96 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



they may travel on to any part of the country, but it may 

 almost be taken for granted that a Minsteracres fox who 

 begins by breaking to the south will never go near the big 

 woodlands on the north side of the estate and beyond it. 

 Adjoining the Newfield whin is a strip of plantation with fine 

 heather lying, and if there is no fox in the whin there is 

 generally one in this strip — Wylies Hill by name — and vice 

 versa. Beyond is the high road, Allansford to Corbridge, and 

 beyond that the open sawmill wood, with a gill to the east^ 

 and a whin called Letch Houses to the south. At the moment 

 this is probably the best whin covert in the hunt, and not 

 only have a great number of foxes been killed from it of late 

 years, but some capital hunts have had it for their starting- 

 point. Like the Newfield whin half a mile away, foxes break, 

 as a rule, to the open country from Letch Houses, and per- 

 haps most frequently to the east, but at times they go up and 

 over the hill, and run to the Shotley plantations. Some 

 four or five years ago hounds had a great afternoon hunt 

 from this covert. They were put into it about two o'clock, 

 and instantly chopped a fox, while at the same moment 

 another fox broke up the hill to the south. Without wait- 

 ing to break up the dead fox hounds were clapped on to 

 the fresh one, and for the next thirty-five minutes ran hard 

 over an open grass country to the river Derwent, which they 

 reached on Hole House farm, about a mile east of Allans- 

 ford. Here they checked, where there is a little belt of newly 

 planted trees adjoining the river. A quarter of a mile away* 

 is a well-known badger earth (out of the stop that day), and 

 the huntsmen had actually begun to cast hounds towards 

 the earth when an old hound, whose name I do not remember, 

 but who was by the Morpeth Solomon, and who was very 

 light coloured, was seen just beyond the belt, and though 

 he did not speak, it looked a certainty that he had the line. 

 The pack were brought back, and hitting it off immediately 

 crossed the river, and ran to the east of Castleside, going 

 over the North Durham boundary, and as far west as White- 

 hall. They then went left-handed, but I cannot remember 

 whether they touched Lord Bute's. They ran by China and 

 Sheepwalks, however, and into the park at Woodlands, where 

 they were stopped, because it was almost dark. This was a 



