Lord Middleton's. 309 



soil ; a huntsman's task can only be achieved by toil 

 and perseverance; and hounds, instead of running 

 with their heads up, have often to stoop for every 

 yard. The loosened ground, too, soaks in the rain; 

 and soon becomes quite as heavy riding as the plouo-h 

 of the firmer vale. 



The coverts of the wolds are chiefly larch woods and 

 plantations, with a few whins here and there — the 

 latter, as everywhere in Yorkshire, still suffering from 

 the murderous frosts of some recent winters, and in 

 some cases having even died out altogether. The larch 

 woods, being almost devoid of undergrowth, neither 

 hinder hounds nor tempt foxes to linger, as coverts 

 of similar extent are so apt to do. On the northern 

 and southern edges of the wolds these broad patches 

 of woodland are met with at considerable interval ; 

 whereas on the steep western slope they become 

 almost continuous. Thus^ looking down upon the 

 Derwent, are Sir Charles Legard's fine woods at 

 Ganton ; while above Knapton are more large woods 

 to form another great stronghold. About Scampston 

 Hall, again, Mr. St. Quintin has good coverts ; as 

 also has Mr. Cholmley at Newton, notably High Wood. 

 These four places represent,, perhaps, the principal 

 meets along the north; while Weaverthorp (for 

 LovelFs Whin, &c.) and Wold Newton (for Causdale 

 Whin, &c.) are two of the most frequent in the heart 

 of the wolds. Along the western slope, again, a great 

 chain of these larch woods, with grass paving the hill- 

 side beneath them, run from Settrington (the resi- 

 dence of the dowager Lady Middleton) to Birdsall ; 

 while Sledmere (the seat of Sir Tatton Sykes^ and a 



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