64 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



almost to Eddy's Bridge. My early recollections take me 

 back to a meet of " Mr. Coweu's hounds " — they were not 

 called Braes of Derwent until Colonel Cowen became Master — 

 at Shotley Lodge, and to another meet about the same time 

 at Allansford. I scrambled after the pack on a small pony 

 when very young, but throughout my boyhood I saw far more 

 of the Durham country from Woodlands than I ever did of 

 Mr. Cowen's hounds, except in the season of 1867-8, when I 

 had several good hunts with them. As for the fields, or, 

 rather, the size of the fields, I do not remeanber much, biit I 

 am of the opinion that during both the Cowen masterships 

 there were many more followers at the eastern end of the hunt 

 than there were in the west, and that the meets in the Blaydon 

 country, which is within an easy ride of Newcastle-on-Tyne, 

 were most largely attended. In Colonel Cowen's time I know 

 this was SO; and it is perhaps a little curious, because now 

 the reverse is the case, the big fields with the present pack 

 being nearly always in evidence when they meet near Shotley 

 Bridge or in the Tyne Valley. It is the case, however, that 

 during the Cowen masterships hounds were as a general rule 

 in the east on Saturday and in the west part of their country 

 on Wednesday, and Saturday is quite the most popular 

 hunting day in that part of the world, more especially among 

 the business men, who form a great part of these northern 

 fields. That the rule of hunting in the west in the middle of 

 the week was always strictly adhered to was not, however, the 

 case, and I remember certain good Saturdays in the Allansford 

 district during the earlier part of Colonel Cowen's mastership, 

 and notably it was on a Saturday that hounds ran to Broom- 

 shields from the Sneep, unattended, as I have already 

 described. 



There was always a good deal of festivity in connection with 

 Colonel Cowen's hounds, and at some lawn meets, especially 

 in the eastern end of the country, there would be a big whip 

 up of members of other hunts. The Master's house, Blaydon 

 Burn, v/as the most popular fixture, and at times the Tyne- 

 dale. North Durham, and Mr. Lamb's Harriers would be as 

 well represented as the Braes of Derwent was. Once I re- 

 member Mr. Maynard and a large number of the North 

 Durham field being present, but what the special occasion 



