APPENDIX 303 



soil in the river just above Malsmead ; broke from it as 

 if makingr for the sea at Glenthorne ; but before reaching 

 the top of the hill, turned to the right, and kept the side 

 of the hill to Hawkcombe Head. He now descended the 

 shillets, no doubt intending to seek shelter in the Horner 

 coverts. A very heavy storm of wind and rain coming 

 on, the scent became so bad that the deer escaped. 



3IJ-/.— The meet was at Whitestones on Porlock Hill. 

 A stag was harboured in the heath just above the shillets, 

 and the whole field had a view of his antlers long before 

 the rouse. The pack was taken the Horner side of him, 

 and as soon as he was up, he crossed Porlock and Exford 

 Commons for Larkborough, and then on to the North 

 Forest, crossed by Pinford bog, and went up to near 

 Two-gates on Brendon Common, turned over the wall to 

 the right on to Badgworthy Common, crossing it for 

 Brendon Common and down, as on the 28th, to water 

 above Malsmead ; broke from it on the right on to 

 Countisbury Hill, and kept it until near Hawkcombe 

 Head, which he left on the right, and endeavoured to 

 elude his pursuers in the Culbone Woods, but he could 

 not do it ; and they ran into him before he could get to 

 sea, just above Ashley Lodge, the seat of Lord Lovelace. 

 This was the same stag they ran on the 28th, and he was 

 killed after a good gallop over the open in two hours 

 and a half If the sportsmen had picked their country, 

 they could not have had sounder ground : a great thing 

 this wet season. 



September 8///.— Haddon Lodge the fixture. A large 

 field out. The tufters failed to rouse a stag, and it was 

 four o'clock before it was determined to draw with the 

 pack ; within half an hour they raised a brace of fine 

 stags, and luckily did not divide, but sticking to one they 



