With the Surrey Staghounds, 323 



the necessity arises, cavalry officers, who for daring 

 and horsemansliip combined are not to be equalled in 

 any army in the world. I am not one of those who 

 think that hunting has seen its best days. No doubt 

 the country has been greatly cut up, and to an extent 

 damaged by the railway system which has penetrated 

 every country; but when I look at the large tracts 

 of land which yet remain untouched, and consider the 

 amount of excellent sport that I have had the good 

 fortune to witness during the present season in my 

 different journeys, I feel certain that the present gene- 

 ration at least need not heed the croakers, and that 

 it will be a long time before the necessity arises for 

 any diminution of the number of noble packs that are 

 productive of such a vast amount of pleasure to many ; 

 and especially so whilst this exciting amusement con- 

 tinues as popular as it is at the present time. 



Now, in my opinion, is the time to enjoy stag 

 hunting. The land rides well, and, the days being 

 long, you can return home by daylight, even if you 

 have a spin of two hours and a half or three hours^ 

 duration. Of the staghounds within easy reach of 

 London there are two packs which will well repay 

 a visit at this time of the year, the first on the list 

 being Baron Rothschild^s, with which you can enjoy a 

 ride across the magnificent vale of Aylesbury with 

 but little trouble, despatching your nag by train to 

 Leighton Buzzard, where you will be within reach 

 of the cream of the valley, and be able to judge of 

 the quality of the hounds and the style in which 

 Fred. Cox, who has hunted the Barents hounds for 

 twenty-three seasons, performs across these grand 

 pastures. By the way, you must not shirk the 



21—2 



