TOM ASSHETON SMITH 197 



by him, and named after him, out of Mr. Smith's 

 Boscobel, quite the champion of the pack. 



Mr. Smith hunts his own hounds four days in the 

 week, for which he of course drafts the pick of his 

 kennel, and selects the best portion of his country. 

 George Carter works the young hounds in the wood- 

 lands on Wednesdays and Saturdays ; and sometimes 

 they have a bye-day, when of course there are two 

 packs out. The woods in which Carter's pack usually 

 operate are Wherwell (provincially pronounced Orrel) 

 Wood, Doles Wood, and Faccombe Wood, and they 

 are admirably adapted for the purpose of entering 

 hounds and making them steady. The old-fashioned 

 custom of flogging hounds for chasing hare is com- 

 pletely dispensed with. If at any time a hare jumps 

 up before them and a few should join in chase, a 

 whipper-in rides to head them, and the instant they 

 check turns them to the horn with a rate but scarcely a 

 cra^k of the whip ; as to a thong being laid on a hound 

 in such cases, it is not permitted. Plenty of work, and 

 encouragement to hunt their fox, are the only means 

 resorted to for the prevention of riot. Hares are not 

 generally over numerous in the county of South- 

 ampton. 



Mr. Assheton Smith's countr^'^ is very open, 

 especially that portion of it which is in Wiltshire, on 

 the borders of Salisbury Plain, over which a fox oc- 

 casionally makes his point. This the western boundary 

 is joined by the South Wiltshire Hunt, Mr. Wyndham's. 

 Oare Hill, three miles and a half from Marlborough, is 

 the extreme northern point of meeting, and Savemake 

 Forest, near at hand, is in the Craven country, which 

 traverses from thence in the direction of Kingsclere. 

 Stratford Sub Castle near Salisbury, Clarendon Park, 

 and Spirewell are the southern limits, which adjoin the 

 New Forest country. The Hursley and Vine Hunts lie 

 towards the east. 



The warmest thanks of the gentlemen of the neigh- 

 bourhood are due to Mr. Smith for the splendid establish- 



