COLONIAL AND AMERICAN HORSEMEN 181 



first encountered another horseless]man, then a second 

 companion in misery, and at last a groom with my 

 own little nag. As for the run, that, as regarded 

 me, was of course over ; but I had legs beside my 

 own to take me back twelve miles to the place at 

 which I was stopping. As far as I could learn, they 

 ran a drag for about seven miles, and then came upon 

 a turned-down dingo.' 



Fox-hunting, according to English ideas, has not 

 made much way in the United States of America ; 

 yet many of the Americans are bold riders and keen 

 hunters ; therefore it will not be out of place to give 

 the thoughts and ideas of a celebrated American on 

 English fox-hunting : 



C I am at Milton,' writes Charles Sumner, the 

 American statesman, 'passing my Christmas week 

 with Lord Fitzwilliam. Here I have been enjoying 

 fox-hunting to the imminent danger of my neck and 

 limbs. That they still remain intact is a miracle. I 

 think I have never participated in anything more 

 exciting than this exercise. After my arrival, I 

 mounted, at half-past nine o'clock, a beautiful hunter, 

 and rode with Lord Milton about six miles to the 

 place of meeting. There were the hounds and hunts- 

 men, and whippers-in, and about eighty horsemen 

 the nobility and gentry and clergy of the neighbour- 

 hood, all beautifully mounted, and the greater part 

 in red coats, leather breeches, and white top-boots. 

 The hounds were sent into the cover, and it was a 



