THE FIRST PACKS 



so that I cannot have a pheasant or any other sort 

 of game in my woods. If you can spare them, I wish 

 you would write soon that I may lose no time in 

 sending for them. Adieu, I have company just 

 come." 



In this same year, 1777, one gets most valuable 

 information as to the Castletown pack in a letter 

 written by Lord Clifden, Mr James Agar, then 

 recently created Baron, who was later raised to the 

 viscounty. It is written from Gowran, and, as will 

 be seen, makes mention of another of those private 

 hunting establishments which were the nurses of 

 modern fox-hunting. 



Gowran, 



17th July, 1777. 



My dear Sir, 



When I last saw the Duke of Leinster, he told 

 me you were very low in hounds, and that many of 

 your whelps had died, and that you meant to buy a 

 parcel in England. Now as I would wish to keep 

 what money we have in the country, as far as in me 

 lies, if you will accept them I can give you ten or 

 twelve couple of good running hounds as possibly 

 you can get anywhere. They are of a middling size, 

 but fleet and high mettled. Almost all my whelps 

 have failed this season also, or you should have 

 them. There is so little game in this country, and I 

 am so seldom down here of late during the hunting 



27. 



