YORKSHIRE 307 



I had the pleasure of spending the evening of this day at Tliorpe, 

 the seat of the Lord Macdonald. It is beautifully situated in a snug 

 valley on the edge of the wolds, with every convenience for a large 

 family ; but his Lordship only resides here during the winter 

 months, having a fine place in Scotland. 



In the morning, as we had a long distance to go to meet the 

 Holderness hounds, we were in the breakfast-room betimes, owing 

 to which, in addition to a sharp hoar-frost, we got to Brandsburton 

 Moor about two hours before Mr. Hodgson arrived with his pack, so 

 tender w'as he of his hounds. This being a favourite fixture, there 

 was a large field — considerably more than a hundred. With the 

 exception of the hounds getting no blood — three foxes going to 

 ground, two of them in rabbit-burrows — this was a good day's 

 sport to hard-riding men, for in each burst the pace was tremen- 

 dous ; and the last was rather more than a burst, for it exceeded 

 forty minutes, taking the puff out of most of the nags, and causing 

 some of them to stand on their heads instead of their legs. 



On Sunday afternoon, Mi\ Hodgson accompanied me to Bishop 

 Burton, three miles from Beverley, the seat of that very eminent 

 sportsman Mr. Watt. After an excellent luncheon we looked into 

 the paddocks, where I was in ho^Des of seeing Manuella ; but she 

 was not there, neither were any of his best mares. All the race- 

 horses in work were at Scott's stables at Malton. 



Mr. Watt is an admirer of the chase, and generally is seen by the 

 covert's side twice a-week. Although, perhaps, there may be keener 

 sportsmen, there is no man who wishes better to fox-hunting. 



Monday, 12th. — The Holderness hounds met at Elton, about four 

 miles from Beverley, but we could do nothing with hounds on this 

 day. The moment they were thrown into covert I saw it was a 

 hopeless case ; for they were rolling and staring about them from 

 want of something better to do. We at last hunted a fox to Bishop 

 Burton, and after losing some time in getting through Mr. Watt's 

 paddocks, we hunted him back to Elton, and killed in the covert he 

 was found in. It was a wretched scenting day ; and I well 

 remember that, over a very large ploughed field, only one hound 

 (Render) could speak to him. 



The Holdei"ness Club consists of only twenty Members. They 



