92 The Hunting Countries of England. 



much, self-confidence, are almost as necessary. Depend 

 upon it, tlie leaders liave all tliese ; with, a keen eye, 

 a quick pulse, and no little enthusiasm (perhaps a 

 shade of ambition) besides. But the present articles 

 are meant to form a matter-of-fact, and doubtless 

 dry, directory; so our sketch of the Cottesmore must 

 be cut in as clear and naked outline as we can. 



First of all, it is necessary to tell you that, if you 

 are to look at the country through the medium of 

 Stanford's maps, you must provide yourself with no 

 less than four sheets (Nos. 9, 10, 15, and 16), as the 

 Cottesmore have the misfortune to fall at the junction 

 of the four. Another shilling will give you one of 

 W. H. Smith's Reduced Ordnance Maps of Leicester, 

 or Peterboro', and its environs; and five minutes 

 work will suffice for inking off the boundaries of the 

 Cottesmore as pourtrayed (more, or less, correctly) 

 by Mr. Stanford's draughtsman. The gentleman in 

 question, it will be noticed, after getting safely over 

 the Whissendine, stopped short at the little stream 

 under Leesthorpe, and declined to include even 

 Stapleford Park, Berry Gorse, and Mr. Hartopp's 

 riverside plantations. If we mistake not, the Piver 

 Eye (lower down being the Wreake) carries the 

 boundary of the Cottesmore to Melton Mowbray, to 

 meet the Belvoir and the Quorn. At any rate in th.e 

 corner between the Melton and Oakham Poad and 

 the Piver Eye you will go with no other hounds, 

 unless on a marauding expedition. 



The Cottesmore country is not exactly easy to 

 describe and classify. Perhaps we may best divide it 

 as follows, viz., into three longitudinal sections, terming 



