Otter Hunting 29 



him a blowe. For if the houndes be good 

 otter houndes and perfectly entered, they will 

 come chaunting and trayling alongst by the 

 riverside, and will beate every tree roote, 

 every holme, every osier bedde, and tuft of 

 bullrushes ; yea, and sometimes also they 

 will take the ryver and beate it like a 

 water spanielle, so that it shall not be 

 possible for the otter to escape ; but that 

 eyther the houndes shall light upon him or 

 els some of the huntesmen shall strike him, 

 and thus you may have excellent sporte and 

 pastime in hunting of the otter, if the houndes 

 be good, and that the ryvers be not over 

 great. Where the ryvers be great some use 

 to have a lyne throwen over-thwart the ryver, 

 the whiche two of the huntesmen shall holde 

 by eche ende, one on the one side of the ryver 

 and the other on that other. And let them 

 holde the lyne so slacke that it may alwayes 

 be underneath the water. And if the otter 



