[58] 



out meeting with a single covert. From 

 Man-wood, one of the best coverts in the 

 Roothings, to Lord Maynard's High-wood, 

 near Dunmow, a line of country the foxes 

 formerly took, and from the latter to Lord 

 Petre's High-wood, near Writtle Park, are 

 still greater distances. The country is 

 chiefly under plough, but well drained, 

 and it rides light in comparison with other 

 ploughed countries : the ditches are rather 

 wide, but not blind ; and the scent, after 

 Christmas, is invariably good. I believe 

 there never was an instance of an old wild 

 Roothing fox having been killed with a 

 hunting scent : if you do not go away close 

 at him, at the very best pace, he never will 

 be caught ; and if you come to a check 

 with a hunting scent, it is twenty to one 

 he beats you. One thing ought always to 

 be attended to, which is, when your fox is 

 gone, to be as quick in getting your hounds 

 after him as possible. 



Leaden-Roothing is thought to be the 



