32 HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



discovered exactly what had occurred I found 

 myself hanging head downwards, with the mare 

 cantering down the field, and with a big fence in 

 front of us. Fortunately Jane was prevented 

 from carrying out her intention of negotiating 

 the obstacle. Old Joe Bailey, the whip, caught 

 her, and set me free from a very awkward 

 situation. The only result was, my hat was 

 kicked to atoms and I was obliged to finish the 

 day and ride home without one. 



Tuesday, January 8th, i8j8. 



Meet : Laindon Hills. 



Found in the Heronry, ran a ring round by 

 Mucking Gorse, and on to the Marshes and 

 back to ground just above the Heronry — a 

 pretty twenty minutes' spin. Another fox from 

 Mucking Gorse went to ground in the same 

 place after a ten minutes* gallop. Drew 

 Mucking Gorse again and found a straight- 

 necked 'un, ran him very fast up to Hangman's 

 Woods, hounds never dwelling for a moment. 

 A slight check here, but soon hit him off again. 

 Ran him up to Stifford Clays, crossing the road 

 between Stifford and Baker Street, and all over 

 the open country (a beautiful line) to within 

 three quarters of a mile of Puddle Dock, turned 

 back over Bulphan and Orsett Fens, and killed 

 him after as good a run of one hour and five 

 minutes as anyone could wish for, in the open 

 near Mr. Sturgeon's Farm at South Ockendon. 

 The first twenty-five minutes very fast, and the 

 remainder of the run hounds went fast at times. 



