APPENDIX A 311 



the fox is up, when Mr. Templer by the single ■word ** Now " 

 bids them to the chase, when they immediately rush like a 

 cloud to the scent, and go away in the most gallant style ; and 

 the sportsmen have then nothing to do but to make their 

 nags put the best leg foremost, or they have no chance of 

 seeing a hound again for that chase. We believe no pack in 

 the kingdom throughout a season shows better sport, have 

 longer or severer chases, or draw together better fields of 

 sportsmen than these hounds. On the occasion of this grand 

 nm there were about 50 or 60 of the first characters in the 

 country as sportsmen in the field, among which were Sir 

 Lawrence Palk. of Haldon (who keeps a stud of seven or 

 eight horses at Melton, in Leicestershire, and is a liberal 

 subscriber to the Melton Hounds), Sir Henry Carew. Sir John 

 Louis, Miss Templer. Harry Taylor, Walter Carew, Cresswell, 

 Digby Fowell, of Fowlescombe, Carey, Burlton, G arrow, 

 Kitsons (4), Hole, Pollard, Charles Scale, Piuson. In the 

 course of this long chase there was a great deal of good, 

 straightforward riding displayed, and many strong leaps 

 taken and some four or five swam their horses through the 

 canal twice after the hounds. Amongst the desperate leaps 

 taken we cannot help noticing one taken by Mr. H. Taylor on 

 his bay horse Xunkey, in which he was followed by one other 

 only, Mr. Digby Fowell, on his chestnut mare, by Revel. 

 It was a stone wall, above five feet, built across a lane that 

 was ordered to be stopped up, except for foot passengers, and 

 there were steps on each side for their accommodation. Not 

 another man, although the greater part of the field were well 

 up, dared to trust himself or his horse at this leap : and had 

 not the fox made a lucky turn just after to the right, very 

 few would have seen a hound again until the check in High- 

 week village, which let in most of the slow and easy gentlemen, 

 though, indeed, the whole run gave general satisfaction, as 

 there was plenty of steady hunting, as well as a continuance 

 of chase at their best pace. 



