300 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



beat up to Hawkridge, broke on to the Common, passed 

 over it to the plantation, and now backed it by Westwater 

 for Hindspool ; beat up to Bradley, broke from the water 

 and waited for the pack in Well plantation ; backed it, 

 came to water again below Bradley, crossed for Knaplock 

 Wood, then over that farm and Liscombe to Winsford 

 Hill ; kept it to Redcleave and through Broford Wood ; 

 soiled on the Exe, and was run into and killed at Kent's 

 Weir after a very fine run of two hours and a half. 



August 22nd. — This was the day appointed for com- 

 mencing the stag-hunting season. The fixture Simons- 

 bath. A goodly muster greeted the master of the 

 hounds. Several deer were on the North Forest, and as 

 they could not be separated, the pack was laid on upon 

 two of them ; but after a smart gallop of half an hour, 

 they changed on other deer and did not kill ; on 26th 

 they got blood, having killed their stag after a good run 

 fromCulbone; on September 6th ^. good stag was killed 

 from Haddon, after a run of two hours, below Slade 

 Bridge on the Danesbrook ; on the i^th another death, 

 after a three hours' run across the forest of Exmoor. 



October jtJi. — The meet Simonsbath. A good stag was 

 reported in the North Forest. The pack found him, and 

 during the run divided on a second stag, and each 

 division ran up their deer, affording to all the sportsmen 

 a very satisfactory finish to the season. The oldest stag 

 was killed ; he had three on top on one horn, with two 

 and an offer on the other. 



April yth, i860. — The hind-hunting for this season 

 commenced to-day, and was of short duration. The first 

 fixture was Haddon, with a very scanty attendance of 

 sportsmen, no doubt owing to the state of the weather. 

 The hounds found plenty of hinds, ran several of them, 



