176 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



and Barnard being- throucfh it all, and with the hunt ser- 

 vants the first up, and I, on my grey Stockbridge, got up 

 just after they pulled him down. 



" But this season was full of really good days ; and 

 I remember we had five of them together on January 

 25th, 26th, 28th, 30th, and February ist. 



" From February 25th to March 3rd hounds did 

 not go out ; as I lost then a dear friend in Perry 

 Watlington, and the hunt a keen supporter and good 

 sportsman." 



On March 3rd hounds met at Great Bardfield. Mr. 

 R. C. Ball's diary describes the day's sport : — 



" Found soon and had a nice run of about thirty- 

 one minutes, whipping off as he ran into the East 

 Essex country, and we saw their hounds close to us. 

 Found in Thaxted Lodre Wood and had a brilliant run, 

 part very fast, killing at Chickney ; time, one hour fifty- 

 seven minutes ; distance, sixteen miles. Only Bevan, 

 Foster, Hargreaves, I, and a lot of farmers were out, 

 and our horses could not raise a trot at the end. 

 Drove them in front of us to Broxted, where we 

 gruelled ; and then rode into Dunmow. Left horses 

 there, and home by train. This was a very fine run." 



On March iith, 1882, the Annual Meeting was 



