THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



is to be seen in Leicestershire or Northamptonshire. Then 

 there is another country, called the Meriden country, which 

 these hounds hunt for two periods in the year, and we have 

 just been staying at Meriden, on the high road from Coventry 

 to London, where the kennel is, and whence it is called the 

 Meriden country. The covers are large and frequent, and it 

 is altogether very unlike tlie Stratford country ; but, speaking 

 as a sportsman, I cannot withhold my praise of it. It is a 

 fine, wild, fox-hunting-looking country, in which the foxes are 

 so good that they seldom hang at all in the covers, which are, 

 for the most part, well cut into rides, and we have been having 

 very good sport in it. But it being better calculated for spring- 

 hunting, when travelling foxes are to be met with, I anticipate 

 a great treat on our next visit to Meriden. 



' I have been elected a member of the Stratford Hunt 

 Club, who dine together every day, at the head inn in the 

 town, the room in which they dine being honoured with the 

 title of one of Shakespeare's plays. Mr. Corbet gives us his 

 company every Thursday, when numerous visitors are added 

 to our party, and he generally gives us a dinner at his house 

 once in the course of the week. We have great fun in the 

 " Tempest," for that is the name of our room ; but beyond a 

 bottle of claret, and the wine drunk at dinner, nothing like 

 excess is committed. Great part of the " fun " proceeds from 

 handicapping our horses, and sporting our hands when the 

 award is made ; but beyond a few pounds hazarded in this 

 way, and five or ten pounds on a rubber at whist, nothing 

 like gambling is practised in the " Tempest." But perhaps 

 the most interesting part of my letter may be a description of 

 some of the leading members of this celebrated hunt. First, 

 then, let me tell you, there are two brothers, by the name of 

 Cannons, Warwickshire men, who are absolute prodigies in 

 the field, the j^ounger one especially, whose name is Robert. 

 The elder rides, at least, seventeen stone and a half, and 

 Robert sixteen stone ; notwithstanding which, not a light- 

 weight in the country can beat them ; in fact, Robert is 

 decidedly the best man in the hunt, let the pace or the 

 country be what it may. But what surprises me is, in tlie 

 first place, the extraordinary sort of eagle-eye this man — I 

 mean the younger Cannons — has to a country, when making 

 his way over it with hounds, and also wlien returning liome 



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