CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 13 



of all the happiness which a good and kind heart, 

 and the veneration of the country side, could bring 

 him. Time rolled by, and he was gathered to his 

 fathers, beloved and honoured by all who knew him. 



During the life of Sir Thomas Acland, however, 

 the stag-hounds were, for about ten years, viz., from 

 1775 to 1784, kept by Major, afterwards Colonel 

 Bassett*^ of Watermouth, and I believe he was the 

 first person who was not a grantee of the forest of 

 Exmoor, or the office of ranger of the forest, 

 who was master of the hounds. From 1784 to 

 I 794, Sir Thomas Acland, above named, again kept 

 the hounds, and during those nine seasons he killed 

 150 deer, of which 'j'^ were stags and "j"] hinds. 



On the death of Sir T. D. Acland in 1794, Colonel 

 Bassett again kept the hounds, and between that 

 time and 1801, when he died, he killed 124 deer — 

 49 stags and 75 hinds. 



On the demise of Colonel Bassett, the late Lord 

 Fortescue kept the hounds at Castle Hill for one 

 season, 1802. They then became a subscription 

 pack, under the management of Mr Worth, of 

 Worth House, near Tiverton, Devon. He kept 

 them for eight years, from 1802 to 18 10, during 

 which time he killed 10 r deer — 42 stags and 59 



* The name is now spelt ' Basset.' — L. J. B. 



