816 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



seen without a predilection in his 

 favour. They have been tor many 

 Centuries in the highest estimation in 

 this country ; and, in the remoter 

 timeof king John, greyhounds were 

 accepted by him as payment, in lieu 

 of money, for the renewal of grants, 

 fines, and forieitures, due to the 

 crown. One fine paid to this mo- 

 narch upon record, 1203, specilies 

 *' live hundred marks, ten ho^i^es, 

 qnd ten leashes of greyhounds." 

 Another, in seven years alter, " one 

 swift running horse and six grey- 

 hounds.'' 



The foundation-stone of the pre- 

 sent coursing popularity was laid by 

 the late lord Orford, and the super- 

 strufturc completed by the exer- 

 tions of the different amateurs al- 

 ready recited; who have been so 

 individuallv' anxious in the improve- 

 ment of the breed, that it may fairly 

 be concluded to have at length 

 reached tlie utmost summit of pos- 

 sible perfection, and tlic pedigrees 

 of tJie most speedy and celebrated 

 greyhounds now begin to be re- 

 corded with as much care and pre- 

 cision as the best bred horses upon 

 the turf. This seems to have prin- 

 cipa]ly originated Avifh colonel 

 Thornton and Major Topham, both 

 of \rhom, with some very trifling 

 shades of exception, have for many 

 years been in sole possession of tiie 

 most distinguished breed in the 

 kingdom. Czarina, Jupiter, Cla- 

 ret, Snowball, Miller, Schoolboy, 

 and Major, have all been of highest 

 celebrity, and are entitled to indivi- 

 dual description. 



Czarina was bred by the late 

 lord Orford, and purchased at the 

 sale after his lordship's decease, by 

 colonel Thornton, with an intent to 

 cross and improve the breed at 

 Thoraville Royal, ia the comple- 



tion of which he was most amply 

 gratified. In the charaftcr of this 

 bitch there were two remarkable 

 traits ; she won forty-seven matches, 

 without ever having been beat ; and 

 shewed no signs of producing pro- 

 geny till she had completed her 

 thirteenth year, when she brought 

 forth eight whelps by Jupiter, all of 

 whom lived, and were excellent run- 

 ners. She was the dam of Claret 

 and young Czarina, both of whom 

 challenged all Yorkshire, and won 

 their matches. 



Snowball and Major were own 

 brothers, who have proved superior 

 to every other breed and blood in 

 the imperial dominions. They were 

 got by Claret out of a favourite 

 bitch of major Topham's ; and a 

 brace of whelps (of which the now 

 justly celebrated Major was one) 

 were sent to colonel Thornton, as, 

 in fa6t, a sporting privilege for the 

 use of the dog. Snowball was con- 

 cluded, when taken " all for all," 

 to have been the most perfect grey- 

 hound ever produced. He won 

 four cups, couples, and upwards of 

 thirty matches, at Malton, and upon 

 the Wolds in Yorkshire, and so 

 beat a dog of Mr. Plumraer's, that 

 the dog died immediately after the 

 course was concluded. Snowball ; 

 was never equally faced in the field 

 but by his own blood; having in 

 exercise and private trials always 

 appeared some shades inferior to his 

 brother Major, and his aunt yellow 

 Czarina. In the November Malton 

 coursing meeting, 1799, a Scotch 

 greyhound was produced, who beat 

 every opponent in Scotland, was 

 brought to England, and challenged 

 any dog in the kingdom ; the chal- 

 lenge was accepted by Snowball, 

 when, after a course of more than 

 two miles, the match (upon which 



consider- 



