ON HARE HUNTING 65 



what I wanted : I at last had the pleasure to see them very handsome ; 

 small, yet bony ; they ran remarkably well together ; ran fast enough ; 

 had all the alacrity that you could desire ; and would hunt the coldest scent. 

 When they were thus perfect, I did as many others do I parted with them. 



It may be necessary to unsay (now that I am turned hare-hunter again) 

 many things that I have been saying as a fox-hunter ; as I hardly know 

 any two things of the same genus (if I may be allowed the expression) that 

 differ so entirely. What I said in a former Letter, about the huntsman 

 and whipper-in, is in the number. As to the huntsman, he should 

 not be young : I should, most certainly, prefer one, as the French 

 call it, (Tun certain age, as he is to be quiet and patient ; for patience, he 

 should be a very Grizzle ; and the more quiet he is, the better. He should 

 have infinite perseverance ; for a hare should never be given up while it is 

 possible to hunt her : she is sure to stop, and therefore may always be 

 recovered. Were it usual to attend to the breed of our huntsman as well 

 as to that of our hounds, I know no family that would furnish a better cross 

 than that of the silent gentleman mentioned by the Spectator : a female 

 of his line, crossed with a knowing huntsman, would probably produce a 

 perfect hare-hunter. 



The whipper-in also has little to do with him whom I before described : 

 yet he may be like the second whipper-in to a pack of fox-hounds ; the stable- 

 boy who is to follow the huntsman : but I would have him still more con- 

 fined, for he should not dare even to stop a hound, or smack a whip, without 

 the huntsman's order., Much noise and rattle is directly contrary to the 

 first principles of hare-hunting, which is, to be perfectly quiet, and to let 

 your hounds alone. I have seen few hounds so good as town packs, that 

 have no professed huntsman to follow them. If they have no one 

 to assist them, they have at the same time no one to interrupt 

 them ; which, I believe, for this kind of hunting is still more essential. I 

 should, however, mention a fault that I have observed, and which such 

 hounds must of necessity sometimes be guilty of ; that is, running back the 

 heel. Hounds are naturally fond of scent ; if they cannot carry it forward, 

 they will turn, and hunt it back again : hounds that are left to themselves, 

 make a fault of this ; and it is, I think, the only one they commonly have. 

 Though it be certainly best to let your hounds alone, and thereby to give 

 as much scope to their natural instinct as you can ; yet, in this particular 

 instance, you should check it mildly ; for, as it is almost an invariable rule 

 in all hunting to make the head good, you should encourage them to try 

 forward first ; which may be done without taking them off their noses, or 

 without the least prejudice to their hunting. If trying forward should not 

 succeed, they may then be suffered to try back again, which you will find 

 them all ready enough to do ; for they are sensible how far they brought the 

 scent, and where they left it. The love of scent is natural to them, and 



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