96

SPORTING PEREGRINATIONS.

BY ROBIN HOOD.

The recent visit which her Majesty has paid to his Grace the Duke of Rutland, at Belvoir Castle, having afforded an opportunity of her royal consort partaking of the enjoyment of a day's fox-hunting, cannot fail to produce the utmost gratification in the breast of every Englishman, and more especially those who are participators in the sport themselves. His Royal Highness has not only had an opportunity of experiencing the joys of fox-hunting, but it has been with one of the most celebrated packs of hounds, and in the best country our island can boast of; attended not only by the most exalted of our aristocracy, but also by those who are celebrated as being the most renowned sportsmen of the age. There can be but few who in their hearts will not award a most decided preference to fox-hunting before the chase of the stag, however well calculated the latter may be to ensure a gallop, but which on many occasions is procrastinated to so great an extent as to deprive the chase of that enthusiasm for which fox-hunting is so justly esteemed.

Let me, however, not be misunderstood as conveying any desire to bring stag-hunting into disrepute, but simply to maintain the superiority which fox-hunting possesses over every other diversion for which the British nation is so justly celebrated.

Prince Albert having had an opportunity of seeing a run with fox-hounds, is now able to form an opinion, which could not be arrived at by any other means, especially after the disappointment created by turning down a bag fox before his Royal Highness's beagles-an experiment which was tried at the commencement of the season, and followed by a result which might have been anticipated. It is most extraordinary that any of the attendants could have proposed such a thing, knowing, as every sportsman must know, that the chase of the fox and the hare is so essentially different, that the kind of hound adapted for the one is by no means calculated for the other; moreover, the very circumstance of hunting bag foxes is so completely at variance with the acknowledged laws of sporting etiquette as to denounce the example an act of impropriety.

Few seasons have afforded such a succession of fine, open hunting weather as the present has. The elements, on many occasions, have given promise of a good scent, although it has not proved to be equal to what might be expected; but it rarely happens, however propitious appearances may be, that scent lies well until the earth has been purified by frosts, and hitherto we have experienced very little. The autumnal frosts, which usually show their effects during the nights of September, October, and November, have been slight in most instances; indeed, so much so, as scarcely to have divested the ditches

of the leaves with which they are frequently clothed, and they are in consequence uncommonly blind.

On Wednesday, November 22nd, finding the Duke of Beaufort's hounds were to meet at Dyrham Park, some seven or eight miles from the ancient city of Bath, at which place I was making a temporary sojourn, and being, by the kindness of my friend, Mr. Townsend, mounted on one of his most perfect hunters, I could not do otherwise than avail myself of so good an opportunity of attending the meeting. The great celebrity which these hounds have acquired, and, consequently, the universal knowledge which prevails throughout the sporting circles of their excellence, leaves but little for me to expatiate upon beyond the remark, that on their appearance at the covert side they were looking, as they invariably do, in first-rate condition.

Immediately on the hounds being thrown into the plantation below Dyrham Wood-indeed, before more than half the pack were over the fence-Long, the huntsman, exclaimed, "There is a fox in the Covert." They drew on nearly to the farther end of it, when the varmint jumped up behind them, and stole away to the wood, evidently intending to give us the slip. This circumstance is worthy of notice, as exemplifying the necessity of every huntsman paying the most minute attention to his hounds when drawing, and, if the covert be extensive, of going in with them. Foxes will very frequently lie so close that the hounds will draw over them, and, by stealing off after they have passed by them in large coverts, make their escape unseen. Foxes having gone to their kennels at an early hour of the night, afford no drag for hounds to find them by; and there is no doubt, when the atmosphere is in a peculiar state, very little, if any, scent is emitted from them in a state of repose.

The sound of Long's horn instantly brought the hounds to the summons, and they drove their fox gallantly around the main wood, where he appeared somewhat inclined to tarry, and when another of his kindred was shortly on foot; at length a halloo at the top of the covert, proclaimed the flight of one, a few couples of the hounds being in pursuit, but the body of the pack were running hard in Dyrham Wood, and consequently those which had gone away were stopped. Which of the two was the first found fox, it would be difficult to decide; after rattling him for some time, and running an inconsiderable distance in the open, he was run into and killed. Sir Edward Scott having expressed a wish that the Dyrham covert should not be disturbed during the cub-hunting season, this was the first day of their being hunted; and, as must be supposed, the foxes evinced that reluctance to quit their native woods, which a deviation from the usual custom must on all such occasions produce. The hounds were therefore again brought back to the wood, when another fox taking the hint, and not waiting to be found, was viewed away in the direction of Tolldown Gate, when he crossed the road for Tormarton village, at which point he was headed, and bearing to the left entered Dodrington Park, ran nearly round the park, through the plantations, and was killed in a hedge-row, endeavouring to regain his old quarters: this was a very pretty little gallop.

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Foxes having been frequently seen in a field of turnips, near at hand, the hounds were taken into them, when the head whip caught sight of the varmint, and the pack were soon again at work. Being laid on the line upon such peculiarly good terms, every one, as a matter of course, was anxious for a start, the rush for which was considerable, and in which Mr. Lovell, riding over a drop leap, got a fall, which injured his knee. As there are many who have not had the good fortune to hunt with the Duke of Beaufort's hounds, it may be necessary to state that the gentleman just mentioned labours under the misfortune of the loss of an arm; but yet, with so great a deprivation, no man in the hunt goes better: his seat on his horse is beautiful; and such is the estimation in which he is held, that no accident, however trivial, can befall him without eliciting the regret of the whole field; a greater proof of which cannot be given than the statement that Count Esterhazy, who caught his horse, lost his chance of seeing the burst, by the kind act of leading the animal back to his owner, who, I am sorry to add, was unable to follow the hounds.

This fox making his point for the Vale of Dyrham, which is esteemed the best line that can be taken, raised our hopes in the expectation that we were in for a clipper; but the fact is, the pack were laid on too close to his brush to enable him to make good his intentions. Being so hard pressed, he was compelled, after running a short but sharp circuit over the margin of the vale, to try what refuge Dodrington Park might afford. That, however, did not avail him; being beaten at starting he was unable to recover himself; and although the scent, being far from good, brought the admirable working of the pack into operation, they were enabled to add another trophy to their kennel door.

It is utterly impossible to attend the Duke of Beaufort's hounds without declaring it to be one of the most agreeable establishments to hunt with in her Majesty's dominions; everything is conducted in the most princely style of magnificence, at the same time there is none of that ostentatious show of pageantry which would be calculated to divest it of its sporting characteristics; everything appertaining to man, horse, and hound, is excellent in its kind-a distinction which requires great judgment to combine. But this is not all: the kind, courteous, affable treatment which his Grace on all occasions evinces towards every person whom he meets in the field, diffuses a degree of pleasure which is totally destroyed by masters of hounds who adopt an opposite course. There is an extraordinary degree of sympathetic feeling in the human breast, which is wonderfully influenced by the principal in every station and condition of life. In private society, if you happen to be a guest in the house of a man who exhibits moroseness, despotism, and ill-temper towards his family and dependants, although, as a visitor, you may be individually exempt, nevertheless a gloom prevails which cannot be dispelled; and, on the other hand, if kindness, cheerfulness, and affability are predominant, a bright and happy halo presides, diffusing its rays around the inmates, and dispelling the cares and vexations to which "flesh is heir to." Fox

hunting being recognised as an amusement, how greatly is it enhanced where cheerfulness and kindness reign.

Long, the Duke of Beaufort's huntsman, if my calculation serves me rightly, has occupied that situation eighteen seasons, prior to which he whipped in to Philip Payne, who was for many years huntsman to the late Duke; to him, therefore, the merit is justly due of preserving the very superior pack of hounds which were formed to his hands, and the condition in which they are always brought out speaks highly in his praise. His knowledge of the country gives him many advantages which a less experienced man could not enjoy; and he likewise has a stud of horses equally practised with himself, without which no man can ride to hounds with confidence; many of them are advanced in years, but so long as old horses preserve their muscles, and are tolerably fresh on their legs and feet, they possess most decided superiority over young ones. The distinguished foreigners whom the Duke of Beaufort so frequently invites to partake of the hospitalities of Badminton, add vastly to enliven the interest and increase the brilliancy of the fields which assemble at the covert's side. Last season the Prince Tours de Texas and suite paid his grace a visit. The Duke de Bourdeaux has just arrived. The Count Esterhazy is a frequent guest and an excellent sportsman; the finished style he has acquired of riding over a country is so completely Anglicised as to proclaim at once his devotion to our national and exhilirating diversion. The aristocracy of our own country are nevertheless not forgotten: Lord Wilton has been on a visit, and I regret much his lordship having left a day or two before I met the Duke's hounds. Having frequently seen him going brilliantly over Leicestershire, it would have been a great treat to have witnessed his performance in a stone wall country; where I was informed by many, and some of whom I know are inclined to admit of a little jealousy in their temperaments, that his lordship had been distinguishing himself most conspicuously among the "flyers in blue and buff."

Lord Jersey, mounted on one of his Grace's horses, was of the Badminton party at Dyrham Park: a finer seat, with better hands, and a quicker eye to hounds than his lordship, no man possesses; experience and thorough knowledge of the capabilities of the horse are also advantages in which Lord Jersey far excels most of his competitors in a run.

The Marquis of Worcester not being at home, I had not an opportunity of witnessing his performance; but the declaration of those who hunt regularly with these hounds being unanimous in his lordship's praise, not only as a rider to hounds, but in his enthusiastic devotion to the sport, is a sufficient guarantee of the fact.

If I were to attempt to enumerate all who have acquired celebrity in crossing this country, I must inevitably penetrate a labyrinth from which I should find great difficulty in extricating myself; in the first place, the opportunities afforded by casual visits would not allow me to judge simply from my own observation; besides which, I am convinced there are so many good performers, that to particularize all would occupy too much space; there are two, however, whom I must not pass over-Mr. John Bailey and Mr. William Townsend. The

former is a light weight, and having had much experience in raceriding, has acquired advantages which none can attain who have not had similar opportunities of combining certain principles which must be attended to in that art, with other practical observations necessary to be observed in riding to hounds; with these acquirements Mr. John Bailey rides over a country with more apparent ease to him. self and less distress to his horse than can be conceived without witnessing his performance. Mr. William Townsend cannot be classed among the light weights, being somewhere about 14st. on his horse; but being gifted with great nerve and resolution, a steady scat and good hands, is always seen in the front; although a broken thigh, cracked ribs, with divers other fractures, dislocations, and contusions, have been the penalties interposed on his road to fame.

The kennels at Badminton are admirably situated for the convenience of reaching the accustomed places of meeting, being nearly in the centre; scarcely ever have the hounds to travel more than ten miles to covert. The northern extremity of the hunt is about the same latitude as Dursley, Marshfield and Chippenham marking the southern; Malmesbury gives the eastern boundary, and about four miles west of Chipping Sodbury the western; Cirencester woods are neutral with his Grace and Lord Gifford. A van, drawn by four mules, is provided to take the hounds to the covert side whenever the distance calls for that convenience, Will Long performing the office of charioteer, in which he acquits himself in a most workmanlike manner. The fences are of a diversified character-quickset hedges, timber of various descriptions, brooks, and stone walls, present themselves, and afford an agreeable variety. It is, however, needful to remark, that some degree of caution is necessary in riding at walls, to ascertain that there be not any pits or quarries on the farther side, which are sometimes so completely hidden as not to be visible till the horse and rider are close to the fence. A most admirable beacon has been established in Lord Redesdale's country, by Mr. Isaac Day, on his farm near Northleach; which it is to be hoped every landlord, tenant, and farmer will adopt, as the expense and trouble is so very inconsiderable, and the warning so effective: there can be no doubt, before the expiration of another month, that every wall will be similarly marked, wherever a quarry or dangerous height presents itself. The warning consists simply of a line of white-wash, about half way up the wall, continued the whole length of the impracticable part; and at each extremity a perpendicular line is exhibited to show the boundary.

The very extraordinary sport which Lord Redesdale's hounds have shown, since my last communication, would be sufficient to establish their fame if their previous achievements had not already done so. On the 24th of November, they had an excellent run from Lord Sherborne's beautiful gorse in the Lodge Park. The place of meeting was New Barn, two miles from Northleach, on the London road. The hounds had not long entered the gorse ere they unkennelled their fox; he instantly broke in the direction for the splendid country for Bibury, but was headed by some pedestrians who had taken their position on the summit of a wall. Retracing his steps through the plantation, he crossed the park, over the London road, leaving New