THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



IX 



"Belvoir Kennels, 



" November '^^rd, 1854. 

 " Honoured Sir, — 



" Thank you very much for your note of this morning's 

 post, and right glad I am to find you are safely landed in old 

 England again,^ and I sincerely hope in good health and 

 strength for the ensuing season, which at present is not very 

 inviting. Mother Earth does not receive us in the soft, kind, 

 and welcome manner she ought to do in the fox-hunting 

 season, but bounces us up again, leaving us at least a fort- 

 night to suffer for her reproof She has broken two of 

 George's ribs (but he is better), and has given me some severe 

 shakings ; neither is there any chance of becoming at all 

 friendly with her till rain falls to soften her hard heart. 

 According to what I hear, I think there has been more rain 

 everywhere else than in this country. But I won't repine, for 

 I never had the pack better, and, on the whole, we have had 

 a real good cubbing season, and, with the exception of about 

 thirty hours' violent constipation of the bowels, which nearly 

 cost me my life, I never was better myself, brought on entirely 

 by my own foolishness going too long without food, and 

 taking too strong exercise at the same time ; but, thank God ! 

 I am quite well now, and ready for as much hunting as ever 

 we can get, 



"You would hear at Willey of the blazing forty-five minutes 

 we had from Ropsley Rise last Wednesday, a half-moon ring 

 round by Welby, Oasby, Southerns, Newton ; then the middle 

 Sapperton Wood, and pulled him down going away for the 

 village, the most tremendous burst I ever saw. At Leaden- 

 ham we also had a most extraordinary twenty-five minutes, 

 which perhaps can't be found in the annals of fox-hunting. 

 We found in the becks in the park, and went away in view 

 with a brace of foxes, and, after running the above time, each 



^ This refers to Sir Thomas's visit to the Crimea in his yacht the 

 Enchantress, of which some interesting details may be found in the Hon. 

 Sir Henry Keppel's Diary, pubhshed while this book was going through 

 the press. 



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