DIVISION OF COUNTRIES 35 



render himself so unpopular, even if he were not on 

 friendly terms with the master of the hounds ; for such 

 a proceeding is a cause of great annoyance to the 

 sporting community ; and it is scarcely possible that 

 any gentleman can be installed asi master of hounds but 

 with the consent of a majority of the most influential 

 owners of coverts. Thus he becomes in the position of 

 a trustee for the members of the hunt; and it is, conse- 

 quently, a duty of his office to regard all the rights and 

 privileges appertaining thereto ; therefore he cannot 

 resign in perpetuum any coverts belonging to the 

 country without the approval of a majority of the 

 covert owners. At the same time he may, as a matter 

 of accommodation, allow any other master of hounds to 

 draw certain coverts, provided the sanction is obtained 

 of the persons to whom those coverts belong. When- 

 ever such arrangements are entered into, reducing the 

 terms to writing will be found the best security from 

 disputes : most of the disagreeable discussions which 

 have arisen are in consequence of that simple pre- 

 caution having been neglected. It is obvious that a 

 lapse of years must render verbal agreements doubtful ; 

 more especially if one of the parties should happen to 

 die. 



Alterations of boundaries have not been very 

 frequent of late years ; but several divisions of countries 

 have taken place. During the period when Sir F. L. H. 

 Goodriche had the Quorn that country was divided ; 

 the north-western portion, known as the Donnington 

 Hunt, became a separate district ; and they were 

 hunted by two different packs till the season before last, 

 when Sir Richard Sutton having the Quorn, and the 

 Donnington becoming vacant, he undertook to hunt 

 them both ; but that does not, as I am given to under- 

 stand, reunite them beyond the term of Sir Richard's 

 mastership. The Heythrop country, which had been 

 hunted by the late Duke of Beaufort for many years, 

 became a distinct country at about the same time as 

 the Donnington, as it was in 1834 that his Grace gave 



