Mr. Selhy- Lowndes. 225 



the Field, as good a run as hounds could have, 

 over so fine a line, was lost. The Squire reached 

 Mains Hill whence he could see the hounds in 

 the distance ; he came up delighted. 



Having such an affection for the old pack I 

 hunted every Tuesday I was able to in the follow- 

 ing season. The sport being exceptionally good 

 the meets were well attended. On bad scenting 

 days, which happily were few and far between, 

 some of the wild gentlemen pressed on the 

 hounds. 



The Vale of Aylesbury, as a rule, is very good 

 scenting ground ; some of the grass is very deep 

 in the winter and does not carry stock, which is 

 a great help to the pack but is very severe for 

 the horses ; only men well mounted, and possessed 

 of good judgment, can live with the hounds on 

 the low ground. 



At that time Lord Petre was fond of running 

 down for one day a week, and enjoyed the change 

 from the Essex ploughs, where he hunted the 

 stag. Lord Charles Russell also used to enjoy 

 a ride over the Vale. When hounds were running 

 his lordship had a most peculiar habit. Nature 

 had provided him with a very large tongue but 

 with insufficient room for it in his mouth, which 

 caused him to ride with it hanging out, and it was 



Q 



