208 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



2nd, three good runs in the Rodings, just before a long 

 frost ; and on February 6th — the best day of the season — a 

 beautiful hunting run of one hour and fifty minutes, from 

 Wilson's Springs across to Takeley Forest, ending in a 

 kill at Canfield Hart, and a very fast evening run from 

 Down Hall to ground in Latton Park. Another good day 

 was March 21st, when hounds ran well in the morning from 

 Curtis Mill Green to Ditchleys, and in the afternoon from 

 Colonel Lockwood's gorse to below Chigwell village, where 

 they killed their fox. 



The close of the season was marred by two incidents, 

 which caused much regret. At the annual meeting on 

 March 26th it was announced that Mr. Green felt unable to 

 continue his mastership, owing to the depressed state of the 

 shipping trade ; and four days later, when hounds were 

 running well from Deer Park, Bailey had a fall over wire, 

 and was badly hurt. His own description is that he 

 thought he was a corpse, but deceived himself The 

 hounds were well hunted for the next fortnight by Jim 

 Cockayne. On April 1 6th the experiment was tried of 

 hunting at 4.30 a.m., but a blinding snow-storm interfered 

 with its success. Though Lord Willoughby de Broke, who 

 was staying with the master, declared that hunting was out 

 of the question, a select field, including Lady Brooke, faced 



