124 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



at Sandford, and took the hounds there. His 

 first huntsman was Richard Hills, who came 

 to him from Mr. Harvey Combe and the " Old 

 Berkeley " at Rickmansworth ; Willy Hawtin 

 was Whip. After about two years Willy 

 Hawtin became huntsman, Stephen Shepherd 

 being whip. 



The subscriptions from Oxfordshire soon fell 

 off, and Mr. Morland was obliged to intimate 

 that he could not continue to hunt that country 

 in the way he had done, under the altered cir- 

 cumstances. Mr. Lowndes Stone writes : — 



Brightwell, Thursday, 1836. 

 "Dear Morland,— . . . In regard to your 

 letter about the hunting, I perfectly agree with you 

 that it would be quite absurd and impolitic for you 

 to hunt our country in the way you did last year, 

 considering the small subscription our gentlemen 

 subscribe, but I think they will never be able to 

 keep a pack of hounds on this side of the country, 

 for independent of money concerns, I think there is 

 not country enough for even three days a fortnight, 

 for since I have known it I have never heard such a 

 bad account of foxes. . . . Should you give up 

 this country or not, I shall be happy to put puppies 

 out to walk for you as far as I can. 



Believe me in haste, ever yours, 



W. C. Lowndes. 



The great difficulty was the hunting the 

 wooded hill country, and he arranged that 

 Major Fane should hunt this, Mr. Morland 



