174 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



LETTER XIII. 



IN some of the preceding Letters, we have, I think, 

 settled tlie business of the kennel in all its parts j and de- 

 termined what should be the number, and what the quali- 

 fications, of the attendants on the hounds ; we also agree in 

 opinion, that a pack should consist of about twenty-five 

 couple : I shall now proceed to give some account of the 

 use of them. You desire that I would be as particular as 

 if 5^ou were to hunt the hounds yourself. To obey you, 

 therefore, 1 think I had better send you a description of an 

 imaginary chase; in which I shall be at liberty to describe 

 such events as probably may happen, and to which your 

 ♦ present inquiries seem most to lead : a further and more 

 .s-«r.^ circumstantial explanation of them will necessarily become 

 the subject of my future Letters. 1 am, at the same time, 

 well aware of the difficulties attending such an undertaking, 

 A fox-chase is not easy to be described ; yet, as even a faint 

 description of it may serve, to a certain degree, as an an- 

 swer to the various questions which you are pleased to make 



