fit NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



Into hunters by Frank, it is almost a waste of words to throw away 

 ene about his nerves. As far as I could judge of them, however, 

 and I saw him in some awkward situations they appeared to 

 resemble the braces of the war-drum, or the cat- gut of a fiddle 

 m high tune, and I doubt not but he is perfectly and happily un- 

 conscious of there being such things in his carcass. His dress is 

 Skewise worthy of remark, adhering to the old costume of the 

 Scottish huntsman namely, a black velvet cap, a short red jacket, 

 known by the term spencer, and leather breeches quite as thick 

 as a bullock's hide. The tout ensemble, however, is that of the 

 sportsman of the old school, and Frank is a first-rate horseman, 

 ^ith a fine bridle hand. 



By-the-way, this was not the first time I had seen, what may 

 Be called, the ancient costume of the Scottish fox-hunter. About 

 Thirty years back, a Highland infantry regiment was quartered 

 at Wrexham, and several of the officers hunted with Sir Richard 

 Puleston's hounds, in scarlet jackets, fitting tight to the person, 

 which had certainly an outlandish appearance in our eyes, 

 merely because we had never seen them before ; but this I re- 

 member it required a good man, on a good horse, to see the way 

 some of those scarlet jackets went. 



To return to the kennel, which, after all, will be considered by 

 sportsmen as the chief object of their visit. It will, however, be 

 oorne in mind by them, the serious task I have to perform in 

 effering my remarks upon such an establishment as this brought 

 to maturity, as it has been, by time and labour, and under the 

 directing eye of one of the first huntsmen of the present age. 

 But I shall not shrink from this hazardous undertaking, for two 

 reasons. First, I build upon the indulgence hitherto shown to 

 my unreserved opinions of what I see in the sporting world ; 

 and, secondly, I may here be the means of directing the eye of 

 the young master of hounds to certain points on which may be 

 founded the high character of the Duke of Buccleuch's pack. 

 To this end, then, I must first of all present my readers with a 

 list of the hounds in work last year ; and afterwards comment 

 apon a few individuals, whose appearance and actions attracted 

 aiy notice. 



