146 NIMROD S HUNTING TOUR 



situation he now does — a master of fox-hounds, hunting them himself; 

 and thus — T write perhaps as an enthusiast — being an honour to his 

 country. Xi the time I am speaking of, he was a very indilferent 

 horseman, displaying but a very small share of nerve ; but we must 

 never judge from first appearances, and we should never judge 

 rashly. There is a certain string, which, w^hen properly struck, the 

 human heart seldom fails to accord to, and this was the case here. 

 Lord Anson was fond of hounds : his fondness for hounds has, 

 much to his credit, made him a sportsman ; his fondness for hounds 

 has made him one of the best and hardest riders of the present day. 



From the little we had to do during the three days I was out 

 with Lord Anson's hounds, it would be presumptuous in me to offer 

 an opinion on the merits of his Lordship as a huntsman. As 

 nothing, however, is so valueless as indiscriminate praise, I may be 

 allowed to say that I thought he made too free a use of his horn in 

 covert when his hounds were drawing. In the first place it is not 

 necessary, as hounds will come over to their huntsman as he turns 

 in his covert without it ; and in the next place, the too frequent 

 sound of it makes them somewhat regardless of it at other times 

 when the}" should fly to it quickly ; and this effect was visible more 

 than once when I was with them in getting them away from covert. 



A covert called Debdell, in the Dunchurch country, the property 

 of Sir Theophilus Biddulph, has shewn Lord Anson two very fine 

 runs this season — one of which I heard a correct account of from 

 two gentlemen who were present, and a most magnificent thing it 

 must have been. By way of shewing the fascinating powers of fox- 

 hunting, and dangers incurred in the pursuit of it, by those who are 

 really fond of it, I will relate the following anecdote : — A gentleman 

 by the name of Henry Kingscote was out with Lord Anson's hounds 

 on this day. When his horse left his stable in the morning, he had 

 but one eye, the other useful but delicate organ having failed him 

 two years before. It so happened, however, that there was some 

 little inflammation in the remaining one, which the excitement of 

 carrying sixteen stone in the way Mr. Henry Kingscote rides, and 

 at the pace these hounds ran, did not fail to increase ; the con- 

 sequence of which was, that this only eye soon became opake. Mr. 

 Kingscote was apprised of this by the good old horse — so contrary 



