HUNTING LOCALITIES 



I8l 



of view, as well as good galloping ground. It has 

 numerous tiny copses, of a few roods in extent, occa- 

 sional belts of trees, and many small spinneys, while 

 grand old elms and other forest trees are to be found 

 standing alone in the centre of the fields or scattered up 

 and down the hedgerows. The upshot is that at the 

 end of May, when all the leaves are in their early 

 luxuriance, the view, when one is actually on the plain, 

 is very much obscured, and trees are to be seen every- 

 where, whilst tiny spinneys assume the proportions of 

 big woodlands. 



This was very forcibly impressed upon us some few 

 years ago when we were coaching to Brighton one day 

 in July. Our host, who was driving, expressed 

 approval of the country from the scenic point of view, 

 but was altogether sceptical when we remarked that 

 it was a good hunting country also. "Why, it's all 

 woodland ! " he exclaimed, and we could not persuade 

 him to the contrary, though we admitted that there 

 were woods enough and to spare as soon as the 

 Sussex border had been crossed. Well, as it happened, 

 during the following winter our friend — who when 

 at home hunted in Cheshire — was in town, and one 

 day we chanced to tell him that we were going 

 to hunt with the Burstow on the morrow. He at 

 once replied that he had lately bought a horse, which 

 he still had in town, that he would send it down that 

 afternoon, and — remembering our conversation of the 

 previous summer — that he would then find out which of 

 us was right about the character of the country. Next 

 morning we travelled by an early train to East Grin- 

 stead, and having breakfasted there, trotted on to the 

 meet a few miles away. Our old hunting diary makes 

 no mention of the earlier sport of the day, and probably 



