their fuccefs, I cannot be completely fatisiied. I once afked the famous Will Crane, hov/ his hounds behaved — " very well. Sir,'" he reply'd ; " they never come to a fault, hut they fpread like a *' Jky rochet r — Thus it fhould always be. A famous fportfman aflced a gentleman what he thought of his hounds.—" Your pack is com- " pofed. Sir," faid he, '' of dogs which any other " man would //^«^;-— they are all Jhirters."— This was taken as a compliment. — However, think not that I recommend it to you as fuch ; foe though I am a great advocate for flyle in the kil- ling of a fox, I never forgive a profefled fkirter ; where game is plenty, they are always changing, and are the lofs of more foxes than they kill. You afk me, how many hounds you ought to keep ? It is a queflion not eafy to anfwer — from D twenty 34- THOUGHTS Ul^ON HUNTINC5. twenty to thirty couple, are as many, I think, aS you lliould ever take hito the field. The pro- priety of any number muft depend upon the ilrength of your pack, and the country in which you are to hunt : the quantity of hounds necef- lary to furnifh that number for a whole feafon, muft alfo depend on the country where you hunt; as fome countries lame hounds more than others. The taking out too many hounds, Mr. Somervilc very properly calls a7i iifehfs incimib ranee. It is not lo material what the number is, as it is that all your hounds fhould l>e fteady, and as nearly as poflible of equal fpeed. When packs are very large, the hounds arc fcl- dom fufficiently hunted to be good. Few people choofe to hunt every day ; and if t|,icy did, it is Z30t likely the weather in winter would give tliem leave. You would always be obliged therefore, either to take out a very large pack, or a great num- ber of hounds muft be left behind : in the firil cafe, too many hounds in the field would pro- bably fpoil your fport ; in the Ibcond, hounds that remain long without work, always get out of wind, and oftentimes become rix)tous. About forty couple, I think, will befl anfwer your purpofe. Forty couple of hunting hounds will enable you to hunt three, or even four times in a week ; and I will venture to fay, will kill more foxes than ta, greater TttOtJGHTS UPON HUNTING. 35 greater number. Hounds, to be good, mufl be kept conftantly hunted ; and if I fliould hereafter fay, a fox-hound fliould be above his work, it will not be a young fox-hound I fball mean ; for he fhould feldom be left at home, as long as he is able to hunt : the old and lame, and fuch as are low in fiefli, you fhould leave ; and fuch as you are fure idlenefs cannot fpoil. It is a great fault to keep too many old hounds. If you choofe that your hounds fhould run well together, you fhould not continue any, longer than five or fix feafons ; though there is no faying with certainty, what number of feafons a hound will laft. Like us, fome of them have better con- iVitutions than others, and confcquently will bear more work ; and the duration of all bodies de- pends as much on the ufage that they may meet with as on the materials of which they are made. You afk, whether you had not better buy a complete pack at once, than be at the trouble of breeding one ? Certainly you had, if fuch an op- portunity fliould offer. It fometimes happens, that hounds are to be bought for lefs money than you could breed them. The gentleman to whom my houfe formerly belonged, had a moft famous pack of fox-hounds. His goods, &c. were ap- praifed and fold ; which, when the appraifer had D z doao 36 THOU'GHTS UPON HUNTirsG. done, he was put in mind of the hounds. — ^' Well, gentlemen," faid hc^ " what fhall I appraile them *' at? a Jhillin^ a-pkcc?—'' Oh ! it is too httle !" *' is it lo :" laid the appraifer ; " why it is more ** than 1 ivoiild give for tJieitt, I ajjiire yrnir Hounds are not bought to cheap at Tattcrj'alTs. LET- THOUGHTS UrON HUNTING. 37 " LETTER IV. I AM glad that you do not difapprove the ad- vantage I have made of my friend Somervile. I was doubtful whether you would not have cen- fured me for it, and have compared me to fome of thole would-be tine gentlemen, who, to cut a figure, tack an embroidered edging on their coarfe cloth. — I lliall be cautious, however, of abufing your indulgence, and fhall not quote my poet oftencr than is necelfary ; but where we think the fame thing, you had better take it in his words than mine. — I fliall now proceed to the feeding of hounds, and m^inagement of them in the kennel. A good feeder is an efTential part of your efla- hlifhment. — Let him be young and adlive ; and have the reputation at leatt, of not dilliking work : he fhould be good-tempered, for the fake of the animals entrufled to his care ; and who, however they may be treated by him, cannot complain.. He fliould be one who will flriclly obey any or- ders that you may give ; as well with regard to the management, as to the breeding of the hounds ; and fliould not be iblely under the a\-. rciSlion of your huntfman,. It is true I have iccn it otherwife : I have known a pack of hounds be-, lang, as it were, entirely to the huntfmau— ^a D 3 liable 38 THOtJGH^rS UPON HUNTING, fiable of horfcs belong; to the iiroom — whilll the maflcr had httle more power in the direction of either, than a perfedl firanger. — This } on will not fafFer. I know you choofe to keep the fu- premc command in your own hands ; and though you permit your fervants to remonftrate, you da not fufFer them to difobey. — He who allows a huntfman to manage his hounds without controul^ literally keeps them for the huntfman's amufe- ment. You defire to know what is required of a feeder ; — 1 will tell you as well as I can. As our fport depends entirely on that exquilite {en{c of fmelling, fo peculiar to the hound, care mult be taken to preferve it ; and cleanlinefs is the furefl; means. The keeping your kennel fweet and chaji cannot therefore be too much re- commended to the feeder ; nor fhould you on any account admit the leaft deviation from it. If he feesjTjzf exadl, he will be fo himfelf. — This is a very eilential part of his bulinefs. The boil- ing for tlic hounds ; mixing of the meat ; and get- ting it ready for them at proper hours, your huntf- man will ofccurfe take care of ; nor is it ever likely to be forgotten. I mufl caution you not to let your dogs eat their meat too hot ; for I have known it attended with bad confcquences ; you thould alfo order it to be mixed up as thick as poiTible. — When the feeder has cleaned his ken- nel in the morning, and prepared his meat, it is ufual THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 39. ufual for him on bunting- days, (in an eftablifli- mcnt like your's) to exercife the horfes of the luintfman and whipper-in ; and in many tables it is alfo the feeder who looks after the huntfman's horfe when he comes in from hunting, whilfi: the huntfman feeds the hounds. When the hounds are not out, the huntfman, and whipper-in, of courfe, will exercife their own horfes ; and that day the feeder has little elfe to mind but the clean- ing of his kennel. Every poffible contrivance has been attended to in the defcription I fent you, to make that part of his workealy ; all the courts, except the grafs-court, being bricked, and flopcd on purpofe. There is alfo plenty of water, with^ out any trouble in fetching it ; and a thorough air throughout the kennels, to affift in drying therm again.—- -Should you choofe to increafeyonr num- ber of fervants in the ftable, in that cafe, the bufi- nefs of the feeder may be confined entirely to the kennel,— There fhould be always two to feed liounds properly ; the feeder and huntfman. Somervile ftrongly recommends cleanlinefs In the following lines, " O'er all let cleanlinefs prefide, no fcraps Beftrew the pavement, and no half-pick'd bones, To kindle fierce debate, or to difguft That nicer fenfe, on which the fportfman's hope, And all his futm-e triumphs muft depend. Soon as the growling pack with eager joy P 4. Have ^.6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Have lapp'd their fmoaking viand?, morn or eve^ From the full ciftern lead the duftile flreams, To wafh thy court vvell-pav'd, nor fpare thy pains, For much to health will cleanlinefs avail. Seek'ft thou for hounds to climb the rocky fteep, And brufli th' entangled covert, whofe nice fcent O'er greafy fallows, and frequented roads, Can pick the dubious way ? Banifli far off Each noifome ftench, let no ofFenfive fmell Invade thy wide inclofiire, but admit The nitrous air, and purifying breeze." So peifcctly right is the poet in tiiis, that if you can make your kennel a vilit every clay, youir hounds will be the better for it. When I have been long abfent from nunc, I have always per- ceived a dilference in their looks. I fhall now take notice of that part cf the management of liouuds in the kennel, which concerns the huntf- man as well as the feeder.— -Yoar huntftnan mull ahvays attend the feeding of the hounds, which- Ihould be dratted, according to the condi- tion they are in. In all packs, fome hounds will feed better than others ; fome there are tha^t will do witii lefs mf;at ; arid it requires a nice eve, and great attention, to keep them all in equal ilefh :---it is what difiinguifhes a good kennel- huntfman, and has its merit.---It is feldora that huntfmen give this particular all attention it de- fervcs : they feed their hounds in too great a hurry ; and not often, I believe, take the trouble of cafiing their eye over them, before they begin ; and THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 41 and yet, to dlftingiiiHi with any nicety, the order a pack of liounds are in, and the diiferent degrees of it, is farcly no eafy talk ; and to be done well, requires no fniall degree of circumfpe6lion : you had better not expect your huntfman to be very exadl ; where precilion is required, he will moil probably fail. When I am prefent myfelf, I maT:e feveral draft?. When my huntfman feeds them, he calls them all over l^iy their names, letting in each hound as he is called ; it has its ufe — it ufes them to their names, and teaches them to be obedient. Were it not for this, 1 fhould difapprove of it en- tirely ; fi nee it certainly requires more coolnefs and deliberation to diftinguifh with precifion which are bcfl entitled to precedence, than this method of feeding will admit of; and unlcfs fiefh be in great plenty, thofe that are called in lafi, may not have a tafte of it. To prevent this in- convenience, luch as are low in flefh, had better be all drafted off into a feparate kennel ;* by this means, the hounds that require j^"^, will all have a fhare of it. If any be much poorer than the * By thus feparating from the reft, fucli as are poor, you will proceed to the feeding of your hounds with more accuracy, and lefs trouble ; and though they be at firft drafted off, m the man- ner above defcribed, it is (lill meant that they fhould be let in to feed, one by one, as they anfvver to their names ; or elfe, as it will frequently happen, they may be better fed than taught. 41 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. refl:, they fhould be fed again — fuch hounds can- not be led too often. If any in the pack be too fat, they fliouM be drafted off, and not fafFered lo liU themfelves. The others flionld cat what lliey will of the meat. The days my hounds have greens or fulphur, they generally are let in all together ; and fuch as require jlejh, have it given to them afterwards. Having a good kennel- huntfman, it is not often that I take this trouble; yet I fcldom go into my kennel, but I indulge ynyfelf in the pleafure of feeing food given to fuch liounds, as appear to me to be in want of it. I have been told that in one kennel in particular, the hounds are under fuch excellent management, that they conftantly are fed with the door of the feeding-yard open ; and the rough nature of the fox-hound is changed into fo much politenefs, that he waits at the door, till he is invited in ; and what perhaps is not lefs extraordinary, he comes put again, wlicthcr he has fatisfied his hunger or not, the moment he is deiircd — -The cffedl of difr eipline. However, as this is not abfolutely ne- ceflliry,' and hounds may be good without it ; anc| as I well know your other amufcments will not permit you to attend to fo much manoeuvring, I would by no means v.ifn you to give fuch power to your huntfman. The bufinefs would be injudi- cioufiy done, and mo ft probably would not anfwer your expectations — The hound would be tor- itnented nml-a-pro^os ; — an animal fo little deferv- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 43 i'ng of it from our hands, that I fhould be forry to diftarb his hours of repofe by unnoceflary feverity. You will perceive it is a nice affair; and I affure you I. know no huntfman who is equal to it. The gentleman \vho has carried this matter to its mofl perfection, has attended to it regularly him* felf; has conftantly a(5led on fixed principles, from which he has never deviated ; and I believe has fucceeded to the very utmoft of his wifhes. — > All hounds, (and more efpecially young ones) lliould be called over often in the kennel ;* and moft huntfinen pracliie this leffon, as they feed their hounds. — They flog them while they feed them — and if they have not always a belly-full one way, tliey feldom fail to have it the other.-^ * There is no better method of teaching a Iiound obedience; when you call him, he ftiould approach you ; when you touch him with your ftick, he Ihould follow you any where. f " Thus we find, eat or not eat, work or play, whipping is always in feafon." (vide Monthly Review) The critic treats this paflage with great feverity. He would have fpared it, without doubt, had he underftood that it was introduced on purpofe to correfc the abufe of kennel difcipline. Unacquainted, as the Reviewer feems to be with the fubjeft, it is no wonder that he (hould miflake a meaning, perhaps rather unfairly dated by the author, in favor of that humanity he is fuppofed fo much to want. — Hounds are called in to feed, one by one, and fuch only are correfted, as come uncalled for : nor is correction unjufl, fo long as it iliall fall on the difobedient only. Obedience is an ufe- f'dl leffbn, and though it cannot be /)r«i?//i'^ too often, it Ihould be taup;/ii them at a more idle time. It 44 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, It is not, however, my intention to oppofe {o gc-r neral a pra6licc, in which there may be fomc QtiHty; I fhall only obfervc, that it fhould be ufcd with difcretioD, lell the whip ihould fall heavily in the kcnnpl on fuch as never deferve it ixi the field. My hounds arc generally fed about eleven o'elock;* and when I am prefent myfelf, I take the fame opportunity to make my draft for the next day's hunting. I feldom, when I can help it, leave this to my huntfman, though it is ne- cefTary he fliould be prefent when the draft is madcj that he may kn,o\v what hounds he haa out. * Having found it neceflaiy to alter my method of feeding hounds, it may not be improper to take notice of it here. They are now fed at eight o'clock, inftead of eleven. Their firft feed is of barley and oatmeal mixed, an equal quantity of each. Flefli is afterwards mixed up with the remainder for fuch hounds as are poor, who are then drafted off into another kennel, and let in to feed all together. When the fleflx is all eaten, the pack are again let in, and are by this means cheated into a fecond appetite. At three o'clock thofe that are to hunt the next day are drafted into the hunting kennel; they are then let into the feeding-yard, where a fmall quantity of oat- meal (about three buckets) is prepared for them; not mbced up thin, as mentioned in page 45, but mixed up thick. Such as are tender, or bad feeders, have a handful of boiled flefli given to them afterwards. When they are not to hunt the next day, they are fed once Gjnly — at eleven o'clock. It THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 45 It Is a bad cuflom to ule hounds to the l>oili}i(r- houle; it is apt to make them nice, and may- prevent them from ever eating the kennel-mcat- What they have, ihould always be given them ia the feeding-yard, and for the fame reafon, though it be fiefhj it llioukl have fomc meal mixed with it. If your hounds be low in flefh, and have far to go to cover, they may all have a little thin lap again in the evening; but this fhould never be done if you hunt early.* Hounds, I think, fhould be fharp-fet before hunting; they run the better for it.-j^ If many of your hounds, after long Ted, ihould be too l^it, J by feeding them for a day or two on thinner meat than you give the others, it will be found, I believe, to anfwer better than the ufual method of giving them the fame meat, and ftinting them in the quantity of it. * Hounds that are tender feeders cannot be fed too late, or with meat too good. f Vid. Note, page 44. X Hounds that reft, fhould not be fuffered to become fat. — ■ It would be accounting very badly for the fatnefs of a hound, to fay he is fat, becaufe he has not worked lately, fmce he ought to have been kept lower on that account. If 46 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, If your hounds be not walked out, they lliould be turned into the grals- court to empty thcm- felves after they have been fed, it will contribute not a little to the cleanhncfs of the kennel. I have heard that it is a cuflom in fome ken- nels to lliLit up the hounds for a couple of liours after they come in from hunting, before they arc fed; and that other hounds are fliut up with theni, to lick them clean."* ]\Iy ufual way is to fend on a whipper-in before them, that the meat may be gotten ready againil they come, and they are fed imnieduUelj/ : having filled their bellies^ they are naturally inclined to reft. If they have had a fjvcre day, they arc fed again fome hours after. -f- As to the method above-mentioned, it may be more convenient perhaps to have the hounds all together: but 1 cannot think it nccel*- fary, for the reafon that is given ; and I fliould apprehend a parcel of idle hounds, fhut up amongft fucli as are tired and inclined to refl, * If hounds be fhut up, as foon as they come an from hunting, theywill not readily leave the benches afterwards; for Jf they be much fatigued, tliey will jn-efer reft to food. f My hounds are generally fed twice on the days they hunt. Some will feed better the fecond time than the firft; befides, the turning them out of the lodging-houfe refreflies them; they ftretch their limbs; empty their bodies; and, as during this jime their kennel is cleaned out, and litter fliaken up, they fet- tle tliemfelves better on the benches afterwards. would THOUGHTS UPON HUNTII^G. ^J would dlfiurb them more than all their lickhis: would make amends for. Wlieu you feed tliem twice, keep them feparatc till after the fccond feeding ; it would be ftill better were they not put together till the next morning. Every day, when hounds come in from hunt- ing, they ought carefully to be looked over, and invalids fhould immediately be taken care of.*" Such as have fore feet, fhould have them well waflied out with brine, or pot liquor. If you permit thofe hounds that are unable to work to run about your houfe, it will be of great fervice to them. Such as are ill, or lame, ought to be turned out into another ICennel; it will be more eafy to give them f/iere the attention they may re- quire, both as to medicine and food. Every Thurfday during the hunting feafon, my hounds have one pound of fulphur given them in their meat; and every Sunday through- out the, year they have plenty of greens boiled up with it : I find it better to fix the days, as it is then lefs liable to be forgotten. I ufed to give them the wafh from the kitchen, but I found it * Hounds that come home lame fliould not be taken out the next hunting day, fince they may appear found without be- ing fo. At the beginning of the feafon the eyes of hounds are frequently injured ; fuch hounds fliould not be hunted, and if J^eir eyes continue weak they fliould lofe a little blood. 3 made jfi THOtJGHtS UFdN HUNTtNG. made them thirty, and it is now omitted in ili& hunting fealbn. A horfc frellv killed is an ex- cellent meal for hounds after a very hard day; but they fhould not hunt till the third day after it. The bones broken arc good food for poor liounds, as there is great proof in them. Sheep trotters are very fweet food, and will be of fer- Yice when horfe-ilefh is not to be had. Bullocks' bellies may be alfo of fome ufe,, if you can get nothing elle. Oatmeal, I believe, makes the beft meat for hounds; barley is certainly the cheapeft ; and in many kennels they give barley on that account; but it is heating, does not mi:c up fo well, nor is there fo much proof in it as in oatmeal. If mixed, an equal quantity of each, k will then do very well, but barley alone will not. Ivlacb alfo depends on the goodnefs of the meal itfclf, which is not often attended to. If you do not ufe your own, you ihoiild buy a large quantity of it any time before harvell, and keep it by you : there is no other certainty, I believe,^ of having it old; which is more material than, perhaps, you are aware of. I have heard that a famous Chelhire huntfman feeds his hounds v/ith wheat ; which he has found to be the befi; food. He gives it them with the bran ; it would caufe no little diilurbance in many neighbourhoods, if other fportfmcn were to do the fame. lam "STHOtrGHTS UPON HtJNTING. 49 I am not fond of hheding hounds, unlefs they Want it; though it has long been a cuilom in my kennel to '})hyfic them twice a year; after they leave off hunting, and before they begin. It is given in hot weather, and at an idle time. It tools their bodies, and without doubt is of fer- vice to them. \i a hound be in want of phylicj 1 prefer giving it in balls.* It is more eafy to give in this manner the quantity he may want, and you are more certain that he takes it. In many kennels, they alfo bleed them twice a year, and fome people think that it prevents madnefs. The anointing of hounds, or drejjing them, as huntfmen call it, makes them fine in their coats: it may be done twice a year, or oft- ner, if you find it neceflary. As I Ihall hereaf- ter have occafion to write on the difcafes of hounds, and their cures, I will fend you at the fame time a receipt for this purpofe. During the fummer months, when my hounds do not hunt, they have feldom any fiefh allowed them, and are kept low, contrary, I believe, to the ufual praftice of mofi kennels, where mangy hounds in fummer are but too often feen. Huntfmen fometimes content thcmfelves with checking this diforder, when, with lefs trouble, perhaps, they * One pound of antimony, four ounces of fulphur, and fyrup of buckthorn q. f. to give it the conCftency of a ball, Each, ball weighs about feven drachms, E might 5* THOUGHTS UPON HUI^TING, might prevent it. A regular courfe of wliey and vegetables during the hot months mui\, certainl)^ be wholcfomc, and is, without doubt, the caufe that a mangy hound is an anufnal light in m kennel. Every Monday and Friday my bounds go for whey till the hunting feafon begins ; arc kept out feveral hours, and arc often made ta J Vim tln'ough rivers during the hot weather. After the laft phylic, and before they begin to hunt, they are exerrifed on the turnpike road, to harden their feet, which are waihed with ftrong brine, as foon as they come in. Little ftraw is neceflliry during the fummer; but when they hunt they cannot have too much, or have it changed too often. In many kennels they do not boil for the hounds in fummer, but give them meal only; in mine it is alwaj^s boiled; but with this diiference, that it is mixed up thin, infiead of thick. Many give fpurge-laurel in ftuTimcr, boiled up in their meat; as I never ufe it, I can- not recommend it. The phytic I give is two pounds of fulphur, one pound of antimony, and a pint and a half of fyrup of buckthorn, for about forty couple of hounds.* In the winter fealbn, let your hounds be fliut up warm at night. If any hounds, after hunting, be miffing, the ftraw-houfc door fhould be left open; and if * Vide page 49, where it is recommended that fuch hounds as require phytic fliould be phyfacked feparately. ^ they THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^t ^ey have had a hard day, it may be as well to leave fome meat there for them. I have inquired of my feeder, who is a good one, (and has had more experience in thefe mat- ters than any one you perhaps may get) how he snixes up his meat. He teljs me, that in his opi- nion, oatmeal and barley mixed, an equal quan- tity of each, make the beil meat for hounds. The oatmeal he boils for half an hour, and then puts out the fire, puts the barley into the copper, and mixes both together. I afked him why he boiled one and not the other— he told me, boil- ing, vv^hich made oatmeal thick, made barley thin ; and that Vv'hen you feed with barley only, it fhould not be put into the copper, but be fcalded with the liquor, and mixed up in a buc- ket. I find there is in my kennel a large tub on purpofe, which contains about half a hogfhead. You little think, perhaps, how difficult it is to be a good kennel huntfman, nor can you, as yet, know the nicety that is required to feed hounds properly. You are not aware that fome hounds will hunt befl: when fed late; others, when fed early: that fome mould have but little; that others cannot have too much. However, if 5^our huntfman obferve the rules I have here laid down, his hounds will not do much amifs; but ihould you at any time wifh to rencherir upon the E 2 mat- ^2 THOUGHTS UPON HU^^TING. matter, and feed eanh particular hound fo as to make the mofl of him, you muft learn it of a gentleman in Leiceilcrfhire, to whom the noble icience of fox-hunting is more beholden than to any other. I fhall myfelf fay nothing furtlicr on the fubjecl ; for as your huntfman will not have the fenfe of the gentkman I allude to, nor you perhaps his patience, an eafier method I know will fuit you bcft. I fhall only advifeyou, while you endeavour to keep your hounds in good or- der, not to let them become too fat ; it will be impoflible for them to run, if they be. A fat al- derman would cut a mighty ridiculous figure were he inclined to run a race. LET- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, ^J LETTEk V. ^TPHERE is an active vanity in the mlads of -*- men which is favourable to improvement, and in every purfuit, while fomething remains to be attained, fo long will it afford amufement; you, therefore, will find pleafure in the breeding of hounds, in which expe6lation is never com- pletely fatisfied, and it is on the fagacious ma- nagement of this bufinefs that all your fuccefs will depend. Is it not extraordinary that no other country fhould equal us in this particular, and that the very hounds procured from hqnce Ibould degenerate in another clin^ate I " In thee alone, fair land of liberty!' Is bred the perfect hound, in fcent and fpeed As yet unrivall'd, while in other climes Their virtue fails, a weak degen'rate race." SoMERVILE. Happy climate for fportfmen ! where nature feems as it were to give them an exclufive privilege of enjoying this diverfion. To preferve, however, this advantage, care fhould be taken in the breed ; I fhall, therefore, according to your defire, fend you fuch rules as I obferve myfelf. Confider the lize, fhape, colour, conftitution, and natural difpolition of the dog you breed from, as well as E ^ the 54 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. the fiiienefs of his nofe, his floutnefs, nnd me^ thod of hunting. On no account breed from one that is not Jiout^ that is not tender-nofed, or that is either a habbler^* or a Jktrter, *' Obferve with care his fhape, fort, colour, fize; Nor willfagacious huntfmen lefs regard His inward liabits; the vain babbler fliun, Ever loquacious, ever in the wrong. His foolifh offspring iliall offend thy ears With falfe alarms and loud impertinence. Nor lefs the fliifting cur avoid, that breaks Illufive from the pack; to the next hedge Devious he ftrays, there ev'ry mufe he tries, If haply then he crofs the ftreaming fcent, Away he flies vain-glorious; and exults As of the pack fupreme and in his fpeed And flrength unrivall'd. Lo! call: far behind, His vex'd aflbciates pant, and lab'ring ftrain To climb the fteep afcent. Soon as they reach Th' infulting boafler, his falfe courage fails, Behind he lags, doom'd to the fatal noofe, His mailer's hate, and fcorn of all the field. What can from fuch be hop'd, but a bafe brood Of coward curs, a frantic, vagrant racer" SoMERVILE. It is the judicious crofs that makes the pack complete. -j~ The fauhs and imperfedtions in one breed, * Babbling is one of the worfl faults that a hound can be guilty of, it is conftantly increafing, and is alfo catching. This fault, like many others, will fometimes run in the blood. f I have iztw fox-hounds that were bred out of a Newfound-^ land THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 5S breed, may be recStified from another; and if this be properly attended to, I fee no reafon why the 'breeding of hounds may not improve, till improvement can go no further. If you find a crofs hit, purfue it.* Never put an old dog to an old bitcii. Be careful that they be healthy which you breed from, or you are not likely to have a healthy offspring. Should a favourite dog Ikirt a little, put liim to a thorough line- hunting bitch, and fuch a crols may fucceed. My objeclion to the breeding from fuch a hound is, that as Hcirting is what moil fox-hounds ac- quire from pradticCi it had better not be made natural to them. A very famous fportfman has. told me, that he frequently breeds from brothers and liflers. As I fliould be very unv/illing to urge any thing in oppofition to fuch authority, you had better try it; and if it fucceed in hounds, it is more I believe than it ufually does in other animals. A famous cocker afTurcd a friend of mine, that the third generation (which he called land bitch and a fox-hound dog : they are iTiOnflrouny ugly- are faid to give their tongues fparingly, and to tii^e foon. The experiment has not fucceeded ; tlie crofs moft likely to be of fer- vice to a fox- hound is the beagle. I am well convinced that a handfome, bony, tender-nofed, ftout beagle would, occafion- ally, be no improper crofs for a high-bred pack of fox-hounds. * After the firH feafon, I breed from all my young dog- hounds who have beauty and goodnefs to recommend them, to fee what whelps they get. E 4 a nick) ^6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. a nick) he had found to fucceed very well, but no nearer : as I have neither tried one nor the other, I cannot fpeak with any certainty about them. Give particular orders to your feeder to watch over the bitches with a cautious eye, and lepa- rate fuch as are going to be proud, before it be too late. The advances they make frequently portend mifchief as well as love; and, if not prevented in time, will not fail to fet the whole kennel together by the ears, and may occafion the death of your befl dogs: care only can pre- vent it.* " Mark well the wanton females of thy pack, That curl their taper tails, and frifking court Their pye-baid mates enamour'd ; their red eyes Flafh fires impure; nor reft, nor food they take, Goaded by furious love. In fep'rate cells Confine them now, left bloody civil wars Annoy thy peaceful ftate. " Somervile, I have known huntfmcn perfedlly ignorant of the breed of their hounds, from inattention in this particular ; and I have alfo known many good dogs fall a facrijfice to it, * When the bitches are off their heat, they ftiould be fuf- fered to run about the houfe a day or two before they are takeA out to hunt, Th& THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 57 The earlier in the year you breed the better : January, February, and March, are the bell months. Late puppies fcldom thrive ; if you have any fuch, put them to the befl walks.* When the bitehes begin to get big, let tliem not hunt any more: it proves frequently fatal to the puppies; fometimcs to the bitch herfelf ; nor is it iafe for them to remain much longer in the ken- nel. If one bitch have many puppies, more than fhe can well rear, you may put Ibme of them to another bitch; or if you deflroy any of them, you may keep the befl coloured. They fometimes will have an extraordinary number : I have known an inftance of one having fifteen ; and a friend of mine, whofe veracity 1 cannot doubt, has afTured me that a hound in his pack brought forth lixteen, all alive. When you breed from a very favourite fort, and can have another bitch warded at the fame time, it will have this advantage, it will enable you to fave all the puppies. Give particular orders that the bitches be well fed with flefh ; they fhould alfo have plenty of milk, nor fliould the puppies be taken from them till they are able to take care of themfelves: they will foon learn to lap milk, which will relieve the mother. The bitches, when their puppies are taken away from them, * Of the early whelps I ^eeep five or iix, of the late ones only two or thrge, fhould 58 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. iliould be phyficked; they fhould have three purging balls given them, one every other morn- ing, and plenty of whey the intermediate day. — If a bitch bring only one or two puppies, and you have another bitch that will take them, by putting the puppies to her, the former will be foon fit to hunt again; fhe ihould, however, be phylicked firfl ; and if her dugs be anointed with brandy and water, it will alfo be of fervice. The ditlemper makes dreadful havoc with whelps at their walks; greatly owing, I believe, to the little care that is taken of them there, I am in doubt whether it might not be better to breed them up yourfelf, and have a kennel on purpofe. You have a large orchard, paled in, which would fuit them exa6\ly ; and what elfe is wanted might eafily be obtained. There is, however, an ob- je6lion that perhaps may ftrike you — If the dif- temper once get amongft them, they mull all have it: yet, notwithltanding that, as they will be conllantly well fed, and will lie warm, I am confident it would be the laving of many lives. If you fhould adopt this method, you mufl re- member to ufe them early to go in couples; and when they become of a proper age, they muft be walked out often : for fhould they remain con- fined, tbcy would neither have the fhape, health, or underfianding, which they ought to have. When I kept harriers, I bred up fome of the puppies at a difiant kennel ; but having no fer- vants THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 5^ vants there to exercife them properly, I found ihern much inferior to fuch of their brethren as ha.d the luck to furvive the many difficulties and dangers they had undergone at their walks ; thefe were afterwards equal to any thing, and afraid of nothing; whilft thofe that had been nurfed with {o much care were weakly and timid, and had every difadvantage attending private education. I have often heard as an excufe for hounds not hunting a cold icent, that they were too high hredi I confeis, I know not what that means : but this I know, that hounds are frequently too ill bred to be of any fervice. Jt is judgment in the breeder, and patience afterwards in the huntlrnan, that make them hunt. Young hounds are commonly named when firfl; put out, and fometimes indeed ridiculouflj enough ; nor is it eafy, when you breed many, to find fuitable or harmonious names for all ; particularly as it is ufual to name all the whelps of one litter with the fame letter, which (to be fyftematically done) fliould alfo be the initial letter of the dog that got them, or the bitch that bred them. A baronet of my acquaintance, a literal obferver of the above rule, fent three young hounds of one litter to a friend, all their names beginning, as he /aid, with the letter G — ^ GowUfi Govialy and Galloper, It 6o THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. It is indeed of little confequence what hunti- men call their hounds; yet if you diflike an un- meaning name, would it not be as well to leave the naming of them till they are brought home? They foon learn their names, and a ihorter lift would do. Damons and Delias would not then be neceffary ; nor need the facred names of Ti- tus and Trajan be thus degraded. It is true, there are many odd names which cuftom autho- rifes ; yet I cannot think^, becaufe fome drunken fellow or other has chriftened his dog Tipler, or Tapfter, that there is the lead reafon to follow the example. Pipers and fiddlers, for the fake of their mufic, we will not obje6l toj but tiplers and tapflers your kennel will be much better without. However extraordinary you may think it, I can affure you I have myfelf feen a %vhite Gipfey, a grey Ruby, a dark Snowball, and a Bhieman of any colour but hhie. The huntfman of a friend of mine being afked the name of a young hound, faid, it was Lyman. " Lyman!" faid his mailer; " why, James, what does Lyman " mean?" — "Lord, Sir!" replied James, *' what ** does any thing meanf^ — A farmer, who bred up two couple of hounds for me, whofe names were MeiTyman and Merrylafs, Ferryman and Furi- ous, upon my inquiring after them, gave this account : '' Merryman and INIerrylafs are both ** dead. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 6t ^* dead, but Ferr)^man, Sir, is a fine dog, and " fo is Ferry la/s.'' Madam, an ufual name among hounds, is often, I believe, very difre- fpedlfully treated : I had an in fiance of it the other day in my own buntfman, who, after hav- ing rated Madam a great deal, to no purpofe, (who, to confefs the truth, was much given to do othervvife than fhe fhould) flew into a violent paffion, and hallooed out, as loud as he could- — ** Mada7?ij you d — d hitch f As you delire a lifl of names, I will fend you one. I have endeavoured to clafs them accord- ing to their different genders; but you will per- ceive fome names may be ufed indifcriminately for either. It is not ufual, I believe, to call a pointer Ringwood, or a greyhound Harmony; and fjch names as are expreflive of fpeed, flrength, courage, or other natural qualities in a hound, I think moft applicable to them. Da- mons and Delias I have left out; the bold Thun- der and the brilk Lightning, if you pleafe, may fupply their places; unlefs you prefer the method of the gentleman I told you of, who intends namincr his hounds from the p — ge ; and, I fup- pote, he at the fame time will not be unmindful of the p — y c rs. If you mark the whelps in the fide, (which is called branding them) when they are firft put out^ 62 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, out, (or perhaps it may be better done after they have been out Ibme time) it may prevent their being llolen. When young hounds are firft taken in, they fhoald be kept feparate from the pack ; and as it will happen at a time of the year, when there is little or no hunting, you may ealily give them tip one of the kennels and grafs-court adjoining. Their play ends frequently in a battle ; it there^ fore is lefs dangerous where all are equally matched. What Somervile fays on this fubjedl is exceedingly beautiful : " But here with watchful and obfervant eye. Attend their frolics, which too often end In bloody broils and death. High o'er thy head Wave thy refounding whip, and with a voice Fierce-menacing o'er-rule the ft-ern debate, And quench their kindling rage ; for oft in fport Begiin, combat enfues, growling they fnarJ, Then on their haunches rear'd, rampant they feize Each other's throats, with teeth, and claws, in gore Befmear'd, they wound, they tear, till on the groundj Panting, half-dead the conquer'd champion lies : Then fudden all the bafe ignoble crowd Lond-clanrring feize the helplefs worried wretch, , And thirfling for his blood, drag diff'rent ways His mangled carcafs on th' enfanguln'd plain. O breafts of pity void ! t' opprefs the weak, To point your vengeance at the friendlefs head. And with one mutual cry infult the fall'n ! Emblem too juft of man's degenerate race." If THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 6^ If you find that they take a diflikc to any parti- cular hound, the fafefl way will be to remove him ; or it is probable they will kill him at laft. When a feeder hears the hounds quarrel in the kennel, he halloos to them to flop them. He then goes in amongft them, and flogs every hound he can come near. How much more rea- fonable, as well as more efficacious, it would be, were he to fee which were tlie combatants before he fpeaks to them. Punifhment would then fall as it ought, on the guilty only. In all packs there are fome hounds more cjuarrelfome than the reft ; and it is to them we owe all the mifchief that is done. If you find chaftifement cannot quiet thein, it may be prudent to break their holders ; for lincc they are not neceffary to them for the meat they have to eat, they are not likely to fcrve theni in any good purpofe. Young hounds ought to be fed twice a day, as they feldoin take kindly at iirft to the kennel- meat, and the dillemper is moft apt to feize them at this time. It is better not to round them till they are thoroughly fettled ; nor Ihould it be put off till the hot weather, for then they would bleed too much.* If any of the dogs be thin over * It may be better, perhaps, to round them at their quarters, when about fix months old; ihould it be done fooner, it would make their ears tuck up. The tailing of them is ufually done before 64 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, over the back, or any more quarrclfomc than tli« reft, it will be of ulc to cut them : I alfo fpay fuch bitches as I think I fhall not want to breed from ; they are more ufefuT, are ftouter, and are always in better order : bclides, it is abfolutely neceflary if you hunt late in the fpring ; or your pack will be very fhort for want of it. It may be right to tell you, that the latter operation does not always fuccecd, it will be necefTary, therefore, to employ a flcilful perfon, and one on whom you can depend; for if it be ill done, though they cannot have puppies, they will go to heat notwithfianding, of which I have known many inllances, and that, I apprehend, v/ould not anfwer your purpofe at any rate* They fhould be kept low for feveral days before the operation is performed, and mull be fed on thin meat for fome time after. You afk me what number of young hounds you fhould breed to keep up your ftock ? it is a queftion, I believe, no man can anfwer. It de- pends altogether on contingencies. The defici- encies of one year muft be fupplicd the next. I fhould apprehend from thirty to thirty- five couple before they are put out ; it might be better, perhaps, to leave' it till thev are taken in. Dogs nuifl not be rounded at the time they have the diflemper upon them ; the lofs of blood would weaken them too much. Pf THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 6^ of old hounds, and from eight to twelve couple of young ones would, one year with another, bell iuit an eftablifhment which you do not in- tend fliould much exceed forty couple. This rule you fhould at the fame time oblerve — never to part with an ufeful old hound, or enter an un- handfome young one. I would advife you in breeding, to be as little prejudiced as pollible in favour of your own fort ; but fend your bed bitches to the bell dogs, be they where they may. Thofe who breed only a few hounds may by chance have a good pack, whilH thofe who breed a great many (if at the fame time they underfland the bulinefs) reduce it to a certainty. You fay, you wifli to fee your pack as complete as Mr. Meynell's : believe me, my good friend, unlefs you were to breed as many hounds, it is totally impoffible. Thofe wlio breed the greatefl number of hounds have a light to expe6l the bell pack ; at Icaft it mull be their own fault if they have it not. V NAMES 66 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING', NAMES OF HOUNDS. A. Jo^s. Adrefs ^Brazen Affable ^ Brilliant A BLE J^ Ador Agile ' Brufher Airy Brutal ^ Adamant Amity ^ Burfter Adjutant Agent Angry Animate Buftler Aider Artilicc Aim well 'Audible Amorous •. B. hitches. ^ Antic -<"«"<-..>,>» Anxious Baneful /Arbiter B. dogs. ^Bafhful Archer Bauble Ardent t Bachelor Beauteous Ardor Banger Beauty / Arroiiant Baffler f Beldam Arfenic Barbarous Belmaid Artful ' Bellman Blamelefs Artiit Bender Blithfome Atlas Blaller Blowzy ' Atom f Bluecap Bluebell Auditor Blucman 'BluePxiaid Au";ur Bluller Bonny Awful Boafter ' Bonny bell ^ Boifterous ^ Bonnylats Bonny face BoundleftJ Bouncer Bravery A. hitches. Bowler Brfevity ' Bravo Brimttone Accurate Bragger Bufy Aaive Brawler ( Buxom C. doi^:: s> THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 67 C. dogs. Conqueft Circe Conftant Clarinet Caitiff Conteft Clio ^ Capital Coroner ^ Comely / Captain / Cottager Comfort Captor / Counlellor Comical Carol Countryman Concord Carver Courteous Courtefy Caller Coxcomb Crafty Caftwell ^ Craftfman / Crazy Catcher / Craiher Credible Catchpole Critic Credulous ^ Caviller Critical ^ Croney Cerberus Crovvncr Cruel / Challenger / Cruifer-/)^ Curious Champion Cruily Charon Cryer »*<'«^>"*'>' »« Chalcr Curfew ^ Chaunter Currier D. dogs. Chieftain Chimer /Damper / Danger Chirper Choleric C. hitches. Dangerous Claimant Dapper Clamorous Capable Dapller Clangor Captious Darter ^Claihcr Carelefs ^ Dafher / Ciimbank Careful Dailiwood Clinker Carnage ^ Daunter Combat Caution ^ Dexterous Combatant Cautious Dilputant Comftirtcr / Charmer Downright Comrade Chauntrefs ^ Dragon ^ Comus Ch earful ^ Dreadnought Confli6l ^ Cherriper ^ Driver f Conqueror / Chorus / Duller F a D, hlich-ss. 6af THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINC. D. hitches. Dainty Daphne ^ Darling '' Da ill a way ^ Dauntlefs Delicate Defperate / Deiliny ' Dian Diligent Docile Document ^Duubtful Doubt lefs Dreadful Drcadlefs Dulcet "♦••(■■♦•0">">">» E. hitches. E. dogs. Eager Earneil Eftbrt Elegant Eminent Envious Envoy Errant Excellent Eafy Echo Eellacy Endlefs ^ Energy Enmity Eiiay ••♦•<••<■•<»->•>..>» F. dogs. Facliovts Factor Fatal Fearnought ^ Ferryman Fervent ' Finder Firebrand Flagrant Flalher / Flcece'cra Flinger / Flippant ^ Flourilhcr Flyer Foamer Foilcr Foreman Forcmoil Forefight / Forellcr Forward Fulminant Furrier F. hitches. Fairmaid Fair pi ay Faithful 'Famous Fancyful / Fafhion / Favourite * Fearlefs 'Fcftive Fickle Fidget Fiery Fireaway Firetail ^ Flighty Flourilh Flurry Forcible Fretful Friendly ^Frilky / PVolic 3'\"olielbrae ' Funny lafs Fury O, do OS. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 69 / G. ^ogs, ^ Gainer ^ Gallant Galliard / Galloper ^ Gamboy '' Gameller Garrulous Gazer ^ General Genius ' Gimcrack Giant ^ Glanccr Glider '' Glorious Goblin Governor Grapler Grafper Griper Growler Grumbler Guardian Guidcr Guiler / / Gamefome ^ Gameltrefs / Gaylafs Ghaflly Giddy Gladnefs Glad lb me Governefs Graceful Gracelefs Gracious Grateful Gravity Guilefomc Guiltlefs Guilty G. hitches. Gaiety Gainful Galley ' Gambol H. dvgs. / Hannibal / Harbinger ■^ Hardiman Hardy / Harlequin ^ Harrairer ^ Havock ' Hazard Headftrong , '' Hearty ^ Heaor Heedful ^ Hercules Hero Highflyer Hopeful ^ Hotfpur Humbler Hurtful H. hitches. " Hafty Handfome ^ Harlot ^ Harmony Hazardous Heedlels ^ Helen ^ Heroine Hideous '^ Honefty Hoftile I. J. dogs. ^Jerker Jingler ^ Impetus Jockey Jolly ' Jolly-boy / Jollier Tovial ^ Jubal Judgment ''Jumper F3 I. J. Filches *j6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I. J. hitches. '''^Jealoufy Induftry ''Jollity Joyful ^ Joyous •.<•.<■■*.<>..>.♦->•. L. dogs. Labourer / Larum ' Lafher Lafter Launcher '^ Leader ^ Leveller ^ Liberal Libertine Li6lor -^ Lifter '' Lightfoot Linguifl Lillener Lounger ^ Lueifer ^ Lunatic Lunger Lurker L. hitches, I^^CfsratG Laudable Lavifh. ^ Lawlefs Lenity Levity ' Liberty ^ Lightning Lightfome Likely ^ Liffome Litigate Lively Lofty ' Lovely Luckylafs ^ Lunacy ««.*.<..0">'>+" M. dogs ^ Manager Manful ^ Markfman Marplot Marfchal Martial ^ Marvellous / Match'em Maxim ^ Maximus MeaiiweU ^Medler ' Menacer / Mendall Mender ' IMentof ^ Mercury Merlin * Merryboy Merr}man Mclfnate Mcihodifl Mi,^Vity TNliliiant ^ Minikin / Mifr.rcant Mittimus Monarch ^ Monitor Motley ^ Mounter Mover Mungo ' Mufical Mutinous Mutterer >^ Myrmidon M. hitches^ f Madcap / Madrigal ^ Magic Mao;goty '' MatcJilefs f Melody Merrvlafs ]\Jerryment M'Judful ' Minion Miriam Mifchief THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 71 ^ Mifchlef ^ Modilh ^ Monody / Mufic N. dogs> ^ Nervous INefior Nettler / Newfman Nimrod ■Noble Nonfuch Novel Noxious N. hitches. Narrative Neatnels Needful Negative Nicety Nimble Noify Notable Notice Notion Novelty Novice / P. doo-s. Paean Pageant ' Paragon ' Paramount Partner Partyman ^ Pealer Penetrant Perfedl ^ Perilous Pertinent Petulant Phcebus Piercer Pilgrim ^ Pillager Pilot Pincher Piper Playful Plodder ^ Plunder ^ Politic Potent Prater Prattler Premier Prefident Prelio Prevalent Primate Principal Prodigal Prowler F4 Prompter '^ Prophet Prolper f Profperous Pryer P. hitches^ Paflion ^ Pall j me Patience Phoenix ^ Phrenetic ' Phrenzy Placid Playful Plealant Pliant ^ Pofitive Precious Prettylafs Previous Prie fiefs Probity Prudence R. dogs^. Racer Rafjer Rally wood Rambler Ramper 17- Ramper Rampant Rancour ' Random Ranger f Ranfack Rantaway Ranter Rapper ^ Rallcr "^ Ravager Ravenous Ravifaer Reach er THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Rumor ^ -Sampler Kunner ^bampion Rural Sanction Rufncr Sapient ^ Riillic ' Saucebox Saunter ' Scalper Scamper R. hitches. Schemer Scourer" Scrambler ^Racket ' Rally Ram pi ill Rantipole Reafoncr Rapid • Rec\or f^'^*-^^ Rapine Rec\or Regent Render Refonant Reftive ^ Reveller 'Rifler Rigid Rigour Rincrvvood Rioter Rilker Rockwood ^ Romper Roufer Router Rover Rudeiliy Ruffian ' Ruffler Rapture ' Rarity Rafhnefs Rattle Ravifh Reptile ' Relblute Reftlefs ^ Rhaplbdy Riddance ^ Riot / Rival Roguifh ' Ruin Rummage Ruthlefs «■<■•<-*•<>->->••»'• S. dogs. Salient Screamer / Screecher Scuffler Searcher Settler Sharper Shifter ^ Signal Singer SingwcU ' Skirmifli ' Smoker ' Social Solomon Solon Songfter ^ Sonorous Soundvvell ' Spanker Special Specimen Speedwell Spinner ' Splendor ' Splenetic ' Spoiler Spokefmau THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 73 ^ Spokefman Sportfman Squabbler Squeaker Statefman Steady Stickler Stinger * Stormer Stranger Stripling Striver Strivewell ' Stroker ' Stroller ' Struggler Sturdy- Subtile Succour Suppler Surly / Swaggerer ^ Sylvan S. hitches. Sanguine Sappho Science Scrupulous Shrevvdnefs Skilful Songflrefs Specious Speedy Spiteful Spitfire Sportful Sportive Sportly Sprightly ' Stately Stoutnefs Strenuous Strumpet Surety Sybil ' Synrnhony •<■■<-<-••♦-»♦" T. dogs. Tackier ' Talifman Tamer ^ Tangent Tarter » Tatler ' Taunter Teafer Terror ' Thraihcr Threatner Thumper Thunderer Thvv acker Thwarter Tickler Tomboy ^ Topmoil ^ Topper Torment ' Torrent ^ Torturer Tolfer ^ Touchtlone Tracer ' Tragic Trampler ^ Tranfit Tranfport / Traveller Trimbufh. Trimmer ^ Triumph ^ i rojan Trouncer ^ Truant Trudger Trueboy • ' Truemari / Trufty Tryal Tryer Trywell Tuner ^ Turbulent Twanger Twio-'em /o Tyrant T. hilches^ Tattle / Telltale Tcsupell Tentative 74 THOITGHTS UPON HUNTING, / Tentative Termagant Terminate ^ Terrible Telly Thankful Thoughtful / Tidings Toilfome Tradable ^ Tragedy Trelpals Trifle Trivial ' Trollop Troublcfome ' Truelafs Truemaid 'Tunable ■ Tuneful '■«•< ■<■.<►->•>•♦- V. dogs. Vagabond Va^rrant Valiant Valid Valorous V^alour Vaultcr ^ Vauiiter Venture Venturer Venturous Vermin Vexer ^ Vidtor ^Vigilant Vigorous Vigour / Villager Viper ^ Volant Voucher V. hitches. Vanquifh Vehemence Vehement 'Vengeance Vengeful / Venomous Vcnturefome Venus Verify Verity Vicious ' Victory Vi6h-ix Vigilance Violent Viperous Virulent Vitiate Vivid Vixen / Vocal ^^olatile Voluble "VV. dogs. Wanderer Warbler ^Warnincj • Warrior War whoop Wayward . Weilbred ^Whipfter ^ W})ynot Wildair / Wild man Wilful Wifdom ^ Woodman Worker Workman Worthy /Wrangler Wreftler W. hitches. Waggery Waggifh Wagtail 'VV'^anton Vv'arfare Warlike THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^^ Warlike Welldone Wifhful Wafpilli ^ Whimfey Wonderful Wafteful Whirligig Worry Watchful Wildfire Wrathful ^ Welcome Willing Wreakful I, E T- ^6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINC, LETTER VL AFTER the young bounds have been round- ed, and are well reconciled to the kennel, know the huntfman, and begin to know their names, they lliould be put into couples, and walked out amongll Iheep. If any be particularly fnappiili and troublc- fome, you fhould leave the couples loofe about their necks in the kennel, till you find they are more reconciled to them. If any be more ftubborn than tlie reft, you fhould couple them to old hounds rather than to young ones; and you ihould not couple livo dogs together when you can avoid it. Young hounds are awkward atfirft; I fliould, therefore, advifc you to fend out a few only at a time with your people on foot; they will foon afterwards become handy enough to follow a horfc ; and care fliould be taken that the couples be not too loofe, lefl they ihould flip their necks out of the collar, and give trouble ]n catching them again. When they have been walked often in this jnanner amongfl thcfhcep, you may then uncouple THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. *^^ a few at a time, and begin to chaftife fuch as offer to run after them ; but you will foon find that the cry of ivare Jheep will flop them fufhci- ently without the whip ; and the lefs this is ufed the better. With proper care and attention you will foon make them alliamed of it, but if once fuffered to tafte the blood, you may find it diiR- cult to reclaim them. Various are the methods ufed to break fuch dogs from fheep ; fome will couple them to a ram, but that is breaking them with a vengeance ; you had better hang thcni. — A late lord of rny acquaintance, who had heard of this method, and whofe whole pack had been often guilty of killing fhecp, determined to puniili them, and to that intent put the largefl ram he could find into his kennel. The men with their whips and voices, and the ram with his horns, loon put the whole kennel into confufion and difmay, and the hounds and the ram were then left to- gether. Meeting a friend foon after, " come," fays he, " com.e with me to the kennel, and fcs " what rare fport the ram makes among the *' hounds; the old fellow lays about him floutly, " I afiure you — egad he trims them — there is *' not a dog dares look him in the face." — His friend, who is a compaffionate man, pitied the hounds exceedingly, and alked, if he was not afraid that fome of tliem might be fpoiled : — *' No, d— n them," faid he, " they delervc it, "■ and let them fulFer." — On they went — all vvas q uiet J-g THOUGHTS UPOW HUNTING* quiet — they opened the kennel door, bul faw nei- ther ram nor hound. The ram by this time was entirely eaten up, and the hounds having filled their bellies, were retired to reft. It without doubt is beft when you air your hounds to take them out feparately ; the old ones one day, another day the young ;* but as I find your hounds are to have their whey at a diftant dairy, on thofe days, both old and young may be taken out together, obferving only to take the young hounds in couples when the old ones are along with them. Young hounds arc always ready for any kind of mifchief, and idlenels might make even old ones too apt to join them in it. Befides, fhould they break off from the huntf- man, the whipper-in is generally too ill mounted at this feafon of the year eafily to head and bring them back. Run no fuch rilk. My hounds were near being fpoiled by the mere accident of a horfe's falling. The whipper-in was thrown from his horfc; the horfe ran away, and the whole pack followed : a flock of fheep, which were at a little diftance, took fright, began to run, and the hounds purfued them. The molt vi- cious fet on tlie rcll, and feveral ibeep were foon * It would be ftill better to take out your hounds every day, the old and young feparately, when it can be done without in- convenience; when it cannot, a large grafs-court will partly znfwer the fame purpofe. pulled THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 75 pulled down and killed. I mention this to fhew you what caution is neceflary whillt hounds are idle ; for though the fall of the horfe was not to be attributed to any fault of the man, yet had the old hounds been taken out by themfelves, or had all the young ones been in couples, it is pro - bable fo common an accident would not have produced fo extraordinary an eiTedl. It is now time to floop them to a fcent. — You had better enter them at their own game — it will fave you much trouble afterwards. Many dogs, I believe, like that fcent bell which they were firil blooded to ; but be that as it may, it is cer- tainly moft reafonable to ufe them to that which it is intended they Ihould hunt. It may not be amifs, when they iirfi; begin to hunt, to put light collars on them. Young hounds may ealily get out of their knowledge ; and thy ones, after they have been much beaten, may not chufe to return home. Collars, in that cafe, may prevent their being loft. You fliy, you fhould not like to fee your young hounds run a trail-fcent. I have no doubt that you would be glad to fee them run over an open down, where you could fo eafily obferve their action and their fpeed. I cannot think the doing of it once or twice could hurt your hounds ; and and yet as a fportfman, I dare not recommend it to So TProUGHTS UPON HUNTING* to you. All that I Ihall lay of it is, that it would be Ids bad than entering them at hare. A eat is as good a trail as any ; but on no account Ihould any trail be uied after your hounds are Hooped to a fcent. I know an old fportfrnan who enters his young hounds firft at a cat, which he drags along the ground for a mile or two, at the end of which he turns out a badger, firft taking care to break his teeth ; he takes out about two couple of old hounds alon.o- Aiih the young ones to hold them on. He never enters his young hounds but at vermin ; for he fays, '' train up a child in the way '^ he jJioidd go, and ivhen he is old he will not de- *' -part from it.'* Summer hunting, though ufeful to young hounds, is prejudicial to old ones; I think, there- fore, you will do well to referve fome of the befl of your' draft-hounds to enter your young hounds with, feledling fuch as are moft likely to fet them a good example. I need not tell you they fhould not be flvirters ; but, on the contrary, fhould be fair hunting hounds, fuch as love a fcent, and that hunt clofeft on the line of it ; it will be ne- cellary that fome of them fliould be good finders, and all mufl be fteady : thus you procure for your young hounds the belt inftru6lors, and at the fame time prevent two evils, which would neceffarily THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Si iiecefTarily enfue, were tliey taught by the whole pack ; one, that of corrupting, and getting into fcrapes, fuch as are not much wifer than them- felves ; and the other, that of occalioning much flogging and rateing, which always fliies and in- terrupts the hunting of an old hound. An old iiound is a faffacious animal, and is not fond of trufting himfelf in the way of an enraged whipper- in, who, as experience has taught him, can flogfe- verely, and can flog unjultly. — By attending to this advice, you will improve one part of your pack without prejudice to the other; whillt fuch as never feparate their young hounds from the old, are not likely to have any of them fleady. You atk, at what time you fliould begin to en- ter your young hounds ? — that queftion is eafily anfwered ; for you certainly fliould begin with them as foon as you can. The time mufl vary in different countries : in corn countries it may not be poflible to hunt till after the corn is cut ; in grafs countries you may begin fooner ; and in woodlands you may hunt as foon as you pleafe. If you have plenty of foxes, and can afford to make a facrifice of fome of them for the fake of making your young hounds lleady, take them iirfl where you have leali riot, putting fome of the l^eadiefl of your old hounds amongft them. If in fuch a place you arc fortunate enough to find a litter of foxes you, may affure yourfelf you will G have ^2 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. have but little trouble with your young houn(^9 afterwards. Such young hounds an are moll- riotous at tiiTt, generally fpeaking, I think, are bell in the end. A gentleman in my rieighbourhood was {o tho- rouglily convinced of this, that he complained bitterly of a young pointer to the pertbn who gave it him, becaufe he had done no iinfchle.f. How- ever, meeting the fame perfon tome time after, he told him the dog he believed would prove a good one at lafl. — " How fo ?" replied his friend, ** it '^ was but the other day that you faid he was good '' for nothing." — " True; hut he has killed me time- *' teen iurlcles fmce that" If, owing to a fcarcity of foxes, you fhould iloop your hounds at hare, let them by no means have the blood of her ; nor, for the fake of confiil- ency, give them much encouragement. Hare- hunting has one advantage — hounds are chiefly in open ground, where you can eatily command them ; but, notwithflanding that, if foxes be in tolerable plenty, keep them to their own game, and forget not the advice of the old fportlman. Frequent hallooing is of ufe with young hounds j it keeps them forward, prevents their being lofl, and hinders them from hunting after the reft. The oftener therefore a fox is feen and hallooed, the better; THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. gj better ; it ferves to let them in, makes them ea^er, makes them exert themfelves, and teaches them to be handy. I muft tell you, at the fame time I fay this, that I by no means approve of much halloo- ing to old hounds ; and though I frequently arri guilty ofit myfelf, it is owing to my fph-its, which lead me into an error which my judgment con- demns. It is true, there is a time when halloo- ing is of ufe ; a time when it does hurt; and a time when it is perfe^lly inditferent : but it is long practice, and great attention to hunting, that mud teach you the application. Hounds, at their firfl entering, cannot be en- couraged too much. When they become handy, love a fcent, and begin to know what is right, it will be foon enough to chaftife them for doii:g ivrong ; in which cafe, one fevere beating will fave a deal of trouble. You fhould recommend to your v/hipper-in, when he flogs a hound, to make ufe of his voice as well as his v^-hip ; and kt him remember, that the fmack of the whip is often of as much ufe as the lafh, to one that has felt it. If any be very unlieady, it will not be amiis to fend them out by themfelves, when the men go out to exerclfe their horles. If you have hares in plenty, let fome be found fitting, and turned out before them ; and you will foon find the mod riotous w^ill not run after them. If yoa jntend them to be made tleady from deer, they G 2 fhould 84 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Ihould often fee deer, and they will not regard them ; and it', after a probation of this kind, yoa turn out a cub before them, with fome old hounds o lead them on, you may affure yourfelf they will not be unfteady long; for as Somervile rightly obferves, " Eafy the lefTon of the youthful train, When inrtinft prompts, and when example guides." Flogging hounds in the kennel, the frequent pradice of moft huntfmen, I hold in abhorrence : it is unreafonable, unjufi, and cruel ; and carried to the excefs we fometimes lee it, is a difgrace to humanity. Hounds that are old offenders, that are very riotous, and at the fame time very cun- ning, it may be difficult to catch : fnch hounds may be excepted they deferve punifliment wherever taken, and you fhould not fail to give it them ivhenyou can. — This you will allow is a particular cafe, and neceility may excufe it — but let not the peace and quiet of your kennel be often thus diilurbed. When your hounds offend, punilh them: — when caught in the fa6t, then let them fuffer — and if you be levere, at leafi: be juft. When your young hounds floop to a feent, are become handy, know a rate and ftop eaiily, you may then begin to put them into the pack, a few only at a time ; nor do I think it advifeablc to begin this. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 85 this, iill the pack have been out a (cw times by themfelves, and are gotten well in blood. I ihould alio advife you to take them the firit day where they are moft fure to find ; as long refl makes all hounds riotous, and they may do that en gaiete de cmir^ which they would not think of at another time. Let ^^our hounds be low in flefh, when you begin to hunt ; the ground is generally hard at that lealbn, and they are liable to be ihaken. If your covers be large, you will find the flrait horn of ufe, and I am forry to hear that you do not approve of it. — You afk me why I like it ? — not as a muftcian^ I can afTure you. — It lignifies little in our way what the noife is, as long as it ^s underftood. G % LET- S6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. LETTER Vir. T TNLESS I had kept a regular journal of all that ^^ has been done in the kennel from the time when my young hounds were tirll taken in, to the end of the laft feafon, it would be impolfible, J think, to anfwer all the queftions which in your lafi letter you aik concerning them. I wifh that a me- mory', which is far from a good one, would en- able me to give the information you defire. If I am to be more circumftantial than in my former letter, I muil recollecV, as well as I can, the re- gular fyftem of my own kennel ; and if I am tq write from memory, you will, without doubt, ex- cufe the want of the lucidus ordo : — it fhall be my endeavour, that the information thefe letters con- tain, fhall not miflead you. You wifh me to explain what I mean by hounds being handy — it retpe(51s their readinefs to do whatever is required of them ; and particularly, when call:, to turn eafdy whicli way the huntf- man pleaies.* * My hounds are frequently walked about the courts of the kennel, the whipper-in following them, and rating them after the huntfman ; this, and the fending them out, (after they have been fed,) with the people on foot, contribute greatly to make them handy. I was THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 87 I was told the other day by a fportfrnan, that he confiders the management of hounds as a re- gular fyllem of education, from the time when they are firft taken into the kennel : I perfe611y agree wlih this gentleman; and am well con- vinced, that if you expect fagacity in your hound when he is old, you muft be mindful what in- ftru6tion he receives from you in his youth ; for as he is of all animals the moft docile, he is alfo mofr liable to bad habits. A diverfity of chara6ler, conftitution, and difpoiition, arc to be obferved amongil them ; which, to be made the mofl of, muft be carefully attended to, and dif- ferently treated. I do not pretend to have fuc- ceeded in it myfelf ; yet you will perceive, per- haps, that I have paid fome attention to it. I begin to hunt with my youngbounds in Augufl. The employment of my huntfman the preceding months is to keep his old hounds healthy and quiet, by giving them proper exercifei and to get his young hounds forward.* They are called over often in the kennel ; it ufes them to their names, to the huntfman, and to the whipper-in. * Nothing will anfwer this purpofe fo well as taking them put often. Let your huntfman lounge about with them— nothing will make them fo handy. Let him get off his horfe frequently, and encourage them to come to him,— nothing will familiarize them fo much.— Too great reftraint will oftentimes incline hounds to be riotous. G 4 They 88 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. They are walked out often among fheep, hares, and deer : it iifes them to a rate. Sometimes he turns down a cat before them, which they hunt up to, and kill : and, when the time of hunting approaches, he turns out badgers or young foxes, taking out fome of the fieadleft of his old hounds to lead them on — this teaches them to hunt. He draws fmall covers and furze brakes with them, to ufe them to a halloo, and to teach them obedi- ence. If they find improper game, and hunt it, they are flopped and brought back ; and as long as they will flop at a rate, they are not chaflifed. Obedience is all that is required of them, till they have been fufhciently taught the game they are to purfue. An obftinate deviation from it after- wards is never 'pardoned. It is an oblervation of the Marchefe Beccaria, that ' ' La certezza di un *' caftigo, benche moderato, fara fempre una *' maggiore impreflione, che non il timore di un *' altro piu terribilc, unito colla fperanza, della " 'impunita." When my young hounds are taken out to air, my huntfman takes them into that country in which they are to hunt. It is attended with this advantage ; they acquire a knowledge of the country, and when left behind at any time, can- iiot fail to find their way home more eafily. When THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIKG. 89 When they beghi to hunt, they are firfl: taken into a large cover of my own, which has many ridings cut in it ; and where young foxes are turned out every year on purpofe for them. Here they arc taught the fcent they are to follow, are encouraged to purfue it, and arc ftopped from every other. Here they are blooded to fox. I muft alfo tell you that as foxes are plentiful in this cover, the principal earth is not ftopped, and the foxes are checked back, or fome of them let in, as may bed fuit the purpofe of blooding. After they have been hunted a few days in this manner, they are then fent to more diftant covers, and more old hounds are added to them ; there they continue to hunt till they are taken into the pack, which is feldom later than the beginning of Sep- tember ; for by that time they will have learned what is required of them, and they feldom give much trouble afterwards.* In September I begin to hunt in earnefl, and after the old hounds have killed a (q\v foxes, the young hounds are put into the pack, two or three couple at a time, till all have hunted. They are then divided ; and as I feldom have occafion to take in more than nine or ten couple, one half are taken out one day, the other half the next, till all are fteady. * Sport in fox-hunting cannot be faid to begin before 0 1^0- ber, but in the two preceding months, a pack is either made or marred. Two 90 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Two other methods of entering young hounds I have praftifed occaiionally, as the number of hounds have required ; for inltance, if that num- l>er be conliderable, (fifteen or lixteen couple,) I make a large draft of my fleadieft hounds, which are kept with the young hounds in a feparate kennel, and are hunted with them all the firli part of the fcafon. This, when the old hounds begin to hunt, makes two difiin6l" packs, and is always attended with great trouble and inconvenience. Nothing hurts a pack fo much as to enter many young hounds, lince it mufl be coniiderably weakened by being robbed of thofe which are the moft iteady ; and yet j'oung hounds can do nothing whhout their affiftance. Such, therefore, as conflantly enter their young hounds in this manner, will, fomelimes at leafi, have two indif- ferent packs, inllead of one good one. In the other method the young hounds are well awed from iheep, but never ftooped to a fcent, till they are taken out with the pack ; they are then taken out a few only at a time ; and if your pack be perfedtly fieady, and well manned, mav not give you much trouble. The metiiod I hrit mentioned, is that 1 moft commonly pracrife, be- ing moft fuitable to the number of young hounds I ufually enter — nine or ten couple: if you have fewer, the laft will be moft. convenient. The one which requires two diftin<5l packs, is on too ex- 4 tenlive THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^I teniive a plan to fait your edablifhment, requiring more horfes and hounds than you intend to keep.* Though I have mentioned, in a former letter, from eight to twelve couple of young hounds, as a fufficient number to keep up your pack to its prefent eflablifhment ; yet it is always bell to have a referve of a few couple more; than you want, in cafe of accidents : iince from the time you make your draft, to the time of hunting, is a long period ; and their cxiftence at that age and feafon very precarious : beiides, when they are fafe from the diforder, they are not always fafe from each pther ; and a fummer ieldom palfes without fome * To render fox-hunting perfecR', no young hounds fhould be taken into the pack the firfi: feafon — a requifite too expenfive for mo ft fportfinen. The pack fhould conflft of about forty fouple of hounds, that have hunted, one, two, three, four, or five feafons. The young pack fliould confifl of about twenty couple of young hounds, and about an equal number of old ones. They fliould have a feparate eftablifhment, nor fhould the two kennels be ns^ar enough to interfere vs^ith each other. Tlie fea- fon over, the befl of the young hounds fliould be taken into the pack, and the draft of old ones exchanged for them. To enabla j'ou every feafon to take in tvyenty couple of young hounds, many m;ift be bred ; and of courfe the greater your choice, the handfomer your pack will become. It will ah.viiy:> be eafy to keep up the number of old hounds, for when your own draft is not fufhcient, drafts from other packs may eafiiy be ob» tained, and at a fmallexpence. When young hounds are hunted together the firil feafon, and have not a fufficient number of old hounds along with them, it does them more harm than good. lolfes 92 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. loffes of that kind. At the fame tirrwf T mUft tell you, that I Ihould decline entering more than are necelTary to keep up the pack, fiiice a greater number would only create ufelefs trouble and vexation. You with to know what number of old hounds you fliould hunt with the young ones : — that muft depend on the flrength of your pack, and the number which you choofe to fpare ; if good and fleady, ten or twelve couple will be fuf- ticicnt. My young hounds, and luch old ones as are intended to hunt along with them,* are kept in a kennel by themfelves, till the young hounds are hunted with the pack. I need not, I am fure, enumerate the many reafons that make this regu- lation neceflary. I never truil my young hounds in the foreft till they have been well blooded to fox, and feldoni put more than a couple into the pack at a time.-f- * Some alfo take out their unfteady hounds, when they en- ter the young ones ; T doubt the propriety of it. f T fometimes fend all my young hounds together into the foreft, with four or five couple of old hounds only ; fuch as I know they cannot fpoil. As often as any of them break off" to deer, they are taken up, and {log<^ed. When they lofe onefox^ they try for another ; and are kept out, till they are all made tolerably fleady. The THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 93 The others are walked out amongll: the deer, when the men exercile their horfes, and are fevcrely chaftifed if they take any notice of them. They alfo draw covers with them ; chooting out fuch, where they can bell fee their hounds, and moft eatily command them ; and where there is the leait cliance to find a fox. On thefe occafions I had rather they fhould have to rate their hounds than encourage tliem. It requires lefs judgment ; ' and, if improperly done, is lefs dangerous in its confequences. One halloo of encouragement to a wrong fcent, more than undoes all that you have been doing. When young hounds begin to love a fcent, it may be of ufe to turn out a badger before them ; you will then be able to difcover what improve- ment they have made ; 1 mention a badger, on a fuppofition that young foxes cannot lb well be fpared ; belidcs, the badger, being a flower animal, he may calily be followed, and driven the way you choole he fliould run. The day you intend to turn out a fox, or badger, you will do well to fend them amongft hares, or deer. A little rating and flogging, be- fore they are encouraged to vermin, is of the greateft ufe, as it teaches them as well what they iliould not, as what they fhould do. I have known a badger run fcveral miles^ if judicioufly 5 managed ; 94 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. managed; for which purpofe he fhould be turned out in a very open country, and followed by a perfon who has more fcnfe than to ride on the line of him. If he do not meet with a cover or hedge in his way, he will keep on for feveral miles ; if he do, you will not be able to get him any farther. You fliould give him a great deal of law, and you will do well to break his teeth.-- If you run any cubs to ground in an indifferent country, and do not want blood, bring them home, and they will be of ufe to your young hounds. Turn out bag foxes to your young hounds, but never to your old ones. I obje6l: to them on many accounts ; but of bag foxes I fhall have occalion to fpeak hereafter. The day after your hounds have had blood, is alfo a proper time to fend them where there is riot, and to chaftife them if they defer ve ; it is always befl to corre6l them when they cannot help knowing what they are corredted for. When you fend out your hounds for this purpoie, the later they go out the better, as the worfe the fcent is the lefs inclinable will they be to run it, and of * The critic fays, " there is neither jiiftice nor equity in breaking his teeth." (Vide Monthly Review.) I confefs there is not, and I never know that it is done, but 1 feel all the force of the obfervation. Let neeejfity^ if it be able, plead in its excufe. courfe THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIMG. 95 courfe will give lefs trouble in Hopping them. It is a common practice with huntfmen to flog their hounds moil unmercifully in the kennel : I have already mentioned my difapprobation of it : but if many of your hounds be obilinately rio- tous,* you may with lefs impropriety put a live hare into the kennel to them, flogging them as often as they appproach her ; they will then have fome notion, at leafl, for what they are beaten : but let me entreat you, before this charivari-^ begins, to draft off your hounds ; an animal to whom we owe fo much good diverfion fhould not be ill ufed unneceffarily. When a hare is put into the kennel, the huntfman and both the whippers-in fhould be prefent ; and the whippers- in fhould flog every hound, calling him by his name, and rateing him as often as he is near the hare ; and, upon this occafion, they cannot cut them too hard, or rate them too much. When- * This paflage has alfo been thought deferving of cenfure, though its motive is humane. By thefe means, the difobedient are taught obedience, and a more general punifhment prevented; which the efFefl of bad example might otherwife make ne- celTary. f A confiifion arifing from a variety of noifes. It is a cuf- tom in France, and in Switzerland, if a woman marry fooner than is ufual after the death of her huftaild ; or a woman get the better ui her hufband when attempting to chaftife her, and return the beating with iritereft — the neighbours give them a tharivari — a kind of concert compofed of tongs, fire-lhovJs, kettles, brafs pans, &c. &c, they 96 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINGT. they think they have chaftifed them enough, the hare fhould then be taken away, the huntfman fhould halloo off his hounds, and the whippers- in fliould rate thcni to him. If any one love hare more than the rell, von may tie a dead one round his neck, flogging him and rating him at the lame time. This poliibly may make him afhamed of it. I never bought a lot of hounds, fome of which were not obliged to undergo this difcipline. Either hares are lefs plentiful in other countries, or other Iportimcn are Icfs nice in making their hounds iteady irom them. I would advile you to hunt your large covers with your young hounds : it will tire them out;* a neceflary ftep towards making them (teady ; will open the cover againft the time you begin in earned, and by dilturbing the large covers early in the year, foxes v.ill be Ihy of them in the feafon, and ihcw you better chaccs ; betides, as they are not likely to break from thence, you can * Provided that you have old hounds enough out, to carry on the fcent; if you have not a body of old hounds to keep up a try on the right fcent, the young ones, as foon as the ground becomes foiled, v.'ill be fcattered about the cover, hunt- ing old fcents, and will not get on faft enough to tire them- felves. Young hounds fliould never be taken into large covers, where there is much riot, unlefs whippers-in can eafily get at tliem. do ' tHOtrGHTS UPON HU^^TING. ^^ do no hurt to the corn, and may begin before It is cut. If your hounds be very riotous, and you arc obhged to ftop them often from hare, it will be advifeable to try on (however late it may be) till 5^ou find a fox ; as the giving them encouragement fhould, at fuch a time, prevail over every other conlideration. Though all young hounds are given to riot, yet the better they are bred, the lefs trouble they will be likely to give. Pointers well-bred Itand naturally, and high-bred fox-hounds love their own game beft. Such, however, "as are very riotous, fliould have little reft ; you fliould hunt them one day in large covers where foxes arc in plenty ; the next day they fliould be walked out amongft hares and deer, and flopped from riot ; the day following be hunted again as before. Old hounds, which I have had from other packs, (par- ticularly fuch as have been entered at hare) I have fometimes found incorrigible ; but I never yet knew a young hound fo riotous, but, by this management, he foon became fteady. When hounds are rated, and do not anfwer the rate, they fhould be coupled up immediately, and be made to know the whipper-in ; in all probability this method will fave any farther H trouble. ^8 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. trouble. Thel'e fellows fometimes flog houndi unmercifully, and fome of them feem to take pleafure in their cruelty ; I am fure, however, I need not defire you to prevent any excefs in cor- re61:ion. I have heard that no fox-hounds will break of£ to deer after once a fox is found. — 1 cannot fay the experience T have had of this diveriion will m any wife juflify the remark ; let me advife you, therefore, to feek a furer dependence. Before you hunt your good hounds where hares are in plenty, let them be awed and flopped from hare : before you hunt amongft deer, let them not only fee deer, but let them draw covers where deer are ; for you muft not be furprifed, if, after they are fo far fleady as not to run them in view, they Ihould challenge on the fecnt of them. Unlefs you take this meihod with your young hounds before you put them into the pack, you will run a rifr of corrupt! ig the old ones, and may fufler continual vexation by hunting with unfleady hounds. I have already told you, that after my young hou:-ds are taken into the pack, I ilill take out but very fev/ at a time when I hunt among deer. I alfo change them when I take out others, for the fleadinefs they may have ac- quired could be but little depended on, were they to meet with any encouragement to be riotous. I con- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 99 i confefs I think firll Impreffions of more con- sequence than they are in general thought to be ; I not only enter my young hounds to vermin on that account, but I even ule them, as early as I can, to the ftrongeft covers and thickeil brakes ; and I feldom find that they are fhy of them after- wards. A friend of mine has alTured me, that he once entered a fpaniel to fnipes, and the dog ever after was partial to them, preferring them to every other bird. If you have martin cats within your reach, as all hounds are fond of their fcent, you will do well to enter your young hounds in the covers they frequent. The martin cat being a fmall animal, by running the thickeft brakes it can £nd, teaches hounds to run cover, and is there- fore of the greateft ufe. I do not much approve of hunting them with the old hounds; they fhew but little fport; are continually climbing trees; and as the cover they run feldom fails to fcratch and tear hounds conliderably, I think you might be forry to fee your whole pack disfigured by it. The agility of this little animal is really wonder- ful ; and though it falls frequently from a tree, in the midit of a whole pack of hounds, all in- tent on catching it, there are but few inftances, I believe, of a martin's being caught by them in that lituation. H 2 l^ loo THOUGHtS UPON HUNTINCi. In fummer hounds might hunt in an evening: — I know u pack, that after having killed one fox in the morning with the young hounds, killed another in the evening with the old ones. Scent generally lies well at the elofe of the day, yet there is a great obje6lion to hunting at that time; — animals are then more cafily difturbed, and you have a greater variety of icents than at an earlier hour. Having given you all the information that I can poffibly recolledl:, with regard to my own management of young hounds, I fliall now take notice of that part of your lafl letter, where, I am forry to find, our opinions differ. — Obedience, you fay, is every thing neceffary in a hound, and that it is of little confequenee by what means it is obtained. I cannot concur altogether in that opinion ; for I think it very necelfary, that the hound lliould at the fame time underlland you. Obedience, under proper management, will be a necefTary confequenee of it. Obedience, furely, is not all that is required of them ; they fliould be taught to diflinguifh of themfelves right from wrong, or I know not how they are to be ma- naged ; when, as it frequently happens, we can- not fee what they are at, and mufl take their words for it. A hound that hears a voice which has often rated him, and that hears the whip he has often felt, I know, will flop. I alfo know, he THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. lOt he will commit the fame fault again, if he has been accuftomcd to be guilty of it. Obedience, you very rightly obferve, is a ne- ceffary quality in a hound, for he is ufelefs with- out it. It is, therefore, an excellent principle for a huntfman to {et out upon ; yet, good as it is, I think it may be carried too far. I would not have him infill on too much, or torment his hounds inal-ci-propos, by forcibly exacting from them what is not abfolutely neceffary to your dl - verfion. You fay, he intends to enter your hounds at hare : — is it to teach them obedience ? Does he mean to encourage vice in them for the fake of corre6ling it afterwards ? — I have heard, in- deed, that the way to make hounds fteady from hare, is to enter them at hare:* that is, to en- courage them to hunt her. The belief of fo flrange a paradox requires more faith than I can pretend to. It concerns rac to be under the neceflity of dif^ fering from you in opinion ; but iince it cannot now be helped, wc will purfue the fubjecV, and examine it throughout. Permit me then to afk * In proper hands either method may do. The method here propofed feems beft fuited to fox-hounds in general, a? well as to thofe who have the direction of them. The talents of fome men are fuperior to all rules ; nor i? their fuccefs any pofitive proof of the g0(^dnefs cf their method. TI 3 you 102 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. you, what It is you propofe from entering your hounds at hare ? Two advantages, I fhall pre- fume, you expect from it — the teaching of your hounds to hunt, and teaching them to be obe- dient. However neceffary you may think thefe requifites in a hound, I cannot but flatter myfelf that they are to be acquired by lefs exceptionable means. The method I have already mentioned to make hounds obedient, as it is pra6lifed in my own kennel — that of calling them over often in the kennel, to ufe them to their names,* and walking them out often amongfl fheep, hares, and deer, from which they are flopped to ufc them to a rate, in my opinion, would anfwer your purpofe better. The teaching your hounds to hunt, is by no means fo neceirary as you feem to imagine. Nature will teach it them, nor need you give yourfelf fo much concern about it. Art only will be necefTary to prevent them from hunt- ing what they ought not to hunt ; and do you think your method a proper one to accom- plifh it ? The firil and moll: cffential thing towards making hounds obedient, I fuppofe, is to make them underftand you ; nor do I apprehend that you will find any difficulty on their parts, but fuch * Vide note page 43. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 103 as iTiay be occasioned on your's.* The language we ule to them to convey our meaning fhould never vary ; flill lefs fhould wc alter the very meaning of the terms we ufe. "Would it not be abfurd to encourage when we mean to rate ? and if we did, could we expecl to be obeyed ? You will not deny this, and yet you are guilty of no lefs an inconliftency, when you encourage your hounds to run a fcent to-day, which you know, at the fame time, you muft be obliged to break them from to-morrow — is it not running counter to juflice and to rcalbn ? I confefs there is fome ufe in hunting young hounds, where you can eafily command them; but even this you may pay too dearly for. Enter your hounds in fmall covers, or in fuch large ones as have ridings cut in them ; whippers-ia can then get at them, can always fee what they are at, and I have no doubt that you may have a pack of fox-hounds ready to fox by this means, without adopting lb prepofterous a method as that of firft making have-hunters of them. You will find, that hounds thus taught what game they are to hunt, and what they arc not, will * Were huntfmen to fcream continually to their hounds, ufing the fame halloo whether they were drawing, carting, or running, the hounds could not underftand them, and probably U'ould fhew, on every occafion, as little attention to them as they would deferve. H 4 flop I04 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIKG, ftop at a word, becaufethey will underftand you: and, after they have been treated in this manner^ a fmav-k only of t4ie whip will fpare you the in- humanity of cutting your hounds in pieces (not very jultly) for faults which you yourfelf have enccaraged them to commit. In your lafi letter you fcem very anxious to get y(>ur young hounds well blooded to fox, at the fame time that you talk of entering them at hare. How am I to reconcile fach contradidlions ? If the blood of fox be of fo much ufe, furely you cannot think the blood of hare a matter of indilFercnce ; unlefs you ihould be of opinion, that a fox is better eating. You may think, per- haps, it was not intended they Hiould hunt fheep; yet we very well know, when once they have l^:iUed fheep, that they have no difllke to mutton afterwards. You have conceived an idea, perhaps, that a fox-hound is defigned by nature to hunt a fox^ Yet, furely, if that were your opinion, you would not think of entering him at any other game. I cannot, however, fuppofe nature defigned the dog, which we call a fox-hound, to hunt fox only, fmce, we very well know, he Vvill alfo hunt other Tinimals. That a well bred fox-hound may give a preference to ^xrmin, c^vteris far'ihus^ \ will not dilpute : it is very pofiible he may ; but of THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I05 of this I am certain — that every fox-hound will leave a bad fcent of fox for a good one of either hare or deer^ unlefs he has been made Heady from them ; and in this I fhall not fear to be contra- dicted. But as I do not vvifh to enter mto ab- ftrufe reafoning with you, or think it in anywiie material to our prefent purpofe, whether the dogs we call fox-hounds were originally deiigned by nature to hunt fox or not ; we will drop the fubjedl:. I mufl at the fame time beg leave to obferve, that dogs are not the only animals in which an extraordinary diverfity of fJDecies has happened fince the days of Adam : yet a great naturaliil tells us, that man is nearer, by eight degrees, to Adam, than is the dog to the iirll dog of his race ; Hnce the age of man is bur- fcore years, and that of a dog but ten. It thcie- fore follows, that if both fhould equally degene- rate, the alteration would be eight times more remarkable in the dog than in man. The two mofl necefiary queflions which refult from the foregoing premifes, are — whether hounds entered at hare are perfeClly fteady, afterwards, to fox— -and', whether fleadinefs be not attainable by more reafonable means ? Having never hunted with gentlemen who foUqw this pradHce^ I muft leave the firft queflion for other^^! to deternine; but having always had my hounds ftead\ , I can myfclf anfwer the fcconcL The X06 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. The obje6lions I have now made to the treat- ment of young hounds by fome huntfmen, though addreffed, my friend, to you, are general ol:)jec- tions, and Ihould not perfonally offend you, I know no man more juft, or more humane, than yourfelf. The difapprobation you fo firongly marked in your laft letter of the feverity ufed in fome kennels, the noble animal we both of us admire is much beholden to you for. Your in- tention of being preknt yourfelf the firfl: time a hound is flogged, to fee how your new whipper-in behaves himfelf, is a pro jf of benevolence, which the Italian author of the moll humane book,"* could not fail to commend you for. Huntfmen and whippersin ^e feldom fo unlucky as to have your feelings ; yet cufrom, which authorifes them to flog hounds unmercifully, does not do away the barbarity of it. — A gentleman feeing a girl fkinning eels alive, allced her, " if it was not *' very cruel !" — " O not at all, Sir," replied the girl, " they he vfed to it."' < * Dei delitti e delle pene. LET- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ICJ LETTER VIII. YOU dciire to know if there be any remedy for the diftemper among dogs. I Ihall, therefore, mention all the dilbrders which my hounds have experienced, and point out the re- medies which have been of fervice to them. The diftemper you inquire about is, I beheve, the moft fatal (the plague only excepted) that any animal is fubjedl to. Though not long known in this country, it is almoft inconceivable what numbers have been deitroyed by it in lb fhort a period; feveral hundreds I can rayfclf place to this mortifying account. It feems happily to be now on the decline ; at leaft, is lefs frequent and more mild ; and probably in time may be en- tirely removed. The effecls of it are too gene- rally known to need any defcription of them here; I wifh the remedies were known as well ! A brother fportfman communicated to me a remedy, which, he faid, his hounds had found great benefit from, viz. an ounce of Peruvian hark, in a glajs of Tort wine, taken twice a day. — It is not infallible; but in fome Hages of this dif- 108 THOUGHTS UPON" HUNTING. diforcler is certainly of ufe. The hound moil m- feded, that ever I knew to recover, was a large ilag-hound; he \ny five days without being able to get off the bench ; receiving little nourifhment durhig the whole time of the diforder, except the medicine, with which he drank three bot- tles of Port wine. You may think, perhaps, the feeder drank his fhare — it is probable he irJght, had it not been fent ready mixed up with the bark. I once tried the foudre unique, think- ing it a proper medicine for a diforder which is faid to be putrid ; but I cannot fay any thing in its favour, with regard to dogs, at leaft. Nor- ris's drops I have alio given, and v/ith fuccefs. I gave a large table- fpoonful of them in an equal quantity of Port wine, three times a day; as the dog grew better, I leficned the quantity. When dogs run much at the nofe, nothing will contri- bute more to the cure of them than keeping that part clean ; when that cannot conveniently be done, emetics will be necelTary: the beft I know is a large fpoonful of common fait, difTolved in three fpoonfuls of warm water.* The iirft fymp- tom of this diforder generally is a cough. As foon as it is perceived amongft my young hounds, great attention is paid to them : they have plenty * The quantity of fait muft be proportioned to the fize of t]ie dog, and to the difficulty there may be to make iiim va-, niit. 3 of THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 109 of clean ftraw, and are fed oftener and better than at other times ; as long as they continue to eat the kennel meat, they are kept together; as loon as any of them refufe to feed, they are re- moved into another kennel, the door of the lodging-room is left open in the day, and they are only Ihut up at night : being out in the air is of great fervice to them. To fuch as are very bad, I give Norris's drops ; to others, emetics; whilft fome only require to be better fed than or- dinary, and need no other remedy.* They ihould be fed from the kitchen, when they re- fufe the kennel meat. Sometimes they will lofe the ufe of their hinder parts ; bleeding tliera, by cutting of the lail joint of the tail, may, per- haps, be of fervice to them. I cannot fpeak of it with any certainty, yet I have reafon to think that I once faved a favourite dog by this opera- tion. In fhort, by one method or another, I think they may always be recovered. The likelleft prefervative for thofe that are well is keeping them warm at night, and feeding them high. This diforder being probably infec- tious, it is better to provide an hofpital for fuch as are feiz,ed with it, which fhould be in the * Hounds that have the dulemper upon them have but lit- tle appetite. By feeding two or three together, they eat more greedily. back no THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. back part of the kennel. There is no doubt that Ibme kennels are healthier than others, and confequently lefs liable to it. I apprehend mine to be one of thofe; for in a dozen years I do not believe that I have lofi: half that number of old hounds, although I lofc lb great a number of whelps at their walks. Neighbouring kennels have not been equally fortunate : I have ob- ferved, in fome of them, a diforder unknown in mine; I mean a fwelHng in the fide, whieh fome- times breaks, butfoon rfter forms again, and ge- nerally proves fatal at lall. I once heard a friend of mine fay, whofc kennel isfubje61 to this com- plaint, that he never knew but one inftance of a dog who recovered from it. I have, however, lince known another, in a dog I had from him, which I cured by frequently rubbing with a di- geftive ointment : the tumour broke, and formed again fevcral times, till at lafl it entirely difap- pearcd. The diforder we have now been treat- ing of has this, I think, in common with the putrid fore throat, that it ufually attacks the weakefl. Women are more apt to catch the fore throat than men ; children, than women; and young hounds more readily catch this diforder than old. When it feizes whelps at their walks, or young hounds, when lirft taken from them, it is then moft dangerous. I alfo think that mad- nefs, their inflammatory fever, is lefs frequent than it was before this diforder was known. I There THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. HI There are few diforders which dogs are fo fub- je6t to as the mange. Air and exercife, whol- fome food, and cleanlinefs, are the beft prefer- vatives againfl it. Your feeder fliould be parti- cularly attentive to it, and when he perceives any fpot upon them, let him rub it with the follow- ing mirtture : A pint of train oil, Half a pint of oil of turpentine, A quarter of a pound of ginger, in powder, Half an ounce of gunpowder, finely powdered, Mixed up cold. If the diforder fliould be bad enough to reiifl: that, three mild purging balls, one every other day, fhould be given, and the dog laid up for a little while afterwards. For the red mange, yoil may ufe the following: Four ounces of quickfilver, Tvto ounces of Venice turpentine, One pound of hog's lard. The quicktilver and turpentine are to be rubbed together, till the globules all difappear. When you apply it, you mufl rub an ounce, once a day, upon the part affedled, for three days fuc- ceffively. This is tO be ufed when the hair comes olF, or any rednefs appears. How wonderful is the fatigue which a fox- hound undergoes! Could you count the miles he tl2 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. he runs, the number would appear almofl incre- dible. This he undergoes cheerfully; and, per- haps, three times a week, through a long fea- fon: his health, therefore, well delervcs your care; nor fhould you fufFer the leaft taint to in- jure it. Huntfmen are frequently too negligent in this point. I know one in particular, a fa- mous one too, whofe kennel was never free from the mange, and the fmell of brimflone was oftentimes ftronger, I believe, in the nofes of his hounds than the fcent of the fox. — If you chufe to try a curious prefcription for the cure of the mange, in the Phil. Tranf. No. 25, p. 45 1^, you will find the following : '^ Mr. Cox procured an old mungrel cur, all " over mangy, of a middle lize, and having, '' fome hours before, fed him plentifully with " cheefe-parings and milk, he prepared his ju- *' gular vein ; then he made a ftrong ligature on " his neck, that the venal blood might be cmit- ^' ted with the greater impetus; after this, he '^ took a young land fpaniel, about the fame '' bignefs, and prepared his jugular vein like- " wife, that the defcendent part might receive " the mangy dog's blood, and the afccndent dif- " charge his own into a difli; he transfufed " about fourteen or lixtcen ounces of the blood " of the mfeded into the veins of the found dog; *' bv this experiment there appeared no alteration " in THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. Jlj '^ in the found one^ but the mangy dog was^ in " about ten days, or a fortnight's time, perfe6lly *' cured ; and poffibly this is the quickefl and " fureft remedy for that difeafe^ either in man «' or beaft." Hounds fometimes are bitten by vipers: fweet oil has been long deemed a certain antidote; fome fhouid be apphed to the part, and fome taken inwardly. Though a friend of mine in- forms me, that the common cheefe rennet, ex- ternally applied, is a more efficacious remedy than oil, for the bite of a viper. They are liable to Wounds and cuts: Friar's balfam is very good, if applied immediately; yet, as it is apt to fhut up a bad wound too loon, the following tin(51:ure in fuch cafes may, perhaps, be preferable; at leaft, after the firfl dreffing or two — Of Barbadoes aloes, two ounces, Of myrrh, pounded, three ounces^ Mixed up with a quart of brandy. The bottle fhouid be well corked, and put into" a bark bed, or dunghill, for about ten days or a fortnight. The tongue of the dog, in moft cafes, is his bed furgeon; where he can apply that, he will feldom need any other remedy. A green, or feton, in the neck, is of greal, rehef in moft diforders of the eyes ; and I have frequently known dogs ahnoft blind, recovered by it. It is 114 THOUGHTS UPON HUTJTING. alfo of fervice when dogs arc fhaken in the Hioulders, and has made many fonnd.* -In the latter cafe, there fhould be two, one applied on each fide, and as near to the flioulder as it is poffible. The following ointment may be uicd to difperfe fwellings : Of frefh mutton fdet, trlsd^ two pounds, Of gum elemi, one pound, Of common turpentine, ten ounces. The gum is to be melted with the fuet, and, when taken from the fire, the turpentine is to be mixed with it, ftraining the mixture vvhilft it \^ hot. Dogs frequently are flubbed in the foot r the tincture before-mentioned, and this, or any digcflive ointment, will loon recover them.-j^ For flralns, I ufe two- thirds of fpirits of wine, and one of turpentine, mixed up together; the Bri- tifh oil is alfo good : hounds, from blows, or other accidents, are often lame in the flifle : ei- ther of thefe, frequently applied, and long reil-, are the likeliefl means that I know of to recover * Turning a hound out of the kennel will fometimcs cure a lamenefs in the fliouldero. An attentive huntfman will per- ceive, from the manner of a hound's galloping, when this lamenefs takes place; and the hound fl:ould be tunied out im- mediately. Care fliould be taken that a hound, turned out, do not become fat. f An obfHnate Icrrenefs fometimes is increafed by humours, Ph) fic, in Uiat cale, may be ntctflary to remove it. them. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINGi 115 iliem. The following excellent remedy for a flrain, with which I have cured myfelf, and many Others, I have alfo found of benefit to dogs^ vvhcn flrained in the leg or foot. DifTolve two ounces of camphire in half a pint of fpirits of wine, and put to it a bullock's gall. The part affeded mull be rubbed before the fire three or four times a day. Sore feet are foon cured with brlnPj pot-lIqUor, or fiilt and vinegar, a handful of fait to a pint of vinegar ; if iieither of thefe will do, mercurial ointment may then be neceffary. A plafler of black pitch is the befl cure for a thorn in either man, horfe, or dog ; and I have known it fuc- ceed afler every thing elfe had failed. If the ipart be much inflamed, a common poultice bound over the plafler will afTifl in the cure. Hounds frequently are lame in the knee, fometimes from bruifes, fometimes fi'om the flab of a thorn ; digeftive ointment, rubbed in upon the part, ■will generally be of fervice.* If hounds be much troubled with worms, the following is the bell cure that 1 am acquainted with : * If the knee continue foul, bliflers and long refl afterwards are the moll likely means to recover it. la Of Il6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTllffd. Of pewter, pulverized, i drachm lo grs. Of i^thiops mineral, i6 grs. This is to be taken three times; every other day, once: the dog fhould be kept warm, and from cold water. Whey, or pot-liquor, may be given him two or three hours after, and fhould be continued, infiead of meat, during the time he is taking the medicine. The beft way of giving it is to mix it up with butter, and then to make it into balls with a little flour. When a dog is rough in his coat, and fcratchcs much, tv/o or three purging balls, and a little reft afterwards, feldom fail to get him into order again. To make dogs fine in their coats, you fhould ufe the following dreffing: One pound of native fulphur, One quart of train oil, One pint of oil of turpentine,. Two pounds of foap. My hounds are dreiTed with it two or three times only, in a year: in fomc kennels, I am told they drefs them once in two months. The more frequently it is done, the cleaner, I fuppofe, your hounds will look. Should you choofe to drefs your puppies before they are put out to their walks, the following receipt, which I re- ceived from a friend of mine in StafFordfhire, (the THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. II7 (the perfon already mentioned in this letter, an •excellent tportfman, to whom I have many ob- ligations) will anlwer the purpole beft, and on their change of diet, from milk to meat, may be fometimes neceflary : Three quarters of cin ounce of quickfilver, Half a pint of fpirits of tux-pentiae, Four ounces of hog's lard, One pound of folt foap, Three ounces of common turpentine, in which the quickfilver mud be killed. Inflin6l direcSls dogs, when the llomach is out of order, to be their own phylieian ; and it is from their example that we owe cur knowledge how to relieve it. It may appear foreign to our prefent purpofe; yet as it is much (if true) to the honour of animals in general, I mull beg leave to add, what a French author tells us:— that alfo by the hippopotamus, we are inftru6led how to bleed, and by the crane, how to give a clyfler. I have already declared my difapproba- tion of bleeding hounds, unlefs they abfolutely want it : when they refufe their food, from hav- ing been over worked ; or when they have taken a chill, to which they are very fubje^l, then the lofs of a little blood may be of ule to recover them. Sick hounds will recover Iboner, if fuf- fered to run about the houfe, than if they be con- fined in the kennel. I 3 Mad- Il8 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Madnefs, thou dreadful malady ; what Ihall i fay to thee ! or what prefervative ihall I find againfl thy envenomed fang ! Somervile, who declines writing of lefTer ills, is not lilent on the fubjecl of this : " Of lefTer ills the mufe declines to fing, Nor ftoops fo low ; of thefe each groom can tell The proper remedy." I wifh til is worthy gentleman, to whom we have already been fo much obliged, had been lefs fpar- ing of his inf!ru61ions ; fince it is poffible grooms may have all the knowledge he fappofes them to have, and their maflers may ftand in need of it. No man, I believe, will complain of being too well informed: nor is any knowledge unnecef- fary which is likely to be put in practice. The executive part is fully fufficient to truft in the groom*s hands. Somervile's advice on the fub- jedl of madnefs, is worthy your notice : *' When Sirius reigns, and the fun's parching beams Bake the dry gaping fuiface, vifit thou Each ev'n and morn, with quick obfervant eye, The panting pack. If in dark fullen mood, The gloating hound refufe his wonted meal, Retiring to fome clofe obfcure retreat, Gloonry, difconfolate; with fpeed remove The poor infectious wretch, and in ftrong chains Bind iiim lufpeded. Thus ttiat dire difeafe "Which art can't cure, wife caution may prevent." Plenty THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 1 19 Plenty of water, whey, greens, phyiic, air, and cxercife, fuch as I have before mentioned, have hitherto preferved my kennel from its baneful in- fluence ; and, without doubt, you will alfo find their good effects. If, notwithftanding, you iliould at any time have rcatbn to fufpecSl the approach of this evil, let your hounds be well ob- ferved at the time when they feed ; there will be no danger whilft they can cat. Should a whole pack be in the fame predicament, they muft be chained up feparately ; and I Ihould be very cau- tious what experiment I tried to cure them ; for I have been told by thofe who have had madnefs in their kennels, and who have drenched their hounds to cure it, that it was the occafion of its breaking out a long time afterwards, and that it continued to do fo, as long as they give them any thing to put it off. — If a few dogs only have been bitten, you had better hang them. — If you futpedl any, you had better feparate them from the reft ; and a fhort time, if you ufe no remedy, will deter- mine whether they really were bitten or not.-— Should you, however, be defirous of trying a remedy, the following prefcription, I am told, is a very good one : Of Turbith's mineral eight gmrjSj Ditto fixteen grains, Pitto thirty-two grains. I 4 This 140 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. This is to be given for three mornings fuceer- lively ; beginning the firft day with eight grains, and increafing it according to the above direc^ tion. The dog fhould be empty when he takes it, and Ihould have been bled the day before. The dofe Ihould be given early in the morning, and the dog may have fome thin broth, or pot' liquor, about two or three o'clock^ but nothing elfe during the time h ; takes the medicine ; he fhould alfo be kept from water. The befh way to give it is in butter, and mad° up into balls with a little flour. Care muft be taken that he does not throw it up again. After the laft day of the medicine, he may be fed as ufual. Various are the drenches and medicines which are given for this diforder, and all faid to be infallible: this Jafl, howqver, I prefer. The whole pack belong- ing to a gentleman in my neighbourhood were bitten ; and he aflures me, he never knew an in^. ilance of a dog who went mad, that had taken this medicine. — The caution, which I have re- commended to you, I flatter myfelf will pre- serve you from this dreadful malady ; a malady, for which I krlow not how to recommend a re- medy. Several years ago I had a game-keeper mud}, bitten in the flefhy part of his thigh ; a horfe, that was Ipitten at the fame time, died raving mad ; the man was cured by Sir George Cob's medicine.— I have heard that the Ormfkirk icnedicine is alfo very good. I have given it to fcveral THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 121 feveral people in my neighbourhood^ and, I be- lieve, with fuccefs ; at leaft, I have not, as yet, heard any thing to the contrary — Though I men- tion thefe as the two moft favourite remedies, I yecommend neither. Somervile's advice, which I have already given, is what I recommend to you- — if properly attended to, it will prevent the want of any remedy. P. S. A Treatifc on canine madnefs, written by Dr. James, is worth your reading. You will find, that he prefcribes the fame remedy for the cure of madnefs in dogs, as I have mentioned here, but in different quantities. I have, how- ever taken the liberty of recommending the quan- tities above-mentioned, as they have been known to fucceed in my neighbourhood, and as the ef- ^cacy of them has been very frequently proved. LET- tZZ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINCf* LETTER IX. THE variety of queftions which you are pleafed to afk concerning the huntfman, will, perhaps, be better anfwered, when we are on the fubje6t of hunting. In the mean time, I will en- deavour to defcribe what a good huntfman fhould be. He fhould be young, flrong, adive, bold and enterprifing ; fond of the diverlion, and in- defatigable in the purfuit of it ; he fliould be fen- iible and good-tempered ; he ought alfo to be fo- ber ; he ihould be exa^l, civil, and cleanly ; he fhould be a good horfcman, and a good groom ; his voice fhould be flrong and clear, and he fhould have an eye fo quick, as to perceive which of his hounds carries the fcent, when all are run- ning ; and fhould have fo excellent an ear, as always to diflingullh the foremoft hounds, when he does not fee them. He fhould be quiet, pa- tient, and without conceit. Such are the excel- lencies which conflitute a good huntfman : he fhould not, however, be too fond of difplaying them, till neccfiity calls them forth. — He fhould let his hounds alone, whilll they can hunt, and he fhould have genius to ^K\^ them, when they cannot. With XHGUGHTS rpOM HUNTING, I23 With regard to the whipper-in, as you keep two ©f them, (and no pack of fox-hounds is complete without) the firft may be confidered ^s a fecond huntfman, and Ihould have nearly the liime good qualities. It is neceffary betides, that he fhould be attentive and obedient to the huntfman ; and as his horfe will probably have moft to do, the lighter he is, the better; though if he be a good horfeman, the objedlion of his weight v/ill be fuf- ^ciently overbalanced. — He mufl not be con- ceited. 1 had one formerly, who, inflead of flopping hounds as he ought, would try to kill a fox by himfelf. — ^This fault is unpardonable ; — he lliould always maintain to the huntfman's halloo, and flop fuch hounds as divide from it. When Hopped, he fhould get forward with thera ^ftcr the huntfman. He mufl always be contented to a6l an tinder part, except when circumftances may require that he Ihould a6t otherwife;* and the moment they ceafe, he muft not fail to refume his former fla- tion. — You have heard me fay, that where there ^s much riot, I prefer an excellent whipper-in to an excellent huntfman. — The opinion, I believe, is new ; I muft therefore endeavour to explain it. * When the huntfrnaa cannot be up with the hounds, the whipper-in fliould ; in which cafe it is the bulinefs of the huntf- pian to bring on the tail hounds along witl^him. 4 My 124 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. My meaning is this : that I think I fhould have better ("port, and kill more foxes with a moderate huntfman, and an excellent whipper-in, ihan with the beft of huntfmen without fuch an allift- ant. You will fay, perhaps, that a good huntf- man will make a good whipper-in; — uot fuch, however, as I mean ; — his talent mnft be born with him. My reafons are, that good hounds, (and bad I would not keep) ofttner need the one than the other j and genius, which in a whipper- in, if attended by obedience, his firft requifite, can do no hurt; in a huntfman, is a dangeror.s, though a defirable quality ; and if not accom- panied with a large fhare of prudence, and I may lay humility, will oftentimes fpoil your fport, and hurt your hounds. A gentleman told me that he heard the famous Will Dean, when his hounds were running hard in a line with Daventry, from whence they were at that time many miles diflant, fwear exceedingly at the whipj^er-in, faying, ^' What hujimfs have you hcreT'' the man was amazed at the quefiion, " vchy dan^t you knoiv* laid he, " aiid he d—d to you^ that the great earth " at Daventry is open F' — -The man got forward, and reached the earth jull time enough to fee the fox go in. — If therefore whippers-in be left at liberty to a6l as they fhall think right, they are much lefs confined than the himtfman himfelf, who muft follow his hounds j and, confequently they TftOUGHTS UPON fiUNTlNG. I25 they have greater fcope to exert their genius, if they have any. I had a difpute with an old fportfman, who contended, that the whipper-in fhould always at- tend the huntfman, to obey his orders ; (a ilable- boy, then, would make as good a whipper-in as the beil) but this is fo far from being tlie cafe, that he fhould be always on the oppotite tide of the cover from him, or I am much miflaken in my opinion : if within hearing of his halloo, he is near enough ; for that is the hunting fignai he is to obey. — The ftation of the fecond whipper-in may be near the huntlinan, for which reafon any boy that can halloo, and make a whip fmack, may anfwer the purpofe. Your firft whipper-in being able to hunt the hounds occafionally, will anfwer another gocd purpofe ; — it w^ill keep your huntfman in order. They are very apt to be impertinent when they think you cannot do without them. When you go from the kennel, the place of the firil whipper-in is before the hounds ; that of the fecond whipper-in fhould be fome diftance behind them ; if not, I doubt if they will be fuf- fered even to empty themfelves, let their necef* lities be ever fo great ; for as foon as a boy is made a whipper-in, he fancies he is to whip the hounds l26 THOUGHTS UPON HITNTING. bounds whenever he can get at them, whether they deferve it or not. I have always thought a huntfman a happy man ; his office is plealing, and at the fame time flattering; we pay him tor that which diverts him, and he is enriched by his greatell pleaiure ;* nor is a General after a victory, more proud, than is a huntfman who returns with his fox's head. I have heard that a certain Duke who allowed no vails to his fervants, afked his huntfman what he generally made of his field-money, and gave him what he aflced, inflead of it : this went on Yery well for fome time, till at laft the huntfman delired an audience. — *' Your Grace," faid he, *' is very generous, and gives me more than ever ** I got from field-money in my life, yet I come *' to beg a favour of your Grace — that you ** would let me take field money again; for I ** have not half the pleafure now in killing a fox, *' that I had before/' As you afk me my opinion of fcent, I think 1 had better give it you before we begin on the fub- jecSl of hunting. I mufl, at the fame time, take the liberty of telling you, that you have puzzled me exceedingly ; for fcent is, I believe, what we * The Jield-mone^ which is colleded at the death of a fox, jljportfmera THOUGHTS UPON HlTNTHsTG. IzJ Iportfrnen know leaft about ; and, to ufe the words of a great clallic writer; Hocjum contentus, quod eflam ft quo quidqiie fiat Ignorem, quid fiat intelhgo.'—C'ic. de d-iv. Soniervile, who, as I have before obferved, is the only one I know of, who has thrown any light on the fubjeA of hunting, fays, I think, but Httle about fcent ; I fend you his words ; I ihall afterwards add a few of my own. *' Should fome more curious fportfmen here inquire,^ "Whence this fagacity, this wond'rous power Of tracing ftep by ftep, or man, or brute? What guide invincible points out their way. O'er the dark marlh, bleak hill, and tkndy plain ? The courteous mufe fhall the dark caufe reveal. The blood that from the heart inceflant rolls In many a crinifon tide, then here, and there In fmaller rills difparted, as it flows Propell'd, the ferous particles evade. Thro' th* open pores, and with the ambient air Entangling mix, as fuming vapours rife, And hang upon the gently purling brook, There by the incumbent atmofphere comprefs'd The panting chace grows warmer as he flies, And thro' the net-work of the fkin perfpires ; Leaves a long — fteaming— trail behind ; which by The cooler air condens'd remains, unlefs By fome rude florm difpers'd, or rarefy'd By the meridian fun's intenfer heat, To every (hrub the warm effluvia cling, Hang on the grafs, impregnate earth and fkies. Witii J 25 THOUGHTS UF0If HtJNTIN^^ "With noftrils opening wide, o'er hill, o'er dale^ The vig'rous hounds purfue, with ev'ry breath Inhale the grateful ll:eam, quick pleafures fting Their tingling nerves, while their thanks repays And in triumphant melody confefs The titillating joy. Thus on the air Depends the hunters hopes." I cannot agree with Mr. Somervlle;, in think-' ing that fcent depends on the air only ; it de- pends alfo on the foil. Without doubt, the beft fcent is that, which is occalioned by the effluvia, as he calls it, or particles of fcent, which are con- ilantly perfpiring from the game as it runs, and are ftrongeft and moll favourable to the hound, when kept by the gravity of the air, to the height of his breaft ; for then, it neither is above his reach, nor is it neceffary that he fhould floop for it. At fuch times, fcent is faid to lie hreaji high. Experience tells us, that difference of foil occa- lions difference of fcent ; and on the richnefs and moderate moiflure of the foil does it alfo depend I think, as well on the air. At the time leaves begin to fall, and before they are rotted, we know that the fcent lies ill in cover. This alone would be a fufficient proof, that fcent does not depend on the air only. A ditfcrence of fcent is alio oc- cafioned by difference of motion ; the fafler the game goes, the lefs fcent it leaves. When game has been ridden after, and hurried on by impru- dent fportfmen, the fcent is kfs favourable to I hounds 'f TlidUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I5,0 hounds ; one reafon of which may be, that the particles of fcent are then more diflipated. But if the game fhould have been run by a dog not belonging to the pack, fcldom will any fcent re- main, I believe it is very difficult to alccrtain what fcent exadlly is ; I have known it alter very often in the fame day. I believe, however, that it de- pends chiefly on two things, '^ the condition the '' ground is in, and- the temperature of the air; both of which, I apprehend, Oiould be moiil", vv'ithout being wet : when both are in this con- dition, the fcent is then perfe6l ; and vice verfa, when 'he groitnd is hard, and the air dry, there feldom will be an^? (cent. — It fcarce ever lies v^^ith a north, or an eail wind ; a foutherly wind wnth- out rain, and a wefierly wind that is not rough, are the mofi: favourable. — Storms in the air are great enemies to fcent, and fcKlom fail to take it entirely away. — ^A fine fun fhiny day is not often a g'""© 1 hunting day ; but vHiat the French call^ jiur des dames^ warm without fun, is generally a perfect one : there are not many fuch in a vv^hole feafon. — ^In fome fogs, I have known the fcent lie high ; in others, not at all ; depending, I believe, on the qi;arter the wind is then in. — 1 havekinown rt lie very high m a mrft, when not too wet ; but if the wet fhould hang on the boughs and bufhes, it will fail upon the fcent, and deaden it.- K When' 130 THOtTGHTS UPON HUNTING. When the dogs roll, the fcent, I have frequently obferved, feldom lies ; for what reafon, I know not; but, with permiffion, if they fmell ftrong, when they firfl come out of the kennel, the pro-* verb is in their favour ; and tliat fmell is a prog- noflic of good luck. — When cobwebs hang on the bufhes, there is feldom much fcent. — During a white frofl the fcent lies high ; as it alfo does when the froft is quite gone : at the time of its going off, fcent never lies : it is a critical minute for hounds, in which their game is frequently loft. In a great dew the fcent is the fame. In heathy countries, where the game bruflies as it goes along, fcent feldom fails. Where the ground carries, the fcent is bad for a very evident reafon^ which hare-hunters, who purfue their game over greafy fallows, and through dirty roads, have great caufe to complain of. A wet night fre- quently produces good chaces, as then, the game neither like to run the cover, nor the roads. — It has been often remarked, that fcent lies beft in the richeft foils ; and countries which are favour- ble to horfes, are feldom fo to hounds. I have alfo obferved that, in fome particular places, let the temperature of the air be as it may, fcent never lies. Take not out your hounds on a very windy, or bad day. (' Thefe i THOUGHTS UPON HtJNTING. l^t *' Thefe aiifpicious days, on other cares Employ thy precious hours ; th' improving friend With open arms embrace, and from his Hps Glean fcience, feafon'd with good-natur'd wit; But if th' inclement fkics, and angry Jove, Forbid the pleafing intercourfe, thy books Invite thy ready hand, each facred page Rich with the wife remarks of heroes old." The fcntiments of Mr. Somervile always do him honour, but on no occafion, more than on this. In reading over my letter, I find I have ufed the word fmell, in a fenfe that perhaps you will criti- cize.— Al gentleman, who, I fuppofe, was not the fweetefl in the world, fitting in the front boxes at the play-houfe, on a crowded night, his neighbour very familiarly told him, that he f}neU Jirong : — " No, Sir," replied he, wiih infinite good humour, — " it is you that J}:uil, 1 jimk»* [The qualifications necefiary to make a good huntfmaii, Mr.Beckford has dwelt upon with much ingenuity in the former part of this letter, it is there- fore hoped, that our preienting the readers of his admired produ6lion, in this place, with a portrait of one who is reputed to be the befl: in the kingdom^ will be deemed appropriate ; his name is Rich- ard Fairbrother^ and hunts the pack belong- K % ing I3'3 THOUGHTS UPON IIUNTINGV ing to Mr. Newman, of Navcftock, in EfTes: :— ' the horfc on which he is fcated, called Jolly RoGER, is an old favourite, having carried him through fome of the fevereft chaces ever known.]. lET. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 133 LETTER X. THOUGHT that I had been writing all this time to a fox-hunter ; and hitherto my letters liave had no other objecft. I now receive a let- ter from you, full of queftions about hare-hunt- ing ; to all of which you expe6l an anfwer. I mufl tell you, at the fume time, that though I kept harriers many years, it was not my inten- tion, if you had not afkcd it, to have written on the fubje6t. By inclination, I was never a hare- hunter ; I followed this diveriion more for air and exercife, than amufement ; and if I could have perfuaded myfelf to ride on the turnpike road to Vne three-mile flone, and back again, I fliould have thought that I had had no need of a pack of han'iers. — Excufe me, brother hare-hunters ! I mean not to offend ; I fpeak but relatively to my own particular lituation in the country, where hare-hunting is fo bad, that it is more extraor- dinary I fliould have perfevered in it fo long, than that I flioyld forfake it now. I refpecft hunting in whatever fhape it appears ; it is a manly, and a wholelbme exercife, and feems, by nature, de- ligned to be the amufernent of a Briton. You afk, how many hounds a pack of har- riers fhould confift of ? and what kind of hound K 3 is 234 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. is beft fuitcd to that diverfion ? You fliould never exceed twenty couple in the field ; it might be difficult to get a greater number to run well together, and a pack, of harriers cannot, be com- plete if they do not:* befides, the fewer hounds you have, the lefs you foil the ground, which you otherwife would find a great hindrance to your hunting. Your other queltion is not eafily anfwered ; the hounds, I think, moft likely to fhew you fport, are between the large flow hunt- ing harrier; and the little fox beagle : the former are too dull, too heavy, and too flow ; the latter, too lively, too light, and too fleet. The firfl Ipecies, it is true, have mofi excellent nofes, and I make no doubt, will kill their game at laft, if the day be long enough ; but, you know, the days are fhort in winter, and it is bad hunting in the dark. The other, on the contrary, fling and dafh, and are all alive ; but every cold blaft af~ fe6ls them, and if your country be deep and wet, it is not impoflible that fome of them may be drowned. My hounds were a crofs of both thefe kinds, in which it was my endeavour to get as much bone and flrength, in as fma'.l a compafs as pofiible.—— — It was a difficult undcitakiijg. — ■ * A hound that runs too hH for the reft, ought not tp be kept. Some huntfmen load them with lieavy collars ; fome tie a long ftrap round their necks ; a better way would be to part with them. Whether they go tpoflow, or too faft, they ought equally to be drafted* 1 bred THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 13^ J bred many years, and an infinity of hounds, before I could get what I wanted : I, at lafl, had the pleafure to fee them very handfome ; fmall, yet very bony ; they ran remarkably well toge- ther ; ran fall enough ; had all the alacrity that you could delire, and would hunt the coldeft fcent. — When they were thus perfedl, I did, as many others do — 1 parted with them. It may be neceflary to unfay, now that I am turned hare-hunter again, many things I have been fayhig, as a fox-hunter; as I hardly know any two things of the fame genus, (if I may be allowed the exprelfion) that differ fo entirely. What I faid in a former letter, about the huntf- man and whipper-in, is in the number : as to the huntfman, he fhould not be young : I fnould mofi: certainly prefer one, as the French call it, d^un certain age, as he is to be quiet and patient ; for patience, he fhould be a very Grizzle ; and the more quiet he is, the better. He fhould have infinite perfeverance ; for a hare fhould never be given up, whilfl it is poffible to hunt hc^ : Ihe is fure to ftop, and therefore may always be re- covered. Were it ufual ^to attend to the breed of our huntfmen, as well as to that of our hounds^ I know no family that would furnifh a better crofs than that of the ftJeyit geyiihrnaiiy mentioned by the Spectator : a female of his line, crofTecJ K 4 with 1^6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. with a knowing buntfrnanj would probably pro* duce a perfect ha re -hunter. The whipper-in aifo has little to do with him, whom I before defcribed : yet lie may be like the fecond whipper-in to a pack oF Ibx-hounds ; the ilableboy who is to follow the hunlfman : but I •would have him flill more confined^ for lie Ihoald not dare even to flop a hound, or fmack a whip, without the hniitfman's order. Much noife and rattle is direclly contrary to tiie firft principles of hare -hunting, which is, to be perfeiily quiet, and to let your hounds alone. I have feen few hounds fo good as town packs, that have no pro- felTed huntlrnan to follow them. If they have BO one to affift them, they have at the fame time, no one to interrupt them ; which, I believe, for ibis kind of hunting, is ft ill more material. I flionld, however, meniion a fault I have obfervcd, and Vv'hich luch liounds muil of neceffity fome- times be guilty of; that is, running hack, the heel, 'Hounds are naturally fond of fccnt ; if they can- not carry it forward, they v/ill turn, and hunt it back again : hounds, that are left to themfelves, make a fault of this ; and it is, I think, the only cne they commonly have. — Though it be cer- tainly befl to \c\. your hounds alone, and thereby to give as much fcopc to their natural inftind, as you cap ; yet, in this particular inftance, you ihculd check it mildly ; for, as it is almofl an invariable THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I3J7 SHvarlable rule in all hunting, lo make the head good, you fhould encourage them to try forward firft ; which may be done without taking them. off their nofes, or without the ieaft prejudice to their hunting. If trying forward fliould not fuc- ceed, they may then be fujEfcn^d to try back again, which you will find them all ready enough to do ; for they are fenfii)le how far they brought the fccnt, and where they ]cft it. The love of Icent is natural to them, and they have infinitely jnore fagacity in it than we ought to pretend to — I have no doubt, that they often think us very pbltinate, and very fooliih. Harriers, to be good, like all other hounds, SMuft be kept to their own game : if you run fox with them, you fpoil them : hounds cannot be perfe6l unl^fs ufed to one fcent and one ftile of hunting. Harriers run fox in fo different a flile from hare, that it is of great differvice to thera when they return to hare again ; it makes them wild, and teaches them to iWrt. The high fcent which a fox leaves, the ftraightneis of his run- ning, the eagernels of the purluit, and the noife that generally accompanies it, all contribute to fpoil a harrier. I hope you agree with me, that it is a fault in a pack of harriers to go too fad ; for a hare is a little timorous animal, which we cannot help feelins: 138 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. feeling fome compaffioii for, at the very time when we are purfuing her deftruclion: we fhould give fcope to all her little tricks, nor kill her foully and over-matched.* Inftincl inflructs her to make a good defence when not unfiiirly treated ; and I will venture to fay, tliat, as far as her own fafety is concerned, fhe has more cunning than the fox, and makes many fliifts to fave her life, far beyond all his artifice. With- out doubt, you have ..often heard of hares, who, from the miraculous efcapes they have made, have been thought witches ; but, I believe, you never heard of a fox that had cunning enough to be thought a zvizard. They who like to rife early have amufement in feeing the hare trailed to her form ; it is of great fervicc to hounds ; it alfo fhews their good- nefs to the huntfman more-than any other hunting, as it difeoversto him thofe who have the mofb ten- der nofes. But, I eonfefs, I feldom judged it worth while to leave my bed a moment Iboner on that * The critic terms this *' a mode of deflru>5lion fomewhat beyond brutal." (Vide Monthly Review.) I fhall not pretend to juftify that conventional cruelty, which feems fo univerfally to prevail — neither will I aili the gentleman, who is fo fevere on me, why he feeds the Iamb, and afterwards cuts his throat; I mean only to confidcr cruelty under the narrow limits which concern hunting — if it may be defined to be, a pleafure which refulLs from giving pain, then certainly a fportfman is much lefs cruel than he is thought. I account THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I39 jaccount. I always thought hare-hunting fhould be taken as a ride after brcakfail, to get us an appetite to our dinner. If you make a ferious bulinefs of it, you fpoil it. Hare-finders, in this cafe, are necefiary : it is agreeable to know where to go immediately for your diverfion, and not beat about, for hours perhaps, before you find. It is more material with regard to the fecond hare than the firfl ; for if you are warmed with your gallop, the waiting long in the cold afterwards is, I believe, as unwholefome as it is difagreeable. Whoever does not mind this, had better let his hounds find their own game ; they will certainly hunt it with more fpirit afterwards, and he will have ^ pleafure himfelf in expe6lation which no certainty can ever give. Hare-finders make hounds idle ; they alfo make them wild. Mine knew the men as well as I did myfelf, could fee them as far, and would run, full cry, to meet them. Hare-finders are of one great nfe ; they hinder your hounds from chopping hares, which they, otherwife, could not fail to do. I had in my pack one hound in particular that was famous for it ; he would challenge on a trail very late at noon, and had a good knack at chopping a hare afterwards; he was one that liked to go the ihorteft v/ay to Vv^ork, nor did he choofe to take more trouble than was necefiary. — Is it not won- derful, that the trail of a hare fhould lie after fo many 14-3 THCUGMTS UPON HUNTIXG. niaoy hours, when the fceiit of her dies away {k ihon ? Hares are faid (I know not with what truth) to forefce a change of -weather, and to feat them- felves accordingly. This is liowever certain, that they are feldom found in places mvich expoled to the wind. In inclofures they more frequently sre found near to a hedge than in the middle of a iield. They who make a profeflion of nare-find- mg (and a very advantageous one it is in fome countries) are directed by the v.'ind where to look for their game. With good eyes and nice obfer- vation they are enabled to find them in any wea- ther. You may make forms, and hares will lit in them. I have heard it is a common pradlice with fhepherds on the Wiltfliire downs ; and, by making them on the fide of hills, they can tell i2t a diltance ofiV whether there arc hares in them or not. Without doubt people frequently do not Snd hares, from not knowing thcra in their forms. A gentleman, courling with his friends, was ihevvn a hare that was found fitting — *^* Is that "^ haref he cried, '^ then^ hy Jove, ! found twa *' this rnormng as isjc rode ahng.'^ .Though the talent of hare-finding is certainly ©l-U'fe; and the money colleded for it, when g"*ven to fne-pherds, is money well befiowed by fportfinaOj as it tends to the prefervation of his game -^. ^r THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 24 r game, yet I think, when it is indifcrimlnately given, that hare-fmders are often too well paid, I have known them frequently get more than a guinea for a lingle hare. I myfelf have paid five jQiillings in a morning for hares found fitting". To makre our companions pay dearly for their diverfion, and oftentimes fo much more than it is worth ; to take from the pockets of men who oftentimes can ill affbrd it, as much as would pay for a good dinner afterwards, is, in my opinion, an ungenerous cufiom ; and this confideratioii induced me to collect but once, with my hounds,- for the hare-finders. The money was afterwards divided amongft them, and if they had lefs than liaif a crown each, I myfelf fupplied the defici- ency.'— An old mifcr, who had paid his fhilling,. complained bitterly of it afterwards, and faid^ *• he had been made to pay a Jliilllng far tivo penny - ^^ ivorth of /port. ''^ "When the o-ame is found you cannot be too quiet : the hare is an animal fo very timorous, that ihe is frequently headed back, and your dogs are liable to over-run the fcent at every infiant ; it is beft, therefore, to keep a confiderable way behind them, that they may have room to turn as foon as they perceive they have loft the fcent ; and, if treated in this manner, they will feldom over-run it much. Your hounds, throtigh the whole chace, fhould be left almofi entirely to them* 142. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. themfelves, nor fhould they be hallooed much ? tvhen the hare doubles, they fhould hunt through thofe doubles ; nor is a hare hunted fairly when hunted otherwife. They fhould follow her every flep fhc takes, as well over greafy fallows as through flocks of fheep ; nor fhould they ever be caft, but when nothing can be done without it. I know a gentleman, a pleafant fportfman, but a very irregular hare-hunter, who does not ex- a61:ly follow the method here laid down. As his method is very extraordinary I will relate it to you : — His hound? are large and Heet ; they have at times hunted every thing ; red deer, fallow deer, fox, and hare ; and muft in their nature have been mofl excellent, iince, notwithftanding the variety of their game, they are ftill good. When a hare is found fitting, he leldom fails to give his hounds a view; and as the men all halloo, and make what noifc they can, flie is half fright- ened to death immediately. This done, he then fends his whipper-in to ride after her, with par- ticular dirc6lions not to let her get out of his fight ; and he has found out, that this is the only proper ufe of a whipper-in. If they come to a piece of fallow, or a flock of fheep, the hounds are not fufiered to hunt any longer, but are cap- ped and hallooed as near to the hare as poffiblc; by this time the poor devil is near her end, which' the next view generally finifhes ; the fi:rongeft hare, in this manner, feldom fianding twenty minutes ; THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I43 minutes; but, my friend fays, a hare Is good eating, and he therefore thinks, that he cannot kill too many of them. By what Martial fays, I fuppofe he was of the fame opinion, " Inter quadrupedes gloria prima lepus." A propos to eating them. — I muft tell you, that in the Encyclopedic, a book of univerfal know- ledge, where, of courfe, I expelled to iind fome- thing on hunting, which might be of fervice to you, as a fportfman, to know, I found the fol^ lowing advice about the dreffing of a hare, v/hich. may be of ufe to your cook ; and the regard I have for your health will not fuffer me to con- ceal it from vou. — "• 0?i vianze le levraut roti dans *' qicJques provinces du rojaume, en Gajcogne et en *' Languedoc, par exemph^ avec unefance compofee " de v'maigre et defucre, qui eft mauvaife, malfaine *'^ en foi eJfentieJlement y mais qui ejtfurtoizt abomina-^ *' hie pour tons ceux qui riy font pas accoufumes.^* You, without doubt, therefore, will think your- felf obliged to the authors of the Encyclopedic for their kind and friciidly information. Having heard of a fmall pack of beagles to be difpofed of in Derbyfliire, I fent rny coachman^ the perfon whom I could at that time beft Ipare, to fetch them. It was a long journey, and not having been ufed to hounds, he had fome trouble in getting them along ; alfo, as ill-luck would have 144 T:!0UGHT3 upon HirNTINC?^ have it, they had not been out of the kennel for many weeks before, and were fo riotous, that Ihey ran after every thing they faw ; fnecp, cur- dogs, and birds of all forts, as well as hares and deer, I found, had been his amufement, all the way along: however, he loft but one hound; and when I aiked him what he thought of them, he faid — " they could not fail of being good " hounds, for they would hunt arty thingJ" In your nnfver to my lafi: letter, you aflc, cf Tt'hat Service it can be to a huntfmain to be a good groom? and, vHiether I think he will hunt hounds' the belter for it ?— ^1 v/onder you did not afl^, why he fliould be cleanly f—\ fhould be more at a lols how to anfwer yon. My huntfman has ghvays the cure of his own horfes; I never yet tncw oiw. who did not think himfelf canable of it; it is for that rcafon I vviih him to be a good groonu You fay, that you cannot fee how z. huntfman of genius can fpoil your fport, or hurt your hounds ? . — 1 will tell you how : — by too much foul play he frequently will catch a fos before he is half tired ; > and by lifting his hounds too much, he' will teach them to ihuffle. — An improper ufe of the one may ijooil your fport ; too frequent ufe of the otncr. muft hurt your hounds. L E T- THOUGHTS Ut'ON HUNTING. i4j LETTER Xi. T HAVE already obferved, that a trail in the morning is of great fervice to hounds; andj that to be perfe6l, they fhould always find their own game : for the method of hare-finding, though more convenient, will occafion fome vices in them which it will be impofiible to cor- reft. Mr. Somervile's authority ftrengthens my ob« fervation; that, when a hare is found, all Ihould be quiet : nor fliould you ride near your hounds., till they are well fettled to the fcent. -let all be hufh'd, No clamour loud, no frantic joy be heard; Left the wild hound run gadding o'er the plain Untra(5lable, nor hear thy chiding voice." The natural eagernefs of the hounds will, at fuch a time, frequently carry even the beil of them wide of the fcent; which too much en- couragement, or preffing too clofe upon them, may continue beyond all poffibility of recovery: this fhould be always guarded againft. After a little while, you have lefs to fear. You may ihen approach them nearer, and encourage them L roore; 14" THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, more: leaving, however, at all times, fufficient room for them to turn, fhould they over-run the ibent. On high roads and dry paths bc^ always doubtful of the fcent, nor give them much en- couragement ; but when a hit is made on either iide, you may halloo as much as you pleafe; nor can you then encourage your hounds too much. A hare generally defcribes a circle as fhe runs; larger or lefs, according to her ilrength, and the opennefs of the country. In inclofures, and where there is much cover, the circle is for the moil part fo fmall that it is a conftant puzzle to the hounds. They have a Gordian knot, in that cafe, ever to unloofe; and though it may aiford matter of fpeculation to the philofopher, it is always contrary to the wifhes of the fportf- man. Such was the country I hunted in for many years. " Huntfman ! her gait obferve : if in wide rings She wheels her mazy way, in t!ie fame round Perfifting flill, llie'll foil the beaten track. Em if file fiy, and with the fav'ring wind Urge her bold courfe, lefs intricate thy tafk : Fufh on^hy pack." SoMERVIte. Belides running the foil, they frequently make doubles, which is going forward, to tread the (lime Heps back again, on purpofe to confufc their purfuers: and the fame manner in which they make the firil double, they generally conti- nue. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I47 iiue, whether long or fhort. This information, therefore, if properly attended to by the huntf- man, may be of me to him in his cafts. When they make their double on a high road^, or dry path, and then leave it with a fpring, it is often the occafion of a long fault; the fpring which a hare makes on thefe occafions is hardly to be credited, any more than is her ingenuity in making it; both are wonderful! *' '■ let cavillers deny That bi*utes have reafon ; fure 'tis fomething more: *Tis Heaven direfts and ftratagems iiifpire, Beyond the fhort extent of human thought." SOMERVILE. She frequently, after running a path a coniider- able way, will make a double, and then flop till the hounds have paft her; fhe will then fteal away as fecretly as Ihe can, and return the fame way fhe came. This is the greateft of all trials for hounds. It is fo hot a foil, that in the beft packs there are not many hounds that can hunt it ; you muH follow thofe hounds that can, and try to hit her off where Ihe breaks her foil, which in all probability flie will foon do, as fhe now flatters herfelf fhe is fecure. When the fcent lies bad in covef, fhe will fometimes feem to hunt the hounds. La ** — Th« 148 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, The covert's utmoft bound Slily fhe ftirts; behind them cautious creeps, And in that very track, fo lately ftain'd By all the fleaming crowd, feenis to purfue The foe file flies." — Somervile, When the hounds are at a check, make your huntfman ftand i\i\\, nor lliffer him to move his horfe one way or the other: hounds lean natu- rally toward the Icent, and if you fay not a word to them, will foon recover it. If you Ipeak io a hound at fuch a thne, calling him by his name, which is too much the pra6lice, he feldom fails to look up in your face, as much as to fay, whaf the deuce do yoii ivatit? — when he (loops to the fcent again, is it not probable that he means to fay. You fool, you, let me alone. When your hounds are at faulty let not a word be faid : let fuch as follow them ignorantly and unworthily ftand all aloof — Proculy 0 pro ml ejie prof am! for whilft fuch are chattering, not a hound will hunt. A ■propos, Sir, a politician will fay — What news from America .' A pro- mos— Do you think both the admirals will be tried ? Or, propos — Did you hear what has happened to my grandmother? Such qucflions are, at fuch a time, extremely troublcfomc, and very mal-a-proj)os. Amongft the ancients, it was reckoned an III omen to fpeak in hunting — I with jt were thought io now. Hoc age fliould be one of THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 149 o£ the firfl: maxims in hunting, as in life; and I can afTure you, when I ain in the field, I never wifh to hear any other tongue than that of a hound. A neiglibour of mine was fo truly a hare-hunter in this particular, that he would not fufFer any body to fpeak a word when his hounds were at fault : a gentleman happened to cough; he rode up to him immediately, and faid, *^ / ivij/i, Sir, zi'i/h all 7ny heart, that your cough *' was better^'' In a good day, good hounds feldom give up the fcent at head ; if they do, there is generally an obvious reafon for it : this obfervation a huntf- man fhould always make ; it will dire6l his call. If he be a good one, he will attend, as he goes, not only to his hounds, nicely obferving which have the lead, and the degree of feent they carry; but alio to the various cireumHances that are con- tinually happening from change of weather, and diiference of ground. He will likewife be mind- ful of the diftance which the hare keeps before ihe hounds, and of her former doubles; he will alio remark what point fhe makes to. All thefe obfervations will be of ufe, if a long fault make his affiftance necelTary ; and if the hare fhould have headed back, he will carefully obferve whe- ther fhe met with any thing in her courfe to turn her, or turned of her own accord. When he cafts his hounds, let him begin by making a fmall L 3 circle; 150 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. circle; if that will not do, then let him try S larger; he afterwards may be at liberty to perfe- vere in any caft he Ihall judge moft likely. x\s a hare generally revilits her old haunts, and re- turns to the place where fhe was firft found, if the fcent be quite gone, and the hounds can no longer hunt ; that is as likely a cafl as any to re- cover her. Let him remember, in all his cafts, that the hounds are not to follow his horfe's heels, nor are they to carry their heads high, and nofes in the air. At thefe times they muft try for the fcent, or they will never find it; and he is either to make his call: quick or flow, as he perceives his hounds try, and as the fcent is either good or . bad. Give particular direc^lions to your huntfman to prevent his hounds, as much as he can, from chopping hares. Huntfmen like to get blood at any rate; and when hounds are ufed to it, it would furprize you to fee how attentive they are to find opportunities. A hare muft be very wild, or very nimble, to efcape them. I remember, in a furzy country, that my hounds chopped three hares in one morning; for it is the nature of thofe animals either to leap up before the hounds come near them, and ^eal away, as it is called, or elfe to lie clofe, till they put their very nofes upon them. Hedges, alfo, are very dangerous ; if the huntfman beat the hedge himfelf, which is ^^ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 15?^ is the ufual pra6licej the hounds are always upon the watch, and a hare mull have good luck to cfcape them all. The bcft way to prevent it, is to have the hedge well beaten at fome diftancc before the hounds. Hares feldom run fo well as when they do not know where they are. They run well in a fog, and. generally take a good country. If they fet off down the wind, they feldom return: you then cannot pufh on your hounds too much. When the game is linking, you ' will perceive your old hoands get forward ; they then will run at head. *' Happy the man, v^'ho with unrivall'd fpeed Can pafs his fellows, and with pleafure view The flruggling pack; how in the rapid courfe Alternate they prefidc, and joftling pufh To guide the dubious fcent; how giddy youth Oft babbling errs, by wifer age reprov'd; How, niggard of his ftrength, the wife old hound Hangs in the rear, till fome important point Roufe all his diligence, or till the chace Sinking he finds ; then to the head he fprings, With thirft of glory fir'd, and wins the prize." SoMERVILi;. ICeep no babblers; for though the pack foon find them out, and mind them not, yet it is un- pleafant to hear their noife ; nor are fuch fit com- panions for the reft, L 4 Though 152 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Though the Spe6lator makes us laugh at the oddity of his friend, Sir Roger, for returning, a hound, which he faid was an excellent hafs^ be- caufe he wanted a counter-tenor ; yet 1 am of opi- nion, that if we attended more to the variety of notes frequently to be met with in the tongues of hounds, it might greatly add to the harmony of the pack. I do not know that a complete con* cert could be attained, but it would be eafy to prevent difcordant founds. Keep no hound that runsfalfe: the lofs of one hare is more than fuch a dog is worth. It is but reafonable to give your hounds a hare fometimes: I always gave mine the lall they Jcilled, if I thought they deferved her. It is too much the cuflom, firfl: to ride over a, dog, and then cry, ware horfe. Take care not to ride over your hounds ; I have known many a jgood dog fpoiled by it : in open ground caution them firllj you priay afterwards ride oyer them, if you pleafe; but in roads and paths they fre- quently cannot get out of your way ; it furely, then, is your butinefs either to flop your horfe or break a way for them, and the not doing it, give me leave to fay, is not lefs abfurd than cruel; nor can that man be called a good fportfman who thus wantonly deflroys his^ own fport. Indeed;, THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Tj^^ good rportfmen feldom ride on the line of the tail hounds. An acquaintance of mine, when h« hears any of his fcrvants fay, ivare horfe ! halloos out — ware horfe [-^-ware dog! and be hanged to you. You afk how my warren hares arc caught ?— - it Ihall he the fubje<5L of my next letter. LET- l^^v THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* LETTER XIL XT'OU wifh to know how my warren hares are -*- caught ? they are caught in traps, not un- like to the common rat-traps. I leave mine al- ways at the meufes, but they are fet only when hares arc wanted: the hares, by thus conftantly going through them, have no miftruft, and are caiily caught. Thefe traps Ihould be made of old wood, and even then it will be fometime be- fore thcv will venture throufrh them. Other meufes muft be alfo left open, left a diftafte fhould make them forfake the place. To my warren I have about twenty of thefe traps ; though, as the ftock of hares is great, I feldom have occafion to fet more than five or lix, and fcarcely ever fail of catching as many hares. The warren is pakd in, but 1 found it neceflary to make the meufes of brick ; that is, where the traps are placed. Should you at any time with to make a hare-warren, it will be neceflary for you to fee one firft, and examine the traps, boxes, and ftoppers, to all which there are par- ticularities not eafy to be defcribed. Should you perceive the hares, towards the end of the fea- fon, to become fhy of the traps, from having been tHOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, t^^ heen often caught, it will be iiecefTary to drive them in with fpaniels. Should this be the cafe^, you will find them very thick round the warren; for the warren-hares will be unwilling to leave it, and when diflurbed by dogs will immediately go in. If you turn them out before greyhounds, you cannot give them too much law ; if before hounds, you cannot give them too little; for rea- fons which 1 will prefently add. Though hares, as I told you before, never run fo well before hounds as when they do not know where they are, yet, before greyhounds, it is the reverfe; and 3^oijr trap- hares, to run well, fhould always be turned out within their knowledge : they are naturally timid, and are eafily diflieartenedj wheii they have no point to make to for fafety. If you turn out any before your houndsj (which, if it be not your wifh, I fhall by no means recommend) give them not much time, but lay on your hounds as foon as they are out of view ; if you do not, they will be likely to flop, which is oftentimes fatal. Views are at all times to be avoided, but particularly with trap- hares; for, as thefe know not where they are, the hounds have too great an advantage over them. It is beft to turn them down the wind; .Ihey hear the hounds better, and feldom turn J again. 156 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. again. Hounds, for this buHncfs, lliould not be too fleet. Thefe hares run flruight, and make no doubles ; tbey leave a llrong fccnt, and have other objections in common with animals turned out before hounds: they may give you a gallop, they will, hovv^evcr, Ihew but little hunting. — The hounds are to be hunted like a pack of fox- hounds, as a trap -hare runs very much in the fame manner, and \vi]\ even top the hedges. What I fnould prefer to catching the hares in traps, would be, a warren in the midit of an o|)en country, which micrht be flopped clofe on hunting-days. This would fupply the wliolc country with hares, which, after one turn round the warren, would mofl probably run ftraight at end. The number of hares which a warren will fupply is hardly to be conceived ; I fcldom turned out lefs in one year than thirty brace of trap- hares, befides many otliers killed in the envi- rons, of vv'hich no account was taken. My war-- ren is a wood of near thirty acres ; one of half the lizc would anfwer the purpofc perhaps as well. Mine is cut out into many walks; a fmaller warren fhould have only one, and tJmf round the outfide of it. No dog fliould ever be fuffered to go into it, and traps fliould be con- llantly fet for floats and polecats. It is faid par- fiey makes hares ftrong ; they certainly are very fond of eating it : it therefore cannot be amifs to fow THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 15*? fow fome about the warren, as it may be the means of keeping your hares more at home. I had once fome converfation with a gentleman about the running of my trap- hares, who faid he had been told that catching a hare, and tying a pece of r'lhhon to her ear, was a fure way to make her run Jira'it.—\ make no doubt of it— -and fo would a canijler tyed to her tail. I am forry you fhould think T began my firit letter on the fubjecl of hare-hunting in a manner that might offend any of my brother fportfmen. It was not hare-hunting I meant to depreciate, but the country I had hunted hare in. — It is good di- verfion in a good country : — you are always cer- tain of fport ; and if you really love to fee your hounds hunt ; the hare, when properly hunted, will fhew you more of it, than any other animal. You afk me, what is the right time to leave off hare-hunting r — You fhould be guided in that by the feafon : you fnould never hunt after March ; and, if the feafon be forward, you fhould leave off fooner. Having now fo confiderably exceeded tlie plan I firft propofed, you may wonder, if I omit to fay anything oi Jlag-huntwg, Believe me, if I do, it will not be for want of refpecl ; but becaufe I have t$^ THbrCHTS UPdN* HUNTING. have feen very little of it. It is true, I hunted two winters at Turin ; but their hunting, you knowj is no more like our's, than is the liot meal we there Hood up to, eat, to the Englifli breakfaft we lit down to here. — 'Were I to defcribe their manner of hunting, their infinity of dogs, their number of huntfmen, their relays of horfes, their great faddlcs, great bitts, and jack boots, it would be no more to our prefent purpofe, than the defcription of a wild boar chafe in Germany, or the hunting of jackalls in Bengal. Ce/l tine chajfe magnifiquc^ et volla tout. — However, to give you an idea of their huntfmen, I muft tell you that one day the flag, which is very unufual, broke cover and left the forefi: ; a circumflance, which gave as much pleafure to me, as difplcafure to all the reft — it put every thing into confuiion. I followed one of the huntfmen, thinking he knew the country befl, but it was not long before we were feparated ; the firfl ditch we came to flopped him : I, eager to go on, hallooed out to him, allofzs, Piqueur, fautez donc.—^^ Non pardi,^' re- plied he, very coolly, " cejl un double fojje—je ne ''^faiite pas des doubles fojps. There was alfoan odd accident the fame day, which, has it hap- pened to a great man, even to the Kin^ himfelf, you may think interefting ; befides, it was the oc- cahon of a bon mot worth your hearing. — The King, eager in the purfuit, rode into a bog, and was difmounted — he was not hurt — he was foon on THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I59 on his legs, and we were all flanding round him. One of his old generals, who was at fome diflance, behind, no Iboner faw the king off his horfe, but he rode up full gallop to know the caufe, *' Qiieji " ce que ceji ? queji cs que ceji f cries the good old general, and in he tumbles into the fame bog. Count Kevenhuller, with great humour replied, pointing to the place, '' iwlla ce que ceji ! vcila ce " que c^ejiy With regard to the fl:a;2;-huntin2; in this coun- try, as I have already told you, that I know but little of it ; but you will, without doubt, think it a fufficient rcafon for my being lilent concern- ing it. LET- l60 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* LETTER XIII. IT'N feme of the preceding letters we have, J -^ think, fettled the bufinefs of the kennel in all its parts ; and determined what fhould be the number, and what the qualifications of the at- tendants on the hounds ; we alfo agree in opinion, that a pack fhould confifl: of about twenty-five couple; I fliall now proceed to give fome ac- count of the ufe of them. You defire that I would be as particular, as if you were to hunt the hounds yourfelf : to obey you, therefore, I think I had better fend you a defcription of an imaginary chace, in which I fliall be at liberty to defcribe fuch events as probably may happen, and to which your prefcnt inquiries feem moil to lead; a further and more circumflantial expla- nation of them will necefJarily become the fub- je6l of my future letters. I am, at the fame time, well aware of the difficulties attending fuch an undertaking. A fox-cliace is not eafy to be de- fcribed — yet as even a faint defcription of it may ferve, to a certain degree, as an anfwcr to the various queftions which you are pleafed to make concerning that diverfion, I fhall profecute my attempt in fach a manner, as I think may fuit your purpofe befl. — As I fear it may read ill, it ihall THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING.' l6r {hall not be long. A gentleman, to whofe un- derftanding nature had mofl evidently been fpar- ing of her gifts, as often as he took up a book, and met with a pafTage which he could not compre- hend, was ufed to write in the margin op- poiite viatiere embrouiUee, and gave himfelf no further concern about it. As different caufes liave been known to produce the fame efFedls, IhouldjvoM treat me in like manner, I Ihall think it the fevereft cenfure that can be palTed upon me. Our friend Somervile, I apprehend, was no great fox-hunter ; yet all he fays on the fubjedl of hunt- ing is fo fonlible and juit, that I fhall turn to his account of fox-hunting, and quote it where I can. The hour moll favourable to the diverlion, is certainly an early one ; nor do I think I can fix it better than to fay, the hounds fhould be at the cover at fun-rifing. Let us fuppofe that we are arrived at the cover fide. Delightful fcene ' Where all around is gay, men, horfes, dogs ; And in eacii fmihng countenance appears Frelli blooming health, and univerfal joy." Somervile. Now let your huntfman throw in his hounds as quietly as he can, and let the two whippers-in keep wide of him on either fide, fo that a lingle hound may not efcape them ; let them be atten- tive to his halloo, and be ready to encourage, or M rate, l6z THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. rate, as that directs ; he will, of courfe, draw up the wind, for rcafons which I iliall give in another place. — Now, if you can keep your brother Iportfmen in order, and put any difcretion into them, you are in luck ; they more frequently do harm than good : if it be poffible, perfuade thofe who wilh to halloo the fox off, to ftand quiet un- der the cover fide, and on no account to halloo him too foon ; if they do, he moll certainly will turn back again : could you entice them all into the cover, your fport, in all probability, would not be the v^^orfc for it. How well the hounds fpread the cover ! the huntfman, you fee, is quite deferted, and his horfe, who fo lately had a crowd at his heels, has not now one attendant left. How ileadily they draw ! you hear not a fingle hound ; yet none are idle. Is not this better than to be fubjeft to con- tinual difappointment, from the eternal babbling of unlleady hounds ? — — See ! how th.ey range Difpers'd, how bufily this way and that, They crofs, examining with curious nofe Each likely haunt. Hark ! on the drag I hear Their doubtful notes, preluding to a cry More nobly full, and fwell'd with every mouth." SoMERVlLK* How tHOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, j6j tto\Y muiical their tongues ! — And as they get nearer to him, how the chorus fills ! — Hark ! he is found. — Now, where are all your forrows^ and your cares, ye gloomy fouls ! Or where your pains, and aches, ye complaining ones ! one halloo has difpelled them all. — What a crafh they make ! and echo feemingly takes pleafure to repeat the found. The aftonifiied traveller forfakes his road, lured by its melody ; the liltening plowman how flops his plow ; and every diflant Ihepherd iiegledls his flock, and runs to fee him break.-«- )»\^hat joy ! what eagernefs in every face 1 ** How happy art thou, man, when thou'rt no more Thyfelf ! when all the pangs that grind thy foul, In rapture and in fweet oblivion loil, Yield a fhort interval, and eafe from pain !" SoMERVILEi Mark how he runs the cover's utmoft: limits^ yet dares not venture forth ; the hounds are ftill too near ! — That check is lucky ! — now, if our friends head him not, he will foon be ofi— hark I they halloo : by G — d he's gone ! ■ Hark 1 what loud fhotlts Re-echo thro' the groves ! he breaks away : Shrill horns proclaim his flight. Each ftraggling houftcj Strains o'er the lawn to reach tlie diftant pack, 'Tis triumph all, and joy,'* SoMEHVlL&i M % Na^ 164 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Now huntfinan get on with the head hounds ; the whipper-in will bring on the others after you : keep an attentive e^'e on the leading hounds, that fhould the fcent fail them, you may know at leaft how far they brought it. Mnid Galloper, Iiow he leads them ! — It is dif- ficult to difiinguifh which is firftv they run in. fuch a ftile ; yet he is the foremoft hound. — The goodnefs of his nofe is not lefs excellent than his ipeed : — how he carries the fcent ! and when ho lofes it, fee how eagerly he flings to recover it again ! — There — now lie's at head again ! — fee how they top the hedge I Now, how they mount the hill! Obfcive what a head they carry, and fliew me, if thou canfl, one fhuffler or fkirter amongft them all : arc they not like a par- cel of brave fellows, who, when they engage in an undertaking, determine to ihare its fatigue and its dangers, equally aniongfl: them } Far o'er the rockv hills we ranee. And dangero\is our courfe ; but in the brave True courage never fails. In vain the ftream In foaming eddies whirls, in vain the ditch Wide gaping threatens death. The crriggy fteep. Where the poor dizzy ihepherd crawls with care, And clings to every twig, gives us no pain; But down we fweep, as floops the falcon bold To pounce his prey. Then up the opponent hill, By the fwift motion flung, we mount aloft : So fhips in winter feas now Aiding fink AdowjF THOUGHTS UtON HUNTING. \C^ Adown the fteepy wave, then tofs'd on high Ride on the billows, and defy the florm." Son. It was then tlie fox I fawj as we came down the hill ; — thofe crows direcited me which way to look, and the flicep ran from him as he paft along. The hounds are now on the very fpot, yet the fheep flop them not, for they dafh beyond them. Now fee with what eagernefs they crols the plain ! — Galloper no longer keeps his place, Brujlier takes it — fee how he flings for the fcent, and how impetuoufly he runs I — How eagerly he took the lead, and how he ftrivcs to keep it — yet Vi6lor comes up apace. — He reaches him ! — See what an excellent race it is between them ! It is doubtful which will reach the cover firil. — How equally they run ! — how eagerly they flrain ! now Vi61:or — Vidor ! Ah ! Bruflier, you are beaten ; Victor iirft tops the hedge. — See there ! fee how they all take it in their ftrokes ! the . hedge cracks with their weight, lb many jump at once. Now haftes the whipper-in to the other iide of the cover ; he is right unlefs he head the fox. " Heav'ns ! what melodious ftrains ! how beat our hearts Big with tumultuous joy ! the loaded gales Breathe harmony ; and as the tempeft drives From wood to wood, thro' ev'ry dark recefs The foreft thunders, and the mountains fliake," Som. M 3 Liflen ! 'l6$ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Liflen !— the hounds have turned. They arc now in two parts : the fox has been headed back, and we have changed at lall. Now, my lad, mind the huntfman's halloo, and flop to thofe hounds which he encourages. He is right ! — that, doubtlefs, is the hunted fox ; — * Kow they are off again. *' What lengths we pafs ! where will the wand'ring chace Lead us bewilder'd ! fmooth as fwallows (kim The new-fliorn mead, and far more fwift we fly. See my brave pack ; how to the head they prefs, Jullling in clofe array, then more difFufe Obliquely wheel, while from their op'ning mouths The voUied thunder breaks. •- Look back and view The flrange confurion of the vale below. Where fore vexation reigns ; -Old age laments His vigour fpent; the tall, plump, brawny youth *^ Curfes his cumbrous bulk? and envies now The fliort pygmean race, he whilom kenn'd With proud infulting leer. A chofen few Alone the fport enjoy, nor dz'oop beneath Their pleafing toils." Som. Ha ! a check. — Now for a moment's pa« ticnce ! — We prefs too clofe upon the hounds .'— « Huntfman, ftand flill ! as they want you not. — How admirably they fpread ! how wide they cafl ! Is there a fmgle hound that does not try? if there bCj ne'er ftall he hunt again. Thercj Trueman is THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 167 is on the fcent — he feathers, yet ftill is doubtful — 'tis right! how readily they join him! Seethofe wide-cafting hounds, how they fly forward to re- cover the ground they have lofl ! — Mind Light" ?iing, how the dafhes ; and Mimgo, how he works 1 Old Franlic, too, now puflies forward; Ihe knows, &s well as we, the fox is linking. *' r— Ha ! yet he flies, nor yields To black defpair. But one loofe more, and all His wiles are vain. Hark ! thro' yon village now The rattling clamour rings. The barns, the cots, And leaflefs elms return the joyous founds. Thro' ev'ry homeftall, and thro' ev'ry yard. His midnight walks, panting, forlorn, he flies. SoM. Huntfman ! at fault at laft ? How far did you bring the fcent ?— Have the hounds made their own call } — Now make your's. You fee that fheep-dog has courfed the fox; — get forward with your hounds, and make a wide caft. Hark ! that halloo is indeed a lucky one. — If we can hold him on, we may yet recover him ; for a fox, fo much difirefled, mail flop at laft. We fhall now fee if they will hunt as well as run ; for there is but little fcent, and the impend- ing cloud ftill makes that little, lefs. How they enjoy the fcent ! — ^fee how bufy they aU are, and haw each in his turn prevails \ M 4. Huntf- 1^8 THOUQHTS UPON HUNTING. Huntfman ! be quiet ! Whilil the fccnt was good, you prefs'd on your hounds ; it was weU done: when they came to a check, you flood ftill, and interrupted them not : they were afterwards at fault ; you made your call with judgment, and lo/l: no time. You now mufl let them hunt ; — with fuch a cold fcent as this you can do no goc^d; they muft do it all themfelves ; — lift them now, and not a hound will ftoop again. — Ha ! a high road, at fuch a time as this, when the tenderefl- nofed hound can hardly own the fcent ! — Another fault ! That man at work, then, has headed back the fox. Huntfman ! cafl not your hounds now, you fee they have over-run the fccnt ; have a little patience, and let them, for once, try back. We now mufl give them time : — fee where they bend towards yonder furze brake — I wifh he may have flopped there ! — Mind that old hound, how he dafhes o'er the furze ; I think he winds him. — Now for a frefh entapis ! Hark ! they halloo ! — Aye, there he goes, Jt is nearly over with him ; had the hounds caught view, he mufl have died. — He will ijardly reach the cover; fee how they gain upon him at every flroke !— It is an admirable race ! yet the coyer faves him. Now s 1 Thoughts upon huntihg. 169 Now be quiet, and he cannot cfcape us ; we have the wind of the hounds, and cannot be better placed : — how Ihort he runs ! — he is now in the very Itrongeft part of the cover. — What a crafli ! every hound is in, and every hound is running for him. That was a quick turn ! — Again another ! — he's put to his laft iliifts. — Now Mi/chief is at his heels, and death is not far off. — Ha ! they all ftop at once ; — all lilent, and yet no earth is open. Liflen ! — now they are at him again! — Did you hear that hound catch him ? they over-ran the fcent, and the fox had laid down behind them. Now, Reynard, look to yourfelf ! — How quick they all give their tongues ! — Little Dreadnought, how he works hira ! the terriers too, they are now fqueaking at him. — How clofe Vengeance purfues ! how terribly fhc prefies ! — it is jufi: up with him ! — Gods ! wha:t a crafh they make ; the whole wood refounds ! — That turn was very fhort ! — There ! — now !— aye, now they have him ! Who-hoop ! LET. 170 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING^ LETTER XIV FOX-HUNTING, however lively and anU mating it may be in the field, is but a dull, dry fubjecl to write upon ; and I can now affure you, from experience, that it is much lefs diffi- cult to follow a fox-chace than to defcribe one. You will ealily imagine, that to give enough of variety to a lingle a61ion, to make it intereiling, and to defcribe in a few minutes, the events of, perhaps, as many hours ; though it pretend to no merit, has at leaft fome difficulty and trouble ; and you will as ealily conclude tliat I am glad they are over. You dcfire me to explain that part of my lafl letter, which fays, if ive can hold him on, ive may nozv recover hhn. — It means, if we have fcent to follow on the line of him, it is probable he will ilop, and Vvc may hunt up to him again. You alfo obje(?t to my faying catch a fox ; you call it a bad expreffion, and fay, that it is not fporlly ; I believe I have not often ufed it; and when I have, it has been to dillinguifh betwixt the hunting a fox down, as you do a hare, and the killing of him with Iiard running. — You tell me, I fhould always. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, Ijl always kill a fox. I might anfwer — I mufl. catc/i him firft. You fay, that I have not enlivened my chace with many halloos : it is true, 1 have not; and what is worfe, I fear I am never likely to meet your approbation in that particular; for fhould we hunt together, then, I make no doubt, you will think that I halloo too much ; a fault which every one is guihy of who reaFy loves this ani- mating fport, and is eager in the purfuit of it. BeHeve me, I never could halloo in my life, un- lefs after hounds ; and the writmg a halloo ap- pears to me almoft as difficult as to pen a wJi'if^er. Your friend A , you fay, is very fevere on us fox-hunters ; — no one is more welcome. How- ever, even he might have known, that the pro- feflion of fox-hunting is much altered ilnce the time of Sir John Vanburgh ; and the intempe- rance, clowniihnefs, and ignorance of the old fox-hunter, are quite worn out: a much truer definition of one might now be made than that which he has left. Fox-hunting is now become the amufement of gentlemeii ; nor need any gen- tleman be afhamed of it. I fhall now begin to anfwer your various quef- tions as they prelent themfelves. Though I was glad of this expedient, to methodife, in fome de- gree. ,17a THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. gree, the variety we have to treat of, yet I was well aware of the impoffibility of fufficiently ex- plaining myfelf in the midfl of a fox-chace, whofe rapidity, you know very well, brooks no delay ; now is the time, therefore, to make good that deficiency : what afterwards remains on the fubje6t of hunting will ferve as a fupplement to the reft ; in which I fhall iiill have it in my power to introduce whatever may be now forgot- ten, or, give a further explanation of fuch parts as may feem io you to require it : for lince my principal view in writing theie letters is to make the intlru6lion they contain of fome ufe to you, if you fhould want it ; if not, to others ; the being as clear and explicit as I can, will be far beyond all other conli derations. Repeti- tions, we know, are fhocking things ; yet, in writing fo many letters on the fame fubJecTt, I fear it will be difficult to avoid them. Firft, then, as to the early hour recommended in ray former letter : — I agree with you, it re- quires explanation ; but you will pleafe to con- lider, that you dcfired me to fix the hour moft favourable to the fport, and without doubt it is an early one.* You fay, that I do not go out fo early myfelf : — it is true, I do not ; do phylicians * An early hour is only neceflary, where you are not Hkely to find without a drag. alwavs THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 1 73 always follow their own prefcrlptions ? Is it not fuffieient that their prefcriptions be good ? How- ever, if my hounds fhould be out of blood, I go out early, for then it becomes neceffary to give them every advantage. At an early hour, you are fcldom long before you find. The morning is the part of the day which generally affords the beft fccnt ; and the animal himfelf, which, in fuch a cafe, you are more than CYer delirous of killing, is then leaft able to run away from you. The want of reft, and perhaps a full belly, give hounds a great advantage over him. I expert, my friend, that you will reply to this, " that a "fox-hunter, then, is not th fair fportfrnan^ — He certainly is not ; and what is more, would be very forry to be miftaken for one. He is otherwife from principle. In his opinion, a fair fportfman, and a foolifh fportfman, are fynonimous; he, therefore, takes every advantage of the fox he can. You will think, perhaps, that he may fometimes fpoil his own fport by this ? It is true, he fometimes does, but then he makes his hounds; the whole art of fox-hunting being to keep the hounds well in blood. Sport is but a fecondary coniidcration with a fox-hunter ; the firft is, tlie Vill'mg ijf the fox: hence arifes the eagernefs of purfuit, chief pleafure of the chace : — I confefs, I efleem blood fo necefiary to a pack of fox- hounds, that with regard to myfelf, I always re- turn liome better pleafed with but an indifferent J chace. 174 tiJOUGKTS XTPOH HtTNTUfC?^ chace, with death at the end of it, than with the; bell chace poffible, if it end with the lofs of the fox. Good chaces, generally fpeaking, are long chaces ; and, if not attended with furcefs, never fail to do more harm to hounds than good. Our pleafurcs, I believe, for the mofi part, are greater during the expectation than the enjoyment : in this cafe, reality itfelf warrants the idea» and your prefcnt fuccefs is almoU a fure fore-runner of fu- ture fport. I remember to have heard an odd anecdote of the late Duke of R , who was very popular in his neighbourhood. — A butcher, at Lyndhurfl, a lover of the fport, as often as he heard the hounds return from hunting came out to meet them, and never failed to aflc the Duke what fport he had ? " Very good, I thank you, honefl friend." — " Has your grace killed a fox ?" — "JVb.- <« —We have had a good run, but we have not *' killed." — '''-FJIiawT cried the butcher, looking archly, and pointing at him with his finger. — > This vv'as fo conftantly repeated, that the Duke,- when he had not killed a fox, was ufed to fay, h& was afraid to meet the hutclier. You aflc, why the huntfman is to draw io quietly ; and, why up the wind ? With regard io his drawing quietly, that may depend on the kind of cover before him ; and alfo on the feafon 3 of t-HOUGHTS UPON HlTNt-ING. tj.^' of tlie year. If your covers be fmal!^ or fucli from which a fox cannot break unfeen, then noife can do no hurt ; if you draw at a late hour, and when there is no drag, then the more the cover is diilurbed the better; the more likely you are to find. Late in the feafon foxes are wild, particularly in covers that are often hunted. If you do not draw quietly, he will ibmetimes get too much the itart of you t when you have any fufpicion of this, fend on a whipper-in to the oppofite fide of the cover before you throw in your hounds. With regard to the drawing up the wind, that is much more material. You never fail to give the wind to a pointer and fetter ; why not to a hound ? — Befides, the fox, if you dravf up the wind, does not hear you coming ; and your hounds, by this means, are never out o( your hearing; befides, fhould he turn down the wind, as mofl probably he will, it lets them all in, Suppofe yourfelf a6ling dire6fly contrary to this^ and then fee what is likely to be the confequence. You think I am too fevere on ray brother fportfmen : if more fo than they deferve, I am forry for it. I know many gentlemen who are excellent fportfmen, yet, I am forry to fay, the- greater number of thofe who ride after hounds are not ; and it is thofe only whom I allude to.. Few gentlemen will take any pains, (ew of them, will ftop a hound, though he fhould run riot-. clofc 17^ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* clofe bciidc them, or will itand quiet a momen^^ though it be to halloo a fox : it is true, they will not fail to halloo if he fliould come in their way, and they will do the fame to as many foxes as they fee. Some will encourage hounds which they do not know ; it is a great fault : were every gentleman who follows hounds to fancy himfelf a huntlman, what noife, what confufion would cn- fue! I conlider many of them as gentlemen riding out, and I am never fo well pleated as when I lee them ride home again. You may perhaps have thought, that I v/iflied (hem all to be huntf- men — mofl certainly not ; but the more alfifiants a huntfman has, the better, in all probability, his hounds will be. Good fenfc, and a little ob- fervation, will foon prevent fucli people from doing amifs; and I hold it as an almoll invariable rule in hunting, that thofe who do not know hov/ to do good are always liable to do harm :* there is fcarce an iniiant, during a whole chace, when a jportfman ought not to be in one particular place: * This is a better reafon, perhaps, why gentlemen ought to underfland this diveriion, than ror the good they may do in it ; fince a pack of- hounds that are well manned will feldom need any other alliftance. A gentleman, perceiving his hounds to be much confuled by the frequent halloos of a ftranger, rodr up to him, and thanked him with great civility for the trouble he was taking: but at the fame time acquainted him, that the two men he faw in green coats were paid fo much by the year, on purpofe to halloo, it woilld be neediefs for him, therefore, to give himfelf zi\y further trouble. and. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I77 and, I will venture to fay, that if he be not there^ he might as well be in his bed. I mull give you an extraordhiary inftance of a gentleman's knowledge of hunting.— He had hired a houfe in a fiiie hunting country, with a good kennel belonging to it, in the neighbourhood of two packs of hounds, of which mine was one ; and that he might not offend the owner of either, intendedj as he faid, to hunt with both. He of- fered me the ufe of his kennel, which, for fome reafons, I chofe to decline ; it was afterwards of- fered to the other gentleman, who accepted it. The firil day that the hounds hunted this country he did not appear. The fecond day, the hounds were no fooner at the cover fide than my friend faw an odd figure, Itrangely accoutred, riding up, v/ith a fpaniel following him. " Sir," faid he, " it gave me great concern not to be able to " attend you when you was here before ; I hope *' you was not offended at it ; for, to fhew you " how v/ell I am inclined to afiift your hunt^ " you fee, / have brought my little dog.^* I will now give you an infi:ance of another gentleman's love of hunting. We were returning from hunting over a very fine country, and upon its being remarked that we had a pleafant ride, he replied, " the beft part of Xhafport, in my opi- *- nion, is the riding home to dinner afterwards." N He ♦ H 7b THOtGHTS trPON HUNTING. He Is, without doubt, of tlie fame opinion with a fat old gentleman I one day overtook upon the road, who, after having alked n:ie, " how many " tbx«s we ufually killed in one day — why I did " not hunt hare rather than fox, as the was bet- " ter to eat ?" — he concluded, faying, " there is " but one part of hunting I likcs-*-iV 7nakes one " very hungry T There are two things, which I particularly re- commend to you; the one is, to make your hounds ileady, the other, to make them all draw. Many huntfmen are fond of having them at their horfes heels ; but, believe rne, they never can get fo well, or fo foon together, as when they fpread the cover : betides, 1 have often known, when there have been only a few finders, that they have found their fox, gone down the wind, and been heard of no more that day. Never take out an unfleady old hound ; young ones properly awed from riot, and that will hop at a rate, may be put into the pack, a few at a time ; but an old hound that is vicious fliould not efcape hanging ; let him be ever fo good in other refpe6ls I will not excuie him ; for a pack mufl be wretched indeed that can Hand in need of fuch affiftance. There tHOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I79 There is infinite pleafure in hearing a fox well found. When you get up to his kennel, with a good drag, the chorus increafing as you go, it intpires a joy more eafy to be felt than defcribed. With regard to my own fenfations, I would ra- ther hear one fox found in this lively manner, than ride the befl hare-chace that ever was run. Much depends on the firfl finding of your fox, Dhnidium facfi, qui hene ccepit, hahet, which we learned at Weflminfter, is verified here; for I look upon a fox well found to be half killed. I think people generally are in too great a hurry on this occafion. There is an enthufiafm attending this diverfion, which, in this infiance in particu- lar, ought always to be rellrained.* The hounds are always mad enough when they find tlieirfox; if the men be alfo mad, they make mad work of it indeed. A gentleman of my acquaintance, who hunts his own hounds, and is not lefs eager than the reft of us, yet very well knows the bad con- fequences of being fo, to prevent this fault in himfelf, always begins by taking a pinch of fnuff, he then fings part of an old fong, " Some fay that " care killed the cat^^ &c. By this time his hounds get together, and fettle to the fcent. He then hal- loos, and rides as if the d — 1 drove. * There are but few inftances where fportfmen are not too noify, and too fond of encouraging their hounds, which fel- el; for though nothing makes hounds fa handy, as taking them out often ; nothing inclines them fo much to riot, as taking them out to hunt when there is little or no fcent; and particularly on windy days, when they cannot hear one another, out THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 25J out of ten, with tlie wind in the fame quarter, have conflantly gone thither. In a country where there are large earths, a fox that knows the country, and tries any of them, feldom fails to try the reft. A huntlman may take advantage of tliis ; they arc certain cafts, and may help him to get nearer to his fox. Great caution is neceffary when a fox runs into a village : if he be hallooed there, get forward as fait as 3'ou can. Foxes, when tired, will lie down any where, and are often loft: by it. — A wide caft is not the beft to recover a tired fox with tired hounds ; — they fhould hunt him out^ inch by inchj though they are ever fo long about it ; for the reafon I have juft given ; — fJiaJ he will lie down any ivhere. In chaees and forefts, where high fences are made to preferve the coppices, I like to fee a Imntfman put only a few hounds over, enough to carry on the fcent, and get forward with the reft, it is a proof that he knows his buftnefs. A huntfman muft take care, where foxes are in plent^% left he fhould run the heel ; for it fre- quently happens, that hounds can run the wrong way of the fcent better than they can the right, >vhcn one is up the wind^ and the other down. Fox- 254 THOUGHTS UPON JIUNTING. Fox-hunters, I tliiuk, arc never guilty of the fault of tr3ang up the wind, before they have tried down ; I have known tlicni lofe foxes rather than condefcend to try up the wind at all. When a huntfman hears a halloo, and has five or fiX couple of hounds along with him, the pack not runningj let him get forward with thole which he has ; when they are on the Icent, the others vvill foon join them. Let him lift his tail hounds, and get them for- ward afler the refi ; it can do no hurt ; but let him be cautious in hfting any hounds to get them for- ward before the reji ; it always is dangerous, and foxes are fometiraes loft by it. When a fox runs his foil in cover, if you fuf- fer all your hounds to hunt on the line of him, they will foil the ground, and tire themfelvcs to little purpofe. I have before told you, that your huntfman, at fuch a time, may ftop the (ail hounds, and throw them in at head. I am almofl inclined to fay, it is the only time it fhould be done. — ^Whilil hounds run Itrait, it cannot be of any ufe, for they will get on fafler with the fcent, than they would without it. When hounds are hunting a cold ic.twi, and point towards a cover, let a whipper-in get for- war4 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2^5 ward to the oppofite lide cf it : fhould the fox break before the hounds reach the cover, Hop them, and get them nearer to him. When a fox perlilis In running in a ftrong cover, lies down often behind the hounds, and they are flack in hunting him, let the huntf- man get into the cover to them : it may make the fox break, it may keep him olF his foil, or may prevent the hounds from giving him up. It is not often that flow huntfmen kill many foxes ; they are a check upon their hounds, which feldom kill a fox but with a higli fcent, when it is out of their power to prevent it. What avails it to be told which way the fox is gone, when he is fo far before, that you cannot hunt him ? A Newmarket boy, with a good underfianding and a good voice, might be preferable, perhaps, to an indifferent and llack buntfman ; he would prefs on his hounds, while the fcent was good, and the foxes he killed he would kill handfomely. ■ A perfect knowledge of the intricacies of hunting is chiefly of ufe to flow huntfmen and bad hounds ; fmce they more often ftand in need of it. A6livity is the firft requifite in a huntfman to a pack of fox-hounds ; a want of it no judgment can make amends for ; while the moft difficult of all his tmdertakings is the diftinguifliing be- twixt different fcenl^, and knowing, with any* certaintv, 1^6 THOITGHTS UPON HUNTING. certainty, the fcent of his hunted fox. Much ipeculation is here required ; — the length of time hounds remain at fault ; — -difference of ground ;' — change of weather ; — all thefe contribute to in- creaie the difficult}'' ; and require a nicety of judgment, and a precilion, much above the com- prehenfioii of moit huntfmen. When hounds are at fault, and cannot make it out of themfelves, let theiirfl caft be quick ; th(2 fcent is then good, nor are the hounds likely to go over it ; as the fcent gets worfe, the caft fliould be flower, and be more cautioufly made. This is an ellential part of hunting, and which, I am forry to fay, few huntfmen attend to. I wifh they would remember the following rules, viz. that with a good fcent, their caft fliould be ^iiick ; with a bad fcent, /lozu ; — and that, when their hounds are picking along a cold fcent, — ■ i/iej are not to cajl them at alh When hounds are at fault, and ftaring about, truiting entirely to their eyes, and to their cars 5 the making a cait with them, I apprehend, would be to little purpofe. The iikeliefl place for them to find the fcent, is where they left it ; and when the fault is evidently in the dog, a forward caft is lealt likely to recover the fcent.* * Hounds know where they left the fcent, and if let alone v,'ill try to recover it. Impatience in tiie huntfman, at fuch times, feldom fails, in the end, to fpoil thf hounds. 2. When THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 257 When hounds are making a regular caft, try- ing for the fcent as they go, fufFer not your huntf- man to fay a v/ord to them ; it cannot do any good, and probably may make them go over the fcent : nor fhould you faffer either ihe voice or the whip of your whipper-in, to be now heard ; his ufual roughnefs and feverity would ill fuit the llillnefs and gentlenefs which are required at a time like this. When hounds come to a check, a huntfraan fhould obferve the tail bounds; they are leail likely to over-run the fcent, and he may fee by them how far they brought it : in moft packs there are fome hounds that will fliew the point of the fox, and if attended to, will direcSb his caft: when fuch hounds follow flowly and unwillingly, he may be certain the reft of the pack are run- ning; without a fcent. When he cafts his hounds, let him not cafl wide without reafon ; for of courfe it will take more time. Huntfmen, in general, keep too for- ward in their cafts ; or, as a failor would fay, keep too long o?i one tack. They fhould en- deavour to hit off the fcent by crofting the lihe of it, — Tivo j^aralld lines, you hiozv, can never meet.^ * By attending to this a huntfman cannot fail to make a good caft, for if he obferve the peine of the fox, he may always crofs upon the fcent of him. S When ^5^ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. When he goes to a halloo, let him be carsfiu left his hounds run the heel, as much time is loft by it. I once faw this miftake made by a fa^ moub huntfman : — after we had left a cover, which we had been drawing, a difturbed fox was feen to go into it ; he was hallooed, and we re- turned. The huntfman, who never inquired where the fox was feen, or on ivlnchfide the cover he entered, threw his hounds in at random ; and^, as it happened, on the oppofite ftde : they im- mediately took the heel of him, broke cover, and hunted the fcent back to his very kennek Different countries require different cafts: fuch huntfmen as have been ufed to a woodland, and iiiclofed country, I have feen lofe time in an open country, where wide caft'S arc always neccff'ary. When you want to caft round a flock of fheep, the whipper-in ought to drive them the other way, left they fhould keep running on before you. A fox feldom goes over or under a gate when he can avoid it. Huntfmen are frequently very conceited, and very obftinate. Oftentimes have I feen them, when their hounds came to a check, turn dire6ily back on feeing hounds at head which they had no Thoughts upon HUNTiNdi z^) ho opinion of. They fuppofed the fox was gone another way ; in which cafe Mr. Bayes's remark in the Rehearfal always occurs to me, " that, if ^^ he Jhouldnot, what then becomes of their fuppofef* Better, furely, would it be, to make a fhort caft forward iirft; they then might be certain the hounds were wrong, and of courfe could make their own caft with greater confidence: — the advantage, next to that of knowing whither the fox is gone, is that of knowing, with certainty, whither he is not, Mofl huntfraen like to have all their hounds turned after them, when they make a cafl: : I wonder not at them for it, but I am always forry when I fee it done ; for, till I find a huntfman that is infallible, I Ihall continue to thiak the more my hounds fpread, the better; as long as they are within fight or hcu ving. it is fufficient. — Many a time have I feen an obftinate hound hit off the fcent, when an oblHnate huntiinan, by calling the wrong way, has done all in his power to prevent it. Two foxes I remember to have feen killed, in one day, by fkirting hounds, whiiil the huntfman was making his caft the contrary way. When hounds, running In cover, come into a road, and horfes are on before, let the huntfman hold them quickly on beyond where the horfes S a have l6o THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. liave been, trying the loppoUte fide as he goes along : fhould the horlemen have been long enough there to have headed back the fox, let them then try back. Condemn mc not for fuffering hounds to try hack when the fox has been headed hack ; I recommend it at no other time. When your hounds divide into many parts, you had better go off with the fiY& fox that breaks. The ground will foon get tainted, nor will hounds like a cover where they are often chaiiging. If a cover be very large, and you have many fcents, be not in a hurry to get your hounds to- gether;— if your pack be numerous, let them run feparate, only taking care that none get away en- tirely from the rell ; by this means many foxes will be equalf-y diftrcfi, the hounds will get to- gether at laft, and one fox, at the leall, you may cxpeft to kill. The heading a fox back at firt^, if the cover be not a large one, is oftentimes of fervice to hounds, as' he will not fiop, and cannot go off unfeen. — - When a fox has been hard run, I have known it turn out otherwife ; and hounds, that would ealily have killed him out of the cover, have left him in it. If THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 26l If it be not your intciillon that a fox iiiould break, you fhould prevent him, I think, as much as you can from comin-j at all oat of the cover: for though you fhould head him back afterwards, it moft probably would put the hounds to a fault : when a pack of i'ox- hounds once leave a cover after their game, they do not readily return to it again. When a ioi^ has been often headed back on .one tide of a cover, and a huntiVnan knows there is not any body on the other fide to halloo him, 'the firll fault his hounds come to, let him cafl that way, left the fox fliould be gone oiF; and if he be ftill in the cover, he may flill recover him. Suffer not your hunffman to take out a lame hound. If any bt; tender-footed, he will tell you, perhaps, that they will not mind it when th^)' are out ; — probably they may not ; but how will they Jdc on the next day ? A hound, not in condition to run, cannot be of much fervice to the pack ; and the taking him out at that time may occa- iion him a long confinement afterwards: — put it not to the trial. Should any fall lame while they are out, leave them at the iirll houfc thati you come to. S3 I hav^ ^ 2^6:2 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. r have feen huntfmen hunt their young hounds in couples. "Let me beg of you not to fuffer it. I know you would be forry to fee your hounds hanging acrofs a hedge, grinning at each other, perhaps in the very agonies of death : yet it is an accident that often has happened ; and it is an accident fo likely to happen, that I am furprifed any man of common fenfe will run the rilk of it. If ncceffary, I had much rather they fhould be held in couples at the cover hde^ till the fox be found. The two principal things which a huntfman has to attend to, are the keeping of his hounds healthy and Jleady. The firft is attained by clcan- linefs and proper food ; the latter, by putnng, as feldom as polTible, any unfteady ones amongil them. At the beginning of the feafon let him be at- tentive to get his hounds well in blood. As the icafon advances, and foxes become flout, atten- tion then fliould be had to keep them as vigorous as poihble. — It is a great fault when hounds are fuffered to become too high in flelh at the begin- ning of the feafon, or too low afterwards. When a fox is lofi, the huntfman on his return )iome fhould examine into his ow« condii3, and en- deavour to find in what he migrht have done bet- ten THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 263 ter ; he may by this means make the very lofs of a fox of ufe to him. Old tyeing hounds, and a hare-hunter turned fox-hunter, are both as oontrary to the true fpirit of fox-hunting, as any thing can poffibly be. — One is continually bringing the pack back again ; the other as conflantly does his befl to prevent tiiem from getting forward. The natural preju- dices of malikind are ilich, that a man feldora alters his Ityle of hunting, let him purfue what game he may ; betides, it may be conilitutional, as he is himfelf flow or a6tive, dull or lively, pa^ tient or impatient ; it is for that reafon I objedt to a hare-hunter for a pack of fox-hounds ; for the lame ideas of hunting will moil probably flick by him as long as he lives. Your huntfman is an old man ; fhould he have been working hard all his life on wrong principles, he may be now incorrigible. Sometimes you will meet with a good kennel huntfman, fometiraes an a6live and judicious one in the field ; Ibme are clever at finding a fox, others are better after he is found; whilft per- fedlion in a huntfman, like perfection in anything elfe, is fcarccly ever to be met with : there are not only good, bad, and indifferent huntfmen, but there are perhaps a few others, who being as S 4 it 264 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. It were of a different fpecies, fhould be clafled apart; — I mean, iuch as have real genius. It is this peculiar excellence, which I told you in a former letter, I would rather wifh my firft whip- per-in to be poflelTed of than my huntfman ; and one reafon among others, is, tliat he, I think, would have more opportunities of exercifmg it. The keepind. Knov/ipg THOtTGHTS UPON KuNTING. 26g Knowing your ]:artlaUty to hounds that run in a good ftyle, 1 advife you to obferve flriclly your own when a fox is linking in a lirong cover ; that is the time to fee the true fpirit of a fox-hound. If they fpread not the cover, but run tamely on the line of one another^ I fhall fear it is a fort that will not pleale you long. A fox-hound that has not fpirit and ambition to gel forward at a time like this, is at no other likely to do much good. You talked in your lail letter of pretty hounds ; certainly I fhould not pretend to criticife others, who am fo incorred: myfelf; yet, with 3'our leave, I think I can fet you right in that particular.— Pretty is an epithet improperly applied to a fox- hound : we call a fox-hound handfome when he is Ih'ong, bony, of a proper lize, and of exact fymmetry ; and iilnefs is made eiiential to beauty. A beagle may be pretty, but, according to my idea of the word, a fox-hound cannot : but as it is not to be fuppofed that you will keep a pack of fox-hounds for the pleafure of looking at them, without doubt you will think goodnefs more ne- ceflary than beauty. Should you be ambitious to have a handfome pack of hounds^ on no account ought you to enter an ugly dog, left you be tempted to keep him afterwards. I once 270 THOUGHTS •u¥dN HUNTING- I once heard an old Iportfman fay, that he thought a fox, to Ihevv fport, fhould run four hours at leafl ; and, I fuppofe, he did not care how flow his hounds went after him. This idea, however, is not conceived in the true fpirit of fox- hunting, which is not to walk down a fox, or ilarve him to death, but to keep clofe at him, and kill him as loon as you can. I am convinced a fox-hound may hunt too much ; if tender-nofed, and not over-hurried, he will alway-s^hunt enough; whihl the higheft-bred hounds may be made to tye upon the fcent by improper management.* It is youth and good fpirits which beft fuit with fox-hunting ; flacknefs in the men occafions ilacknefs in the hounds ; and one may fee by the manner in which hounds hunt what kind of men they have been accuftomed to. The fpeedicll hounds ma}'', by degrees, be rendered flow ; and it is impoflible for the befl. to do their buflnefs as they ought unlcfs followed with life and ijDirit. Men who are flack themfelves will be always afraid of hurrying their hounds too much ; and by carrying this humour too far, will commit a fault which has nothing to excufe it. The befl: method to hunt a fox, they fay, is never upon * It more frequently is owing, either to want of patience, or want of mettle, than to waui of nofe, that a hound does not hunt well. an/ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 269 any account to caft the hounds ; but, on the con- trary, to let them tye upon the Icent as long as they will, and that they will hit it off at laft. I agree with them partly; — it certainly mufl be the beft method to hunt a fox, for by this means you may hunt him from morning till night ; and, if you have the luck to find him, may hunt him again the next day — the likeliell method, however, to kill him, is to take every advantage of him tliat you can. All hounds go fatl enough with a good fcent ; but it is the particular excellence of a fox-hound, when rightly managed, to get on fafter with an indifferent fcent than any other hound :* it is the bufinefs of a huntfman to encourage this ; ami here, moji prohahly, the hare-hunter will fall. He has been ufed to take his time ; he has enjoyed a cold fcent like a Ibuthern hound ; and has fitteu patiently upon his horfe to fee his hounds hunt. It is, to be fare, very pretty to fee ; and v/hen you confider that the hare is all the time, per- haps, within a few yards of you, and may leap up the next minute, you are perfe(9:ly contented with what you are about ; but it is not fo in fox- hunting : every minute that you lofe is precious, and increafes your difficulties ; and while you * It is a quick method of hunting that I moflly value in any hound ; I'uch as are polTefled of it are feldom long oif the fcent ; it is the reverfe of flacknels, I arc 2'-2 ItiOUGUTS UPON HUNTING. are ftanding ftill the fox is rtinning miles. It is 3 fatisfaclioii to a hare-hunter to be told where his game was feen, though a long wliile before ; but it is melancholy news to a fox-hunter, whole game is not hkely to Hop. I believe I mentioned to you, in a former letter on hare hunting, a great fault which I had obfervcd in fomc harriers from beins let too much alone — that of riinuin^ l^ack the heel. — I have feen a pack of high-bred fox-hounds do the fame, for the fame rcafons. When hounds flag from frequent changes, and a long day, it is neceflliry for a huntfman to ani- mate them as much as he can ; he mufl keep them forward and prefs them on, for it is not likely, in this cafe, that they fliould over-run the fccnt ; at thefe times the whole work is generally done by a few hounds, and he fhould keep clofe to them : here I alfo fear thai the hare-hunter will fail :* if they come to a long fault it is over, and you had better then go home. The * It is at a time like this that good fportfmen may be of great fervice to hounds; it is the onty time that they want encourage- ment, and it is (I am forry to fay) ahnoft the only time that they do not receive it. Thofe who ride too forward in the morn- ing will in the evening, perhaps, be too far behind, and thereby lofe an opportunity that is offered them of making fome amends for the mifchiefs they have already done. When hounds flag from frequent changes, and the huntfman's horfe finks under the fatigue of a tirefome day, then it is that fportfinen may ainii t-KOtJGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2^^ The many chances that are againfl you in fox- liunthig ; the changing frequently ; the heading of the foxes ; their being courfed by fheep-dogs ; long faults; cold hunting i and the dying away of the fcent ; make it neceffary to keep always as near to the fox as you can ; which fhould be the lirft and invariable principle of fox-hunting. Long days do great hurt to a pack of fox-hounds. I fat out one day lall winter from the kennel at half pafl leven, .and returned home a quarter be- fore eight at night, the hounds running hard the greateil part of the time. The huntfman killed one horfe, and tired another, and the hounds did not recover for more than a week : we took them off at laft when they were running with a better fcent than they had had the whole day.* — I alfo remember, after it was dark, to have heard a better view halloo from an owl, than I ever heard from a fportfman in my life, though I hope that I fhall never hear fuch another. A long afiift them ; fuch as know the hounds fhould then ride up to them ; they fliould endeavour, by great encouragement, to keep them ru7inhig^ and get thofe forward that may be behind ; for •when hounds that are tired once come to hmtlng, they tie upon the fcent, and by lofing time lofe every chance they had of killing the fox-^great encouragement, and proper and timely affiflance only can prevent it. * Hounds, after every hard day, lliould have two clear days to reft ; it does them lefs hurt to hunt two days following when their wort is eafy, than to hunt before they may be perfeftly recovered after having been hard run. T day. 2^74 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. day, nevertheleis, once or tvAce in a fcaibn, is of ufe to a huntfman ; it flu Houtnefs of his hounds. ufe to a huntfman ; it fliews the real jjoodnefs ancJ When long days happen to hounds that are low in fiefh, nothing will get them up again fa efFe6lually as reft; it is for this reafon hounds that are kept conftantly hunted ought always to be, as fportfmen call it, ahoi-e their ivoj-k. If your hounds, either from accident or inattention, Ihould ever be in the low condition here alluded to, be not impatient to get them out of it ; fhould you feed them high w'lihflejli, the' mange, moft pro- bably, would be the immediate eonfequencc of it : it is reft and wholelbme meat that will re- cover them beft. It will lurprife you to fee how fpon a dog becomes cither fat or lean ; a little pa- tience, therefore, and fome attention, will always enable you to get your hounds into proper con- dition ; and I am certi^in, that you can receive no pleafure in hunting with them, if they be not. I forgot. In my letter upon the feeding of hounds, to obferve that fuch hounds as have the mange actually upon them, or only a tendency towards it, fhould be fed feparately from the reft. They Ihould have no fiefli ; their meat fliould be mixed up rather thin than tliick; and they fhould hava tttOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 275 have vegetables in great plenty.* I muft alfo add, that if my hounds return from hunting earlier than they were expeded, I now order them to be Ihut up in the lodging room till their meat be made ready for them. Hounds never refl contented till they have been fed ; nor will they remahi upon their benches unlefs they be confined ; yet, without doubt, lying upon the pavement, or even ilanding out in the cold, after violent exercife, mull be prejudicial to them. I am glad to hear that your huntfman knows the country which he is to hunt ; nothing in fox-hunting is more effential than that ; and it may make amends for many faults. Foxes are not capricious, they know very well what they are about ; are quick, I believe, at determining, and refolute in perfevering : they generally have a. point to go to, and, though headed and turned di- re6tly from it, feldom fail to make it good at lafl ; this, therefore, is a great help to an obferving huntfman. Suffer not your huntfinan io encourage his hounds too much on a bad fcenting day, particu- larly in covers where there is much riot. Hark,Hark, Hark, which injudicious huntfmcn are fo fond of * Sulphur made into a ball with butter, or hog's lard, and given two or three mornings following, may alfo be neceflary. T a upon 276 TllOiJClirS UPON HUKTIHG, upon every occaiion, muft often do mifchiof, an<3 cannot do good; whilit hounds are near togetheiv Ihey will get fooner to the hound that challenges without that noife than with it : if it be a right fcent, they will be ready enough to join; and it it be a wrong one^ provided they be let alone, they will foon leave it. Injudicious encouragement, on a bad day, might make them run fomcthing ©r other, right or ^^■rcng. I know of no fault fo bad in a hound as that of running falfe ; it fhould never be forgiven : fuch as are not flout, or are ftifF nofcd, or have other faults, may at times do good, and at their word may do no harm ; but fuch as run falfe mofl: probably will fpoil your fport. A hound capable of fpoiling one day's fport is fcarcely worth your keeping. Indifferent ones, fuch as I have above defcribed, may be kept till you have better to fupply their places. A huntfman fhould know how to marfhal every hound in his pack, giving to each his proper rank and precedence ; for, without this knowledge, it is not poffible he fhould make a large draft as he ought. There are, in moil packs, fome hounds that aflifl but little in killing the fox, and it is the judicious drafting off of fuch hounds that is a certain fign of a good huntfman. My THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 277 My huntfraan is very exadl ; he carries always a lift of his hounds in his pocket, and when in a diftant country', he looks it over to fee if any of them be miffing. He has alfo a book, in which he keeps a regular account where every fox is found, and where he is killed. Your huntftnan, you fay, knows perfe6rly the country he has to hunt ; let him then acquire as perfect a knowledge of his hounds : good fenfe and obfervation will do the reft, at leaft will do as much as you feem to require of him ; for I am glad to find that you had rather depend upon the goodnefs of your hounds for fport than the genius of your huntfman. It is, I believe, a much furer dependance. Ta LET 2,78 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING^ LETTER XXir. ARE not 5^our expectations fomewhat too fan- guine, when you think that you fliall have no occalion for bag-foxes to keep your hounds in blood the firil feafon ? It may be as well, per- haps, not to turn them all out till you can be more certain that your young pack will keep good and fieady without them. When blood is much wanted, and they arc tired with a hard day, one of thefe foxes will put them into fpirits, and give them, as it were, new llrength and vigour. You dcfire to know what I call hei?ig out of hloodP In anfwer to which, I mufl tell you, that, in my judgment, no fox-hound can fail of killing more than three or four times following, without being vilibly the worfe for it. When hounds arc out of blood, there is a kind of evil genius attending all they do; and though they may fcem to hunt as well as ever, they do not get forward; whilil a pack of fox-hounds, well in blood, like troops flufhed with conquefl, are not eafily withftood. What we call ill luck, day after day, when hounds kill no foxes, may fre- quently, I think, be traced to another caufe, 2 namely. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 279 namely, ihe'ir heivg out of hlood-y nor can there be any other realbn affigncd why hounds, which we know to be good, lliould remain fo long as they fometimes do without killing a fox.* Large packs are leall lubje^t to this inconvenience : hounds that are quite frefli, and in high fpirits, leaft feel the want of blood. The fmallefl packs therefore fliould be able to leave at Icaft ten or twelve couple of hounds behind them, to be frefh againft the next hunting day. If your hounds be much out of blood, give them reft: take this opportunity to hunt with other hounds, to fee how they are managed, to obferve what flallion hounds they have, and to judge yourfelf, whether they be fach as it is fit for you to breed from. If what I have now recommended fhould not fucceed, if a little reft and a fine morning do not put your hounds into blood again, I know of nothing; elfe that will ; and you muft attribute your ill fuccefs, I fear, to another caufe. You fay, you generally hunt at a late hour : after a tolerably good run, try not to find another fox. Should you be long in finding, and fliould you not have fuccefs afterwards, it will hurt your hounds: fhould you try a long time, and * A pack of hounds that had been a month without killing a fox, at lafl ran one to ground, which they dug, and killed upon the earth: the next feveu days they hunted they killed a io^ each day. T 4 not a80 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, not find, that alfo will make them flack. Never try to find a fox after one o'clock ; you had bet- ter return home, and hunt again on the next day. Not that I, in general, approve of hunt^ ing two days following with the fame hounds: the trying fo many hours in vain, and the being kept fo long off their food, both contribute to make them flack, and nothing furely is more con-» trary to the true fpirit of fox-hiuiling; for foX' hounds, I have already faid, ought always to be above their work. This is another particular, \x\ ■which hare-hunting and fox-hunting totally dif- fer; for harriers cannot be hunted too mucl), as long as they are able to hunt at all. The flower they go, the lefs likely they will be to over-run the fcent, and the fooner, in all probability, will they kill their game. I have a friend, who hunted his five days following, and afTured me, that he had better fport with them the laft day than the firfl. I remember to have heard that a certain pack of fox-hounds, fince become famous, were many weeks, from a mixture of indifferent hounds, bad management, and worfe luck, without killing a fox. However, they killed one at lafl, and tried to find another. They found him — and they lofl him— and we^ then, as you may well fuppofe, a month without killing another fox. This THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2%l This was ill judged; they lliould have returned liome immediately. When hounds are much out of blood, feme men proceed in a method that muft neceffarily keep them To : they hunt them every day ; as if tiring them out were a means to give them ilrength and fpirit : this, however, proceeds more from ill- nature and refentment than found judg- ment.* As I know your temper to be the re- verfe, virithout doubt you will adopt a different method ; and, fhould your hounds ever be in the ftate here dcfcribed, you will keep them frefli for the iirft fine day; when, fappofing them to be all perfedly fleady, I do not queflion that they will kill their fox. When hounds are in want of blood, give them every advantage: go out early; choofe a good quiet morning; and throw off your hounds where they are likely to find, and are leaft likely to change: if it be a fmall cover, or furze-brake, and you can keep the fox in, it is right to do it ; for the fooner that you kill him, when you are m want of blood, the better for the hounds. * It is not the want of blood only that is prejudicial to hounds, the trying long in vain to recover a lofl fcent no lefs contributes tp make them flack. When dQZ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING,' When hounds arc in want of blood, and yoif get a fox into a fmall cover, it mull be your own fault, if you do not kill him there : place your people properly, and he cannot get off again. You will hear, perhaps, that it is impoffible to head back a fox. No animal is fo fhy, confc- quently, no animal is fo eafily headed back by ihofe who underftand it. When it is your inten- tion to check a fox, your people mud keep at a little dirtance from the cover lide, nor fhould they be fparing of their voices ; for, lince you cannot keep him in, if he be determined to come out, prevent him, if you can, from being fo in- clined. All kind of mobbing is allowable, when hounds arc out of blood ;* and you may keep the fox in cover, or let him out, as you think the hounds will manage him heft, Thoufih I am fo great an advocate for blood as to judge it ncceffary to a pack of fox-hounds, yet I by no means approve of it, fo far as it is Ibmetimes carried. I have known three young foxes chopped in a furze-brake in one day, with- out any fport ; a wanton deftru6iion of foxes fcarcely anfvvering the purpofe of blood, iince that blood does hounds mofl good which is moft dearly earned. Such fportfmen richly deferve ♦ Yet how many foxes owe their lives to the too great eager* nefs of tlieir purfuers. blank THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 283 blank, days; and, without doubt, they often meet with them. Mobbing a fox, indeed, is only al- lowable when hounds are not hkely to be a match for him without it. One would almoil be indined to think blood as neceiFary to the men as to the hounds, iince the bell chacc is flat, un- lefs you kill the fox. When you alk a fox-hunteu what fport he has had, and he replies, it was good^ I think the next quefiion generally is, Did your hounds kill? If he fhould lay they did 7iot, the converfation ends ; but if, on the contrary, he tell you that they did, you then aik a hundred queftions, and feldom are fatisfied, till he has re- lated every particular of the chace. When there is fnow on the ground, foxes will lie at earth.* Should your hounds be in want of blood, it will at that time be eafy to dig one to turn out before them, when the weather breaks; but I feera to have forgotten a new do6\rlne which I lately heard, that blood is not neceflary to a pack of fox-hounds. If yoii alfo Ihould have taken up that opinion, I have only to wifli, that the goodnefs of your hounds may prevent * Earths Ihould be watched when there is fiiow upon the ground, for foxes then will lie at earth. Thofe who are in- clined to deftroy them can track them in, and may dig thera out. you 284 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. you from changing it, or from knowing how faj? it may be erroneous.* Before you have been long a fox-hunter, I ex- pe6l to hear you talk of the ill luck which fo fre- quently attends this diverfion. I can afilire you it has provoked me often, and has made e'^jen a far-Jon /wear. It was but the other day we expe- rienced an extraordinary inftance of it. We found, at the fame inflant, a brace of foxes in the fame cover, and they both broke at the oppo- lite ends of it ; the hounds foon got together, and went off very well with one of them ; yet, not- with landing this, fuch was our ill luck, that, though the hunted fox took a circle of feveral miles, he, at latt, croffed the line of the other fox, the heel of which we hunted back to the cover from whence we came : it is true, we per- ceived that our fccnt worfted, and were going to flop the hounds ; but the going off of a white froft deceived us alfo in that. Many a fox have I known loft, by running into houfes and ftables. It is not long lince my hounds loll one, when hunting in the New Fo- * Thofe who can fuppofe the killing of a fox to be of no fervice to a pack of fox -hounds, may fuppofe, perhaps, that it iloes them hurt. It is going but one flep further. reft: THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2S5 Itefl : after having tried the country round, they had given him up, and were gotten home ; when in rode a farmer, full gallop, with news of the fox : he had found him, he faid, in his flable, and had iTiut him in. The hounds returned; the fox, however, ilood but a little while, as he was quite run np before. Some years ago, my hounds running a fox acrofs an open country, in a thick fog, the fox Icarcely out of view, three of the leading hounds difappcared all of a fudden, and the whipper-in, luckily, was near enough to fee it happen. They fell into a dry well, near an hundred icdi deep : they and the fox remained there together till the next day ; when, wi'h the greateft difficulty, we got them all four out. Another time, having run a fox a burft of an hour and quarter, the fevereft I ever remember, the hounds, at lafr, got up to him by the fide of a river, where he had llaid for them. One hound feizcd him as he v/as fwimming acrofs, dnd they both went down together. The hound came up again, but the fox appeared no more. By means of a boat and a long pole we got the fox out. Had he not been i^^w to link, he would hardly have been tried for under water, and, without doubt, we fliould have wondered what had become of him. Now 2S(j THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING^ Now we are in the chapter of accidents, 1 mnft mention another, that lately happened to me on croffing a river, to draw a cover on the other fide of it. The river Stovver frequently overflows its banks, and is alfo very rapid and very dangerous. Tlie flood that morning, tho* fudden, was extenfive. The neighbouring mea- dows were all laid under water, and only the tops of the hedges appeared. There were polls to di- re(5l us to the bridge, but we had a great length of water to pals before we could get at it ; it was, befides, fo deep tliat our horfes almoft fwam, and the lliorteil: legged horfes and longeft legged riders were worft oft". The hounds dafhed in as iifual, and were immediately carried by the rapi- dity of the current, a long way down the flream. The huntfman was liir behind them; and as he could advance but flowly, he was conftrained to fee his hovmds wear themfelves out in an ufelefs contention with the current, from their efforts to get to him. It was a fhocking fcene ! many of the hounds, when they reached the fhore, had entirely lofl the ufe of their limbs, for it froze and the cold was intolerable. Some lay as if they were dead, and others reeled, as if they had been drinking wine. Our ill luck was not yet complete ; the weakefc hounds, or fuch as were moft afFedled by the cold, we now faw entangled in the tops of the hedges, and heard their lamen- tations. Well-known tongues! and fuch as I had TfiOtGHTS UPON HUNTING. 287 Bad never before heard without pleafure. It was painful to fee their diftrefs, and not know how ia relieve it. A number of people, by tlils time, were afTembled near the river lide, but there was not one amongft them that would venture in. However, a guinea, at lafi:, tempted one man to fetch out a hound that was entangled in a bufl), and would otherwife have perifhed. Two hounds remained upon a hedge all night, and though at a conliderable ditlance from each other when we left them, yet they got together afterwards, and the next morning, w^hen the flood abated, they were found clofcly clafping each other r without doubt; it was the friendly warmth they afforded each other that kept both alive. We loll but one hound by this unlucky expedition, but could not favc any of our terriers. They were feen to fink, their flrength not being fuffi- cient to refifl the two enemies they had to en- counter, powerful, when combined — the feverity of the cold, and the rapidity of the ftream. You afk, at what time you fhould leave ofF hunting ? It is a queftion which I know no! how to anfvver, as it depends as much on the quantity of game that you have, as on the coun- try that you hunt. However, in my opinion, no good counti-y fhould be hunted after February ; nor fhould there be any hunting at all after March, Spring hunting is lad dedruction of foxes : USS THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, foxes : in one week you may deltroy as many a{> would liave fhewn you fport for a whole feafon. We killed a bitch-fox one morning, with feven Touno; ones, which were all alive : I can afiure you we miffed them very much the next year, and had many blank days, which we needed not to have had, but through our own fault. I fhould tell you, this notable feat was performed, lite- rally, on the Jifji of j4pnL If you will hunt late in the feafon, you fhould, at leaft, leave your terriers behind you. I hate to kill any ani- mal out of feafon. A hen-pheafant, with egg, I have heard, is famous eating; yet I can affure you I never mean to tafte it ; and the hunting a bitch-fox, big with young, appears to me cruel and unnatural. A gentleman of my acquaint- ance, who killed moH of his foxes at this feafon, was humoroufly called, midwife io the foxes. Arc not the foxes heads, which are fo pom- poufly expofcd to view, often prejudicial to fport in fox-hunting ? How many foxes are wantonly deitroyed, without the leafl fervice to the hounds or fport to the mafter, that the huntfman may fay he has killed" fo many brace ! How many are digged out and killed, when blood is not wanted, for no better reafon ! — foxes that another day, perhaps, the earths well ftoppcd, might have run hours, and died gallantly at Lift. I remember myfelf to have fecn a pack of hounds kill three in THOUGHTS TjrON HUNTING. 289 in one day ; and though the laft ran to ground, and the hounds had killed two before, therefore ''could not be fuppofed to be in want of blood, the fox was digged out and killed upon the earth. However, it anfwercd one purpole you vvd-'KI little expert — it put a clerg}'man pvefent ia iL.rd that he had a corpfe to hmy, which otherwife had been forgotten. I fhould have lefs objedllon to the number of foxes heads that are to be {ccn againil every ken- nel door, did it afcertain v/ith more preciiion the goodnefs of the hounds ; which may more juiily be known from the few foxes they lofe than from the number that they LiU. When you inquire after a pack of fox-hounds, whether they be good or not, and are toid they feldoui xniis ;' fox. your mind is perfectly fatisfied about them, anc' \o\i inquire no farther : it is not always fo, when you are told the number of foxes they have killed. If you alk a Frenchman what age he is of, he will tell you that he is in good health. — In like manner, when I am alked how many brace of foxes my hounds have killed, I feel myfelf in- clined to fay the hounds are good; an anfwer which, in my opinion, goes more immediately to the fpirit of the queflion than any other that I could give ; lince the number of foxes heads is, at befl-, but a prefumptive proof of the goodnefs of the hounds. In a country neighbouring to U n?inc 290 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTINO. mine foxes are difficult to be killed, and not eafy to be found ; and the gentlemen who hunt that country are very well contented when they kill a dozen brace of foxes in a feafon. My hounds kill double that number ; ought it to be inferred from thence that they are twice as good ? All countries are not equally fivourable to hounds : I hunt in three, all as different as it is poffible to be ; and the fame hounds that behave well in one, fomctimes appear to behave indif- ferently in another. Were the molt famous pack, therefore, to change their good country for the bad one I here allude to, though, without doubt, they would behave well, they certainly would meet with lefs fucccfs than they are at pre fen t ufed to : our cold flinty hills would foon convince them, that the difference of ftrength betweien one fox and another — the difference of goodnefs betwixt one hound and another — are yet but trifie?^, when compared with the more material difference of a good fccntlng country and a bad one.* I can * Great Inequality of {cent is very unfavourable to h-ounds. In heathy coiniirifs the fcent always lies, yet I have remarked that the many roads that crofs them, and the many inclofures of poor land that rurround them, render hunting in fuch coun-' tries at times very difficult to houndc ; the fudden change from a good fccnt to a bad one pu/.zlei tlicir uofes and cianfufes their ^nder« THOUGHTS irPdN HUNTING. 2^1 I can hardly think you ferious when you alk me, if the fame hounds can hunt both hare atid fox ; however, thus far you may aflure yourfelf, that it cannot be done with any degree of con- liftency. As to your other queftion of hunting the hounds yourfelf, that is an undertaking which, if you will follow my advice, you v/ill let alone. It is your opinion, I find, that a gentleman might make the belt huntfman ; I have no doubt that he would, if he chofe the trouble of it. I do not think there is any profeffion, trade, or occu- pation, to which a good education would not be of fervice ; and hunting, notvvithflanding it is at prefent exercifed by fuch as have not had an edu- cation, might, without doubt, be carried on much better by thofe that have. I will venture to fay, fewer faults would then be committed ; nor would the lame faults be committed over and over again as they now are. Huntfmen never reaibn l)y analogy, nor are they much benefited by experience. , Having told you, in a former letter, v/hat a huntfman ought to be, the following, which I can affure you is a true copy, will fnew you, in fome iniiances at leall, what he ought not to be. underflandings ; and many of them, without doubt, follow the fcent unwillingly, owing to the little credit that they give to it. In my opinion, therefore, a fcent which is lefi good, but more equal, is more favourable to hound-;. U % SIR, 29^ THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* S I R, YOUR's T received the 24tli of this prefent Injftant June and at your requelt I will give you an impartial account of my man John G 's Cha adler. He is a Shoemaker or Cordwainer which you pltafe to call it by trade and now in our Town he is following the Carding Bulinefs for every one that wants him he ferved his Time at a Town called Brigftock in Northamptonfhire and from thence in great Addington Journeyman to this Occupation as before mentioned and ufed to come to my houfe and found by riding my horfes to water that he rode a horfe pretty well which was not at all miftaken for he rides a horfe well and he looks after a kennel of hounds very well and find^ a hare very well he hath no judgment in hunting a pack of hounds now tho he rides well he dont with dilcrction for he dont know how to make the moil of a horfe but a very harey fi:arey fellow will ride over a church if in his way tho may prevent the leap by having a gap within ten yards of him and if you are not in the field with him yourfelf when you are a hunting to tu-r tor him about riding he will kill ail the horfe3> you have in the ftable in one month for he hath, killed downright and lamed fo that will never be fit for ufe no- mor^ than five horfes fmcc he hath hunted my hounds v/hich is two years and upwards he can talk no dog language to a hound lio hath no voice he fpeaks to a hound jufl as if his THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 293 his head were in a drum nor neither does lie know bow to draw a hound when they are at a lofs no more than a child of two years old as to his ho- nefty I always found him honelt till about a week ago and have found him dlfhoneft now for about a week ago I fent my fervant that I have now to fetch fome flieep's feet from Mr. Stanjan of Higham Ferrers where G ufed to go for feet and I always fend my money by my man ihat brings the feet and Stanjan told my man that I have nov/ that I owed him money for feet and when the boy came home he told me and I went to Stanjan and when I found the truth of the mat- ter G- had kept my money in his hands and had never paid Stanjan he had been along with me once for a letter in order for his chara6ter to give him one but I told him I could not give him a good one fo I would not write at all G is a very great drunkard cant keep a penny in his pocket a fad notorious lyar if you fend him upon an errand a mile or two from Uppingham he will get drunk ihiy all day and never come home while the middle of the night or fuch time as he knowsi his mafter is in bed he can nor will not keep any fecret neither hath he fo much v/it as other people for the fellow is half a fool for if you would have buiincfs done wilh expedition if he once gets out of the town or fight of you fhall fee him no more >vhile the next morning he fervcs mc fo and fo you mufl exped the fame if you hn*e him I ufe U 3 you 294- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. you juft as I would be ufed myfelf if I defired a chara6ter of you of a lervant that I had defigned to hire of yours as to let you know the truth of every thing about him. ' I am Sir Your mo ft humble fervant to command P.S. He takes good care of his horfes with good looking after him as to the dreffing 'em but if you dont take care he will fill the manger full of corn fp that he will cloy the horfes and ruin the whole liable of horfes. Great Addington June the 28th 1734. LET- THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 2,95 LETTER XXIII. T TOLD you, I believe, at the beginning of our ■^ correfpondence, that I dilliked bag-foxes ; I fhall now tell you what my objections to them are : — the fcent of them is different from that of other foxes ; it is too good, and makes hounds idle ; befides, in the manner in which they gene- rally are turned out, it makes hounds very v/ild. They feldom fail to know what you are going about before you begin ; and, if often ufcd to hunt bag- foxes, will become riotous enough to run any thing. A fox that has been confined long in a fmall place, and carried out afterwards in a fack, many miles perhaps, his own ordure hanging about him,mufi: needs iVmk extravagantly. You are alfo to add to this account, that he moll probably is weakened for want of his natural food and ufual exercife ; his fpirit broken by de- fpair, and his limbs ftiifened by confinement ; he then is turned out on open ground without any point to go to : he runs down the wind, it is true, but he is fo much at a lofs all thewliile, that he lofes a deal of time in not knowing v>'hat to do; while the hounds, who ha^^e no occaiion to hunt, purfue as clofely as if they were tied to U 4 him. 296 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. him. I remember once to have hunted a bag-fox with a gentleman, who not thinkhig thefe advan- tages enough, poured a whole bottle of anifoed on the fox's back : I cannot fay that ] could have hunted the fox, but I affbre you I could very cafiiy have hunted the anijeed. Is it to be ex].e'^~^fcd, that the fame hounds will have patience to iiarit a cold fcent the next day o'er greafy fal- lov'. s, t'lrough flocks of fheep, or on fi^ony roads?. However capable they maybe of doing it, I fliould mu 1. aoubt their giving themfelves the trouble. If, notwilhiianding tliefe objc6lions, you ftill chute ro turn one out, turn him into a fmaU co- ver, give him what time you judge necefTary, and lay on your hounds as quietly as you can ; and, if it be poflible, let tlicin think tliey find him. — If you turn out a fox for blood, I fliould, in that cafe, prefer the turning him into a large cover, firit drawing it well to prevent a change. The hounds fhould then find him themfelves, and the iboncT he is killed the better. Fifteen or twenty minutes is as long as I fhould ever wifli a ba'hilft he arraigns the life he leads at Rome, fpeaks with a kind of rapture of a country life: "Welcome," fays he, ^' thou *' life of integrity and virtue ! welcome fweet *' and innocent amufement ! Thou ih^t art al- " moft preferable to bufincfs and employment of *' every kind." Aud it was hre, we are told, that tHOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 3 I jf tliat the great Bacon experienced his truefl; feli- city. With regard to the Otmn cum dlgnitate, fo much recommended, no one, I beheve, under- flands the true meaning of it better, or pra6lifcs it more fuccefsfully than you do. A rural life, I think, is better fuited to this kingdom than to any other ; becaufe the country in England affords pleafures and amufements un- known in other countries ; and becaufe its rival, our Englifh town (or ton) life, perhaps is a lefg pleafant one than may be found elfewhere. If this, upon a nice invcftigation of the matter, ihould appear to be ftridly true, the conclufion that would neceffarily refult from it might prove more than I mean it fliould ; therefore we will drop the fubje(9:. Should you, however, differ from me in opinion of your town life, and difapprove what I have faid concerning it, you may excufe me, if you pleafe, as you would a lawyer, who does the befi: he can for the party for whom he is retained, I think you will alfo excufe any expreflions I may have ufed, which may not be current here ; if you find, as I verily believe you may, that I have not made ufe of a French word, but when I could not have expreffed my meaning fo well by an Englifh. one : — it is only an unnecefTary and afFe(51ed ap-r plication of a foreign language, that in my opi- nion, is deferving of cenfure. 3l8 THOUGHT? UPON HUNTING, To thofe who may think the danger which at- tends upon hunting a great objedlion \o the pur- fuit of it, I mull; beg leave to obferve, that the accidents which are occalioned by it are very iew. I will venture to fay, that more bad acci- dents happen to fhooters in one year than to thole who follow hounds in feven. You will re- mind me, perhaps, of the death of T k, and the fall of D 1 ; but do accidents never hap- pen on the road? the moll famous huntfman and boldeft rider of his time, after having hunted a pack of hounds for feveral years unhurt, loll his life at laft by a fall from his horfe as he was re- turning home. A furgcon of my acquaintance lias affurcd me, that in thirty years practice, in a Iporting country, he had not once an opportu- nity of fetting a bone for a fportfman, though ten packs of hounds were kept in the neighbour- hood. This gentleman furely mull have been much out of luck, or huntins; cannot be lb dan- gcrous as it is thought. Bclides, tl^ey are all timid animals that we purfue, nor is there any danger in attacking them : they are not like llic furious beaft of the Ge'vaudaUy which, as a French author informs us, an army of 20,000 French chaffeuis went out in vain to kill. If my time in writing to you fliould not have been io well employed as it might have hQcu^yoii at Icall will not find that fault with it; nor fliall I repent THOUGHTS UPON HtTNTfNG. 319 I rcpont of having employed it in this manner, unlefs it were more certain than it is, that it wouM have been employed better. It is true, theic let- ters are longer than T firfl intended they fhould be ; they would have been fiortef could I have beftowed more time upon them. Some technical words have crept in imperceptibly, and virith them fome exprefiions better fiiited to the field than to the clofet : nor is it ncceflary, perhaps, that a fportfman, when he is writing to a Iportiman, fhould make exciiles for them. In fome of my letters you have found great variety of matter; the variety of queuions contained iwyours made it ibmetimes unavoidable. I know there muft be fome tautology ; it fcarcely is pofiible to remem- ber all that has been laid in former letters ; let that diiiiculty, if you pleafe, excule the fault. I fear there may be fome contradicfions for the fame reafon, and there may be many exceptions. I trull them all to your candour, nor can they be in bet- ter hands. I hope you will not find that I have at different times given different opinions ; but fhould that be the cale, without doubt you will follow the opinion which coincides moil with your own. If on any points I have differed from great authorities, I am forry for it; I have never hunted with thole who are looked up to as the great mat- ters of this fcience ; and when I difier from them it Is without defign. Other methods, doubtlefs, there are, to make the keeping of hounds much more §20 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTII^G, more expenfive, which, as I do not pradlife my- felf, 1 fhall not recommend to you ; — treated after the manner here defcribed they will kill foxes, and Hiew } ou Iport. I have anfwcred all your quef- tions as concitely as I was able, and it has been my conftant endeavour to fay no raor'- titan I thought \h'^ lubjeft required. Tiie time iDay come, when more experienced fportfmcn p.nd abler pens may do it grealer jufdce; till then, accept the obfcrvations that I have made: take' them, read them, try them. There v.as a timd when I fhould readily have received the informa- tion they give, iraperfe6t as it may be ; for expe- rience is ever a flow teacher, and 1 have had no other. Willi regard to books^ Somervile is the only author whom I have found of any ufe on this fubjeft ; you will admire the poet and efleem the man; yet I am not certain that you will be always fatisfied with the lefTons of the huntfman* Proud of the authority, I have quoted from him as often as it would fuit your purpofe ; and, for* your fake, have I braved the evident difad vantage that attended it. I wifh this elegant poet had anfwered all }our quefiions; you then would have received but one letter from me — to refer you to him. That no other writer fliould have followed his fleps may thus, I think, be accounted for : tiiofe gentlemen who make a profeffion of writing live chiefly in town, confequently cannot be fappofcd to know much of hunting : and thoib tllOUGHTS ITPON HITNTING. 32*! tliofe who do know any thing of it are either fervants that cannot write, or country gentlemen who will not give themfelves the trouble. How- ever, I have met with foine curious remarks which I cannot help communicating to you. One author tells us, that " courting is more agreeable than " hunting, hecaufe it is foonsr over:'^ — " that a *• terrier is a inurgrel greyhound z'' — and '^ that' *' dogs have often coughs from eating fifli honest* Another (a French author) advifes us to give a liorfe, after hunting, " a foup made of bread and *• wine, and an onion."- — I tear an Englilli groqna would eat the onion, and drink the wine. The fame author has alfo a very particular method of catching rabbits, which you will pleax^b k> take in his own words, he calls it — Chajfe du Japin a Vccrevijfe. '* Cette chafje convient aux per- *^ fonnes qui ne veulent employer ni furets ni armes a '^^ feic : on tend des poches d'une extremite d^in ter- ** rier, et a l' autre on gliJJ'e une ecreviffe\ cet animal " arrive peu-a-feu au fond de la retraite du lapin^ " le pique, sy attache avec tant de force, qus h *^ quadrupede efl oblige de fuir, emportant avec lui " fo7i ennend, et vient fe fair e prendre dans le filet *' qu'on lui a tendu a Vouverture du terrier. Cette V^ chaffe demnnde heaucoup de patience: les opera^ ^' tions de T ecreviffe font lentes, mais aufji ellesfont ^^ quelqjie fois plus fures que celles dufuret*^ Y This 32Z TIIOtGHTS UPON HUNTING. This gentleman's iing«lar method of hunting rabbits iinih a hhjier, reminds me of a method harlequin * has of killing hares, not lefs inge- nious, with 8panijh Jmiff, Brighella tells him, that the hares eat up all his mafter's green wheat, and that he knows not how to kill them ; " no- ^^ thing more eafy," replies harlequin — " I will " engage to kill them all with two pennyworth ^^ of fnuff. They come in the night, you fay, " to feed on the green wheat ; fi:rew a little fnuff" ** over tlie field before they come, it will fet *' them all a fneezing ; nobody will be by to lay *' God Mcfsyoiiy and, of conrfe^ they will all die/' I believe, during our prelent correfpondence^ that I have twice quoted the Encyclopedic with fome degree of ridicule; I muft, notwithftanding, beg leave to fay, in juftice to myfelf, that I have great efteem for that valuable work. On opening a very large book called the Gen' ilemaris Recreation, I met with the following re- markable paffage : — " Many have written of this " fubje61-, as well the antients as moderns, yet " but few of our countrymen to any purpofe ; *^ and had one all the authors on this fabjccSty *^^ (as indeed on any other) there would be more * The harlequin of the Italian theatre, v/hofe to}igm is a£ liberty as well as his hceh. <* trouble THOUGltTS UPON HUNTING* 32J ^f trouble to pafs by than to retain ; moft books " being fuller of words than matter, and of that -*f which is for th« moil: part very erroneous." — ■ All who have written on the fubje6l of hunting feem to agree in this at leaflj to fpeak indifferently of one another. You have obfervcd in one of your letters, that i do not always follow my own rules ; and, as a proof of it, you have remarked that many of my hounds are oddly named: — I cannot deny the charge. I leave a great deal to my huntfman; but if you aim at perfedion, leave as little as you. can help to your's. It is eaiier, I believe, in every inftance, to know what is right than it is to follow it ; but if the rules I have given be good, what does It tignify to you whether I follow them QY not ? A country fellow ufed to call every di- recting poft he faw a doctor. He was afked, why he called them fo ? " Why, mafler," faid he, " I ^* never fee them but they put me in mind of the " parfon of our parifli, who conftantly points^ ^' out a road to us he does not follow himfelf.'* If I can add to the amufement of fuch as fol- low this diveriion, I fliall not think my time has been ill employed ; and if the rules which are here given may any ways tend to preferve that friendly animal the hound from one unneceflary lafhj I fhall not think they have been written in Y 2, vain. 324 thoi;ghts upon hunting. vain.* It never was my expe6lation to be able to fend you a complete trcatife ; — Thoughts upon Hiatt'ing^ in a feries of familiar Letters, were all I propofed to myfelf the pleafurc of fending : — the trouble I have taken in writing them entitles me to fome indulgence ; nor did I, therefore, whillt I endeavour to render them of ufe, iland in any fear of criticifm. Yet if any man, as idle as I have already declared myfelf to be, fliould take the trouble to criticife thefe letters, tell him this: — An acquaintance of mine, who had bc- ftowed much time in improving his place when- ever he heard it found fault with, " allied where *^ the critic lived ? whether he had any place of " his own ? whether he had attempted any im- <^ provements ? and concluded with promiiing a " feep at it.'' — The gentleman here alluded to had lefs humility than your humble fervant. * Strangely unfortiuiate fliould I thiMk myfelf, if while I profefs to be a friend to dogs, I flioukl prove their bittcrcfi: enemy, and if thofe mles which were intended to lefien, fhovild increafe their uifFerlngs ; convinced as I am by experience, that a regular fyileni of education is the fureft means to render correfliou unnecefiary. Hnrd is that heart (if any fuch there be) which can ill ufe a creature fo afFe6tionate and fo good ; who has renounced his native liberty to aflbciate with man, to whofe fervice his whole life is dedicated : who, fenfible of every kinduefsi, is grateful for the fmalleft favour; while the worft ufage cannot eftrange his affection, in which he is (beyond all exainplej conflant, faithful, and difinterefled ; who guards hiin by night, and amufes him by day, and is, perhaps, the only companion who will not forfake him in adverilty. Take, THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 325 Talce, therefore, my fentimcnts in the following ines : — ' «S'/ quid noviji'i rccllus \fth, Candidti^ im^^rti ; Ji fion, his utere niecum. Hon, Farewell.* * The fong which was at the end of the firft edition of thefe letters having been already printed by its author, and thought too local to be neceflary here, is now omitiet^. Note, Page 115, line 21, si^tQT Jervke, add, I HOW ufe, inftead of digeflive ointment, a poultice made of Goulard, as recommended by Arnandj, ia Jiio edition of that treatife, page 203. y 3^ A2J AN A C C O U N T OP THE MOST CELEBRATED DOG KENNELS XN THE KINGDOM, Agreeable to the Intimation given at the conclu^ Jion of the fecond Letter of this fVork, the Editor prefents the Readers of it with an account of the moft celebrated Dog Ken-» N E L s , begirining with-^ HIS MAJESTY'S, at ASCOT: WITH AN EXA.CT REPRESENTATION OF THE SAME, BEAUTIFULLY ENGRAVED. npHIS building is fituated in the center of Af- -*- cot Heath, juft below the hill, about three quarters of a mile north-wcfl of the ftarting poft, and includes in its advantages one of the befl lituations for the purpofe of any in the kingdom. To AN ACCOUNT OP DOG KENNELS. 327 To the excellence and unlverfally admitted fupe- riority of the eftablifhmentj every inferior conli- deration becomes fubfervient, and the conllant fuperintendance of his Majefty contributes to the promifed attainment of every perfc6lion. The dwelling houfe of Johnfon, his Majefly's huntf- man, conftitutes a part of the fabric, and of the interior parts of this, his Majefty condefcends to make a furvey, with the fame congenial eafe and happy affability, as to fuch parts of tlie ftrudure as become more immediately appropriate to pub- Jic purpofe. We are v/ell aware the world in ge- neral conlider his Majefly's appearance in the field as matter of can-venknce or necejfity^ anci adopted only as a prefervative of health or a pre- ventative to ill; it becomes the peculiar province however, of this article, to wipe away fo ridicq- lous an idea, and to hold forth the moft unequi- vocal aflurance that there is no fportfman in the kingdom who enters more into the minutiae of the kennel, or the energy of the chace. His Majefty is not only famihar to the names of the leading hounds in the pack, but frequently feledts them in the kennel, as peculiar oi>je6ls of atten- tion. The fize of the hounds, the increafe of the packs, the diminution of ftock, the entering of puppies, or drafting old hounds, are equally and rationally matters to which his Majeity at-, tends, though by no means di6latorially; but once ijoell informed, in reply to his inquiries, after- X 4 making 32,8 AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENNELS. making his own obfervations, he moft happily and engagingly fubmits the final arrangements to thofe whofe official province it is to fuperin- tend the execution. Ti.e hounds confift, in fa6l, of two packs, which pafs under the denomination of the " old'* ard the " young hounds," and are alternately brought into ufe in the following way: the great body of old and flaunch liounds are always fe- lecTted for fuch deer as are known to be good runners, and conflantly produced in the field when his Majefty meets: to thefe are frequently added three or four couple of young hounds, till the whole have been entered in rotation, and the tv70 packs are, by fuch gradational introduction, enabled to conftitutc a kind of confblidation in rcfpecl to abilities, for whatever exigences may enfue or circumflances require. 7U AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENNELSt ^2^ The RefiJence of the Mojler of his Majeftfs Stag Hounds being contiguous to the above Buildings an JEDgrciving, equally defcrlptive of its Situation, is aijj annexed, and the following Jhort Account y it is hoped J %vill not be deemed uninterejling. SWINLEY LODGE, S Htuated upon Afoot Heath, about a mile fouth-weft of the Harting poll, furrounded by hills, and fheltered by lofty trees from fuch feverity of the elements as is frequently experi- enced in lituations fo abflracled from rural alTo- ciation. Notvvithflanding its fequeflered afpeift and remote ere6lion in the middle of a dreary beath, it has every internal convenience to render it happily appropriate to the purpofe for which it was originally intended. Exclulive of an ex- cellent ruftic manfion, pofTeffing the room and requitites for which our buildings of former cen- turies are fo eaiily diftinguifiiable, it has annexed ranges of excellent tabling, commodious yards, domeftic gardens (lefs in the ftile of orname?it than utility)', paddocks applied folely to pa (lure for the reception of red deer, as well as various parcels 330 AN ACCOUNT OP DOG KENNELS. parcels of land, diflln6lly divided into the re- quired proportions of meadow and arable, for the cultivation of fuch hay and corn of every kind as may be required upon the premifes. To thefe accumulated conveniences may be added the va- rious £fh ponds, which, with the live flock of every kind produced upon the premifes, may be faid to conftitute an aggregate of the moil luxu- rious cjatification within a fenced circle of ferti- lity, tv/o miles in circumference, though fur- rounded by one of the moit harreyi fpots in the univcrfe, producing only fuel for the inhabitants of that and diflant pariflies, and heaih for hrooviSj by manufa6luring v/hich moll of the neighbour- ing indigents obtain a livelihood. To this dif- in&^ and its furrounding hills, his Majcfly's lierd of red deer appertain ; here they breed, and being conflantly fed (like the cattle more do- mefticate) in the feverity of the winter feafon, they conlider it tlieir home, and become (to thofo they are accuflonied to fee) much lefs ferocious^ and more aflbciate, than can well bp fuppofed of an animal fo naturally wild, and fo little fubje6^ to a perfonal furvey from human viiitants. The prefent relident has given a life and fpirit to the fcene that it never polTeiTed during the offi- cial career of either of the two laft of his prede» ccflbrs, and will fccure to Lord Sandwich the re- fpect of every fportfman in the kingdom. DUKE An account af dog kennels, 33$ BUKE OF RICHMOND'S, at GOODWOOD. 'TPHE next that claims attention is the ken- -*• nel erecled by his Grace of Richmond, at Goodwood, in SufTex, and which the engraving annexed is a perfe6l delineation. To a pcrfon unacquainted with his Grace, the expenditure of lipwards of 1 0,000/. on a dog kennel might ap- pear a matter of furprize, but to the writer of this, who is no ftranger to his munificence, it appears no more than a common occurrence. The duke was his own architect and builder: he dug his own flints, burnt his own lime, made his own bricks, and formed the wood-work in his own fhops. THE DOG KENNEL Is a place by itfelf in the park, and is a grand obje6l to the beft rooms in the houfe. The iront is handfome. The ground is well raifcd about it, and turfed. The efFe6l is good. The dimenfions. — ^The length is 14^ (eef^ the depth 30; the height, from the crown 0/ the arches 332 AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENNELS, arches that fupport it, 1 8 feet on the lides ; in the center 28 fceL The maferiaTs are flints, finiflied at ail the an- gles by a light grey brick, like the Lymiiigtoft white iiock. The diflribution of the building is into £vc kennels ; two of them j6 by 1 5 — three more 30 by 15 ; two feeding rooms;^ 28 by 15. In each there are openings at the top for cold air, and ftoves to warm the air when too cold. There are fhpplies of water, and drains, into a flank, as it is called, a depth below, fall of rain water. From the furface of this rain water to the rife of the arch, is 1 1 feet ; fo that inconvenience from fmcll there is none; and the whole at any time can be cleared off, by drains, to more dependent depths, dung-pits, &c. So that, as an aid to farming, it is not altogether ufelefs. Round the whole building is a pavement five feet wide, airing yards, places for breeding, Sec. &c. making part of each wing. For the huntfman, and for the whipper-in, there is a parlour, a kitchen, and a fleeping room for each. It AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENKSLS. 333 ' It will contain two packs ; but at prefcnt the duke has only fox-hounds. The dogs are re- duced from 60 to 40 couple. Before this building was finifhed, tlie dogs ufed to be kept at Plannaker and Charlton, and twelve hunters were farmed by an old huntfman, who is now dead. This part of the efiabHlhment is farmed no tnore. DUKE ^54 ^"^^ ACCOUNT OP DOG KENNELS* DUKE o^ BEDFORD'S, at WOBURN ABBEY. >Y way of* Introducing what is the more iin« mediate objedt of our attention, it may be necefiary to fligbtly notice the other improve- ments of his Grace — particularly as the engrav- ing which accompanies it, includes the whole of the buildings erecSlcd for his iporting. eftablifli- 33ient. The tennis court and riding lioufc (with apart- tnents between to drefs in) forms a building 266 feet 8 inches long, and 49 feet 6 inches v/ide, the whole front of which is ilone: the roof is a flat one, and covered with a compolition of tar^ clialk, &c. inftead of lead. There are flues run along the walls, and under the pavement of the tennis court, to keep off the damps : the walls of the intide of the riding houfe are painted in pan- nels, with high pllaflers, and the ceiling is painted to reprefcnt a clear fky. There are two wings of ftables, one of which only is yet fitted up by Mr. Holland, and con- tains ftalls for 36 hunters, with 11 hofpital apartments for fick and lame horfes: there is a 2 fad- AN ACCOUNT OP DOG KENNELS. 23$ faddle room with glafs-fronted prefles, and flues running along the walls, to keep the faddles dry; two cillerns with hot and cold water, one of which is heated by the fame fire that warms the flues, a pair of jockey fcales, &c. The dog kennel (efteemed the completell: In JEngland) is 405 feet long, in the center of which Hands the boillng-houfe, with feeding- houfes ad- joining, and a granary behind: on the left are divifions for litter, Uraw, eleven apartments for bitches and puppies, with yards to each ; eleven ditto for bitches in pup, with yards alfo, and a large divifion for bitches at heat. On the right of the center are apartments for two kennel keep- ers, two long lodging rooms for the hunting hounds, with flues running along the walls, fpa- cious yards to each, furnifhed with a fountain in the center for the hounds to drink at, and, water cocks ifluing near the pavement, to cleanfe it : adjoining to thefe, are {even hofpitals for lick hounds, with yards to each. In the front is a large pond, which fupplies the fountains and different cocks in the feveral yards within. Behind is a large airing ground, flefh-houfe, ace. The 2^6 AN ACCOUN-" 0? DOG KENNEL5. The h'lritfman's lioufe is a liandfomc bulldinj*: adjo; ^ ■ ._,, ... V-... _\ ^juple of woikiDg, h\j^.s^^ aid kept in tLekeriiiel^ SIR WILLIAM ROWLEY'S, at TENDER- ING HALL, SUFFOLK. FFith a heaut'iful Reprefentat'ion of the Buildings and a Ground Plan of the fame. T^TEATNESS and convenlenoe arc mofl hap- -*-^ pily blended together in this compa6l ken- nel, and the whole gives no bad fpcclmen of the tafte and judgment of the munilicent proprietor, who planned it hirafelf, without any reference to more fumptuous editiee?. The lituatlon is to the caflward of 'he noble manfion ere6led by the late Admirr.I S-'r Jofhua Rowley, father to Sir William, at the dwlanee of about half a mile. From near the kitchen gar- den it has a nK>ft pi6lurefquc and bcabtiful ap- pearance: from this fpot the view is taken. Tiie 'yz _/? AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENNELS. 337 The kennel is placed in a deep valley in the park, a fituation admirably adapted for the pur- pole, being equally defended from the cutting eafterly winds, and the heat of the fun in its me- ridian, by a thick Ikirting of park and foreft trees. Not having the advantage of a rivulet td water the courts, that want is amply fupplied by a pump, which, by means of different cocks^ turns the water to every part of the premifes. The entrance to the building is at a. a. Is a pafiage, having on the right a coal- houfe, h, and on the left, c, the feeder's reli- dence, which is in the convenient cottage ilyle, with a neat bed-chamber over it. d, Is the boiling houfe, with two coppers at e, /, Is the furnace of a flue, which palTes under the adjoining room, viz. g. The hunting kennel, or principal lodging room: this room is 20 feet by 18 in the clear, and 18 feet high, paved with flag-Hones. The beds, or benches, which cover almofl: the whole area, are of an excellent and original contrivance, be- ing lathed, like fome bedfteads, and all made to fold up with joints, for the convenience of wafli- ing the floor beneath them. By means of the flue Z at 338 AN ACCOUNT OF DOG KENNELS. at /, this room is heated to any temperature, and the hounds, after fevere chaces, and in wet wea- ther, arc rendered dry and comfortable in a much Icfs time than they would be by any other means. h. The kennel, or lodging room for the young hounds. This is of the fame dimenlions as the preceding, and enjoying all the fame conveni- ences, except the flue, which would here be ufe- lefs. z, Several fmall kennels for bitches, previous to geftation, h. Several fmall kennels for bitches with young puppies. /, Paved court to the hunting kennel. niy Feeding houfe, one half of which is open, the reft under cover. n^ Paved court to the young hounds' kennel. 0, Pump: />, q, ftone water cifterns. r. Great grafs yard, for airing the hounds be- longing to the hunting kennel, containing about an acre and three quarters. fJJ> ^a ^ x- X)^ ( w^^ \. a I ^v