44 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



a good working pack, in which there was plenty of first-rate 

 blood from high-class kennels, to say nothing of a strain of 

 Welsh blood introduced, I think, by Captain Apperley. The 

 gentleman just referred to, by the way, acted as huntsman 

 for three months or so, one season, when Haverson, the pro- 

 fessional huntsman, had broken his leg. At exactly what 

 period this occurred I do not remember, but it was, I think, 

 about the middle 'seventies, and I was out of the 

 country most of the time, but recollect a first-rate day from 

 Xiord Bute's, and another in the Comsay country. Captain 

 Apperley, who had hunted harriers, otter hounds, and fox- 

 hounds also, I believe, in Wales, was a born huntsman, and 

 showed excellent sport. He was for many years secretary of 

 the hunt. 



In 1884 Mr. Maynard resigned, and for the next four 

 seasons the hunt was managed by a committee of four, Richard 

 Preeman, who had followed Haverson as huntsman during 

 Mr. Maynard' 3 last two seasons, continuing to carry the 

 horn. Mr. Maynard was one of the original committee, the 

 others being Lord Durham, the late Mr. (afterwards Sir) 

 Lindsay Wood, and the late Mr. George Taylor Smith. 

 There were changes during the four years, and for a season 

 or two the late Mr. H. Chapman, of Silk&worth, repre- 

 sented the Sunderland side of the country. For a time 

 things worked well, but the fields gradually fell off in 

 si^e, and this was due, not> to a lack of good sport, but 

 because several very prominent hunting men had died, while 

 one or two others were giving up hunting on account of in- 

 creasing years. Fields, it should be mentioned, were very 

 good throughout Mr. Maynard's mastership. It is true that 

 the Newcastle-on-Tyne contingent rather fell away, though 

 At odd times there would be a big visitation on a Monday, 

 caused in a great measure by the fact that the Tynedale were 

 meeting in the Capheaton and Kirkheaton district, twenty 

 miles or so from Newcastle, and with no railway very near it. 

 At such times, if the North Durham were near Knitsley or 

 Lanchester there would be many horse boxes on the morning 

 train from Newcastle, and a cheery meeting among many old 

 hunting friends. But while Newcastle was not on the whole 

 so well represented in the North Durham as it had been when 



