THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 149 



o£ the firfl: maxims in hunting, as in life; and I 

 can afTure you, when I ain in the field, I never 

 wifh to hear any other tongue than that of a 

 hound. A neiglibour of mine was fo truly a 

 hare-hunter in this particular, that he would 

 not fufFer any body to fpeak a word when his 

 hounds were at fault : a gentleman happened to 

 cough; he rode up to him immediately, and faid, 

 *^ / ivij/i, Sir, zi'i/h all 7ny heart, that your cough 

 *' was better^'' 



In a good day, good hounds feldom give up 

 the fcent at head ; if they do, there is generally 

 an obvious reafon for it : this obfervation a huntf- 

 man fhould always make ; it will dire6l his call. 

 If he be a good one, he will attend, as he goes, 

 not only to his hounds, nicely obferving which 

 have the lead, and the degree of feent they carry; 

 but alio to the various cireumHances that are con- 

 tinually happening from change of weather, and 

 diiference of ground. He will likewife be mind- 

 ful of the diftance which the hare keeps before 

 ihe hounds, and of her former doubles; he will 

 alio remark what point fhe makes to. All thefe 

 obfervations will be of ufe, if a long fault make 

 his affiftance necelTary ; and if the hare fhould 

 have headed back, he will carefully obferve whe- 

 ther fhe met with any thing in her courfe to turn 

 her, or turned of her own accord. When he 

 cafts his hounds, let him begin by making a fmall 

 L 3 circle; 



