HAMPSHIRE 119 



of Hants can boast of. The latter is the well-known Mr. Wilkinson 

 — well-known, because he kept an inn for many years on the 

 great Western road. Having taken good care of number one, he 

 some time since retired from business, and resides in a good house 

 of his own in the town of Alresford, w^here he keeps his two hunters 

 and his gig, and is, if we may judge by appearance, one of the 

 happiest men in Hampshire. 



I never met Mr. Villebois' hounds but once without Mr. Wilkinson 

 being with them, so enthusiastically fond is he of the sport ; neither 

 did I ever see — -nor do I expect I shall ever see — a fox found by 

 this pack without having a halloo from him in some part of the run. 

 Upon the balance, perhaps, more harm than good may arise from it, 

 but he cannot help it, and nothing but the pace stops him. Not- 

 withstanding this, Mr. Wilkinson is a useful man in the country. 

 He has a smile for every one, is very civil and obliging, and promotes 

 peace and good humour wherever he goes. 



Previous to my residing in Hampshire I do not recollect having 

 met with a regular working dragsman by the covert's side. A 

 coachman by the name of Wyse, however, who was a great many 

 years on the old Southampton Union, and feathered his nest so 

 comfortably on, what we call on the road, " a twenty-four-mile bit of 

 ground, wdth fourteen good coaches a week, and only one home," 

 that he has for a long time kept his one or two hunters, and enjoyed 

 himself as a man ought to do who has the means in his power.* 

 He has now left the coach, and retired on the fruits of his industry. 

 I met him several times with the Hambledon hounds, and could not 

 help smiling to see him double-thonging his horse when he charged 

 a large fence (which by the way he does gallantly for a man of his 

 weight and the cattle he rides), as if he had him at the wheel of the 

 old coach, with six in and twelve out, and ten minutes behind time. 



During the time my horses were at Alresford I had the pleasure 

 of spending a week with Mr. Smith, who has the management of the 

 Hambledon hounds. He resides at Hill-place, three miles from 

 Droxford on the road to Eomsey— in the house which Sir Bellingham 



* Mr. Wyse arrived at Popham-lane in the morning, and had to wait till 

 evening for his down-coach, which enabled him to hunt whenever the hounds 

 met in that quarter. 



