CHAP. II.] TIIE SECOND DAT. 91 



Latins call him, can smell a fish in the water an hundred 

 yards from him : Gesner says much further and. that his 

 stones are good against the falling [sickness ; and that there 

 is an herb, benione, which, being hung in a linen-cloth, near 

 a fish-pond, or any haunt that he uses, makes him to avoid 

 the place ; which proves he smells both by water and land. 

 And I can tell you, there is brave hunting this water-dog in 

 Cornwall : where there have been so many, that our learned 

 Cam den says, there is a river called Ottersey, which was so 

 named, by reason of the abundance of otters that bred and 

 fed in it, 



And thus much for my knowledge of the otter : which 

 you may now see above water at vent, and the dogs close 

 with him ; I now see he will not last long. Follow, there- 

 fore, my masters, follow ; for Sweetlips was like to have 

 him at this last vent. 



Ten. Oh me ; all the horse are got over the river ; what 

 shall we do now ? shall we follow them over the water ? 



Hunt. No, sir, no: be not so eager; stay a little, and 

 follow me : for both they and the dogs will be suddenly on 

 this side again, I warrant you, and the otter too, it may be. 

 Now have at him with Killbuck, for he vents again. 1 



Ven. Marry ! so he does ; for, look ! he vents in that 

 corner. Now, now, Bingwood has him : now, he is gone 

 again ; and has bit the poor dog. Now, Sweetlips has her ; 

 hold her, Sweetlips ! now all the dogs have her ; some above 

 and some under water : but, now, now, she is tired, and past 

 losing. Come bring her to me, Sweetlips. Look ! it is a 

 bitch-otter, and she has lately whelped. Let's go to the 

 place where she was put down ; and, not far from it, you 

 will find all her young ones, I dare warrant you, and kill 

 them all too. 



Hunt. Come, gentlemen ! come all ! let's go to the place 

 where we put down the otter. Look you ! hereabout it was 

 that she kennelled ; look you ! here it was indeed ; for here 



1 The otter, after swimming sometime under water to escape his 

 pursuers, lifts his head to vent or breathe. ED. 



The real otter-hound is believed to be extinct in this country, Lord 

 Cadogan having had the last. The peculiarity of the breed consists in their 

 having a valve in the ear to prevent the entrance of water, and being 

 web-footed to the extremity of the feet. ED. 



