1824] CONTEMPORARY OPINION. 107 



could not o'et over the new fence till the hounds were out 

 of sight. I came home, but Tom, Joe, little Tom, and 

 Mr. Walmsley met with them again near New Coppice, 

 and they ran him through all the gardens at Rugeley, 

 and killed him in Wolseley Park — the finest thing I ever 

 saw, an hour and a quarter." 



On Thursday, March 25th, a great many strangers 

 came to see if the reports they had heard of the great 

 sport with the Hoar Cross hounds were true. Amongst 

 them were Sir H. Mainwaring, Sir N. Brook, and Mr. 

 Hay. As good luck would have it, they had a capital run, 

 from Shirley Park by Bradley, and back to Brailsford 

 Gorse and almost to Ravensdale Park ; going away from 

 here they fairly raced, and running from scent to view, 

 killed near Shirley Park, after a wide ring of two hours. 

 At the end of the day the master expresses himself thus : 

 "The work of the hounds most capital and highly 

 satisfactory." 



They finished the season at Hollybush on April 17th. 



Foxes killed, thirteen and a half brace ; to ground, 

 nine and a half brace ; lost, twenty-four and a half brace ; 

 blank days, three ; badgers, one. 



It will be interesting to compare what is said by 

 contemporary writers with what has gone before. 



There is not much to be gleaned from the old magazines 

 and so forth about early days with the Meynell hounds, 

 partly, perhaps, because the Meynells themselves were 

 averse to publicity. However, here and there there are 

 allusions to the hounds and country, such as the following, 

 which refers to the Donington country : — 



About thirty years ago (1794), the Earl of Moira, now Marquis of Hastings, 

 kept a pack of harriers at Donington Park, which, in the course of a few years, 

 were converted into fox-hounds, with which he hunted the neighbouring country. 

 In a short time afterwards these were sold .to the late Sir Henry Harpur, after- 

 wards Sir Henry Crewe of Calke, with whom they remained until his death ; his 

 son, the present Sir George Crewe, discontinued the establishment. 



The country continues to be hunted by Mr. ^Meynell, though it is difficult to 

 get a fox away, on account of the great extent and number of the covers. There 

 are several strongholds for foxes at Calke ; there is Kobin Wood ; there is the 

 large and strong cover called Cloud Wood, near Breedon, near to which is the 



