The Bedale Hounds, 1832-1908 71 



On the north-west, he was also pretty sure 

 of sport. Thornhills and Tunstall Whins, 

 Hipswell, Hudswell, Brough and Scotton 

 generally furnishing the *' needful/' 



A curious fact has struck me on carefully 

 reading Mr. Booth's diaries, how very often 

 hounds went back to a covert they had 

 found in earlier in the day, and invariably 

 were able to find another fox. We can 

 seldom do this now-a-days. Is it that the 

 coverts were thicker and more holding, or 

 that the foxes were less wild ? I fear the 

 answer must be in favour of the coverts. 



That there is a very strong hereditary 

 instinct among foxes is amply proved by the 

 run of them, for more than seventy years 

 from such places as Hutton Bonville, Uckerby, 

 Thrintoft, Cowton and Langton. If I des- 

 cribe a hunt from any of these places at this 

 date, it is '* a thousand to one ' ' that it would 

 correspond point for point with one which 

 took place fifty, even seventy years ago. 



Let me now get Mr. Booth to work, and 

 record a few of his best runs, and other inci- 

 dents during his Mastership. 



1867 — 68. He never commenced cub- 

 hunting before the third week in September. 



Presumably to inaugurate Mr. Booth's 

 accession as Master, a Hunt Club dinner was 

 held at the Black Swan, Bedale. Mr. Mark 

 Milbank being in the chair and twenty-one 

 members present. 



On the 6th November there was a capital 

 hunt from Thornhills Whin. Hounds met 



