Related article: Meath Hounds. It was disco- vered soon after he took the horn that the young huntsman of the Carlow hounds was something quite out of the common, for sport, instead of suffering by the loss of such an artist as Smith, became even better than before ; and steadily and surely his repu- tation increased till the seal was fairly set upon his fame by such an authority as the Duke of Beaufort placing him among the three best huntsmen he has ever seen. In 1869, at the ripe age of eighty- two, Mr. John Watson passed away, leaving behind him the memory of a kindly and cour- teous gentleman and wonderful all-round sportsman ; and his son Robert became master of Bally- darton and of the Carlow and Island hounds. The territory hunted over by his hounds is a very large one, and comprises the whole of Car- low, a large slice of Wexford, a bit of Wicklow, a strip of Kildare and a section of the Queen's County. Its peculiarities are well described in " Baily's Hunt- ing Directory," but it may be mentioned that the Carlow coun- try proper is held by many to be the most strongly fenced bank country in Ireland. Mr. Watson now never vans his hounds, but has out kennels at Kildavin, which are used the night before hunting the distant Wexford country. Mr. Robert Watson's devotion to the chase and to the " mystic science of hound breeding " during a long lifetime, has made his name famous on both sides of the Channel, and whether as a judge at Peterborough or looking on as a critic in company with the leading lights of foxhunting in England, his presence and judgment are warmly sought for. Mr. Watson is a huntsman of the quiet order, and though his rich and melodious voice is good to hear, there is little halloaing and hornblowing in his system. A touch of the horn to move hounds Furoxone Tablets to him in thick covert, a long melancholy note if the draw is blank, and the merriest "double" if " the lad " has gone, are about all the pieces of instrumental music to which he treats his audience. But how his hounds fly to that "double," how they watch his every movement and wheel to his voice when he feels constrained to take hold of them and make his lightning cast. They know that business only is meant when they hear his voice, and that all unnecessary noise is dis- couraged. Albeit one of the most amiable, kindly and courteous of gentlemen, Mr. Watson is yet a 1899.] MR. ROBERT WATSON, M.F.H. 159 martinet in the field, where his orders are implicitly obeyed ; his manner and language being start lingly emphatic, though never sullied by foul invective and abuse. For many years of his life, thanks to his activity and masterly horsemanship, he enjoyed a wonderful immunity from serious accidents, and a broken leg was the only bad catastrophe he met with in forty- nine years of carrying the horn. In the last four Furazolidone Furoxone years, however, he has had several shaking falls — caused in some instances by unlucky rabbit-holes — and broke a small bone in the shoulder, besides sustaining minor injuries. Although these mishaps appear to have in nowise shaken Mr. Watson's nerve — for he still rides hard across country — yet he has begun to feel that the strain of hunting hounds in his large terri- tory is getting to be rather too much of a good thing ; and this season he is educating Edward Gulwell, his smart first whipper- in, to carry the horn and " guide the wheeling chase." In spite of weight of years, it may be doubted if this glorious old sportsman is ever so well or so happy as when in the saddle with his beautiful pack around him. That they are a beautiful pack all connoisseurs have ad- mitted, and they well deserve the tribute bestowed upon them by ** Tri viator," who has entitled the pack the Belvoir of Ireland. Stallion hounds from the Mil- ton, Grove, Brocklesby and Lord Fitzwil Ham's kennels have for long been at Mr. Watson's disposal, owing to the strong per- sonal friendship of their owners, and from these kennels comes the blood he has ever valued most. Buy Furoxone Indeed, he has not gone else- where for several years. It must not be supposed that his devoted followers have permitted the long services of their chief in the cause of foxhunting to go without public recognition of their grati- tude. In 1879 he was presented by the members of the hunt with his picture, painted by Miss Ethel Mortlock, which was exhibited in the Royal Academy ; a half length portrait of the master in hunting costume, seated with a favourite hound (old Wildboy) at his knee. Several years ago 'he received as a New Year's gift a beautiful album containing portraits of all the members and ladies who follow his hounds ; and when he attained his Jubilee year as hunts- man of the Carlow and Island, the great presentation at Punches- town races took place. On that occasion a massive silver salver was presented to him, together with a purse of goo sovereigns, by hunting friends in England, Ireland and Scotland. This tes- timonial was to have been the gift of the members of the Carlow and Island hunt alone, but hunting men on both sides of the Channel so strongly desired to participate in the wish to do honour to this great sportsman that the presen- tation became a national one. As was truly written of him some years ago, "It is by no means a case of fox et prate* 'ea nihil" with Mr. Watson. Under his son's tuition, he became one of the best polo players in Ire- land. And even after the very serious accident on the Phoenix Park polo ground, when for the second time he broke his leg, Mr. Watson took a prominent part in "the royal game." He is an excellent game shot. He used to be a keen cricketer and a most successful bat ; he is a first-rate practical farmer and judge of stock, and possesses a thorough knowledge of country matters, besides great store of folk-lore i6o baily's magazine. [Maich and anecdotes of early days. He is highly esteemed as a landlord,