NIMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 73: 



called " a capital October," killing several old foxes, after good 

 runs. During my visit, they had quite average sport, with one 

 fine run. Up to January the 1st they had killed twenty-four 

 brace of foxes, including one fox which showed as splendid a, 

 run as the annals of hunting can produce from point to point, 

 allowed to be twenty miles in two hours, and never fairly off the 

 scent ; with blood at the finish. In sixteen days' hunting, they 

 killed twenty-two foxes, and ran three to ground ; and some time 

 before the season ended, they had tasted sixty-seven ! 



The present being the first season of Lord Elcho entering any 

 young hounds of his own breeding, will be one of more than 

 common interest to himself, and of anticipation to his friends, 

 To himself, as the first trial of his own blood, as well as of his 

 success on the election of it ; to his friends as a test of his talent 

 in the kennel, as well as judgment in the field. I understood he 

 had been rattling the covers of Dunse, Press, Marchmont, &c, 

 previous to the beginning of the season, when there was a great 

 show of foxes, but cub-hunting doings should never be recorded 

 on paper. 



As a huntsman in the field my opinion of Lord Elcho being 

 already recorded, I would not touch on the subject again were it 

 not to enforce one point. All persons who have followed fox- 

 hounds over various parts of Great Britain, have been aware of 

 the advantages and disadvantages of the master of the pack and 

 his huntsman standing well or ill with the yeomen and farmers 

 of their country. In a highly-cultivated one, as Berwickshire is, 

 this is a point of the greatest moment as regards the preservation 

 of foxes, and I would holdout Lord Elcho as a pattern here. 

 Not only is he desirous that as little mischief as is possible 

 should be done by his field, but his kind and affable conduct to- 

 wards all classes of persons ensures him that regard which in- 

 duces such as may sustain some damage, to make light of it, 

 whilst it fills his country with foxes. 



On Saturday, the 22nd of November, I took my leave of 

 Dunse most unwillingly I admit ; but it being necessary to 

 change the scene, and progress in my Tour, I found myself 

 about mid-day comfortably seated in a very easy gig, hired for 

 the purpose of conveying me to Kelso, distant about seventeen 

 miles ; and from whence the Duke of Buccleuch's hounds were 

 to be reached four times in the course of the following week, and 

 Major St. Paul's once. A ludicrous scene occurred at starting. 

 Unconscious of the splendid manner in which I was to be 

 mounted during my visit to Kelso, I made inquiry from the land- 

 lord of the Black Bull at Dunse, as to whether there was such a 

 thing as a hunter to be hired in Kelso, in case I should not be 



