72 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



of the present railroad era, only, as Mr. Weller wonld say, 

 " they had rayther a different notion of doing things." Foxes 

 were not quite so plentiful, and altogether a difierent kind of 

 animal — no Piccadillys, or French importations — but in most 

 countries a fine large greyhound fox, long in the body and high 

 on his legs, who was not to be so easily handled as the present 

 mixed and degenerate race. In those days also, there were no 

 large game preserves, where foxes could glut themselves with 

 little trouble — they had to travel far in search of food, and 

 sometimes went supperless to their kennels. Scarcity of foxes 

 rendered it necessary to begin early in the morning upon the 

 drag, and instead of riding and mobbing a fox to death, almost 

 as soon as found, our forefathers made the most of him, not 

 being very sure about finding another. The hurry-scurry, helter- 

 skelter, tally-ho, whoo-hoop system ot the present day is not 

 fox hunting, but fox murdering. 



Hounds are not so much faster now-a-days than they were 

 formerly, but the system is faster. I know this is debateable 

 ground, and I shall probably be laughed at for such a remark. 

 But let the fast men of the present day try the experiment ; let 

 them match two couples of their fastest hounds against time, 

 over the Beacon Course, at Newmarket, and see if they can beat 

 Mr. Barry's Bluecap, who, in the famous match with Mr. Meynell's 

 hounds, ran the four miles in a few seconds over eight minutes. 

 Colonel Thornton's bitch, Merkin, is said to have run the same 

 distance in seven minutes and half a second. Beat this, my fast 

 young brother fox-hunters of the present day, and then laugh 

 if you can ! 



What also is the comparative speed of the race-horse then and 

 now? To all the sporting world, the names of Eclipse and 

 Flying Childers must be familiar, and of the latter I find it 

 recorded, "That in October, 1722, he beat Lord Drogheda's 

 Chaunter, (previously the best horse of the day.) six miles, ten 

 stone each, for one thousand guineas. He had already, at six 

 years old, run a trial against Almanzor and the Duke of Rutland's 

 Brown Betty, nine stone two pounds each, over the round course 

 at Newmarket, three miles, six furlongs, and ninety-three yards, 

 which distance he ran in six minutes and forty seconds ; to 

 perform which he must have moved eighty-two feet and a half 

 in one second of time, or nearly after the rate of one mile in a 

 minute. He likewise ran over the Beacon course, — four miles, 

 one furlong, one hundred and thirty-eight yards, in seven 

 minutes and thirty seconds ! ! It is reported that Flying 

 Childers did not race until six years old, and that his extraordi- 

 nary speed and power were first discovered in a severe jox chase. 



