l60 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING* 



LETTER XIII. 



IT'N feme of the preceding letters we have, J 

 -^ think, fettled the bufinefs of the kennel in all 

 its parts ; and determined what fhould be the 

 number, and what the qualifications of the at- 

 tendants on the hounds ; we alfo agree in opinion, 

 that a pack fhould confifl: of about twenty-five 

 couple; I fliall now proceed to give fome ac- 

 count of the ufe of them. You defire that I 

 would be as particular, as if you were to hunt 

 the hounds yourfelf : to obey you, therefore, I 

 think I had better fend you a defcription of an 

 imaginary chace, in which I fliall be at liberty to 

 defcribe fuch events as probably may happen, 

 and to which your prefcnt inquiries feem moil to 

 lead; a further and more circumflantial expla- 

 nation of them will necefJarily become the fub- 

 je6l of my future letters. I am, at the fame time, 

 well aware of the difficulties attending fuch an 

 undertaking. A fox-cliace is not eafy to be de- 

 fcribed — yet as even a faint defcription of it may 

 ferve, to a certain degree, as an anfwcr to the 

 various queftions which you are pleafed to make 

 concerning that diverfion, I fhall profecute my 

 attempt in fach a manner, as I think may fuit 

 your purpofe befl. — As I fear it may read ill, it 



ihall 



