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86 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



for thoyoh the place was tolerably big, yet in the height of 

 the season both these horses would have thouoht nothing' of 

 it; these slow falls are always the worst and most dangerous, 

 for having no impetus one is sure to tumble all among the 

 horse with all the chance of his rolling over, or at least severely 

 striking or treading- on one when risino-. 



This season must be surely unmatched in England, or in 

 Essex, at least, for drought. Spring, summer and autumn 

 have all been unusually dry, and now in November, when we 

 calculated upon a daily wet jacket to compensate for former 

 dryness, the drought still continues, and judging from appear- 

 ances there seems but little prospect of a change for a fortnight 

 at least. Among the strangers to-day was Lord Vivian (who 

 is on a visit to Brice Pearse at Gilston), on a powerful old bay 

 horse of a good stamp and able to carry his master's great 

 weight and long legs. He is evidently a rider and a sportsman, 

 and I regretted that he had not a better opportunity of exhibit- 

 ing these qualities. 



Saturday, November i6th. Matching Green was the 

 fixture. Among the field was Lord Petre, just succeeded to 

 the title by the death of his father last summer, tall, thin, and 

 of an aristocratic appearance, courteous and affable in manner ; 

 he was ridino- a lono-, rakino- lookino- brown horse of no 

 great substance, but looking like going, as did his rider. Sir 

 Charles Smith was also out on his fidgetty little chestnut : he 

 was disposed to be very "complaisant, expressing regret at my 

 being about to leave the country, &c. Mr. Conyers has 

 advertised his meets this week for the first time in his lono- 

 career and intends doing so for the future, for which he assigns 

 his reasons (i) That after the great kindness of the county 

 evinced in his testimonial he thinks it right to afford them 

 every opportunity of enjoying sport, and (2) which, he adds, 

 will be by many considered his chief reason that Mrs. Conyers 

 positively refuses to write any more circular letters, and that 

 he cannot write. This will be a saving of many tivopences, 

 for one of his peculiarities was that he never paid the postage 

 of the letters to his subscribers. 



Tuesday, November 19th. Staghounds at Boynton Hall. 

 A name of promise, and the hour the luxurious one of half- 

 past eleven. I rode "Wide-awake" thither, who was fresh 

 and gay and in blooming condition, wanting only work, 

 and overtook Frederick Petre with the hounds (twelve couple) 

 at the " Hare and Hounds," Roxwell ; and his brother, Lord 

 Petre, drove up in his light cart just before we reached the 



