THE ANCIEN BMIME 93 



One incident I remember. The Beagles were asked over to Water- 

 beach, it was a far-away meet, and after the hunt our host went 

 into the stable, and found three of our fellows (they were not of the 

 Committee) stark naked, as they had jumped into the fen ditches. 

 Some had something to put on, but one wrapt himself up in his 

 ulster and drove back so clad to Cambrido;e. 



Of farmers. There were two brothers, good sorts, one Tom Baker 

 at Barton, the other Charles at Shelford. Vickers used to jro into 

 the Corn Exchange every Saturday during the season (and often in 

 the summer) to arrange with the farmers about meets, and sometimes 

 we gave them a bit of dinner after market. 



Of hounds. Those (Whips, etc.) of later date have no idea of the 

 filth and muck that surrounded the kennels in our day, in the yard 

 of a public-house, and of what was boiled up in the pot for the 

 hounds. Apparently nothing could be wrong. So they needed a dose 

 of medicine. This was done on Sundays ; the oldest gown served as 

 apron ; and then the process began. One or two collared the hounds 

 off the bench, one held, one opened their mouths, another the spoon ; 

 but there was a shaggy old hound (he had a bit of an otter hound 

 in him) " Eallywood," he never got a dose ; while there was a bitch, 

 " Dollymop," who came up and licked the spoon as often as she had 

 a chance. 



I had two of them here with me, " Blackberry " and " Euler " — 

 the latter a great character. If he came to a ditch which he considered 

 too wide, or a close fence that he could not crawl, he would wait for 

 somebody to lift him over ; but many times he put us on the right 

 scent on a cold plough, though if hounds were running he was 

 generally the last. 



I cannot think of anything more just now, it is thirty-five years 

 ago ; but after I went down and lived here, I kept up my hunting on 

 foot, and went out often with the Carlisle Otter-hounds, when they 

 hunted this (Dumfriesshire) country; and afterwards when a pack 

 of otter hounds was started here, they made me the first Master, but 

 I did not remain so long. — Yours truly, 



(Signed) H. Cavan Irving. 



