THE WORST SEASON ON RECORD. 1 55 



1870-71. This season was described by the master as 

 "the worst on record." Dobson remarks that "scent was 

 generally very bad and fo.xes scarce in the Roothings." 

 Hunting was much interfered with by the frosts which 

 added so terribly to the sufferings of those who experienced 

 the Siege of Paris. The run of the season was that of 

 February 17th, when in spite of bad scent at first, hounds 

 hunted their fox for one hour forty-five minutes from 

 Curtis Mill Green and ran into him in Cook's Wood. 



187 1-2. The most noticeable run of this, as of the 

 preceding season, was afforded from Curtis Mill Green, by 

 a F"ebruary fox which ran by the Bishop's Hall coverts, 

 Chigwell Row, Chigwell and just under Buckhurst Hill to 

 Woodford Station, where hounds ran into him on the rail- 

 way. Other good days during this season were February 

 24th, one hour forty minutes from near Weald Coppice to 

 outside Kelvedon Hall W'ood ; and on March 2nd, a 

 good hour from outside the Maze to near Henham. 



1872-3. This season was remarkable for the extra- 

 ordinary endurance of some of the hunted foxes, and for 

 the small number of foxes killed. On December 21st, a fox 

 found in Witnev Wood, after beincr run quicklv almost to 

 Horseley Park and in a ring back to his starting point, went 

 away by Norton Church and I'ingrith Hall to Blackmore 



