The First and Last Hounds in England, o^-^l 



Pen '' scratched their heads ominously, and I thought 

 it was all over with that ewe-necked, Roman-nosed, 

 pig-eyed, pigeon-toed brute, upon whom I looked 

 more in sorrow than anger, wondering what value his 

 master could possibly put on him, when a sudden 

 thought struck Pol, and he caught hold of the 

 wretched animal by the forelegs, and threw him 

 bodily on to the stony floor, leading me to imagine 

 that every bone in his miserable carcase must be 

 broken ; but no, he rose and shook himself, and in a 

 few minutes I was mounted and away, and I made 

 that wincing jade pay dearly for his gambols long ere 

 I reached my destination. 



On another occasion I stroll through the village, 

 wending my way towards Madron Bottoms, in order 

 to visit the kennels of the Western Foxhounds, which 

 are situated at the foot of a steep gorse and heather 

 clad hill — a dreary spot in the winter season, but a 

 lovely piece of wild scenery in the spring, the blossoms 

 of the gorse bushes exceeding in quantity, colour, and 

 odour any I have ever seen elsewhere. The pack is 

 maintained by subscription, and consists of somewhere 

 about twenty couples of handsome hounds, drafts from 

 some of the best kennels in the kingdom. The joint 

 Masters are Messrs Thomas Bedford Bolitho, of 

 Trewhidden, and Thomas Robins Bolitho, of Pendrea, 

 members of a greatly respected family, who, in 

 addition to being large landowners in the country, are 

 bankers, merchants, shipowners, and I know not what 

 besides. 



The " country '' hunted by the '' Western ^^ lies 

 to the south-east and north-east of Penzance, extend- 

 ing as farj as the parish of St. Hilary, and westward 



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