344 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1873 



Rodsley, bore to the left, through Shirley Park, up to Ednaston ; here the fox 

 was headed, and turned to the left, across the Bradley Bottoms, where the scent 

 improved, and the hounds ran hard up to Hulland. After this slow hunting, and 

 to ground, in the main earth at Ravensdale Park, good fox and excellent day's 

 sport. The distance from Snelston to Ravensdale Park, as the crow flies, is seven 

 miles, and cannot be, the way the fox went, less than twelve. 



Thursday, Meynell-Langley. — Crowds of people from Derby. One fox broke 

 from the gorse in the direction of Radburne, but was headed back. Another 

 towards Kedleston, and we hunted him slowly by the Vicar Wood up to Allestree, 

 rattled him about in the covert till he went away at the bottom end, crossed and 

 recrossed the turnpike road, and hunted him up to Farnah, and eventually back 

 to Allestree. Here we got on a fresh fox, and ran hard down to Derby Town 

 End, and to ground in a drain by a nursery garden. Found a fox in Darley 

 osier-bed, ran up to Allestree, and out in the direction of Duffield, but the scent 

 was bad, and it was getting late in the day, so went home. 



Saturday, Loxley. — Found in Carry Coppice, ran at first as if he meant 

 Philips' Gorse, but turned to the left, and we ran very fast up to Chartley Park — 

 thirty-five minutes, very pretty — across the Park, by the corner of Handleasow 

 Wood, down over the railway, under Laurence's Wood, through Woodcock 

 Heath, to the Park Covert at Loxley. Here the fox had turned very sharp to the 

 right, under the covert, and, owing to the people riding over the line, we had a 

 long check. Hit it off again, and hunted down to the Alder Car — where I have 

 little doubt we left our run fox and got on a fresh one. Hunted him over the 

 railway by Bramshall crossing, up to the village, where he bore to the left, went 

 through Carry Coppice, up Fradswell, and on through Birchwood Park. From 

 this point we had two foxes before us, and the scent got very bad, so we gave 

 it up. We were running almost without stopping for two hours and forty 

 minutes. 



Monday, December 8f.h, Tutbury Station. — Found in the Hanging-pit at 

 Rolleston, ran down to the osier-bed at Dove Cliff, where the fox crossed the 

 river, and we had to go round by the bridge at Clay Mills. Got to them again 

 by Egginton, ran a ring by the Spread Eagle, and viewed the fox into the gorse 

 not fifty yards before the hounds. Time, one hour and fourteen minutes. Three 

 fresh foxes went away, but we stayed back on the chance of picking up our hunted 

 fox, but the scent was bad, and we had to leave him. Found in the Blakeley 

 osier-bed, and ran by the gorse, over the road by Burnaston, down to Findern 

 Windmill, where we gave it up, as the scent was getting worse every minute. 



Tuesday, Bradley. — Blank. Shirley Park the same. Found at Longford, 

 ran as if for Shirley Park, but turned to the right, and ran down to Culland, and 

 from there very fast up to the Long Lane, where we checked for a minute or 

 two. Hit it off over the road, and ran very prettily down to Barton, leaving the 

 Spath on our left. Here there were a brace of foxes before us, and the hounds 

 divided, part going on for Church Broughton, where the first whip stopped them, 

 the remainder with the huntsman running up to Hoon Clump. After this the 

 scent failed, and we hunted slowly on, over the road, by Marston-on-Dove, to 

 Tutbury Station, where he turned back, re-crossed the _turnpike road, and went 

 up nearly to Barton. But, as it was late, and no scent to kill him, we gave up. 



Thursday, Kedleston. — Frost. 



Saturday, Blithhury. — Frost. 



Monday, December 15th, TJie New Inn. — Frost. 



Tuesday, Doveridge. — Drew all the coverts and Eaton Wood blank. Found 

 a brace of foxes in the Dingle. Ran them into Eaton Wood, and left them there. 



