50 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [1822 



three foxes, lost eigiity-four foxes, and had one blank 

 (lay. 



A very good season, the sport of January and 

 February being particularly good. Hounds did not lose 

 one day by frost, for though they could not hunt on 

 January 16th, they did on the morrow, and the whole 

 pack gave their huntsman the utmost satisfaction. 



Cub-hunting at the beginning of the nineteenth century 

 must have commenced very early in the year, as I find 

 the following note in Will Smith's diary for 1822: 

 "July 16th. — Though we have killed several foxes, yet 

 we have done no good with the young hounds before this 

 time. I shall therefore date our cub-hunting from this 

 day." Of course there was very much more grass, wood- 

 lands, and moorlands than nowadays, as cub-hunting, 

 even round Brocklesby, is impossible till the corn is cut. 

 Smith complains that scent was bad up to that date (July 

 19th), but it seems to have improved afterwards. October 

 19th was the last day of cub-hunting, hounds having 

 killed eighteen brace of foxes and marked ten and a half 

 brace to ground. The young hounds seem to have entered 

 well, and particular mention is made of Artful, Captive, 

 Constant, Conqueror and Collier, while Tarquin is mentioned 

 as being free of tongue, and Brusher and Caroline fairly so. 



Unfortunately the diaries of the regular seasons from 

 1822 to January, 1832, are missing, though the volume 

 dealing with the cub-hunting up to that period is still 

 preserved. Consequently I can but touch a faint line as 

 far as cub-hunting is concerned, and then clap forward for 

 ten years, and open with fresh material. 



Hounds did little good in July and August, 1823, for, 

 in spite of a considerable rainfall, scent was very poor. 

 There are only two entries of September's doings, one a 

 fair day for hounds, and the other a bad one, and there is 

 no summary of the slain. 



During the summer of 1824 hounds were only out 

 three or four days, taking advantage of the rains, and 

 regular cub-hunting began on August 30th at Roxton 



