68 BREEDING EAST ESSEX HUNT. 



performed with a degree of credit. They had a burst of four or five miles, in a 

 style somewhat like racing-, and the servant's mare, from her natural courage and 

 perfect condition, actually kept her proper place through the run, and saw the 

 day's sport out, without any indications, at least any that were attended to, of being 

 driven beyond her powers. On the return home, however, symptoms of heaviness 

 were perceived, and drops of blood issuing from her nostrils ; and reaching within 

 a few yards of the stable, she dropped down under the groom, and we saw her dead 

 in five minutes. This internal and vital injury must have been occasioned by con- 

 tinuing longer at the very top of her speed, than nature could bear, and the highest 

 bred horse in England would be injured by the same cause. Whilst the thorough- 

 bred hunters were galloping, although with great speed, yet at a rate they could 

 very well support, from their superior stride and ductility of sinew, the common- 

 bred mare was straining to the utmost, every nerve, to multiply the number of her 

 short strokes, and that by a machinery, in which, from her fixed and unfavourable 

 shape, there must necessarily be great and laborious friction. The case is similar 

 when under-bred horses are trained for a match, if they take their gallops with the 

 Race-horses, a mistake we have, on several occasions, witnessed. The racers go 

 too fast for these ordinary horses, and the consequence is, they get off their feed, 

 lose condition with their flesh, and instead of training- ow, train off. 



In breeding the Fo.t Hound with the view of obtaining a capital Pack, a stallion 

 hound of high repute should be either purchased or hired, and of that variety, whe- 

 ther the lightest bred or otherwise, which it should be thought proper to adopt, and 

 none should be used but middle-aged and thorough-shaped females ; and certainly, 

 by choice, those which had established a character in the hunt. Notwithstanding 

 the occasional and frequent exceptions, like will produce like, upon the average ; 

 and the Sportsman who aims at superiority, must attend to that average, which, 

 if his only dependence, is past all doubt, preferable to chance-medley, or to the 

 very poor chance of breeding good shapes from bad patterns. In a course of years 

 by the indefatigable attention of a proprietor, but not otherwise, may a pack of 

 hounds of any desired Variety be reared, of the highest character and greatest 

 money value. 



A Friend of ours, who occasionally takes a day's sport with the East Essex 

 Hounds, particularly distinguished a dog of the name of Gamboy ; and although 

 an old Sportsman, he esteems this as the best hound for tenderness of nose and true 

 game, that he has ever followed. This hound has the exquisite and most useful 

 faculty of recovering a scent, and leading off with it, in raw, windy and bad scenting 

 weather, when the fox has been lost, given over, and the huntsman at his wits 

 ends. Gambm/ was got by Lord Fitzwilliains Glancer out of Lord Lonsdale's 

 Destiny. He is represented to us, as of that middle breed which has been described, 

 having the finest nose, the most lasting powers, and yet good speed, and will 

 doubtless mnkn a capital stallion. If this dog- has had speed and game enough for 



