1845.] OF HAMPSHIRE. 201 



which prevents his riding hard. Nevertheless, 

 he does manage, by having very clever horses, 

 and getting off at bad places, to get to his 

 hounds most surprisingly, and it is very seldom 

 he is far from them. However, nothing can 

 stop his man. 



" I remember one day, in a very quick 

 thing from Botley Grange, seeing Squires. 

 Squires go as straight as a bird from the wood 

 at finding, up to the gorse leading from West 

 End to Fair Oak, over a most difficult country. 

 He was the only man who went the line of the 

 hounds, and as I rode along the lane parallel 

 with him, I looked at him in admiration as he 

 took fence after fence in the most gallant 

 manner, coming down at last into the lane 

 from the top of a very high bank, which his 

 horse did most cleverly. 



"The other whip (Will Wheeler) is also a 

 very good rider, and understands his business. 



"The hounds are small; indeed, so much 

 so, that the first time I saw them I could 

 hardly believe they were fox-hounds. 



" Mr. King fancies a small hound better cal- 

 culated for an enclosed and woodland country, 

 which most part of the Hambledon is, though 

 I never could understand why a larger hound 

 should not be as good, and in getting over 



