220 The Hunting Countries of England. 



Lambton of blessed memory^ for even tben Durham 

 was by no means tbe pick of tlie nortb. Mostly a 

 level, well-ploughed plain — you may follow a fox over 

 it for many a mile, gaining plenty of interest, but 

 meeting with but little excitement by the way. From 

 Sedgefield to the east there is much damp sedgy 

 ground — firm enough, however, to ride over, and more 

 than fair scenting ground withal. Deep sticky clay is 

 the facing of most of the country, yet hounds seldom 

 fail to carry a line over it ; while, as with the 

 Hurworth next door, they fly over the occasional 

 grass. Between field and field are wide ragged thorn 

 hedges growing out of banks of varied height, on one 

 side of which — sometimes on both — a ditch is to be 

 seen, or to be felt. Through the tangled hairy mass 

 a horse should move as cautiously and leisurely as 

 possible, setting down one foot after another to assure 

 himself of his ground, and jumping only as he finds 

 himself immediately over the ditch ; or he should 

 jump on to the growers to make a gap for himself. 

 For this kind of progress nothing is really so suitable 

 as an animal one degree above the " cob '' class — 

 shortlegged, strong, and steady, anything but fast 

 and flighty. A hunter of high degree is altogether 

 out of place here ; though Sir "William Eden hunted 

 the country with a stud that had no superior in 

 England — the individuals of which were on his retire- 

 ment dispersed through the Shires for sums ranging 

 to five hundred guineas. Durham, indeed, has always 

 had full justice done to it on the part of the master- 

 ship. Its most successful era, no doubt, was in 

 connection with the celebrity " ^ard Squier Lamb- 



