268 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



a wet one, that the ploughs in this particular district 

 hold the better scent. It is essentially a bank and 

 ditch country with occasional opportunities for a good 

 water jumper to distinguish himself. As regards the 

 amount of timber to be negotiated, we verily believe 

 you might go through a whole season and never lose a 

 gallop, were you mounted on a horse that would not 

 look at a sheep-hurdle. You want a clever horse 

 who will use his hind legs, and who can stay through 

 dirt. There is a good deal of jumping, and there are 

 nothing like the number of gates we find in the so- 

 called " swell " countries. But you may go farther and fare 

 worse, and the writer, who has assisted at the chase in 

 several other happy hunting districts, can fairly say that 

 anyone really fond of sport, and who does not want always 

 to be on grass, will see more than the average amount of 

 fun here. For past records, going back to 1822 up to the 

 present time, we think the following is a true bill. In that 

 year. Lord Petre, grandfather of the present Lord, hunted 

 the country with kennels at Thorndon Hall ; but it was 

 not till some three years later that he hunted the portion 

 lying between Danbury and Tillingham. In order to do 

 this, hounds were sent once a fortnight to the Griffin Inn, 

 Danbury, where a temporary kennel was erected. \\ illiam 



