72 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



As is often the case on opening days, the new 

 management was not inaugurated with any brilliant sport ; 

 but, before long, Mr. Conyers managed to rival Colonel 

 Cook's achievements, good runs coming with satisfactory 

 frequency. Only a fortnight after the above-mentioned 

 opening day, that is to say, on November ist, a large field 

 met at Old Park, and were treated to a severe run of two 

 hours and forty minutes through the Roothing country to 

 near Hatfield Broad Oak, where reynard gave them the 

 go-bye. Two days later, the pack was again in the 

 Roothino's, running- with an excellent scent from Marks 

 through Lord Maynard's Park to the famous Old Park, 

 where the huntsman had a bad fall, so Mr. Conyers hunted 

 the hounds through the Roothings, by Skreens Park, 

 making a half circle to Witney Wood. There the fox was 

 headed and returned to Canfield Hart, where the hounds 

 ran into him, Mr. Houblon and Mr. Conyers having 

 two companions only when the fox was killed. 



During this season (i8 13-14) and the next, frost inter- 

 fered much with hunting, but the weather was a good deal 

 more favourable in the winter of 1 8 1 5- 1 6, and excellent sport 

 was enjoyed. A writer in the Sporting Magazine mentions 

 the steadiness shown by the hounds on one very windy and 

 stormy day, when they ran an Old Park fox for exactly two 



