264 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



Castle to Moles Chamber, and then down the water to 

 Gullpool ; broke from it and crossed the farm to Cornham 

 House ; he was here headed by some of Mr. Knight's 

 people, and then crossed the new road, leading to 

 Simonsbath ; broke up to the left as if making for 

 Lynton or Paracombe ; but on gaining the Exe, a little 

 below Exehead, beat down stream, broke from it for 

 Blackpits and Prayway, in a direct line for Badg- 

 worthy ; but in going over the wet ground, the hounds 

 caught a view, and pushed him so hard that on gaining 

 the summit of the hill, he backed it again for the Exe, by 

 Longburrow, above Orchardcombe ; and from this beat 

 down the water to Exford mill in view of the pack. It 

 was more than an hour before he could be taken, during 

 which he beat up to Riscombe Green, and down nearly to 

 Exford village ; at length he was so exhausted that on 

 reaching Riscombe for the third time, the hounds pulled 

 him down on the green; this chase was two hours and a 

 half, the pace at first, and over Exmoor, first-rate. 



September i^th, 1829. — Sir Arthur Chichester met at 

 Hawkridge. The tufters found a good stag, and the 

 pack was laid on. Shortly after they changed in Ash- 

 wick Wood, and divided in four parts. Every effort to 

 stop them proved unavailing, and some sportsmen 

 followed each lot of hounds. The result was, that two 

 stags and a barren hind were killed, each affording a 

 good chase. 



April 2ird, 1839. — The hounds afforded on this day as 

 good a hunting run as could be wished for. The tufters 

 found a herd of ten hinds in Barlinch Wood ; after 

 running the coverts for twenty minutes one was forced to 

 break, and the pack was laid on her; she went down the 



