WESTWARD HO ! 33 



spot, the nature of his avocations would prevent 

 him from taking part in a sport which frequently, 

 in its earlier days at any rate, involves the neces- 

 sity of rising about 2 a.m. 



But in these days of easy and rapid travelling 

 almost any man may manage, with a little contriv- 

 ing, to get a fortnight's holiday in August or Sep- 

 tember, and where can he take it so well as in the 

 bonnie West Country, where the mighty coombes 

 look like stationary waves, and the heights of Ex- 

 moor — home of the handsomest ponies in the 

 world ; home of the blackcock, with his defiant 

 crow ; and, best of all, home of the wild red 

 deer — overlook the tossing waves of the Bristol 

 Channel ? If the good lady of the house wishes to 

 take "the girls to the seaside," where can she 

 take them to better than Minehead; and whilst you, 

 my hunting friend, are enjoying yourself to the 

 top of your bent on breezy uplands, there is quite 

 plenty of entertainment for the ladies of your 

 family in exploring the neighbourhood, and on non- 

 hunting days you cannot do better than join them. 



Dunster in itself deserves many a pilgrimage, 

 and, crede experto, there is ever something new 

 about these quaint North Somerset towns and 

 villages, and ever some stirring bit of history to 

 hear about place or people. It is not at every 

 place along the English coast that a troop of horse 

 took a warship ; but that happened not so many 

 miles from Dunster, as those who know their 

 county history are proud to tell. Of course there 

 are no nigger minstrels or piers with lugubrious 

 bands murdering music a la Wagner, but there is 

 a lot of fun to be had in North Somersetshire, 

 leaving the sport out. 



