With the Warwickshire, 115 



affording sport to all. In order to form an opinion of 

 tlie style of management of these hounds, and to 

 judge of the magnitude of the establishment, it must 

 be stated that there are at least one hundred couples, 

 and, as near as I could learn^ about one hundred and 

 thirty horses, three separate sets of kennels, and that 

 they hunt seven times a week, — the pack hunting the 

 open, five times, and that hunting the woodlands, 

 twice ; and when the area over which the Pytchley 

 extends is considered, reaching, as it does from 

 Rugby to Higham Ferrars in one direction, and from 

 Market Harborough to Northampton in the other, it 

 is evident that this establishment, large as it is, does 

 not exceed the requirements of the case, and I shall 

 not be far wrong in my estimate if I say that an ex- 

 penditure of J£l 0,000 per annum does not cover the 

 entire cost. I may, I think, therefore point to this as 

 a confirmation of my statement that, whatever people 

 may write or say on the subject, hunting is as popular 

 as ever it was, and, I am happy to say, as likely to 

 last as any other of the institutions of this country ; 

 and, now that there is a strong tendency upon the 

 part of our politicians to rest and be thankful, there is 

 but little fear that we shall witness the disestablishment 

 of the Pytchley or a diminution of the number of good 

 men and true who hunt in the shires. Before closing 

 my trip to Rugby I visited the schools, examined the 

 beautiful chapel ; the splendid swimming-bath, the 

 gift of one of the masters ; the gymnasium, the racket 

 and tennis courts ; the cricket-ground, the condition 

 of which is superb ; the arrangement for practising 

 jumping over hurdles, and the noble grounds in which 

 this fine establishment is placed, and I was glad to 



8—2 



