104 REMINISCENCES OF 



near, and often went to Charlton, and I used to go 

 down in the train with him. 



Gifford was a capital sportsman and a real hunts- 

 man, but 'rather short in his temper. Jack Grant 

 was his first whip. He was afterwards in Fife when 

 Lord Rosslyn was master. Gifford afterwards was 

 Master of the H.H. in Hampshire. 



In March the Military Steeplechase took place 

 at Northampton. I took "Cannibal" down and had 

 a hunt with the Pytchley at Cottesbrooke. Hollyoak 

 Goodrick was master ; Will Smith, huntsman ; Hugh 

 Burns, from Duke of Buccleuch, first whip, and Tom 

 Balls, second. Smith said Hugh was no use in that 

 country, they lost him every day ; he was afterwards 

 with Walker in Fife. Tom Balls was a very nice, 

 clever man, afterwards huntsman to Baron Roth- 

 schild's Staghounds. George Payne was to succeed 

 as Master of Pytchley, and they had just bought 

 Mr. Newman's hounds, which, I believe, were the 

 beginning of the present pack. 



While I was quartered at Hampton Court I got 

 six couples of beagles from the Rev. P. Honey wood 

 in Essex — beauties! Jim Parsons, a poulterer, who 

 kept a public at Hampton Wick, used to get bagged 

 hares, and there was one hare in the market garden 

 over the bridge which we hunted about once a week. 

 Towards the end of the season the proprietor warned 

 me off, as the boys who ran with us broke the fences. 

 That day I killed the hare, and ended the season. 



17th April, 1844. — End of the season. The 

 Queen's Staghounds went to Lyndhurst. Lord 



