INTRODUCTION 



BY 



LORD WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE 



This book was published in the second year of 

 the reign of Queen Victoria, and is the result of 

 the experiences of a Master of Foxhounds mainly 

 derived from hunting his own Hounds in the 

 Craven Country, probably as difficult a country 

 to kill a Fox in as any country in England. But 

 Mr. Smith so closely studied the Science and so 

 skilfully applied the Art of Foxhunting that he 

 contrived to bring a Fox to hand on most days 

 that he took his Hounds out. It would be inter- 

 esting to know how many huntsmen achieve this 

 feat to-day. If any of them fall short of it, they 

 cannot do better than read Mr. Smith's book, 

 and try to find out how he did it. 



It is sometimes said that no one can learn much 

 about hunting a pack of Foxhounds by reading 

 a book ; that huntsmen " are born and not made " ; 

 that " an ounce of practice is worth a ton of 



