NEW FOREST 175 



not long since built by the Baronet, and in which he has a good stud 

 of hunters — seldom sticking at price. 



No man rides harder over a country than Sir Francis Burdett ; 

 and I think I can exemplify this in a few words. When dining one 

 day in a large party at Melton, I heard the following question asked 

 by a gentleman, who has been at the top of the tree in that country 

 for eleven successive seasons. — " Has any man," said he, " seen Sir 

 Francis Burdett refuse a fence which any other man rode at or 

 over?" The answer w^as in the negative. Another question was 

 put — " Have we not all of us seen Sir Francis Burdett frequently 

 ride at fences which other hard-riding men have refused?" The 

 answer was in the affirmative. 



Sir Francis Burdett took his departure from Beechwood — having 

 previously inspected Mr. Nicoll's kennel — very much pleased with 

 all he had seen ; but it was evident he w^ould have liked the hunting 

 better if there had been some good ox-fences in the Forest, and a 

 rasping brook about every half hour — for he appeared quite delighted 

 when, on one occasion, we had a few leaps to encounter. Sir 

 Francis, however, laughs at danger, and is an enthusiast in every- 

 thing he undertakes. 



The New Forest is a very awkward country to get across, and one 

 in which, in my opinion, there is no great enjoyment of hounds when 

 they go the pace. Fences are generally to be managed, but bogs are 

 more difficult and awkward obstacles, and their surface is so 

 treacherous that the most experienced forester — Mr. Harbin himself 

 — cannot always distinguish them — they absolutely require wings : 

 and as heart of oak is rather harder than men's skulls, another 

 difficulty presents itself in the wooded parts — a tree is to be en- 

 countered at about every fourth stride of the horse. Horses that 

 are used to all this soon become wonderfully handy ; but taking it 

 altogether the Forest is a distressing country to them, although 

 they get a few chances in their favour by foxes running short, 

 which, from the nature of the country, they must often do. 



There was one person in the Forest of whom, having heard so 

 much, I was particularly anxious to see, and that was Mr. Harbin. 

 This gentleman resides in the Forest, and, like the oaks that over- 

 shadow it, he has not been stinted in his growth. His weight on 



