86 The late Mr. Roper's Diaries. 



Went back to the drain and found the fox ready for bolting. 

 He was allowed 3 or 4 minutes start when the hounds were 

 laid on. He went through Peelacre, past Archdeacon Newton, 

 to Ba3^dales, where he got to ground and again saved himself. 

 The distance was done in 25 minutes and the pace first-rate. 

 A very good thing indeed. 



Jany. 6th, 1844 : Met at Neasham. Found in Lozzy's 

 Whins immediately and went thro' Grey's Plantations, thence 

 in a ring to the Fighting Cocks, then to the cross roads leading 

 to Middleton-one-Row and Dinsdale, where he bent to the 

 left and passed in front of Laird's house to the plantation, then 

 to the high end of Newsham Banks, where he turned to the left 

 to Waldy's Plantations and down to the river, which he 

 crossed. Up to this point the time was one minute under 

 three quarters of an hour, and the pace as fast as it well could 

 be. After crossing the river he ran nearly to the Yarm and 

 Catterick Road, which he crossed and made for Major Lowe's 

 Plantation. Here we again joined the hounds, having gone 

 round by Yarm Bridge. After a slight check we got on a fresh 

 fox and ran him by the river side to Worsall Whin, then over 

 by Kirklevington to Crathorne to Rudby Wood, where there 

 were two or three foxes afoot and I left them, my nag not being 

 fit for a fresh fox. The pace after the river was not so good. 

 The whole run was two hours minus five minutes ; over a very 

 heavy country and the run one of the very best I ever saw. 

 Rode " Lottery." N.B.— Gave " Lottery " to Wm. Atkinson. 

 [Hunting fixtures in those days were not advertised, 

 though notices were sent out, posted in inn parlours, and 

 occasionally announced with other notices from the pulpit on 

 Sunday morning. The following entry in Mr. Roper's diary 

 shows us how "he say and she say" information as to hunting 

 fixtures was not always correct] : 



