12 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



perhaps it applies in this instance ; but I never saw any pack so 

 calculated for the country they have to hunt over. Hounds may be 

 too fond of a scent, but it is a fault of the right side ; and " an ounce 

 of hunt is worth a pound of flesh," as the great Mr. Shaw says. 



These hounds are well attended. The resident gentlemen of the 

 county are almost all sportsmen ; and strangers come to Woodstock, 

 Chapel House Inn, and Chipping Norton, for the season ; in addition 

 to which, the Duke is seldom without a party of friends in his house. 

 When the place of meeting is within reach of Oxford, numbers of the 

 young men of the University attend, and it is said that such as have 

 not their own horses pay less for those they hire with these hounds 

 than with Sir Thomas Mostyn's — the depth of the country and 

 strength of the fences being taken into account. As far as my 

 observation extends, I never saw them do harm. Some of them ride 

 very well to hounds ; and the Tyros fix upon some one for a leader, 

 and follow him as long as they can. Fortunately for them there is 

 only one large brook (the Evenload) in the Duke's country, and that 

 is rather out of their latitude, being on the Gloucestershire side. 

 This brook is to be jumped ; but it makes the field very select. 



As the Duke hunts the Badminton country, his hounds leave 

 Oxfordshire for about two months in the season, w4iich is unfortunate 

 for those who reside within the limits of the Hunt, though it is 

 doubtful whether (particularly in a short breeding year) the country 

 would stand being hunted all the season. Those sportsmen, how- 

 ever, who are keen, and do not mind riding twenty miles to covert, 

 can always reach other hounds in the Duke's absence. 



Some years ago there was an attendant on these hounds, which I 

 never saw on any other, and that was a man on a pony to carry 

 great coats, for which he charged one shilling, and however long the 

 run might be he was certain to crawl up to the end of it. 



There are not many hard riders in this Hunt. It is not what is 

 termed a " bruising country." The Duke himself is not a forward 

 rider, though he generally sees the sport, and is a good judge of 

 hounds and hunting. His brother, Lord Edward Somerset, gets well 

 over a country, but Lord Granville Somerset (the Duke's second son) 

 is the best of the family. He rides very light, is well mounted, and 

 can go the pace. One of their best performers, Mr. HoUoway, has 



