22 THIRTY MINUTES OVER A STRONG LINE. 



i860. 

 September loth. Commenced Cub hunting to-day after a most 

 unusually wet summer — a great deal of the harvest still out, 

 and some hay being in the fields still. We could have begun 

 earlier except for the corn, and it is dangerous even now, as 

 there is a crop of wheat and oats adjoining Owston Wood 

 where we met to-day. We start the season with 10 couple of 

 young hounds, and 40 couple of old ones, having lost 15 couple 

 of young ones by the distemper ; luckily we are now rid of it, 

 and the hounds both very healthy and fit to work. 



Met at Owston Wood. Found two or three cubs in the big 

 wood, the remains of part of two litters that were dug out and 

 sent to Quenby, and which were, when strong enough, turned 

 out at John Ball. We rattled these cubs about a good deal 

 from one wood to the other, till the wood became quite foiled, 

 and the scent, which was not a good" one at first, quite died 

 awa}^ so that we had to give them up and go home pretty well 

 tired. 



We finished cub hunting November ist, after a most suc- 

 cessful season — far the most successful I have experienced- 

 having killed 22 foxes and run 7 to ground. The puppies, 

 reduced to 8| couples, have entered very well, and I hope will 

 prove very useful during the ensuing season. The ground has 

 been wetter and deeper than ever I knew it, and possibl}^ to 

 this is to be attributed the excellent sport. We rest till Monda)'' 

 the 7th, when we begin regular hunting with 46 couple of 

 hounds, and I hope an efficient staff in every way. 



And thus terminates our season 1860-61. The best I 

 remember ; last season was good, but this far surpassed it, the 

 scent, up to the frost which came on 20th December and lasted 

 five weeks, was wonderfully good, the ground always wet and 

 generally so deep as to be very distressing to horses. Up to 

 this time we had only one bad day at all. Amongst our best 

 davs the fastest was December 8th, — from Wardley Wood to 

 Brook Mile in 30 minutes ; we ran a seven-mile point. No- 

 vember 28th a capital i hour 25 minutes, from Keythorpe 

 Wood to Galby, and back by Shangton Holt to Noseley. 

 November 20th, from Manton Gorse through Launde Park 

 Wood, through Owston Wood, and killed him at Stubb's Lodge 

 after i hour 35 minutes. November 22nd, a good day, Lauton 

 Hills from AA'istow, i hour 25 minutes. November 26th, a 

 good 30 minutes, with a kill, from Blaston earths by Hallaton 



