EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 21 



The discrepancy in the time will be noticed, and the 

 estimated distance and the pace, of course, must be taken 

 considerably cinu grano sali's. Twelve-and-a-half miles an 

 hour for four hours is rather open to doubt, whilst it must 

 have been a very good fox indeed which stood before hounds 

 for four miles in view after such a preliminary "dusting "as 

 he had got. But allowing for these minor incidents, this 

 must have been a great run, and some of it was over country 

 which is familiar to those who have hunted on the north 

 side of the York and Ainsty country during the last few years. 

 The great Sessay Wood run is one which lives in history 

 as one of the best runs of the century, or indeed in the 

 annals of fox-hunting. This fine run took place with 

 Sir Mark Masterman Sykes' hounds on April 7th, 1806, and 

 is perhaps the best April run on record. The account given 

 of it in the York Herald of the following Saturday is so 

 quaint that I give it verbatim : — 



' The sports of the season having now closed, we would 

 ' think ourselves greatly deficient in our duty were we 

 ' not to return our acknowledgments to those noblemen 

 ' and gentlemen who have furnished this department of 

 ' the York Herald with their communications and patron- 

 ' age. We believe that we may not hesitate to state 

 ' that the Chase in our publication has given much 

 ' satisfaction to a numerous and respectable list of its 

 ' readers. It is therefore our determination to continue 

 ' during the future hunting season this very desirable 

 ' feature in our paper, and as such, hope for a continuance 

 ' of information from our former friends as soon as the 

 ' sports of the field commence. 



' But before we conclude, we beg leave to remark 

 ' that we never knew, nor indeed has there ever been 

 ' known, in the memory of man, a finer season for that 

 ' noble sport, fox-hunting. We may say, without delusion, 

 ' that our county has always been pre-eminent in this 

 ' diversion, always remarkable for hard riders and good 

 ' sportsmen. The Duke of Leeds, the Earl of Darlington, 



C 



