MR. WARD'S HOUNDS 83 



Monday, the 21st of November (1824) was the first day of my 

 seeing Mr. Ward's homids this season. We met at Wooday, the 

 seat of Mr. Sloper, about six miles from Hungerford, and drew some 

 fine gorse coverts in the neighbourhood, w'hich ought to have held 

 foxes ; but the night had been tempestuous, and they were not at 

 home. We found late in the day, but without a particle of scent, 

 and the weather drove the hounds home. I considered this part of 

 the country capable of shewing a run. 



On the 23rd we met at Hunt's Green, to the left of the road from 

 Hungerford to Newbury. We hiinted a fox four hours, but had not 

 a scent to get up to him. A celebrated sportsman of old standing in 

 the Craven country pronounced this to be one of the finest day's 

 sport he had ever seen ; but in this I could not agree with him. It 

 is true we had a deal of fine hunting, and great display of nose ; but 

 fine hunting alone does not constitute a fine day's sport. Trotting 

 after a fox for four hours, and not killing him afterwards, cannot be 

 satisfactory, even to the master of the hounds, and it will never 

 satisfy his field. 



On the 25th we drew Penwood, and found immediately. This I 

 pronounce to have been a good day's sport, though we did not kill 

 our fox. We ran him for at least four hours with never more than 

 half scent, and he only saved his life at last by a trick. This was a 

 hard day's work for hounds and horses, as the country (some part of 

 it very favorable to hounds) was severe, and the pace at times good. 



On the 26th, we met a^' Stype — the crack covert in the Hunt. We 

 dragged up to our fox, and had a beautiful find. He left the coverts 

 gallantly, and we should have had a run, but, as Mr. Ward justly 

 remarked, he never saw so scentless a day. 



On the 29th we met at Woolley Park, the fine seat of Mrs. 

 Wroughton, the best preserver of foxes in the country — a most 

 tempestuous day, and nothing could have been done but by a 

 miracle. 



December 1st, place of '^meeting five miles on the Marlborough 

 road. Found and ran sharply through the Forest, where the scent 

 was good; but when he faced the enclosures, he bade us 

 " good bye." 



I never hunted in the New Forest ; but have an abhorrence of all 



