58 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



previous Thursday's meet drew together a con- 

 course of sportsmen and spectators, it was cer- 

 tainly exceeded on the present occasion, and I 

 find the following account of the sport, which 

 appeared in the local papers at the time : 



''The Duke of Beaufort's hounds, which have 

 been brought into the New Forest for a few days 

 hunting, followed up the large meet at Fritham 

 of Thursday with a really grand gathering 

 at Bulmer Lawn, near Brockenhurst Bridge, 

 on Monday. The news of the presence of this 

 famous Pack, which numbered 17J couples, 

 in the New Forest country had become quickly 

 noised abroad, and the little village of Brocken- 

 hurst was on Monday the centre of a gather- 

 ing of the elite of sportsmen from this and adjacent 

 counties. Every train arriving either from the 

 east or west brought with it a long string of 

 horse-boxes ; the Isle of Wight also contribut- 

 ing its quota via Lymington, and accompanying 

 these was a concourse of lords, ladies, and gentle- 

 men such as is rarely witnessed, especially in a 

 country village. The Isle of Wight, the H. H., 

 the Hambledon, the South and West Wilts, the 

 East Dorset, and Earl Radnor's countries were 

 respectively represented. For quite an hour 

 before the time announced for the meet the roads 

 in every direction converging on the Lawn were 

 lined with vehicles, and horses, and persons on 

 foot, until when noon had arrived there were 

 not less than two thousand people present, the 



