190 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



better. I advise you, unless a known good pack of 

 hounds are to be disposed of, not to accept old hounds. 

 I mention this, to encourage the breeding of hounds, and 

 as the likeliest means of getting a handsome, good, and 

 steady pack. Though I give you this advice, it is true, 

 I have accepted draft-hounds myself, and they have 

 been very good ; but they were the gift of the friend 

 mentioned by me in a former Letter, 1 to whom I have 

 already acknowledged many obligations ; and unless 

 you meet with such a one, old hounds will not prove 

 worthy your acceptance : besides, they may bring vices 

 enough along with them to spoil your whole pack. If 

 old hounds should be unsteady, it may not be in your 

 power to make them otherwise ; and I can assure you 

 from experience, that an unsteady old hound will give 

 you more trouble than all your young ones : the latter 

 will at least stop ; but an obstinate old hound will fre- 

 quently run mute, if he find that he can run no other 

 way: besides, old hounds that are unacquainted with 

 your people, will not readily hunt for them as they 

 ought ; and such as were steady in their own pack 

 may become unsteady in yours. I once saw an extra- 

 ordinary instance of this, when I kept harriers. 

 Hunting one day on the downs, a well-known fox- 

 hound of a neighbouring gentleman came and joined 

 us ; and as he both ran faster than we did, and skirted 

 more, he broke every fault, and killed many hares. I 

 saw this hound often in his own pack afterwards, where 

 he was perfectly steady ; and though he constantly 



1 The Hon. Mr. Booth Grey, brother to the Earl of Stamford. The 

 hounds here alluded to, were from Lord Stamford's kennel. 



