32 FIRST DIVISION OF THE 



man had seen them turn her several times; but it dicTnot appear that 

 either of them had caught her, for there was no wound upon her. 



A favourite bitch of this breed was Czarina, bred by Lord Orford, and 

 purchased at his decease by Colonel Thornton : she won every match for 

 which she started, and they were no fewer than forty-seven. Lord Orford 

 had matched her for a stake of considerable magnitude ; but, before the 

 appointed day arrived, he became seriously ill and was confined to his 

 chamber. On the morning of the course he eluded the watchfulness of 

 his attendant, saddled his favourite piebald pony, and, at the moment 

 of starting, appeared on the course. No one had power to restrain him, 

 and all entreaties were in vain. He peremptorily insisted on the dogs 

 being started, and he would ride after them. His favourite bitch dis- 

 played her superiority at every stroke ; she won the stakes : but at the 

 moment of highest exultation he fell from his pony, and, pitching on his 

 head, almost immediately expired. With all his eccentricities, he was a 

 kind, benevolent, and honourable man. 



In the thirteenth year of her age, and in defiance of the strange verses 

 just now quoted, Czarina began to breed, and two of her progeny, Claret 

 and young Czarina, challenged the whole kingdom and won their matches. 

 Major, and Snowball, without a white spot about him, inherited all the 

 excellence of their dam. The former was rather the fleeter of the two, 

 but the stanchness of Snowball nothing could exceed. A Scotch grey- 

 hound, who had beaten every opponent in his own country, was at this time 

 brought to England, and challenged every dog in the kingdom. The 

 challenge was accepted by Snowball, who beat him in a two-mile course. 

 Snowball won the Malton cup on four successive years, was never beaten, 

 and some of his blood is now to be traced in almost every good dog in 

 every part of the kingdom, at least in all those that are accustomed to 

 hunt in an open country. The last match run by Snowball was against 

 Mr. Plumber's celebrated greyhound Speed ; and, so severely contested 

 was it, that Speed died soon afterwards. A son of the old dog, called 

 Young Snowball, who almost equalled his father, was sold for one 

 hundred guineas. 



The speed of the greyhound has been said to be equal to that of the 

 fleetest horse. A singular circumstance, which occurred at Doncaster, 

 proved that it was not much inferior. A mare cantering over the Don- 

 caster course, her competitor having been withdrawn, was joined by a grey- 

 hound bitch when she had proceeded about a mile. She seemed determined 

 to race with the mare, which the jockey humoured, and gradually increased 

 his pace, until at the distance they put themselves at their full speed. The 

 mare beat her antagonist only by a head. The race-horse is, perhaps, 

 generally superior to the greyhound on level ground, but the greyhound 

 would have the advantage in a hilly country. 



Lord Rivers succeeded to Major Topham and Colonel Thornton, the 

 owners of Major and Snowball, as the leading man on the course. His 

 kennels at Strathfieldsaye were the pride of the neighbouring country. At 

 first he bore away almost every prize, but breeding too much in and in, 

 and for speed more than for stoutness, the reputation of his kennel consi- 

 derably declined before his death. 



In 1797 a brace of greyhounds coursed a hare over the edge of a chalk- 

 pit at Offham, in Sussex. The hare and both the dogs were found dead 

 at the bottom of the pit. 



