J 04 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



match to run two couples of hounds four miles, against two couples of 

 Mr. Osbaldestou's, on a tiailcd scent, wliich he won in the neighhour- 

 hood of Malton. The trail used was a horse rug, which had been 

 placed under a tame fox for two or three days. The following extract 

 was copied from a Cork paper :- — • 



" I will back, for two hundred sovereigns, hounds from mine own 

 kennel, running a drag scent, to beat any horse carrying lOst., four 

 miles, over a fair sporting country ; and mind you, by beating I do not 

 mean a head or a length, but the hounds shall be at the finish two hun- 

 dred and forty yards before the horses ; or, in plain words, the hounds 

 shall distance the horses. My money is lodged in the Provincial Bank, 

 Cork, where it shall lie fourteen days to be covered, and Avhere the chal- 

 lenger's name and address shall be learned on that being done." 



The author of an old book entitled the " Gentleman's Recreation," 

 which was compiled about two hundred years ago, in speaking of the 

 manner in which horses were matched in racing in former times, says 

 that " first, then, the old Avay of trial was, by running so many train 

 scents after hounds, this being found not so uncertain and more durable 

 than hare hunting, and the advantage consisted in having the train 

 scents laid on earth most suitable to the nature of the horses. Now others 

 chose to hunt the hare till such an hour prefixed, and then ' to run the 

 wild-ffoose chase,' which, because it is not knoMai to all huntsmen, I 

 shall explain the use and manner of it. The ' wild-goose chase re- 

 ceived its name from the manner of the flight which is made by wild 

 geese, which is generally one after another ; so that the two horses, 

 after the running of twelve score yards, had liberty, Avhich horse soever 

 could get the leading, to ride Avhat ground he pleased, the hindermost 

 horse being bound to follow him Avithin a certain distance agreed on by 

 the articles, or else to be whipt up by the tryers or judges, which rode 

 by, and which ever horse could distance the other won the match. But 

 this chase was found by experience so inhumane, and so destructive to 

 horses, especially when two good horses were matched, for neither being 

 able to distance the other, till both were ready to sink under their riders 

 through Aveakness, oftentimes the match Avas fain to be dra^vn and left 

 undecided, though both horses were quite spoiled. This brought them 

 to run train scents, which was afterwards changed to three heats and a 

 straight course." 



The most celebrated match Avliich we have recorded, and Avhich took 

 place about the end of the last century, was between Mr. Meynol and 

 Mr. Smith Barry, over Newmarket Heath. Will Crane, Mr. Meynel's 

 huntsman, had great difficulty in making liis hounds run the drag at 

 first ; they Avere trained in Essex, and exercised at it three times a 

 week, from the 1st of August to the 2Sth of September, the match 

 coming oft" on the 30th of that month ; tlie food used Avas oatmeal and 

 sheep's trotters. The drag Avas draAvn up-Avind from the rubbing-house 

 near the toAvn, to the rubbing-house at the stabling, near the B.C. The 

 result Avas as follows : Mr. Ijariy's Bluecaj) came in first, his Wanton 

 second (very close), Mr. Meynel's Riehmond third, and a bitch of his 

 never came in at all. Coopci-, Mr. J^arry's huntsman, was first up, his 



