J 



1 20 LEAVES FROM A HUNTING DIARY 



man's Farm ; this was all slow hunting across the river to Navestock, 

 Kelvedon Hall, Bois Hall, and Summer House, back to Shonks Mill, still j 

 slow, with some quick flashes along the river to Palmer's farm across nearly ^^j^yd 

 to Curtis Mill Green, but not into it, and over the Navestock road to Gilston /^-^ 

 up to the Dagenham Warren. Here we had a long check, owing to some 

 gas lime, and nearly lost. Going to a holloa forward we heard that this 

 wonderful fox was ten minutes ahead, so on through Dargenham Park down 

 to the Romford road, and parallel with it almost up to Upminster and 

 Havering road, but turned to the right over all that beautiful grass up to 

 Bedfords and through Pyrgo Park, where we were gaining on him fast ; 

 crossing the road to Havering down to the Osier Beds, and here we saw our 

 noble sportsman going like a drunken man straight for Hainault Forest. 

 I here did rather a sly trick, but think I was right ; seeing Bailey's horse 

 was dead beat, and that he couldn't lift hounds, I rode wide towards the 

 Forest and waited for our fox ; he came gamely up to me, then turned and 

 met his foes like a man, and died, I believe, before a hound touched him. 

 I have never seen a fox more completely done. Time, three hours and hve 

 minutes ; only one real check. Rode " Bull's Eye," who was as fresh at the 

 end as the beginning. 



The Essex Hounds have been able to resume operations to the satis- 

 faction of all, for have not all farming operations been at a standstill for 

 nearly a month owing to the frost ? But alas, the season of 1885-86, the 

 best on record, is within measurable distance of its end. 



At Stebbing, Bran End, on Friday, March 19th, owing to lack of 

 anything approaching scent, they had but an indifferent day's sport. On 

 Saturday, at Passingford Bridge, they fared scarcely better. Before 

 throwing off, a meeting of the members of the Essex Hunt Club was held 

 at Passingford Bridge to elect members and to settle the conditions of the 

 Point-to-point races which are to come off on the 27th, in the Roothings, 

 when two events will be decided. Of these, one is the Red Coat Race to 

 be ridden by the members of the Essex Hunt Club, two prizes being 

 offered, one to the first not carrying less than 14 stone, and the other to 

 the first not carrying less than 12 stone, over about four-and-a-half miles 

 of fair hunting country, with rumours of a piece de rcsistauce in the shape 

 of the High Easter Brook, but as Mr. Gladstone said : " we must not 

 believe rumours." There are the same conditions for the Farmers' Race 

 with the exception of weights 12 stone 7 lbs. being the dividing line. A 

 luncheon to which all the farmers and occupiers of land in the hunt are 

 invited is to be provided. These races are extremely popular with the 

 farmers, whether hunting men or not ; it will be a great pity if they are 

 allowed to die out. But this is a wide digression from Saturday's work, 

 almost as wide as the country we drew through before finding. But March 

 is a funny time of the year to find a fox, and a still funnier one in which 

 to kill him when found. 



Hill Hall Coverts were reached with scarcely an incident to charm 

 away the monotomy of covert after covert being drawn blank, unless a 

 thick set cob rolling over with its rider in the middle of a ploughed field and 

 a good loohing-chestnut showing its ignorance of an Essex bank might be 

 deemed such ; and the field had grown very lethargic when a view holloa 

 near the Park paling sent the hounds racing forward, and all was bustle 

 and excitement. "Hold your noise!" was a timely warning from the 

 first whip, as half a score of foot people were ready to take up the cry, 

 and the hounds were excited enough already. Bailey, followed by Messrs. 

 Miller and Sworder, made for the hand-gate leading into the drive, a 

 narrow outlet for the pent-up throng. 



