262 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1862 



most energ-etieally to encourage sports, aud especially those sports of the 

 field Avhich have made the English aristocracy the envy of the world for 

 endurance and manly vigour. The Warwickshire have found a A^ery worthy 

 scion in the present Sir Charles Mordaunt, who certainly, on Monday last, 

 almost outvied himself in striving to make everyone cheerful and happy. 



From Sir Charles Mordaunt's diary : 



On the afternoon of November Wth a very fast run of nearly an hour 

 from the spinney l)y the Lodge near Wolford Wood, leaving Duusden on 

 the right, to Aston Hales, and over the Great Western Raihvay nearly to 

 Batsford ; but, leaving it on the left, the hounds ran on without a check 

 tlu-ough Bourton Wood, aud thence to the left of Bloekley, nearly to North- 

 wick Park to ground in a drain. Rode Sutton. 



Lord North records that the meet was changed from 

 Thursday to Saturday, November 15th, on account of the 

 frost. Found a lot of foxes in the hill, and killed a brace. 

 Got away sharp with a third, and ran twenty-five minutes 

 very hard to ground at Braunston Gorse. Found a brace 

 in Caldecote Spinney, and ran twenty-five minutes, a ring 

 to the hill and lost him. He also mentions a very good 

 day without blood from Shuckburgh on December 4th. 



On December 9th the hounds found in the afternoon at Whicliford 

 Wood, and after running a ring by RoUwright, and through the pai-k at 

 Weston, got back to the wood, where I think they must have changed foxes, 

 as they went away at once close to one, and ran very fast by Great RoU- 

 wright and Hook Norton, and killed him well in the open just before he 

 could reach Nill Gorse. Rode Chivalry. 



Lord North, in his diary, gives the time — forty-five 

 minutes. He says : " Killed him slap in the open." 



On Saturday, December 16th, the Bicester hounds met at Cro^n-edy in 

 a large field through which ran the brook, the Appletree, which forms the 

 upper part of the river Cherwell, and a fox jumped out of a willow tree and 

 crossed to the opposite side. The hounds were at once laid on. The brook 

 was wide, and had, of course, to be jumped at once, the nearest bridge being 

 a mile distant. Out of a field of two hundred only Mr. J. Mordaunt and 

 Mr. Davenport aud myself got over, and we were told afterwards that our 

 horses had cleared eighteen feet of water. I also heard that so many got 

 in afterwards that the banks overflowed with water. * The pack ran without 

 a check between Wardington and Edgcote, to the left of Eydon, and between 

 there and Warden Mill up to Hinton Gorse. The distance of six and a half 

 miles straight and light as hounds ran was done in forty minutes. 



* The brook was full of sportsmen, and Squire Drake stood on the bank to see the 

 fun. He said afterwards ia his quaint way : " The first to come up was Sensan." 

 Whom do you think he meant ? Why, Billy North (Hon. W. H. J., now Lord N.) !— 

 W. E. V. 



