66 HISTORY OF THE BRAMHAM MOOR HUNT. 



Well might Mr. Fox write at the end of his diary, — 

 'A very satisfactory winter;' and these were two famous 

 days' sport for the last week of the season. 



There is now a hiatus in Mr. Fox's diary, and there 

 seems to be no record of the season of 1853-54. ^ have 

 searched the columns of old newspapers and old sporting- 

 magazines, for some records of the hunting during the period 

 which elapsed between the end of the season 1852-53 and 

 the middle of the season 1854-55, '^^t to no purpose. It 

 is curious to find how little was written of the Bramham 

 Moor Hunt in the earlier years of Mr. F"ox's mastership, 

 and had it not been for his carefully-kept diary, anything 

 like a history ot the doings of the pack would have been 

 impossible. 



1854-55. The diary recommences on [anuarv ist, 1855, 

 and capital sport was enjoyed till frost put a stop to hunting 

 on the 29th, keeping hounds in the kennel for more than 

 a month. The best run in the month was just before the 

 frost, when, as I need not tell the initiated, there is grenerallv 

 a good holding scent : — 



'January 26th. Bickerton Bar. Found in Cowthorpe Wood; 

 'ran a ringing fox tovvard.'s Ingmanthorpe, back over the 

 ' river towards Cattal, back along the bank, and killed. 

 ' Found second fox at Marston Whin ; went away through 

 ' Wilstrop Wood straight to the river Nidd ; crossed, pointed 

 'for Thorpe Green, turned to the right through Nun 

 ' Monkton, crossed the river again close to the ferry, left 

 ' Red House on the right, the fox running the river bank. 

 'Came to a check at farm buildings about a mile from 

 ' Red House, the first time hounds were spoken to for an 

 ' hour. Hit him off, but the scent became worse and 

 ' worse. We hunted by Hessay, left Marston on the right, 

 ' and Hutton ; this gallant fox walking away from us after 

 'a capital run. The hounds, in consequence of the river, 

 ' having the best of it.' 



