58 



LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



To finish the season we met at Rolls Park on Monday, April 2nd. Mr. 

 Trimmer, the Australian, was still hunting with us, for I find he gave me a 

 mount on this occasion, and had not, as some had first prognosticated, 

 broken his neck by his reckless style of riding ; certainly if there was a big 

 blind place he always went for it 40 miles an hour. The Rolls Park coverts 

 appear to have been drawn blank and no fox found before the Copped Hall 

 preserves were reached, when Ave had a nice gallop over Copped Hall Green, 

 nearly up to High Beech, losing our fox, although he was viewed almost in 

 the jaws of the pack. However, we found some substantial refreshments 

 at Colonel Howard's, and another fox and no scent in the Lower Forest 

 Whoop ! 



Col. S. L. Howard 



Then out spake Colonel Howard, 



Grandfather of the Hunt ; 

 To all a word of counsel 

 He spake as is his wont — 

 " Gentlemen and fellow-sportsmen 

 Do give the hounds fair play ; 

 How can they hit the line, with all 

 These horses in the way ? " 

 — (" Lay of Matching Green, 1883." By R. Y. Bevan.) 



Colonel Sam Howard was one of the most prominent and 

 conspicuous riders with the Essex Hounds when I first came 

 into Essex. A bold, dashino- horseman, ridino- great, powerful 

 horses that had to go the shortest way, how he lo\'ed the game, 



