128 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



in which they are to hunt; and although the blood of 

 two packs may be identical and their general qualities 

 similar, their shape and make may be quite different, 

 simply from the fact of two huntsmen putting forward 

 hounds of different proportions. This may be clearly 

 exemplified by a comparison of size; one man prefers 

 only the large upstanding hound four or five and 

 twenty inches high, and another will only enter those 

 which do not exceed one or two and twenty inches. 

 The celebrated Mr. Meynell was wont to say, " the 

 height of a hound has nothing to do with his size." By 

 this it must be readily understood that he meant 

 " power;" and with due respect to the memory of that 

 great authority, it would have been more explicit had 

 he adopted the latter expression. 



Without abounding with what can be denominated 

 severe hills, the country consists of alternate hill 

 and vale ; there is consequently much variation of scent 

 especially on the Cotswold Hills, celebrated for the 

 famous breed of sheep, which stain the ground to a 

 considerable extent. Most of these upland soils hold 

 but a fleeting scent, especially in windy weather; and 

 when the hounds come to a check, if unnecessary time 

 were to be lost there would be very little chance of 

 showing a run, much less of killing foxes. Inde- 

 pendently of this, the hounds are very often subjected 

 to being pressed upon too closely in chase. 



The nature of the country is generally favourable for 

 horses ; the fences, particularly the stone walls, are 

 practicable ; and the number of ardent spirits from 

 Oxford and other parts do not always give the hounds 

 the room they require. These circumstances have in- 

 duced Jem Hills to adopt a system of lifting his hounds, 

 perhaps more frequently than any other huntsman of 

 the day ; and they certainly bear it in an extraordinary 

 manner. It was my good fortune to hunt with them 

 nearly three seasons, and I had therefore an opportunity 

 of forming some opinion of the manner in which they 

 were handled. Doubts are sometimes expressed on the 



