1^6 THOITGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



certainty, the fcent of his hunted fox. Much 

 ipeculation is here required ; — the length of time 

 hounds remain at fault ; — -difference of ground ;' — 

 change of weather ; — all thefe contribute to in- 

 creaie the difficult}'' ; and require a nicety of 

 judgment, and a precilion, much above the com- 

 prehenfioii of moit huntfmen. 



When hounds are at fault, and cannot make 

 it out of themfelves, let theiirfl caft be quick ; th(2 

 fcent is then good, nor are the hounds likely to 

 go over it ; as the fcent gets worfe, the caft 

 fliould be flower, and be more cautioufly made. 

 This is an ellential part of hunting, and which, 

 I am forry to fay, few huntfmen attend to. I 

 wifh they would remember the following rules, 

 viz. that with a good fcent, their caft fliould be 

 ^iiick ; with a bad fcent, /lozu ; — and that, when 

 their hounds are picking along a cold fcent, — ■ 

 i/iej are not to cajl them at alh 



When hounds are at fault, and ftaring about, 

 truiting entirely to their eyes, and to their cars 5 

 the making a cait with them, I apprehend, would 

 be to little purpofe. The iikeliefl place for them 

 to find the fcent, is where they left it ; and when 

 the fault is evidently in the dog, a forward caft is 

 lealt likely to recover the fcent.* 



* Hounds know where they left the fcent, and if let alone 

 v,'ill try to recover it. Impatience in tiie huntfman, at fuch 

 times, feldom fails, in the end, to fpoil thf hounds. 



2. When 



