164 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



I bad one of the duke's own horses brought to cover for me this day — 

 a fine brown gelding called Don Juan, by Childe Harold, purchased, as 

 Matthew told me, from Colonel Douglas, one of the duke's guardians, 

 during his Grace's minority. I had the pleasure of knowing the colonel, 

 durino* the seasons he hunted in Oxfordshire, where we esteemed him — 

 and I believe he is very generally esteemed — a superior judge of a hunter. 

 There are some beautiful points in Don Juan — such as length of shoulder 

 and frame, so highly essential in a hunter. 



Our next draw was a noted cover called Haddon Riggs, which produced 

 a fox that stood an hour and forty minutes and beat us by getting 

 into a village. The country was good — enclosed throughout, in part 

 strongly — and we had every description of chase to show off the working 

 of hounds. In short it was what is called a fine hunting run, wanting 

 nothing but the finish ; and at times — the first burst in particular — fast 

 enough for any man, considering the severity of the country. The first 

 check — at crossing a road— was likewise happily got rid of by William- 

 son ; and from end to end the run was ridden to, by the few horsemen 

 who were out, in a straightforward and sportsmanlike manner. There 

 was nothing like jealousy, no pressing upon hounds, but every man's 

 object appeared to be the same' — to see, and not to mar sport. The two 

 Mr. Baillies, Mr. Henry Scott, of Harden, a relation of the duke's, and 

 Captain Spottiswoode were, as usual, where they ought to have been. 

 The duke himself was not out. In the first place the fixture was a long 

 distance from Bow-wood, where he was at that time residing; and, 

 secondly, his Grace sacrifices his pleasures to the multifarious duties of 

 his station to a degree that perhaps might scarcely be credited in a person 

 at his age, and also so fond of hounds. In fact, no man works harder 



