54 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



admit nothing of the sort," said Robert ; " but 

 I know this, if we had only had the Berkshire 

 bow-wows we never should have found him." 

 Whatever may have been the respective merit 

 of the hounds, there must have been some 

 good in hounds that could kill foxes in the 

 country of big woods and hills from which 

 they had come. After 1800, Mr. Loder left 

 the entire management of the hounds to his 

 son-in-law. In that year a misunderstanding 

 arose about the precise terms of the sale of a 

 draft to Mr. Bowes of Beckett in the preced- 

 ing year ; the following memorandum, which 

 exists in the handwriting of Mr. Robert 

 Symonds, shows clearly his view of the trans- 

 action. The other side is clearly set forth in 

 the letter written by Mr. Barrington Price at 

 Mr. Bowes' request : — 



Memorandum respecting the Terms on which Mr. 

 Price purchased the drafted hounds of Mr. Loder in 

 the year 1800 for Mr. Bowes. 



About the year 1797 Mr. Price called at Hinton to 

 ask Mr. Loder whether he had not some intention 

 of disposing of his hounds. It having been mentioned 

 to him (Mr. P.) that he had. Mr. L. told him, he had 

 not, nor cd he without consulting his friend Lord 

 Abingdon, with whom he was connected both in the 

 hounds & country. Mr, P. then requested Mr. Loder 

 to give him the ist refusal of them for Mr, Bowes shd 

 he ever wish to do it, Mr. L. promised him he wd. 

 N.B. This conversation took place in the court yard 



