NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 407 



a new and active whipper-in; in addition to a capital draft of entered as 

 well as unentered hounds, from the Duke of Cleveland, when his Grace 

 reduced his kennel to thirty-two couples of old and ten of young hounds ; 

 that his pack was very much improved in their work, all of which was 

 confirmed to me, in a letter from a friend, who had been hunting with 

 them during the Caledonian meeting, held for that season in Ayrshire; 

 and who thus expressed himself respecting them : " I saw two beautiful 

 things with Lord Kelburne, during the race week. The first, twenty- 

 five minutes, superexcellent ; the second, an hour, over the cream of the 

 country, and killed — hounds as steady as bricks." 



It is scarcely necessary to observe, that Lord Kelburne acts the part 

 of huntsman to his own hounds, assisted by two whippers-in. His kennel 

 huntsman, — who, by the bye, was educated by Tom Oldaker, and, as he 

 informed me, held his horse Brush, whilst the artist took his portrait — has 

 likewise been replaced by another, named George Knight. In fact, I have 

 reason to believe, his lordship is at present very strongly re-inforced in every 

 department of his hunting establishment, save his stables, and there was no 

 need of extra force there, for, I think, I counted twenty-five hunters, besides 

 hacks, almost all of which were thorough-bred, and many of them *' not 

 unknown to fame," having been good racers in their time. Amongst 

 them was a beautiful little grey mare, ridden by the second whip, which 

 won a stake of six hundred guineas at York ; also May-day, who won 

 the Fitzwilliam stakes, beating Dr. Syntax ; and she also beat him in the 

 Cup race, although she did not win. His lordship's own horses were all 

 thorough-bred, except one called Scott's horse, so named from having 

 been purchased from " old Scott," as the huntsman to Mr. Ramsay's 

 hounds is called, at the stiff price of 250 guineas. Lord Kelburne's 

 favourite horses, however, were Collier, by Comus, out of a Waxy mare, 



