THOTJGHTS UPON HUNTING. 24^ 



The first day that you hunt in the forest, be equally- 

 s:autious what hounds you take out. All should be steady 

 from deer: you may afterwards put others to them, a few 

 at a time. I have seen a pack draw steadily enough, and 

 yet, wher» running hard, -fall on a weak deer, and rest as 

 contented as if they had killed their fox. These hopnds 

 were not chastised, though caught in the fadt, but were suf- 

 fered to draw on for a fresh fox : I would rather they had unr 

 dergone severe discipline. The finding of another fox with 

 them afterwards, might then have been of service ; otherr 

 vvise, in my opinion, it could only serve to encourage thenn 

 in the vice, and rnake them worse and wojrse. 



I MUST mention an instance of extraordinary sagacity in 

 a fox-beagle that once belonged to the Duke of Cumber- 

 land. 1 entered him at hare, to which he was immediately 

 so steady, that he would run nothing else. When a fox was 

 found by the beagles, which sometimes happened, he would 

 instantly come to the heels of the huntsman's horse. Some 

 years aftervv^ards I hunted fox only, and, though I parted with 

 most of the others, I kept him. He went out constantly with 

 the pack ; and, as hares were scarce in the country that I 

 then hunted, he did no hurt : the moment a fox was fourjd, 



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