EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA. 69 



estate. It was a fair gallop considering the country, and 

 that a cold east wind was blowing all day. 



The record for 1880-81 is forty-one foxes killed, 

 twenty-two run to ground. Hunting only seventy days. 



Our readers will notice that her Majesty the late 

 Empress of Austria hunted with the North Staffordshire 

 Hounds this season. She was also with us either the 

 season of 1879-80 or the season of 1878-79, the wTiter is 

 not sure which. She made Combermere Abbey her head- 

 quarters, and enjoyed some good gallops both with the 

 Cheshire and the North Staffordshire Hounds. On the first 

 occasion she was piloted by Captain (" Bay ") Middleton — 

 now, alas ! no more. For the season of 1880-81, she was 

 very successfully piloted by Colonel Rivers Bulkeley, who, 

 besides being a fine horseman and good rider to hounds, 

 has a thorough knowledge of the Cheshire and North 

 Staffordshire country. 



Colonel Bulkeley unfortunately does not keep a 

 journal, but he kindly informs the writer that he re- 

 members " one good gallop from Buerton Gorse to Betton 

 Moss, eighteen minutes, that her Majesty said was one 

 of the fastest gallops she had during her stay at Comber- 

 mere. He^ Majesty rode Hard Times, her best horse." 



None of the North Staffordshire field who hunted in 

 those days will easily forget the graceful, slender figure of 

 her Imperial Majesty on horseback, her perfect seat, her 

 remarkably youthful appearance, and her fearless riding. 

 We all remember, too, her habit of carrying a black 

 fan, which she either held in her hand or kept strapped 

 to her saddle, and used it as a protection against people 

 who stared at her Majesty, and particularly against 

 artists and photographers, who were often an annoyance 

 to her. No one probably gave her Majesty credit for 

 much knowledge of hounds and hunting, but, with a pilot 

 to make up for her want of knowledge of the country, 

 there were few of either sex who could surpass her in a 

 quick thing with hounds, and her keen enjoyment of a 

 fast gallop was very noticeable. Little did any of us 



