HUNTING DIRECTORY. 153 



Lord Darlington as a Huntsman. 



quired — the length of time hounds remain at fault — 

 the difference of ground — change of weather — all these 

 contrihute to increase the difficulty, and require a nicety 

 of judgment and a precision, much above the compre- 

 hension of most huntsmen." 



Lord Darlington performs the duty of huntsman to 

 his own pack ; but I cannot say that I much admire his 

 lordship in that capacity. He appears to be impatient, 

 and his method seems to partake as much of coursing the 

 fox, as of hunting him. 



The qualification of being a ''good groom,'' which 

 Beckford states as essential in a huntsman, is not, how- 

 ever, so indispensable as he seems to think. Fox-hunting 

 has been on the increase since Beckford's time ; the es- 

 tablishments in general are more extensive ; and, on this 

 account, the management of the hounds and the care of 

 the horses form two distinct arrangements. In small 

 establishments, the huntsman may officiate as principal 

 groom ; but it is probably too much to expect that a 

 clever groom and a good huntsman should be united in 

 the same person. 



A huntsman should be very punctual in arriving at the 

 fixture or place of meeting ; and, when at the cover side, 

 he should throw in his hounds as quietly as possible, and 

 see that they spread the cover properly. When the fox 

 has gone away, "the huntsman should certainly set oft' 

 with his foremost hounds, and keep as close to them 

 afterwards as he conveniently can. No hounds then can 

 slip dow n the wind, and get out of his hearing ; he will 

 also see how far they carry the scent ; a necessary know- 



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