3/6 Leaves from a huntinc diary 



run after all. \\e]\, if you will only exercise a little patience, my dear 

 sirs, you will have a chance of loosing off steam, and getting rid of all 

 your exuberant energy in a four-mile gallop across the Roothings on 

 Saturday next. For are not the much-talked-of point-to-point races to 

 come off then ? If ladies were allowed to compete, I could mention 

 at least three who were out last Saturday, any one of whom it would 

 have been pretty safe to have named as a winner. 



Can you guess the selection from the following list ? Mrs. Bowlby, 

 Mrs. Crocker, Misses Capel-Cure, Miss Jones, Mrs. Price, Mrs. R. Smith, 

 Miss Gilbey, Mrs. Routledge, Miss Blyth, Miss Morgan, Miss Gosling, 

 Mrs. Upton, Miss Pelly, Miss Steele, Miss Quare. Failing that, can you 

 pick out the first man from the following male riders — I confess an 

 imperfect list, as the Chelmsford side is almost terra incognita to a 

 benighted southerner ? But I am going to hazard one winner and charge 

 nothing for the tip. Mr. L. Arkvvright, Mr. W. Baddeley, Messrs. E. and 

 F. Ball, Mr. Phil Barker (one of the finest horsemen in England), Mr. 

 Basham, Mr. Ford Barclay, Mr. Brindle, Captain Bruce, Mr. G. Buxton, 

 Mr. E. Caldecott, Mr. W. S. Carr, Mr. Charrington, Major Carter, Messrs. 

 Christy (4), Mr. C. Colhn, Rev. L. Capel-Cure, Mr. G. Dawson, Mr. 

 Dunlop, Mr. E. Docwra, Mr. A. J. Edwards, Colo-el Fane, Mr. H. W. 

 Gilbey, Mr. Guy Gilbey, Mr. Goshng (late Master of the Puckeridge), Mr. 

 D. Gingell, Mr. Gold, Mr. T. Harrison, Mr. Heinemann, Mr. H. Horner, 

 Mr. H. E. Jones, Mr. P. S. Lee, Mr. R. C. Lyall, Mr. J. INIarriage, Mr. 

 W. Nicholson, Mr. A. C. Oldham, Messrs. Pelly (three), Mr. Sheffield 

 Neave, M.S.H., Mr. H. J. Price, Mr. E. Quare, Captain Ricardo, Messrs. 

 Ridley (two), Mr. Roffey, Mr. H. Savill, m7. Steele, Rev. John Steele, Mr. 

 J. Sands. Messrs. W. and G. Sewell, Mr. T. Sedgwick, Mr. H. Sworder, 

 Mr. Swire, Messrs. Usborne (father and son), Mr. Waters, General Wood, 

 V.C, Mr. Millbank. 



I have little indeed to tell you of White Roothing, Saturday, March 

 i6th, the mid-Saturday of the blustering month of March, but the little 

 is all very agreeable. We all rode about in good spirits, for, say what you 

 like, and think what you will, the weathercock has a good deal to do with 

 your own and your animal's feelings. As balmy as May ! Quite ; only 

 one drawback, we did not pass the portals of any of our hospitable friends 

 — (Mr. L. Pelly did not tell us where he and his daughter got the hot 

 coftee and cake) — and it was hardly the day to come out without a flask, 

 however small ; but anything stronger than weak whiskey-and-water with 

 a suspicion of lemon must have been a snare and delusion. 



My mate declared that the orange gin got into his head. If so, it was 

 just at the right moment, for we found directly afterwards. I was very 

 much struck with the deliciously cool appearance of two grey habits, and 

 only wonder that all our Essex ladies do not adopt this delicate shade 

 for the dusty days of latter hunting. They are most chic. The straw 

 hats, too, must have been as delightfully cool as they were convincingly 

 appropriate. The best bit of riding that came under personal observation 

 followed after we left Garnish, to which we had run our fox at a very smart 

 pace from Lord's. The one-at-a-time business into a road at the only weak 

 place, with 100 waiting for their turn, did not suit our gallant General, Sir 

 Evelyn Wood, V.C. (who, all will be glad to hear, is pretty nearly con- 

 valescent from his recent severe attack of pneumonia), for he resolutely 

 charged the thickest place in a corner, where, at all events, the landing 

 was fairly soft, and picking himself up from the inevitable fall put a good 

 many hundred yards to the good between those who had looked on, 

 admired, and turned away. I hate jumping into a road! Don't you? 



