138 HUNTING TOURS. 



Willoughby d'Eresby. Thej are about seven 

 miles from Stamford, which is the most con- 

 venient locality for a temporary visitor, and I 

 can commend my friends to Mr. Whincup, 

 who, holdinof the Georo^e Hotel under the 

 Marquis of Exeter, provides all the delicacies 

 of the season in unlimited profusion. He also 

 occupies a large farm on his lordship's estate, 

 where he breeds many horses of high cha- 

 racter. 



The almost unprecedented absence of frost 

 throughout the winter has afforded no days 

 of respite for wearied horses or hounds, and 

 gentlemen with short studs are pretty nearly 

 used up. In many hunting establishments, 

 too, this is becoming a somewhat serious 

 affair. During the boisterous weather which 

 so long prevailed, the important phenomenon, 

 scent, was more than ever unaccountably pre- 

 carious. On some occasions, when terrible 

 gales were raging, hounds could run, more 

 particularly along sheltered valleys, and on 

 the lee side of hedge rows. The vast quantity 

 of rain that fell rendered the land in a state 

 capable of holding a scent ; thus the condi- 

 tion of the atmosphere was propitious, as very 

 little variation of temperature existed beyond 



