1742-1744 : becoeds of the kuns. 333 



Master of the Buckhounds, the quarry provided for this pack 

 and that of the Duke of Cumberland, from Christmas 1741 to 

 Christmas 1742, was 90 stags, 64 hinds, and 27 bucks. 



1743. — War. George II. entered into an alliance with 

 Frederick II. of Prussia, of which the most prominent outcome 

 was the battle of Dettingen, where the Duke of Cumberland 

 received a severe wound. We were threatened by, and greatly 

 alarmed at, the imminent prospect of an invasion by France; 

 while the almost overt movements of the Jacobites at home 

 placed the safety of the Kingdom in a very precarious position. 

 These events left no room for hunting intelligence ; conse- 

 quently we hardly hear anything of the proceedings of the 

 Royal Buckhounds in the hunting field, except that the Princess 

 Amelia was frequently out with the pack. It seems the Duke 

 of Cumberland gave up, or put aside, his pack of staghounds, 

 as we hear nothing of it in the official certificate of the Master 

 of the Buckhounds during this and for some subsequent years. 

 The number of " deer " killed by His Majesty's hounds in the 

 year ended at Christmas 1743 was 54 stags and 30 hinds, 

 from which we may infer the runs were good and the pace a 

 cracker.* 



1744. — On July 25 it was publicly announced that the 

 Duke of Cumberland and the Princess Amelia " began to take 

 the diversion of staghuntinsf in Windsor Forest." In the 

 ensuing month the Duke went to Hanover ; consequently the 

 Princess Amelia was the principal representative of the Royal 

 Family to be seen out with the pack during the remainder of 

 this season. The Duke did not return until October 18, the 

 King having arrived from Hanover on September 1. In the 

 meantime, the ordinary followers of the Royal Buckhounds 

 appeared twice a week in force. The Duke of Grafton arrived 

 at Sunning Hill early in August " for staghunting and to drink 

 the waters of that place." The official certificate of the Master 



* On October 13 the Duke of Bedford's hounds are reported to have roused a 

 deer at Wooton Woods, near Bedford, which they ran for six hours without 

 a check. " By the least computation they ran upwards of 60 miles, which by 

 sportsmen is thought to be the greatest chase ever run hy hounds." 



