MR. WARD'S HOUNDS 85 



by Mr. Codrington, and on the other by the Old Berkeley. The 

 forest of Marlborough is too small for cub-hunting ; but the Collain- 

 born woods, the property of the Mai-quis of x\ilesbury, are everything 

 that can be wished for. They consist of two thousand acres of solid 

 covert, holding a capital scent, and with rides of two miles in length 

 in every direction. Lord Bruce, the eldest son of the Marquis — now 

 at Oxford — enters well to the sport ; and it is whispered that one 

 day or other we may see him at the head of fox-hounds. 



Independent of scent, I take the Craven country to be a very 

 difficult one for hounds to kill a strong fox. In the first place, it is 

 a chain of coverts — very full of earths, so that foxes are continually 

 behind them. That constant change of scent also from covert to the 

 open is baffling to hounds, and no one know^s the evils of ploughed 

 countries but those who are doomed to hunt them. 



As is always the case — for "vain his attempt who strives to please 

 ye all " — there are various opinions expressed by various persons on 

 the merits and character of Mr. Ward's hounds. Some assert that 

 they are too big for the country ; some say they are too fond of a 

 scent ; some that they don't run up to their dying fox as they should 

 do ; some say they are fed too high ; whilst others assert that they 

 are the best hounds in England. We will now examine a little into 

 these several opinions. 



With respect to the first, I have reason to believe that Mr. Ward 

 himself considers that a smaller hound would be better suited to the 

 Craven country. We must here, however, recollect whose hounds 

 they are. They are the hounds of Mr. Ward, who has always been 

 conspicuous for a large sort of hound, and, though perfection is 

 within no man's reach, a sort unrivalled by any ! It is hardly to be 

 expected then that, in the wane of his sporting career, he should 

 alter the style of hound which he has so long been breeding, and 

 which he has bred so well. 



As to hounds being too fond of a scent, this is a charge of rather a 

 posing nature. The first question that might be asked would be, 

 "Can hounds run without a scent?" My answer is, Mr. Ward's 

 will not certainly go a yard without it. Give them a country that 

 will hold a scent, and I will answer for their taking it with them, 

 and at a pace quite sufficient for horses and their riders. I believe 



