FRANCIS BARKERS FATAL ACCIDENT 455 



hunting altogether. Fortunately for the widow and family his 

 second son, Philip Barker, though only 22, is steady and 

 capable, and generally liked, and will be able, I hope, to keep 

 the business together. 



Notes, 1870-71. 



Weather. November, foggy, raw and thick hoar frosts. 

 December, cold, raw, foggy, wet, and long and severe frost at 

 Christmas. January, frost of three weeks, snow, sleet and fog. 

 February, fine, mild and dry, after rough commencement. 

 March, fine and spring-like. April, dry until 12th, and then 

 genial rain and showers. Rough, severe and trying winter, 

 with six weeks of frost and snow, and very wet and stormy 

 when not freezing altogether. A bad hunting season. 



Staghounds. Though hunted and well ridden to, the 

 Master, Henry H. Petre, had a season certainly below the 

 average, both in sport and number of days. I hunted with 

 them every day they were out but one, when Pitman was 

 staying with me and as an old M.F. H. desired naturally to 

 hunt with the foxhounds. The result of a meeting at Boynton 

 Hall, on March 14th, showed that we can go on for another 

 season, which appeared more than doubtful on the ground of 

 finance. 



Foxhounds. Generally had but poor sport, the only excep- 

 tion being Offins, which had an extraordinary good season after 

 the frost, while Arkwright, Parry and White could do nothing. 



Notes, 1871-2. 



Weather was peculiar and not very pleasant all over. Frost 

 came before Christmas, and hunting was stopped a fortnight in 

 November, and nearly the same period in December. The 

 remainder of the season was very wet and caused me a 

 greater number of soakings than I ever recollect to have had 

 previously. 



Notes, 1872-73. 



Altogether the worst and most disappointing and unfortunate 

 season that I have had for many years, and I trust it may be as 

 many years more before I remember another equally bad. 



Weather was too wet, stormy, and bad even for hunting, 

 the land was too heavy and holding to be fair to the horses, or 

 aoreeable to their riders. F'rost and snow came at the wrono- 

 time and marred the best hunting month, February. 



Notes, 1873-74. 

 In point of weather, the very reverse of last season, for last 

 season was too wet and stormy for comfort, if not for sport, so 



