rOX-nUNTING.J 



THE DOa, AND ITS VAEIETIES; 



[fox-hunting. 



forcing him back over Eldon farm, and then 

 over the open to Compton House, where the 

 fox ran to ground in view, after a good hour 

 and ten minutes — ^in fact very few were up, the 

 pace being so good, and the country very 

 heavy. A great many of the field here left, 

 being quite satisfied with the above runs ; but 

 not so with all ; for a fox liad stole sway, but 

 Mitchelmarsh Summers got on his line, and 

 was up to him at Parnell, where the first fox 

 was found. He immediately broke by Ashley 

 Hangers, through Ashley Wood, and then took 

 the open over "Westley farm, leaving Sparsholt 

 on the right, to Norwood, and then again over 

 the open nearly to "Winchester. He then 

 went over the railroad to Abbots Worthy, and 

 took the side of the rail to Hook -pit farm ; 

 then again over the railroad, and recrossed it 

 about a mile up, making his point for Pile's 

 farm ; then through the Baeley covers to Stech- 

 ing Wood, and from there into Lord Ashbur- 

 ton's large covers at the Grrange. It was now 

 half-past four o'clock, and the horses belonging 

 to the huntsman and whipper-in dead-beaten — 

 as was every horse that lived with the hounds — 

 so it was thought prudent to whip ofi". This 

 concluded a capital day's sport : the last run, 

 from point to point, could not be less than 

 iburteen miles, and the ground run over from 

 twenty to twenty-five miles ; time, two hours 

 thirty-five minutes. This is supposed to have 

 been one of the best runs seen in Hampshire ; 

 .vnd the first man in England, while we write, 

 commenced the day with the hounds ; but 

 whether he was as staunch to the end of 

 the chase as he is to the end of a debate 

 in the House, the Sporting Chronicle does 

 not say. 



Whilst this indomitable spirit of fox-hunt- 

 ing pervades, more especially, the aristocratic 

 and provincial population of England, it is not 

 less prevalent amongst certain classes of the 

 Scotch. The Linlithgo and Stirlingshire fox- 

 hounds have long enjoyed a high celebrity. 

 One of the most brilliant runs which ever took 

 place in that country occurred when the pack 

 was under the management of the Honourable 

 James Sandilands. The "meet" was an- 

 nounced for Stonebyres. This place, well 

 known to the admirers of natural scenery for 

 its romantic waterfall, and to sportsmen as a 

 sure find for the " gallant varmint," attracted 

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on that day a goodly number, not only of the 

 regular attendants on the hounds, but also of 

 the well-mounted members of a neighbouring 

 hunt. 



The morning rose bright, sunny, and dry, 

 no rain having fallen for some time — so much 

 so, that some of those learned in the art " of 

 venerie" even doubted the possibility of sport; 

 but here was a fresh instance that Dame 

 Nature cannot be reduced to scientific rules, 

 for this conjecture was happily frustrated. 

 The hounds having been thrown into the 

 cover, whimpers were heard ; but practised 

 hunters doubted their correctness, roe-deer 

 being on foot in the cover, and being subse- 

 quently viewed, and many passed round to 

 the south-east part of the Stonebyres' planta- 

 tion. A farmer suggested a trial of a fine 

 piece of gorse, lying on the side of the hill. 

 The hounds no sooner entered this, than the 

 well-known challenge resounded, and reynard 

 was viewed leaving the gorse at a thundering 

 pace. Onward he went across the Blackhill, 

 making his point in a westerly direction, over 

 a strongly fenced country. The start had 

 been so sudden and unexpected, that many of 

 the field did not get well away with him ; the 

 first fence, a good rattling stone wall, on boggy 

 ground on both sides, making several reputed 

 good horses bolt and refuse. Now came the 

 tug of war — now came the chapter of acci- 

 dents. Some of the "good men and true," 

 going at racing pace, down hill, over ploughed 

 ground, were thrown, horse and man, head over 

 heels. But the pace was too good to inquire 

 after their fate. Horses were seen flying 

 without riders, and with difiiculty caught, the 

 gallant huntsman himself not escaping the 

 chapter of accidents. ^ The scent was burning ; 

 an almost impracticable fence was ridden at by 

 him ; both horse and rider kissed their mother 

 earth : but up and away — the huntsman is of 

 too good stuff" to be beaten, though his pluck 

 was severely tried this memorable day, having 

 had three falls. The splendid fox now changed 

 his point, and, crossing the banks of the 

 romantic Nethau water, took a southerly line, 

 and skirting the grounds of Auchtifardlo, 

 towards Mansfield and Netherhouse, on towards 

 Lc^mahago. He then tried back down to the 

 water ; but finding that dangerous, back he 

 went towards the south. He now crossed the 



