46 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



bachelor establishment at Treago, a charming 

 old country house near Ross, which they rented 

 from Mr. Rowland Hill. There they took a 

 few couple hounds from Pengthley, with which 

 they were accustomed to hunt foxes in the 

 winter and otters in summer. They at once 

 set about increasing their pack, which they 

 ultimately did by a draft from the Ledbury. 



With these hounds they hunted in Here- 

 fordshire and on the Cotswolds, their country 

 extending as far as Rendcomb, near Ciren- 

 cester, where it adjoined Mr. Loder's. 

 Robert Symonds had often hunted with Mr. 

 Loder's hounds when an undergraduate at 

 Oriel College, Oxford, and now meeting him 

 again, soon became engaged to his daughter, 

 the young widow of Mr. Maximilian Western, 

 of Cokethorpe. Mr. Loder was at first 

 opposed to the match, but Mr. Symonds 

 presented him with a dog hound of such sur- 

 passing merit, that he became reconciled and 

 gave his consent. 



Edward Symonds has left a carefully kept 

 hunting diary ; and, as in this, reference is made 

 to most of the packs of hounds, both fox- 

 hounds and harriers, which were then hunting 

 the district between Hereford and Oxford, prob- 

 ably some extracts may be of interest, at least 

 to the present representatives of persons men- 



