6 PREFACE. 



volved upon the present writer, by no means from any 

 claims of his to superior authority on the subject, but 

 because lack of leisure in some cases and the private 

 nature of the journal in others forbade its entrustment 

 to men more competent than himself. The thirteen 

 large and closely written books of the journal have 

 accordingly been sifted, other records both in print 

 and in manuscript examined, oral information gathered 

 and duly noted ; and the whole, together with a small 

 modicum of personal experience and observation, 

 wrought up into the present volume. 



The writer has throughout looked upon his own 

 commentary as subservient to the records in the 

 Appendix; he is fully conscious of many imperfections 

 in his work, and is well aware that much of it can be 

 interesting only to dwellers in the west country. 

 Nevertheless he has some hope that, with the powerful 

 aid of Mr. Giberne's pencil, he may give strangers 

 some faint notion of what the chase of the wild red 

 deer is, and of the reasons why the west countrymen 

 are so enthusiastic over it. 



A word must be said as to the map attached to this 

 book, which those familiar with the country will doubt- 

 less criticise as inadequate. It must be explained that 

 the new survey is incomplete, and the old survey hope- 



