NIMROD'S NOIITIIERN TOUR. 123 



By the way, this was not the first time 1 had seen, what may be called, 

 the ancient costume of the Scottish fox-hunter. About thirty years 

 back, a Highland infantry regiment was quartered at Wrexham, and 

 several of the officers hunted with Sir Richard Puleston's hounds, in 

 scarlet jackets, fitting tight to the person, which had certainly an out- 

 landish appearance in our eyes, merely because we had never seen 

 them before ; but this I remember — it required a good man, on a good 

 horse, to see the way some of those scarlet jackets went. 



To return to the kennel, which, after all, will be considered by sports- 

 men, as the chief object of their visit. It will, however, be borne in mind 

 by them, the serious task I have to perform in offering my remarks upon 

 such an establishment as this — brought to maturity, as it has been, by 

 time and labour, and under the directing eye of one of the first hunts- 

 men of the present age. But I shall not shrink from this hazardous 

 undertaking, for two reasons. First, I build upon the indulgence 

 hitherto shown to my unreserved opinions of what I see in the sporting 

 world; and, secondly, I may here be the means of directing the eye of 

 the young master of hounds to certain points on which may be founded 

 the high character of the Duke of Buccleuch's pack. To this end, 

 then, I must first of all present my readers with a list of the hounds in 

 work last year ; and afterwards comment upon a few individuals, whose 

 appearance and actions attracted my notice. 



A LIST OF THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH'S HOUNDS. 



1834-5. 



Ages. Names. Sires. Dams. 



Years. 



Seven. Ragman . . Hector Mr. Baillie's Ransom 



Rival,, . Lord Yarborough's Minister Sir T. Sykes's Ruin 



R 2 



