THE BELVOIR, 1 846 



JvDi 



'Circe" fortunately started very quietly and did the 

 distance to Grantham, sixteen miles, in capital style in one 

 and a-half hours. 1 found Beckington waiting- at a turning, 

 which led to the stable of the " George," with the consoling 

 intelligence that I had still twelve miles before me to Aswarby 

 Park, the fixture of the Belvoir to-day, the seat of Sir Thomas 

 Whichcote. I had accordingly only time to take two or three 

 mouthfuls of breakfast, and then mounted " Cognac," who, 

 being a capital hack, brought me to the fixture (by w^ay of 

 Londonthorpe, Welby, Culverthorpe and Swarby) just as the 

 hounds were leaving the Hall to draw the first covert. 



" Cognac " fretted much at starting, and with the close 

 morning and unusually thick coat, had sweated a good deal 

 and had not recovered from his excitement of yesterday. 1 

 hacked him, therefore, very quietly, and rode him, as I intended 

 to hunt him, in his own bit and the nose strap, but using only 

 the snaffle rein, having the other rein tied in a knot and lying 

 on his neck ready to be made use of when required. 



The Belvoir are a beautiful pack, well-bred and regular. 

 William Goodall, the Huntsman, is a relation of the noted 

 Tom Moody, and is a fine good-natured looking man, knowing 

 his business and a good w^orkman. I was not so much struck 

 with his whips. The field was small, I suppose, from being 

 rather a remote meet and the early part of the season. The 

 first covert we drew was of about forty acres in extent and 

 soon gave tokens of holding the animal, who broke on my side, 

 but returning to the covert they could do nothing with him. 



The country around here was very rough and uninviting, 

 smallish fields, and a good deal of heavy plough and blind 

 wide fences, very unlike some of the country I had passed 

 through on my way from Grantham, which, though principally 

 plough land seemed firm, with large fields and neat compact 

 fences. We then proceeded towards Ouarrington and found in 

 the first covert we drew there and went away at a rattling pace, 

 threading through another small covert without stopping. It 

 was as well I did not think of riding "Cognac" in a snaffle 

 only, as had been suggested to me, for had I done so I must 

 on the first start have gone over a flock of sheep, and unless 

 floored by them must have capsized the Huntsman and a Mr. 

 Thomas somebody in the ride of the covert ; but with the 

 aid of the gridiron bit I was able to hold him, though he 

 fought violently against it. If I had felt any doubt before, 

 this would have convinced me of the propriety of taking a 

 line of my own, and accordingly as soon as we were quit of 



22 VOL. II. 



