INTRODUCTION

In placing these Drawings and Sketches before the public, I do not presume to attempt to give exact illustrations or accounts of each pack of Hounds as it appears or is constituted at the present day, nor have I attempted to make the portraits of those connected with them a prominent feature of the Sketches. Having at different times had the good fortune - an onlooker more than a participator in the sport - to have seen a good many of the various packs of Hounds in different parts of the country, I have at such times jotted down notes and sketches of some of the incidents and objects which came before me. From these, and recollections of many pleasant days with Hounds, the Drawings and Sketches are principally made.

In two or three cases it will be seen that the Drawings represent a time when the packs were under other masters than those they now own.

To the nobleman and gentlemen connected with the various packs of Hounds noticed in these Sketches, I beg to tender my earnest thanks for the kind assistance and valuable information with which they have furnished me. To Viscount Ebrington, M.P., I am indebted for the admirable article on “Hunting the Wild Deer”, with the Devon and Somerset Staghounds.

John Charlton