NOTITIA VENATICA. 35 



that dreams, and he and the elephant the only animals that understand 

 looks ; also that the dog is the only qnadrui^ed that has heen hrought to 

 speak ; it also declares that a Professor Leibnitz met with a hound, in 

 Saxony, that could speak distinctly thirty words. The foxhound has 

 not only the greatest sagacity and the most refined powers of scrutiny, 

 but is far superior in bottona and stoutness to any other variety of the 

 hound race. Only consider the immense distance a hound travels over 

 during the twelve hours that he is frequently — I may say generally — 

 absent from his kennel, in countries which do not lie very handy with 

 regard to their places of meeting. Twelve miles to cover, more fre- 

 quently than otherwise, three or four hours consumed in working at 

 three parts speed — not only in the open, but through the tliickest wood- 

 lands and furze brakes — having been pitted in the course of his day's 

 work against three or four fresh foxes, then home at night perhaps from 

 fifteen to twenty miles, and this twice and sometimes three times during 

 the week ; yet he is fresh and vigorous, and, barring accidents, ever 

 ready and impetuous for the undertaking. They are certainly No. 1 iu 

 the schedule A amongst all the canine race, in my estimation. 



Many years since, a stag was turned out from Winfield Park, in the 

 county of Westmoreland, before a pack of hounds, which were composed 

 partly of draft foxhounds from Lord Thanet's kennel. After one of the 

 severest and most extraordinary runs on record, the stag having de- 

 scribed a circle, returned to the park from whence he first was enlarged 

 in the morning ; but so completely was he exhausted, that, upon at- 

 tempting to leap the paling, he fell back and expired. Only two hounds 

 followed the entire distance, and these were two of the draft fox- 

 hounds above-mentioned. One reached the wall of the park, where he 

 fell exhausted and died ; the other, also, was found dead at a short dis- 

 tance from the place. This run, which was circmtous, was supposed to 

 be about one hundred and twenty miles ; it was forty-six by the road, 

 and the stag and two hounds were seen at that distance from home 

 by several persons during this unequalled day's exertion. In Januaiy, 

 1738-9, the Duke of Richmond's hounds found at a quarter before 

 eight, and killed at ten minutes before six, after ten hom's' constant 

 running ; many gentlemen tired three horses, and only eleven and a 

 half couples of hounds were in at the death. A fox was found on the 

 19th of February, 1782, near Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire, at twenty- 

 seven miniites past nine o'clock ; and, excepting half an hour taken up 

 in bolting him from a rabbit-hole, the chase lasted till fourteen minutes 

 past five, nearly eight hours' hard running. The above anecdotes are 

 undoubtedly true, as they are well authenticated, and supported by the 

 best authority ; nevertheless the pace must have been much slower than 

 hounds are in the habit of going in these days : it is impossible to have 

 been otherwise. 



Another great improvement has taken place since the period of these 

 " grand tours," as Ave may designate them ; from the scientific manner 

 in which the breed of hounds has been attended to, they have been made 

 to run much better together ; and from a strict regard to breeding from 

 hounds of a good sound constitution, tired hounds are seldom to be met 



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