282 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



the cream of the country, and killed hounds as steady as 

 bricks." 



It is scarcely necessary to observe that Lord Kelburne acts 

 the part of huntsman to his own hounds, assisted by two whip- 

 pers-in. His kennel huntsman who, by-the-by, was educated 

 by Tom Oldaker, and, as he informed me, held his horse Brush 

 whilst the artist took his portrait has likewise been replaced by 

 another named George Knight. In fact, I have reason to be- 

 lieve, his lordship is at present very strongly reinforced in every 

 department of his hunting establishment, save his stables, and 

 there was no need of extra force there, for, I think, I counted 

 twenty-five hunters, besides hacks, almost all of which were 

 thorough-bred, and many of them " not unknown to fame," 

 having been good racers in their time. Amongst them was a 

 beautiful little grey mare, ridden by the second whip, which won 

 a stake of six hundred guineas at York ; also May-day, who 

 won the Fitzwilliam stakes, beating Dr. Syntax ; and she also 

 beat him in the Cup race, although she did not win. His lord- 

 ship's own horses were all thorough-bred, except one called 

 Scott's horse, so named from having been purchased from " old 

 Scott," as the huntsman to Mr. Ramsay's hounds is called, at the 

 stiff price of 250 guineas. Lord Kelburne's favourite horses, 

 however, were Collier, by Comus, out of a Waxy mare, and 

 Daredevil, by Viscount, out of an Orville mare. He likewise 

 rode a good bay thorough-bred gelding, whose name I do not 

 recollect, and a capital hunter, called Jock. The name of the 

 head groom, who has lived many years at Hawkhead, is Bran, 

 by no means inappropriate. 



When speaking of Lord Kelburne as a huntsman, I must 

 claim the privilege of only four days 7 experience ; nevertheless, 

 such are the numerous points of view in which the science of 

 hunting hounds is called for and displayed, in even half that 

 time a less practised eye, perhaps, than mine, would be able to 

 form somewhat of a correct judgment of the person who is called 

 upon to display it. There are attributes, however, in the nature 

 and temperament of some men, which, if I may be allowed the 

 expression, half make a huntsman, and many of these Lord Kel- 

 burne possesses. For example, his zeal and love of everything 

 belonging to fox-hunting appear to have no bounds. He is as 

 regular in his kennel-hours as an old maid at her tea-time, and 

 he is as fond of his hounds as they are of him. Add to all this, 

 he is a person of acknowledged good abilities, which enables 

 him to take advantage of circumstances, a point so much in- 

 sisted upon by Williamson, and justly so, in a science which, 

 like fox-hunting, is beset and opposed by them at almost every 



