The School of Recreation by Robert Howlett (best reads of all time txt) 📖

Lastly, If for the Maintenance of your Health, by preventing Infirmities and Grossness of Humours, you compose your Kennel; consult first your own Ability for this Exercise; and if you think you are able to foot it away, then the Biggest and slowest Dogs you can get are best. But if you would pad it away through an Unability of footing it, than choose the slowest or middle-siz'd Hounds, of good Mouths and Noses, for loud Cry, and ready Scent.

Thus far for the Composing a Kennel: I come now to the Kennel it self, of which I need say little, as indeed unnecessary, leaving that to the Discretion of the Huntsman; only I would have him observe, that it be built some pretty way distant from the Dwelling-House, in a warm dry Place, free from Vermine, and near some Pond or River of fresh Water; and so placed, that the Morning Sun may shine upon it. Be sure to keep it clean, and let them not want fresh Straw every day. Feed them early in the Morning at Sun-rising, and at Sun-set in the Evening. As for the Meat, I leave to the ingenious Huntsman to get when they come from Hunting; after you have fed them well, let them to their Kennel, and wash their Feet with Beer and Butter, or some such thing, and pick and search their Cleys, for Thorns, Stubs, or the like: If it is in Winter, let a Fire be made, and let them beak and stretch themselves for an hour or so at the fire, and suffer them to lick, pick, and trim themselves; hereby to prevent the Diseases incident to them, upon sudden Cooling, as the Mange, Itch, Fevers, &c.

But before I treat of the keeping your Hounds in Health by curing their Diseases, I must speak a Word or two of the way to Breed good Whelps, viz. Having a Hound and a Bratch of that general Goodness in Size, Voice, Speed, Scent, and Proportion you like, put them together to ingender in January, February, or March, as the properest Months for Hounds, Bitches, and Bratches to be Limed in; because of not losing time to enter them. When you put them together, observe, as near as you can, if the Moon be in Aquarius or Gemini; because the Whelps will then never run Mad, and the Litter will be double as many Dogs, as Bitch-Whelps. When your Bitch is near her Whelping, separate her from the other Hounds, and make her a Kennel particularly by her self; and see her Kennell'd every Night, that she might be acquainted and delighted with it, and so not seek out unwholsom Places; for if you remove the Whelps after they are Whelp'd, the Bitch will carry them up and down till she come to their first Place of Littering; and that's very dangerous. Suffer not your Whelps to Suck above two Months, and then Wean them.

When your Whelps are brought up, enter them not into Hunting till they are at least a Year and half old: That is, if whelpt in March, enter them September come Twelve Month; if in April, in October come Twelve Months after, &c.

When you would enter them, bring them abroad, with the most Staunch and best Hunting hounds; (all babling and flying Curs being left at home:) and a Hare being the best entering Chase, get a Hare ready before, and putting her from her Form, view which way she takes, and then lay on your Hounds, giving them all the Advantages may be; if she is caught, do not suffer them to break her, but immediately taking her, strip off her Skin, and cutting her to pieces, give every part to your young Whelps; and that beget in them a Delight in Hunting.

Diseases incident to Dogs, and their Cures.

For Sick Dogs. Take Sheeps-heads, Wooll and all, hack, and bruise them into pieces, make Pottage of it with Oatmeal, and Penny-Royal, and give it warm.

Lice and Fleas. Boyl four or five handfuls of Rue, or Herb of Grace, in a Gallon of running Water, till a Pottle be consumed, strain it, and put two Ounces of Staves-acre poudered, and bathe them with it warm.

Itch. Take Oyl of Flower-de-Lys, Powder of Brimstone, and dry'd Elicampane-Roots, of each a like quantity, and Bay-Salt powdered; mix these Powders with the Oyl, and warm it, anoint, scratch, and make it bleed, it will do well.

Tetter. Take Black Ink, Juice of Mint and Vinegar, of each alike, mix them altogether with Powder of Brimstone to a Salve, and anoint it.

Worms. Give your Hound Brimstone and new Milk, it will kill them.

Gauling. May Butter, yellow Wax and unflackt Lime, made to a Salve, and Anoint therewith, is a present Remedy.

Mange. Take two Handfuls of Wild-Cresses, of Elicampane, of the Leaves and Roots of Roerb and Sorrel, the like quantity, and two Pound of the Roots of Frodels, Boyl them all well in Lye and Vinegar, strain it, and put therein two Pound of Grey Soap, and after 'tis melted, rub your Hound with it four or five days together.

For any Ear Disease. Mix Verjuice and Chervile Water together, and drop into his Ears a spoonful or two, Morning and Evening.

Sore Eyes. Chew a Leaf or two of Ground Ivy, and spit the Juice into his Eyes.

Surbaiting. Wash his feet with Beer and Butter, and bind young red Nettles beaten to a Salve to his Soles.

Biting by Snake, Adder, &c. Beat the Herb Calaminth with Turpentine, and yellow Wax to a Salve, and apply it. To expel the inward Poyson, give the said Herb in Milk.

Biting by a Mad Dog. Wash the place with Sea-Water; or strong Brine, will Cure him. The quantity of a Hazel-Nut of Mithridate, dissolved in Sweet Wine, will prevent inward Infection.

Madness. Lastly, If your Hound be Mad, which you will soon find by his separating himself from the rest, throwing his Head into the Wind, foaming and slavering at Mouth, snatching at every thing he meets, red fiery Eyes, stinking filthy Breath; then to Knock him in the Head, is a present Remedy, and you'l prevent infinite Dangers.

And now I proceed to give some brief Instructions for Hunting the several Chases, viz. the Time when? and the Manner how?

Having your Kennel of Hounds in good order and plight, lead them forth, and to your Game; only take this Caution; do not forget to have in your Pack a couple of Hounds, called Hunters in the High-wayes, that will Scent upon hard Ground, where we cannot perceive Pricks or Impressions; and let a couple of Old stench Hounds accompany you, by whose sure Scent, the too great Swiftness of the young and unexperienced Ones may be restrained and regulated.

Of Hart or Stag Hunting.

To understand the Age of this our Game, it is known by several Marks, amongst which this is the most authentick: That if you take his view in the ground, and perceive he has a large Foot, a thick Heel, a deep Print, open Cleft and long space, then be assured he is Old; as the Contrary concludes him Young.

To find him? Examine the following Annual, or Monethly.

November, in Heaths among Furs, Shrubs, and Whines.

December, in Forests among thick and strong Woods.

January, in Corners of the Forests, Corn-fields, Wheat, Rye, &c.

February and March, amongst Young and thick Bushes.

April and May, in Coppices and Springs.

June and July, in Out-Woods and Purlieus nearest the Corn-fields.

September and October, after the first showers of Rain, they leave their Thickets, and go to Rut, during which time there is no certain place to find them in.

When you have found him in any of these places, be careful to go up the Wind; and the best time to find him is before Sun-rising, when he goes to feed; then watch him to his Leir, and having lodged him, go and prepare; if he is not forced, he will not budge till Evening. Approaching his Lodging, cast off your Finders, who having Hunted him a Ring or two, cast in the rest; and being in full Cry and maine Chase, Comfort and Cheer them with Horn and Voice. Be sure to take notice of him by some Mark, and if your Dogs make Default, rate them off and bring them to the Default back, and make them cast about till they have undertaken the first Deer; then cheer them to the utmost, and so continue till they have either set up or slain him. It is the Nature of a Stag, to seek for one of his kind, when he is Imbost or weary, and beating him up, ly down in his place; therefore have a watchful eye unto Change. As likewise by taking Soil (i.e. Water) he will swim a River just in the middle down the Stream, covering himself all over, but his Nose, keeping the middle, least by touching any Boughs he leave a Scent for the Hounds; And by his Crossings and Doublings he will endeavour to baffle his Persuers: In these Cases have regard to your Old Hounds, as I said before. When he is Imbost or weary, may be known thus: By his Creeping into holes, and often lying down, or by his running stiff, high and lumpering, slavering and foaming at Mouth, shining and blackness of his Hair, and much Sweat; and thus much for Stag or Hart Hunting. As for the Buck I shall not speak any thing, for he that can Hunt a Stag well, cannot fail Hunting a Buck well. As likewise for the Roe Hunting, I refer you to what is spoken of the Hart or Stag.

Of Hare Hunting.

As for the Time, the most proper to begin this Game, note; That about the middle of September is best, and to end towards the latter end of February, when surcease, and destroy not the young early Brood of Leverets; and this Season is most agreeable likewise to the nature of Hounds; moist and cool. Now for the Place where to find her, you must examine and observe the Seasons of the Year; for in Summer or Spring time, you shall find them in Corn-fields and open places, not sitting in Bushes, for fear of Snakes, Adders, &c. In Winter they love Tuffs of Thorns and Brambles, near Houses: In these places you must regard the Oldness or Newness of her Form or Seat, to prevent Labour in Vain: If it be plain and smooth within, and the Pad before it flat and worn, and the Prickles so new and perceptible, that the Earth seems black, and fresh broken, then assure your self the Form is new, and from thence you may Hunt and recover the Hare; if the contrary, it is old, and if your Hounds call upon it, rate them off. When the Hare is started and on Foot, step in where you saw her pass, and hollow in your Hounds till they have undertaken it, then go on with full Cry. Above all, be sure to observe her first Doubling, which must be your direction for all that day; for all her other after Doublings, will be like that. When she is thus reduced to the slights and shifts she makes by Doublings and Windings, give your Dogs Time and Place enough to cast about your Rings, for unwinding the same; and observe her leaps and skips before she squat, and beat curiously all likely places of Harbour: She is soon your Prey now.

Of Coney Catching.

Their Seasons are always, and the way of