DORSET AND DEVON 



On my way to Blandford races in September, I passed by Mr. 

 Farquharson's kennel, and treated myself with a peep at his homids, 

 which were at exercise in the park ; of course I saw them to 

 disadvantage, but they appeared very much like going fast ; and, 

 considering they were just returned from cub-hunting in a woodland 

 country, their condition was bright and healthy. Their huntsman, 

 J. Jennings, has hv;nted them a great many seasons, and has 

 the reputation of being a good sportsman. On my asking him to 

 shew me some of his sire hounds, he observed that they sent most 

 of their bitches from home ; and, among other kennels, mentioned 

 that of Sir John Cope. "If you breed fi-om him," said I, "your 

 foxes must take care of themselves in covert." — " We have a young 

 hound here," said Jennings, " got by Sir John's Drunkard. I never 

 saw such a devil in covert in my life : he has nearly stripped himself 

 naked already in cub hunting." 



One rather curious circumstance arose out of our conversation 

 in the kennel. On Jennings remarking that he believed Mr. "Ward's 

 hounds were very full of bone, I described the sort of hound he bred, 

 only on a still larger scale, and pointed to a hound called Guards- 

 man. " That is odd enough," said Jennings, " for that hound and 

 his brother Ganymede were got by our German, who was by Mr. 

 Ward's Gaffer." He told me they had put some bitches to Guards- 

 man. 



I never was in Dorsetshire before, but, from what I saw of it from 

 the road side, I should imagine Mr. Farquharson's home country to 

 be far from a good one, but he has a great extent of what is good in 

 the Vale of Blackmoor. 



Mr. Farquharson's hounds seldom hunt less than five days in the 

 week, which the country will well afford ; and I was told he had 



