NOTES TO THE 



Ripley Castle ; and Mr. Darnborough, of Ripon. William Orvys, the 

 first whip, was in attendance, and, the weather being fine, anticipations 

 prevailed of good sport. No fox was found until the hounds reached 

 Monkton Whin, but a good run of about an hour's duration was had 

 towards Copgrove and Newby-hall, and near the latter the fox and the 

 pack crossed the River Ure. Several of the gentlemen who were in 

 pursuit attempted to cross the river at a ford some distance up the 

 stream, but Sir Charles Slingsby and a majority of those who were 

 close up made for the ferry, which is almost directly opposite Newby- 

 hall and signalled for the boat to be sent across. Swollen by the late 

 rains, and to a great extent diverted from its natural channel, the river, 

 at this point some fifty or sixty yards broad, swept along with a strong 

 deep current. With little or no hesitation the master of the hounds 

 sprang into the boat, to be piloted across by the Newby-hall gardener 

 and his son, and this example was so largely followed that in a very 

 short time some twelve or fourteen gentlemen, with their horses, 

 crowded into a vessel intended to accommodate only half that number. 

 Those who entered the boat were Sir Charles Slingsby, Orvys (the 

 whip), Sir George Wombwell, Captain Vyner, Mr. .Clare Vyner, 

 Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Robinson, Major Mussinden, Captain Molyneux, 

 the Hon. Henry Molyneux, Captain Key, Mr. White, and some more 

 military officers from York Barracks. Viscount Downe, Lord Lascelles, 

 and several others, who were either unable to find room in the boat, 

 or had their doubts as to its safety, remained on the banks awaiting its 

 return. No warning voice cautioned them when they started on what 

 proved to some of them a fatal journey ; indeed, their apparent luck in 

 having gained the start of the others was looked on with many envious 

 eyes. Any such feeling, was, however, of short duration. Seizing the 

 chain by which the flat-bottomed boat is propelled, Captain Vyner 

 and his brother pushed it off from the river side, and sent the vessel 

 right into the stream. Before one-third of the distance had been 

 traversed. Sir Charles Slingsby's horse became restive, and kicked the 

 animal belonging to Sir George Wombwell. The latter, a high- 

 mettled chestnut, returned the kick, and something very like a panic 

 arose among the horses. The boat was swayed first to one side and 

 then to the other, and finally it was fairly turned bottom upwards. 

 The scene which then ensued was of a very painful character. For 

 a moment the slimy bottom of the boat, rocked to and fro by the 

 struggling of the men and horses, was all that could be seen by the 

 spectators on the bank ; then here and there in different parts of the 

 stream heads began to appear, only to sink again amid agonised cries, 

 and hands and arms were flung up in despair. Horses were seen to 

 battle with the current, striking out regardless of the injuries they 



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