A GLANCE AT ENGLISH PACKS 139 



developed from beagles, which, in turn, had as 

 predecessors, from 1853 to 1883, a pack kept by the 

 neighbouring farmers. The Fordcombe, with kennels 

 near Tunbridge Wells, are a small pack of nineteen- 

 inch, pure harriers, numbering ten or eleven couples 

 and hunting a beautiful and varied country, partly 

 in Kent, partly in Sussex. The Foxbush, hunting 

 about Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Hadlow, and Penshurst, 

 is quite one of the first-rate modern packs, Mr. C. 

 Middleton Kemp, of Foxbush, near Tonbridge, has 

 mastered and hunted these hounds since 1883. They 

 were first started as a foot-pack, and although one or 

 two privileged mounted folk may occasionally be seen 

 out, this pack has been hunted on foot down to the 

 present time. Sixteen couples of eighteen- to nineteen- 

 inch Stud-book harriers are kennelled at Foxbush. 

 They are quite a first-rate type of the modern harrier, 

 have been frequently successful at Peterborough, 

 and show capital sport. Mr. Kemp, himself the 

 Editor of the Harrier and Beagle Stud-book, is an 

 enthusiast in hare-hunting. He, unfortunately, gave 

 up hounds after the season of 1902-3, and will, needless 

 to say, be much missed from a country which he has 

 hunted so successfully during so long a period. The 

 West Kent, with kennels at St. Mary Cray, muster 

 fifteen couples of twenty-inch dwarf foxhounds. Their 

 territory lies within the limits of the West Kent and 

 Old Surrey foxhounds, where, unfortunately, a good 

 deal of wire is to be found troubling all classes 

 of hunting-men. Mr. Mercer's pack, hunting from 

 Rodmersham, near Sittingbourne, have a nice country 

 between Faversham and Rainham. They number 

 twenty couples of twenty-inch Stud-book harriers. 

 The Romney Marsh, twenty and a half couples of 

 mixed foxhound and Stud-book harrier bitches, ranging 

 from twenty to twenty-one inches, have a fine territory 



