YORKSHIRE 287 



some truth in what the farmer said about the cast-iron nag. He 

 certainly is too severe upon his horse, and does not pick his ground 

 enough for a man of his weight to Hve with hounds to the end of a 

 good run. He should recollect he rides fifteen stone, and is what 

 is called long in the leg — though none, perhaps, the w^orse for that. 

 Billy "Williamson is one of the right stamp of young men, and I 

 wish it were possible he could stock half the counties in England 

 with Jiis sort. We are hard to beat now — at least I hope so ; but 

 then we should be invincible. 



Mr. Harland of Sutton Hall is a very pretty performer over a 

 country, and had a very neat stud for a man of his light weight. 

 They appeared either quite thorough-bred or within a toucher, and 

 three of the four were purchased of Mr. Ralph Lambton. 



On the morning of Wednesday the 13th I quitted Sedgefield, and 

 met Mr. Bowser's harriers about four miles from Rushyford Inn. 

 This gentleman resides at Bishop Auckland, about ten miles to the 

 westward of Sedgefield, and at about equal distances from the Raby 

 and Sedgefield Hunts. He himself was out in a scarlet coat ; but 

 his hounds were hunted by an amateur, and what in this part of the 

 world is called a Statesman — Anglice, a Yeoman. The Statesman 

 here was the well-known Tommy Chapman, whom I afterwards saw 

 with Lord Darlington's hounds. Knowing him to be a sportsman, 

 I tried hard to get a wrinkle or two out of him as to the country, 

 &c. ; but John Burrell's lingo is plain English to his, and nothing 

 but a glossary could have enabled us to hold sweet converse. It 

 sometimes happens that our Southern Statesmen are difficult to com- 

 prehend ; but Tommy Chapman would puzzle the Devil himself 

 unless he were bred in Durham. 



On this day I recognized in the field the young Oxonian whose 

 horse I had blooded at the end of a fine day's sport with Sir 

 Thomas Mostyn's hounds two years ago, and by which the life of 

 the poor animal was saved. I did not then know his name, but 

 found it to be Gregson, and was informed that he had a pretty 

 property in that part of the world, was likely to make a good 

 sportsman, and was much patronized by Mr. Ralph Lambton. 



After my hare-hunting with Mr. Bowser, I had the pleasure of 

 visiting Mr. Duncombe Shafto at Whitworth, where a large party 



