16 DRAFTING. 



Mr. Osbaldestons celebrated pack, in 1830, fetched 

 twenty-five guineas per couple, that is, the twenty-five 

 worst couples out of seventy-five couples, brought, at 

 his sale, £625, a sum quite unprecedented for such 

 hounds.* It is generally presumed that the more 

 money a man gives, the better article he has a right to 

 expect for his money, and the attempt to form a pack 

 from the mere refuse of other kennels, will be found to 

 be not only a most tedious undertaking, but in the end 

 by far the most expensive, as so many must be purchased 

 before a sufficient number can be collected to work 

 together in anything like a hunting style, that the task 

 will be endless. The usual draft of old hounds from 

 the best of kennels are generally nearly worn out, and 

 although they may be extremely useful to enter the 

 young ones with, their services can only be looked for 

 during one season. Occasionally hounds of the first, 

 second, and third season are amongst the draft, these, 

 I fear, may be considered invariably to be drafted 

 either for vice, lameness, or weakness of constitution, 

 sometimes those put away for lameness, in the stifle- 

 joint or knees, may become sound after a summers 

 rest, and turn out a valuable acquisition, and an invalid 

 may recover after being removed to another kennel. 

 If the second description of drafts be collected, the 

 chances are that the purchaser has very nearly as good 

 a pack, by the second season (though, perhaps, not 

 quite so handsome or level to the eye) as the persons 



* In'May, 18 iO, the Duke of Cleveland's entire pack, consisting of 43 couples, 

 only fetched £'262, rather more than 6gs. per couple. Twenty couples i)f them were 

 well worth £500, but the lowness of the price might be altributed, partly to several 

 packs heing ''or sale at the same time, but more especially to the infamous con- 

 dition in which they were brought to the hammer. 



