The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border

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  Aft has he driven our bluidhounds back.—­P. 234. v. 2.

  “The russet blood-hound wont, near Annand’s stream,
  “To trace the sly thief with avenging foot,
  “Close as an evil conscience still at hand.”

Our ancient statutes inform us, that the blood-hound, or sluith-hound (so called from its quality of tracing the slot, or track, of men and animals), was early used in the pursuit and detection of marauders. Nullus perturbet, aut impediat canem trassantem, aut homines trassantes cum ipso, ad sequendum latrones.—­Regiam Majestatem, Lib. 4tus, Cap. 32.  And, so late as 1616, there was an order from the king’s commissioners of the northern counties, that a certain number of slough-hounds should be maintained in every district of Cumberland, bordering upon Scotland.  They were of great value, being sometimes sold for a hundred crowns. Exposition of Bleau’s Atlas, voce Nithsdale.  The breed of this sagacious animal, which could trace the human footstep with the most unerring accuracy, is now nearly extinct.