NOTITIA VENATICA. 105 



mare Lehig' riiUlcu blind. Crano tlic clevcntli, on a plate horse called 

 Rib ; the tunc occupied was eight minutes and a few seconds. Odds at 

 starting, 7 to 4 on Mr. Meynel, whose hounds were trained on legs of 

 mutton. This species of amusement is now seldom practised, excepting 

 in Lancashire and some of the northern counties, where matches are 

 occasionally made by OM'ners of harriers, numerous small packs being- 

 kept in those lawless dictricts. 



We will now suppose the new entry to be recovered from the effects 

 of the distemper, to have learnt to answer to their names in the kennel, 

 and to have begun to go daily to horse exercise along the neighbouring- 

 roads, the wild ones in couples, the rest with a pr. buckled double on 

 their necks, being occasionally taken for an hour at a time amono-st 

 sheep and cattle, in which way they must be employed until within a 

 montli of cub-hunting, when they may be taken every morning by them- 

 selves into a deer-park, or amongst hares. When this part of their 

 education commences, they should be cross-coupled, and if they show 

 any inclination to riot they should be severely chastised. In the course 

 of three or four days they Avill be so accustomed to them, that they may 

 be trusted amongst them Avithout being coupled, taking- care to enlaro-e 

 only a few at a time ; they may then bo taken out with the old hounds, 

 and thus exercised for about eight or nine hours each morning till the 

 cub-hunting commences. With regard to showing the young hovuids 

 hares previous to entering- them, huntsmen differ widely in opinion ; it 

 is the custom with some to show them riot almost daily for many weeks 

 previous to cub-hunting — flogging them most severely for attempting to 

 chase. Charles King, Avho lived so many years with Lord Althorp (af- 

 terwards the late Earl Spencer), acted in quite a different way : his 

 opinion was that it was not only useless, but that it tended considerably 

 to dispirit and spoil young hounds, to awe them too much from riot be- 

 fore they were well entered and blooded ; and with the exception of 

 showing them deer in Althorp Park a few times (although the kennel 

 was close to it), and two or three times finding a few sitting- hares, to 

 teach them to know the meaning of a rate, they were not broken from 

 riot, until after they had killed two or three brace of foxes from the 

 Brigstock kennel ; they were then taken every morning, when they did 

 not hunt, for a couple of hours into Rockingham Forest, and severely 

 rated from deer, hares, and rabbits, the place being particularly adapted 

 to the purpose. The Pytchley hounds Avere no less remarkable for their 

 steadiness than they were for their stoutness and hunting qualities ; and 

 I have no doubt that this system considerably increased their handiness 

 afterwards in the field. Jack Wood, whose rudiments of hunting- were 

 learned under the renowned Philii) Payne (many years huntsman to his 

 Grace the late Duke of Beaufort), and whose first-rate knowledge of the 

 science, both in the kennel and in the field, Avas partly acquired Avhen 

 living as first Avhipper-in under Charles King, was of the same Avay of 

 thinking. Having hunted Avith him many seasons, and havino- com- 

 menced invarialdy at early daAvn, I have had many good opportunities of 

 not only observing and admiring the quiet and workmanlike manner in 

 Avhich he drilled and educated his noAV entry, but also of conversing mth 



