176 1 886. 



how hard the ground was underneath yesterday, 

 it did not want much of a frost to make it 

 equally hard above ; the two together making 

 hunting impossible ; and though hounds went 

 to Mudford Bridge they could not throw of. 



January 13th. — 



Introduced a change of scene ; no frost, but 

 a cutting wind, and cold storms of sleet and 

 rain from the north-west. They swept rather 

 bitterly over the top of Creech Hill when we 

 got there, and we were glad to go a little lower 

 down to Lord Ilchester's Gorse ; whence a fox 

 took us up again, over it, around it, and over it 

 again, finally dropping down the hill, and away 

 pretty fast ; down wind, over Lamyatt's Beacon, 

 to the Coombe River, and on to Waddon House, 

 which we soon left behind us, as we galloped on 

 to Henley Wood, and by Sheep House Farm into 

 Cogley. There were plenty of foxes here, and 

 they took us a considerable turn round the wood, 

 where our fox finally went to ground. We 

 found another in Pink Wood and ran round it, 

 inside and out, but a heavy squall of snow 



