SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



a turn round the old Roman encampment, came back 

 over the downs, crossed the old Blandford turnpike and 

 the fine open country to Kingston Lacy House. Here 

 he got into the meadows again and hid for some time 

 in a large spear bed. He jumped up in full view, 

 went over the river again, which gave him fresh life 

 once more, ran the south side of the river (here wide 

 and much swollen with heavy rains) for two miles, 

 and took refuge under Julian's Bridge close to the 

 town of Wimborne, where he stood under the arch- 

 way close to the bank, with his fine head and antlers 

 just out of the water. He was soon got out and 

 killed. All were wet through, and the horses were 

 thoroughly done up, for it had been raining all the 

 time from start to finish. 



Those who have hunted the roe-buck say that 

 at first the quarry runs short, not much in 

 front of hounds, but once forced into the open 

 will run very straight and far. It is remark- 

 able that although hares and foxes are often 

 chopped the roe-lDuck scarcely ever is, and even 

 when surrounded his agility and strength enable 

 him to evade hounds. Even the oldest roe- 

 buck has never been known like other stags to 

 stand at bay ; it will allow itself to be taken 

 without any attempt at defence. 



It is strange that regular hunting of this 

 quarry which gives such excellent sport has now 

 ceased. Several attempts, indeed, have been 

 made to revive an interest in it, and at odd times 

 packs of harriers have had a day after the roe, 

 but no systematic roe-deer hunting is now carried 

 on in Dorset. 



HARRIERS AND BEAGLES 



Dorset has very little history of hounds kept 

 exclusively for hare-hunting. During the last 

 century, at different times and in different 

 places, both beagles and harriers have been kept 

 for brief periods, but none have been kept on as 

 a county pack, with the single exception of the 

 Sparkford Harriers.' As far back as 1830 the 

 Rev. Nathaniel Bond of Creech Grange, kept a 

 pack of harriers in Purbeck ; and later on, from 

 1856 to i860, the Bonds had a pack of beagles 

 at Grange. From 1862 to 1870 the third earl 

 of Eldon had a very sporting pack of harriers at 



' These hounds have recently come under the 

 mastership of Mr. F. J. B. Wingfield-Digby of 

 Sherborne Castle, and will probably be kennelled 

 there for the future. 



Puncknowle ; and afterwards these hounds also 

 came to Grange until 1875. 



From 1865 to 1867 Mr. John Smith-Marriott 

 hunted a pack from Sydling Court, commencing 

 with very small beagles, but going on to draft 

 foxhounds. 



Mr. Crane had a wonderful little pack of 

 pocket beagles at Southover in the latter part of 

 the nineteenth century, and Mr. Sheridan of 

 Frampton Court hunted a pack of beagles in his 

 portion of the Cattistock country. These 

 hounds, which belonged to his daughter, Mrs. 

 William Hall Walker, gave great sport, and once 

 ran a fox for two hours and twenty minutes, 

 very nearly handling him. In quite modern 

 days Mr. Harry Mills had a small pack of large 

 beagles and small harriers, moving them to 

 Grange afterwards, and increasing their size. 

 For a short time he hunted in the Isle of Pur- 

 beck, but troubles with shooting tenants and 

 other reasons eventually brought this pack to an 

 end. At the present time Mr. Montague Rad- 

 clyffe has a smart pack of foot beagles at Hyde. 



OTTER HUNTING 



Otters abound in Dorsetshire ; but the hunt-^ 

 ing of them has not received much attention, 

 although it is now of a more regular and syste- 

 matic character than formerly. Miss Serrell for 

 a few seasons, about 1890, hunted the otter with 

 a pack of her wonderful terriers around Fifehead 

 Neville and killed quite a number, the terriers 

 taking to the sport with great zest and determi- 

 nation. After that Mr. Courtenay Tracey took 

 over the rivers, and has visited and hunted them 

 more or less ever since, extending his rivers year 

 by year and getting good sport. 



His pack of about twenty couple consists of a 

 few couple of pure otter-hounds, some fox- 

 hounds, and some a cross between the two ; the 

 latter he esteems for this kind of sport, as they 

 stand the coldness of the water better than the 

 pure foxhound, and are truer hunters than the 

 pure otter-hound. He is ably assisted by Mr. 

 Twynham and Mr. F. Rigden ; no days seem 

 too long, no distances too great, for these hounds 

 and their master to accomplish. Mr. Tracey 's 

 otter-hounds are kennelled near Salisbury, and 

 the kennel huntsman is Tom Stubbington. 



315 



