General :Burnab^ 261 



Baggrave Hall drawn blank. It was called the Prince 

 of Wales Gorse, his Royal Highness having planted 

 or sown the first seeds of it during his visit there some 

 twenty-five years since. It was, and still is, a very 

 good covert for holding foxes. I don't think it is 

 more than six acres, and I have seen the hounds 

 find no less than three times one day in it. I do not 

 mean that this was not an exceptionally lucky day, but 

 generally speaking you could reckon on a find in it 

 twice, as it is very thick, and foxes were very partial 

 to it. The General has told me many a time that 

 anyone could have foxes if they would only go to a 

 little trouble and small expense in keeping the covert 

 quiet, especially when cubs were young, and giving 

 them plenty of dead rats — sometimes live ones. 

 They used to bring them out in hundreds from 

 Leicester, and he certainly managed always to 

 have foxes. 



At Tom Firr's dinner, which was an annual affair, 

 General Burnaby always invited a jovial company 

 to meet him, and he was the guest of the even- 

 ing. Firr always came with Mr. Coupland, the 

 Master of the Ouorn hounds, of which, as most of 

 my readers will know, he was the huntsman. On 

 this occasion it was his custom to stay all night, 

 and it was also usual to have a lawn meet at 



