166 SPORTING REMINISCENCES [1825 to 



does a fox stray out of it than he is in a trap. 

 From all I heard, indeed, I have good reason 

 to believe that, were it not for the kindness of 

 his Royal Highness the Duke of York, Head- 

 Warden of the Forest, the persons employed 

 under the Lords Commissioners of Woods and 

 Forests, Mr. Drummond, the Steward of the 

 Bramber Manor, and a few others well disposed 

 towards fox-hunting, there would not be a fox 

 in the country, though the lying for them ex- 

 ceeds anything I ever witnessed before. Brother 

 sportsmen, mind this — -fox-hunting trembles on 

 the beam ! and I think I hear hundreds of the 

 rising generation exclaim, ' The sooner it kicks 

 the better, for it is too rough an amusement 

 for us.' 



" I saw one very pretty thing with Mr. 

 Nicoll's pack, running him to ground in 

 twenty-five minutes. The pace was quick 

 enough to show hounds to advantage, and also 

 to show what following them in the Xew 

 Forest is. The first part was over the open, 

 and the latter among trees and bushes, where 

 the quick running and flying to scent and cry 

 was beautiful to those who could see it. I also 

 saw a great deal of excellent slow-hunting on 

 days in which hounds could have hunted no- 

 where else ; but on all rough ground like the 

 Forest, there is what is called i a side scent,' 



