88 NIMROD S HUNTING TOUR 



Justice, and from whom he may be said almost to have laid the 

 foundation of his present pack. 



I was in the kennel one morning, when a couple of puppies not 

 eight months old were brought in. They were walked by a gentle- 

 man of the name of Ashe, residing near Chippenham, and he had 

 done ample justice to them : but he was obliged to send them in, as 

 they took to ramble — the bitch having once found her way to Bath. 

 I never saw tiuo such fine lyupiyies in my life ! They are got by 

 Mr. Ward's Eustic (who was by the Duke of Beaufort's Eagland) 

 out of his Coixifort. 



Huntsmen, as far as their calling goes, are public men, and of 

 course their talent in that calling is often canvassed ; and my ears 

 were not shut to remarks on William Neverd. On all hands it 

 was admitted that he was a trusty and faithful servant, but by some 

 said to be slack in shewing sport. Much, however, is to be said for 

 a huntsman in the Craven country. The land is cold ; it is stained 

 with sheep (the worst stain of any), which are driven long distances 

 to fold ; the earths are numerous ; and the fox is as often behind 

 him as before him. 



Were I to pass my judgment on William Neverd, I should say he 

 has one fault, but that has nothing to do with slackness. In my 

 opinion, he takes hold of his hounds too soon when at fault ; and 

 when he has taken hold of them, he does not make his first cast 

 quick enough. The peculiar tact of Mr. Ward's hounds is hunting: 

 undoubtedly, then, they should be suffered to feel for the chase 

 where they have first lost it before a word is said to them. They 

 should then be cast, and if they don't hit it, they should be brought 

 back as quick as possible to the line, with a whipper-in behind them. 

 There will then be time for Neverd's knowing cast, if the natural 

 one do not succeed. 



It may be presumptuous in me to dictate to Mr. Ward's huntsman ; 

 but I think Neverd is also a little slow in holding on his hounds over 

 sheep-stained ground. Hounds so disciplined as Mr. Ward's are of all 

 others the hounds that wall bear lifting ; and eight times in ten they 

 must have it to kill a good fox 5ver that country. 



I saw no deficiency in Neverd's getting to his hounds. On the 

 day we met at Penwood, and ran our fox four hours, we had at one 



