STAG-HUNTING. 4 I 7 



years previous to 1775, the North Devon stag- 

 hounds were kept in a style almost amounting to 

 magnificent, by the then Sir Thomas Acland, 

 Bart., when Colonel Basset took them and kept 

 them to the year 1784. At that period the late 

 Sir Thomas Acland became master of them, and 

 kept them to the year 1793, when Colonel Basset 

 took them again, at his own expense, and hunted 

 them to the year 1801 inclusive; when ill health 

 obliging him to part with them, he gave away all 

 but six couples and a half to Lord Sondes. In 



1802, Lord Fortescue revived them, by receiving 

 from Colonel Basset the six couples and a half he 

 had reserved, and kept them for that year. In 



1803, they were first kept by subscription by Mr. 

 Worth, who continued at the head of them till 

 1810. In 1811, Lord Graves became master of 

 them, also by subscription ; but in the spring of 

 1812, Lord Fortescue determined upon keeping 

 them at his own expense, which he did for seven 

 years, when they were once more established by 

 subscription ; and since the year 1819 have been 

 managed by Mr. Lucas, who still continues at their 

 head." 



The next year after Nimrod visited them, they 

 were given up ; but we give the extracts from his 

 account of two days' diversion with these hounds, 

 on each of which they found a " warrantable'' deer. 

 Speaking of the first, he says, " When we arrived 

 within half a mile of the covert in which a stag 

 was harboured, the hounds, till then in couples, 

 were put into a stable, when the celebrated Joe 



