YORKSHIRE 259 



The Bedale Club has been established six years. They find their 

 own wines, and the funds amount to between four and five hundred 

 pounds. 



Friday, December 1st, met Lord Darlington at Bedale town-end. 

 Found in the Eev. John Monson's whin, and had twenty-three 

 minutes, with a kill, very quick indeed. Mr. Milbanke, Mr. George 

 Sergeantson, and Sir Bellingham Graham, were conspicuous in the 

 burst, out of a numerous field, and the fencing was frequent and 

 awkward. Mr. Monson lost his hat, and consequently his place at 

 starting, or no doubt he would have been with them, for he is a 

 very excellent performer. In Lord Darlington's book of last year, 

 his Lordship thus speaks of this gentleman : "I cannot omit to 

 mention that the Rev. John Monson shone as conspicuously this 

 day on his grey mare as in the pulpit, and ivas alone with the hounds 

 over Ainderby mires at last near Thornhill's willow bed." 



On Sunday, December 3rd, I left Northallerton, and proceeded 

 towards Sedgefield, the headquarters of the Lambton Hunt. 



Monday, December 4th. — The fixture for Mr. Lambton's hounds 

 was Whitton, a few miles distant from Rushyford, but the turnpike 

 road was as hard as Piccadilly pavement ; so I did not send a horse 

 to covert, and began to prepare to retrace my steps to Newton 

 House. About mid-day, however, the wind changed, and symptoms 

 appeared of what is called in Durham " fresh weather," alias rain. 

 So much for the fickleness of English skies, for in three more hours 

 the frost was almost gone ! 



It is natural to suppose that I was provided with an introduction 

 to Mr. Ralph Lambton, and which he was previously in possession 

 of ; but I did not intend making my appearance at the Club until 

 after the first day's hunting ; so, in pleasing anticipation of a good 

 run on the morrow, I sat down to my dinner at six o'clock at 

 Rushyford inn, and in half an hour after the door opened, and in 

 walked three strangers. Two strangers, otherwise attired, might 

 have alarmed my nerves ; but the scarlet coats and mud-bespattered 

 boots of these friendly intruders proclaimed them visitors of the 

 right sort ; and they came with a message from Mr. Lambton, 

 expressing his regret that I had not been with his hounds in the 

 morning, but hoping to see me at the Club at seven o'clock, their 



