THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



CHAPTER I. 



The Essex Hunt Country. 



Though the Hunt Country of which we are about to 

 attempt a description extends to the eastern Hmits of Lon- 

 don, the places of meeting are not all easy of access from 

 the metropolis, as the country is but little intersected by 

 railways. This points to a sad lack of prosperity, but it 

 cannot be denied that it greatly increases the attractions of 

 the country from a sporting point of view. 



The two main lines of the Great Eastern Railway 

 Company, without penetrating far into these happy hunting 

 grounds, run along their borders for a considerable dis- 

 tance, and a rough general idea of the situation of the 

 country may be given by reference to these lines. Any 

 map of the Great Eastern Railway shows that the Com- 

 pany has two main lines from London, the one running 



I 



