A WEEK AT OAKHAM 229 



to two hours and three quarters by quick trains, and, 

 if you halt at Peterborough, you will be able to visit 

 the famous kennels of the Fitzwilliam at Milton, 

 which are only about two and a half miles distant. 

 There you will see a pack which, in spite of the ad- 

 mixture of other blood, like all our famous family 

 packs, has a marked character of its own. It seems 

 as though the notable men who have had to do with 

 these great kennels had given to the race of hounds 

 an individuality of their own. The Belvoir, the 

 Brocklesby, the Badminton, the Fitzwilliam, the 

 Warwickshire are to a certain extent akin, but typical 

 hounds from each kennel have an unmistakable 

 stamp. Thus, the long, beautiful, springy neck, 

 the combination of lightness and strength, and the 

 large but not heavy and very intelligent head of the 

 Fitzwilliam hounds are notable. Nor do I think 

 it would be possible to mistake a Fitzwilliam hound 

 whenever you saw him. I do not know that their 

 standard is much higher in inches than that of any 

 other pack, but it is certain that they look large, 

 perhaps owing to the appearance of speed and power. 

 The present master, Mr. Fitzwilliam, and Barnard, 

 his huntsman, take the greatest interest in keeping 

 up the standard. I have noted above that every 

 great pack is the result of the work and judgment 

 of one or more able huntsmen, and in the case of 

 the Fitzwilliam the name of Sebright is most closely 

 identified with the founding, and that of G. Carter 

 with the later days, of the pack. The history of the 

 Fitzwilliam pack and its origin is that it was founded 

 on a blending of judicious mating with Brocklesby, 

 Beaufort, and Belvoir blood, and suited to the country 

 by a man who was well able to select his hounds 

 right and fit them for the country they had to hunt 



