102 



LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



Wednesday, March 21, Toot Hill. — A perfect day for hunting, keen 

 easterly wind with rising glass, the going on the heavy side from the recent 

 fall of snow. I was afraid that I should have to record another blank, so 

 short of foxes are we in our Monday country — Greensted Wood, Knights- 

 land, Northlands, Beachetts, Gaynes Park, Rough Talleys, were tried in 

 vain — and it was 2 p.m. before hounds found in the Lower Forest, in a 

 covert that belongs to no private owner but to the people of London, more 

 particularly the East End of London — the identical spot near the gravel 

 pits. 



Crossing the line the fox took a turn towards Woodside, quickly 

 retracing his steps and with hounds close at him ran through Smith's 

 Wood and went away up the hill (jumping out of the wood both Mr. F. 

 Basham and Mr. Marriage came to grief over the wire netting) past 

 Coopersale House. When hounds crossed the line it was a toss up which 

 side of Ginger's Wood* to go. Mr. Avila and the majority turned off to 



The Merry Fiddlers 



the right, the huntsman and a few of us going to the left for Theydon 

 Grove. Here another fox was probably put up, for hounds divided, three 

 and a half couple coming away at once over the line by Stonard's Farm, 

 very few grasping the fact that they had done so, as the huntsman was 

 back again with the body of the pack, and for all we knew the men who 

 were riding three or four fields ahead were only riding to turn the railway. 

 Mr. E. Ball however, caught sight of a few hounds, and another man 

 calling out " the mant in the black coat has them," Mr. Giles and Mr. 



* Mr. Ginger farms the land round this covert. Mr. Avila used to hold it succeeding Mr. 

 Watson. Watson's, Avila's, now Ginger's Wood. — Ed. 

 t Mr. Fitch. 



