CHAPTER VII. 

 Some Yorkshire and Western Midland Hunts. 



Comparisons are odious, and I have no desire to praise 

 one hunting country at the expense of another. I have, 

 however, received a letter from a sportsman (who does not 

 wish his identity to be revealed) pointing out that I have 

 given more praise to the Tynedale country than I have to 

 the Zetland, which — ^in his opinion — is the better country of 

 the two. My correspondent does not point out exactly how 

 I have given him this impression, and I myself cannot find 

 anything I have written which seems to convey such an idea, 

 but I have had more to say about the Tynedale than of the 

 famous Yorkshire-Durham hunt for the simple reason that I 

 know the former country better, and have over a long period 

 of years hunted in it much more frequently than in the Zet- 

 land country. For example, I have never been in the western 

 part of the Zetland Monday country, and for many years 

 have seldom seen the pack except in the Thursday country, 

 or fairly close to Darlington, on the north side of the Tees. 

 But the fact is that opinions differ enormously as to the merits 

 of hunting countries, and many people form their opinions 

 quite regardless of the true properties of a country from a 

 purely hunting standpoint. My correspondent's complaints 

 as to the Tynedale country is that the banks and stone walls 

 are, from a rider's point of view, less desirable than the fly 

 fences in the Zetland hunt, and also that in the accounts of 

 great hunts of a former period (which were sent to me from 

 various correspondents) there is too much mention of running 

 on to the moors. My own opinion, which is no better than 

 that of any man who takes careful note of any hunting country 

 he may be in, is that both countries are far above the average 



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