1 68 Hark Aivay. 



In those far-off times there existed Hainault 

 Forest, of large extent, in the glades of which were 

 herds of fallow deer, and many red deer as well. 

 This wild and beautiful place has long since been 

 disforested and improved into very inferior agricul- 

 tural land, to the infinite loss of the citizens of 

 London, who were wont to take their pleasure 

 beneath the celebrated Fairlop Oak, as well as those 

 who used to enjoy the hunting of the red deer along 

 the pleasant shady rides. 



The same ruthless hand would have destroyed its 

 neighbour, Epping Forest, but fortunately the en- 

 closure has been stopped, though not before a great 

 amount of tree felling and turf cutting had been per- 

 mitted. Many a time and oft, with the aforesaid 

 scratch pack, have I hunted a fallow buck in the 

 vicinity of Chigwell Row. 



The manner of proceeding was this : — The " field," 

 which consisted of several lads of my ow^n age — 

 nearly all of whom I have outlived, by-the-bye, such 

 being the penalty one pays for the title of a veteran 

 — Avould enter the forest by divers well-known gaps, 

 each accompanied by a single hound. Then the loud 

 notes of the horn collected the pack at the trysting 

 place, and we would hunt the fallow deer to our 

 hearts' content. 



But where were the keepers? will be asked. AVell, 

 it was in the days when Long Pole Tynley Wellesley 

 Pole was ranger, but not a resident in the locality; 

 and the custodians of the forest did not too curiously 

 scan the proceedings of the squire's sons ; winking, 

 in fact, at our boyish indulgence in the manly sport, 

 and tacitly allowing us to enjoy to the fullest our 



