18 The Hunting Countries of England. 



stances an ordinary hunter can fly the lot ; and it 

 seldom happens but that a fairly clever one cannot 

 get over, either at a single spring or by making use 

 of the bank for passing foothold. And an Essex 

 fence has two very wholesome advantages. If it is to 

 be jumped at all, it is probably of one calibre along 

 its whole length : and, again, it is seldom grown of 

 such a height that you are cut off from seeing 

 hounds. Timber, in the form of post-and-rails, is 

 almost unknown in Essex. Ambition may occa- 

 sionally prompt the daring ones to jump a gate : but 

 the Essex gate, though stoutly built, is by no means 

 of such a size as is found necessary in a grazing 

 country. A deep lane will often interrupt the even 

 tenour of your way — calling upon you to '^ go round," 

 or to slide down a lofty bank and scramble on to a 

 similar one beyond. But, as a rule, Essex is to be ridden 

 over, and is an excellent school — inasmuch as the pupil 

 is seldom called upon for stupendous effort, while the 

 penalty of a failure is only a roll on to a soft surface, 

 or, at most, half a sovereign invested as spade money 

 on behalf of your horse. 



Under the mastership of Col. Jelf Sharp (who, as 

 above-mentioned, has just resigned office, after having 

 held it for five years), hounds took the field professedly 

 five days a fortnight. Mr. Bryce, of Durwards, near 

 Witham, is the new Master ; and the country will, we 

 understand, in future be hunted twice a week. The 

 kennels, too, will probably be moved elsewhere. At 

 present they are about half a mile from Braintree, 

 where the late master has resided. A bye-day has 

 also been of very frequent occurrence, though the 



