A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



only carrying hazel poles like alpenstocks to 

 assist them in wading in the river. Shortly 

 after the establishment of the Carlisle pack, 

 ' tailing the otter,' that is, holding him by the 

 root of the tail to assist the hounds in worry- 

 ing him a hazardous proceeding for the 

 tailer has also been forbidden. The code 

 sets forth that 'no attempt must be made to 

 seize or strike the otter, or to interfere with 

 him with poles, sticks, or otherwise, at any 

 period of the hunt.' From twelve to fourteen 

 otters are killed in a season by the Carlisle 

 hounds, the bitches varying from 13 Ib. to 

 1 8 Ib. in weight, and the dogs scaling from 

 17 Ib. to 28 Ib., and in one notable instance, 

 in which the otter was drowned, 31 Ib. 



In 1866 Mr. Robinson Carr resigned the 

 mastership, and Mr. John C. Carrick of 

 Carlisle was appointed to the office, which 

 he held until 1877, when he was succeeded 

 by Mr. James Steel of Eden Bank, Wetheral, 

 who undertook the responsibilities until 1883, 

 when Mr. Carrick resumed them. In 1893 

 Major Arthur Mounsey-Heysham, a keen 

 local sportsman, not only undertook the mas- 

 tership but bought the hounds. He resigned 

 in 1901, when Mr. James W. Graham of Car- 

 lisle succeeded to the office. The palmy days 

 of the pack were in the twenty years during 

 which the incomparable Sandy was huntsman. 

 One of the most celebrated hunts in that time 

 was on 29 June, 1 869. The meet was at 

 Newby Bridge, near Irthing Foot, at six 

 o'clock in the morning. A drag was struck 

 almost immediately. The quest continued up 

 the Eden beyond Corby Castle, one or two 

 strongholds being visited on the way, and the 

 otter was found ensconced behind his entrench- 



ments at Cooey's Nab, below Cotehouse 

 Island. He was ejected, and a water hunt, 

 full of exciting incidents, ensued between that 

 point and Corby Castle. It did not end till 

 nearly nine o'clock at night, when the otter, 

 a 24 Ib. dog, was killed near the salmon coops. 

 Much of this triumph of skill and endurance 

 was due to Sandy, who always looked upon 

 this hunt as one of his finest exploits. Sandy 

 remained huntsman for fourteen years longer, 

 when failing health compelled him to retire. 

 His death, in March, 1886, was tragic and 

 pathetic. He was then huntsman of the 

 Brampton Harriers. The meet was at 

 Seathill, Irthington, and after the hounds had 

 been in full cry for twenty minutes Sandy was 

 missed. Shortly afterwards a labourer crossing 

 a field near Freelands found him lying dead on 

 his back. His hunting whip was grasped in 

 one hand, and a favourite terrier was seated 

 on his chest. Thus this famous huntsman 

 died in harness, the music of the hounds 

 which he loved so well being the last sounds 

 that fell upon his ears. His successors as 

 huntsmen of the Carlisle Otter Hounds were 

 first of all Jim Pattinson, who gave place to 

 Ned Park, who is now hunting the Brampton 

 Harriers. Park was followed by Tom Parker, 

 who held the office till his death in 1899, 

 when his son ' Young Tom ' succeeded to the 

 vacant place. The pack still flourishes (1902) 

 but a rival has appeared in Dumfriesshire, and 

 packs have been established at Cockermouth 

 and at Egremont, which hunt the rivers of 

 their respective districts, so that the county 

 of Cumberland, from the Scottish Border to 

 the boundary lines of Lancashire and West- 

 morland, is now fully covered. 



ANGLING 



To the angler Cumberland offers a field 

 both wide and varied, for her rivers, lakes and 

 streams are many in number, and are fairly 

 well stocked with both migratory and non- 

 migratory Salmonidae, also in some instances 

 with several species of coarse fish. 



The Eden, with its tributaries, forms the 

 most important river-system of Cumberland, 

 and runs through this county from near 

 Langwathby, where it is augmented by the 

 Eamont, for a distance of about twenty-five 

 miles to the Solway Firth. It is, however, 

 to the sister county of Westmorland that the 

 Eden owes its origin, for it rises near Kirkby- 

 Stephen and runs through the county town of 

 Appleby, whence it flows until it enters Cum- 

 berland. The Eden is also indebted to West- 

 morland for the contributions of the river 



464 



Lowther, a tributary of the Eamont, and the 

 former pretty little river is the favourite 

 spawning ground of Eden salmon. 



The rivers Irthing, Petterill and Caldew are 

 also tributaries of the Eden and run into it in 

 the neighbourhood of Carlisle. 



The rivers Wampool and Waver also run 

 into the mouth of the Solway but they are of 

 no great importance, and in the north-eastern 

 corner of the county the small river Line 

 discharges into the Border Esk. 



The other rivers of Cumberland spring 

 from the Lake and Fell district of the county 

 and discharge their volumes into the sea at 

 various points along the west coast. These 

 are the Derwent, the Ellen, the Ehen, the 

 Calder, the Irt, the Esk and the Duddon. 



The lakes, Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater, 



