406 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



(The old Surrey foxhounds had their usual opening" day, 

 being the first Monday after Croydon Fair, at their kennels. A 

 month later Mr. Vickerman writes) : — Never was I so unlucky 

 before with a stable full of horses ; after giving two away I am 

 really without a sound hunter to take me through the season. 

 So to Tattersall's I went on Monday, November 28th, 

 and being disappointed in not buying a chestnut horse of 

 Captain Havilands, I bid for and bought for thirty guineas 

 another chestnut (97), described as a good hunter and hack, one 

 of a stud of three, the property of a gentleman, a likely-looking 

 and well-bred and shaped horse of 15.2. I sent him on by 

 Beckington this morning, Tuesday, to Godstone, along with 

 " Tipperary," whom I was going to hunt, and hacked on 

 "Taunton." On reaching Godstone, Beckington, with a long 

 face, told me that he had had as much as he could do to get 

 the horse there. He had lain down twice in the road, and had 

 to be driven forward by a countryman. 



That night Beckington could only get him as far as the 

 " Half Moon," and was all the next day, Wednesday, in getting 

 him to Croydon ; and thence by rail to London, but he was 

 compelled to leave him for the night at Osborne's, the poor 

 beast being unable to travel further. I then wrote to Tatter- 

 sall's desiring them to return the money, and the following 

 day met the horse at Field's, who, after a longish examination 

 pronounced him to have a disease in the back. His certificate 

 was brought to me while I was with Edward Tattersall, who 

 had shown me his horses and given me some lunch, and they 

 agreed to receive the horse back and do what they could in 

 the matter. 



(Hunting in Essex on Saturday, December 24th. 1853, 

 Mr. Vickerman writes) : — This morning I was not called until 

 nine o'clock, and was then told that hunting was practicable, 

 thouo-h a smart snow-storm durino- breakfast did not seem to 

 augur favourably. However, it proved to be only a storm, 

 and at eleven o'clock I started to meet the Essex foxhounds 

 (Henley Greaves) at the "Axe and Compasses," High Rooth- 

 ing, at the same hour. This was vexatious, but there being no 

 help for it I trotted quietly along, solacing myself with looking 

 at the old country, and speculating that as these hounds had 

 had so many blank days this season (no less than ten already) 

 we might be in time after all. 



At Leaden Roothing, where the stables are greatly improved, 

 and the house taken by young William Cassidy, I got infor- 

 mation from the ostler, whom I was glad to see there still, of 



