The Hambledon. 93 



the country seven years, and has built his present 

 pack almost entirely from the Cottesmore Kennel; 

 and with it has been very successful both in killing 

 foxes and showing sport. Preshaw_, with its good 

 coverts, lies so as to overlook the down, or wold, 

 district — hill after hill succeeding each other in 

 smooth strong dip and rise across the whole north 

 to the country from Winchester by Hambledon to 

 Idsworth. So much more severe are the Hambledon 

 hills than the milder undulation of the H. H., that 

 when hounds find a scent on which they can extend 

 themselves it is very difiicult to ride the line with 

 them, and it is generally advisable to cling as much 

 as possible to the upper ridges. On this light thin 

 soil, though, scent is by no means an everyday com- 

 modity ; and at all times it is necessary for hounds to 

 be close at their fox if they are to press him. Beacon 

 Hill and Old Winchester Hill are the two great land- 

 marks of the north of the country : and the latter 

 hill, with its background of covert, is regarded by 

 most foxes found near it as a sort of city of refuge 

 for which they should make at once. 



The north-east or Petersfield corner comprises some 

 pleasant vale of the Sussex type. Amid it the 

 '^Petersfield Hangers'^ form quite a feature — being 

 hillside covert so steep that not only would riding 

 through be out of the question, but it is the practice 

 of the wood- cutters to let the wood as they cut it find 

 its way to the bottom by its own weight. 



The Foxhunting Atlas shows most plainly the 

 natural geographical types of the several parts of the 

 country. From it will be readily seen that south of 



