194 HUNTING TOURS. 



commenced. This augmentation formed a 

 very superior country. Northwards it ex- 

 tends to Aslibourn, where the extensive 

 hills of Derbyshire form a boundary, pre- 

 cluding the possibility of following hounds. 

 The Sudbury country is a fine grass vale, 

 very favourable to scent, abounding in brooks, 

 with many strong fences ; in wet weather, 

 such as we have recently experienced, the 

 land is awfully deep, therefore distressing to 

 horses which require necessarily the highest 

 attainments of blood, power, and condition, 

 assisted, too, by all the auxiliaries of discre- 

 tion and strong nerves. Here the science of 

 the draining engineer does not appear to be 

 highly appreciated, and treacherous bogs not 

 unfrequently bring horses and riders to grief. 

 The passes through gateways are frightfully 

 deep, but there is one compensating and 

 consoling consequence : the extreme wetness 

 of the land in many situations precludes the 

 possibility of cattle being depastured in the 

 fields throughout the winter season ; thus, 

 although not altogether exonerated, hounds 

 do not so often experience the checks and 

 difficulties from that cause as they are ex- 

 posed to in many other parts of Her Majesty's 



