176 SPORTING REMINISCENCES [1S25 to 



large field. Among the spectators was Mon- 

 sieur Louis, the French giant from Lorraine, 

 who contrived to curtail his fair proportions 

 of seven feet five inches to the narrow limits 

 of a close carriage. The stag went off to 

 Crawley, and then in full view for about six 

 miles, followed by a field of two hundred 

 horsemen, extending a distance of nearly two 

 miles, and was taken at Titcomb Bridge. 



At the end of the season of 1826 Mr. Shard 

 disposed of his stag-hounds : part went to Ger- 

 many, and the others were bought by some 

 sportsmen in the neighbourhood of Epping. 

 Mr. Muiiins's Mr* Mullins lived about a mile 

 hamers. from Basingstoke, and at this time 

 had kept a pack of harriers about seventeen 

 years. They had been in his family before he 

 took them, and they were then tinged with 

 southern blood ; but Mr. Mullins soon found 

 out that for a flying hare, over the Hampshire 

 hills, this hanging sort was of no avail. Mr. 

 Mullins acknowledges the benefit his pack has 

 received from a cross of Sir John Dashwood's 

 blood, several of his hounds being bred from 

 his pack. For this cross he was indebted to 

 Mr. Bonham of Petersfield, who became pos- 

 sessed of Sir John's hounds. 



Mr. Mullins was a very big man, riding 



