98 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



hundred, and Mr. Priestman hunted hounds. Almost as a 

 rule a joint meet is (I think) a failure as far as sport is 

 concerned, but on this occasion hounds found at Ellers Hill, 

 and ran for thirty-five minutes without a check, killing their 

 fox on the open moor, near the head of Nocton burn. It was 

 a bad line the fox chose, but all in the open, and a big 

 majority of the field never attempted to follow hounds after 

 they left the valley near Riddlehamhope, the result being that 

 only twelve were there when the fox was killed. Eleven of 

 them were from the Braes of Derwent country, the solitary 

 Haydon man being Archer, who was then huntsman of the 

 pack. There was, I understand, a deal of festivity in Blanch- 

 land that day, and this festivity set in shortly after this hunt, 

 but by this time the two' fields had become soirted out, and 

 when we drew ]loughside, from which we had an afternoon 

 hunt, the Haydon people had practically disappeared. I 

 think I may say that the Haydon contingent that day was 

 not in the least typical of the hunt as it is now, or as it was 

 in Mr. Joicey's day, but that all the festive spirits of a big 

 area had been got together perhaps more with a view to con- 

 viviality than hunting, and anyhow, I am sure that the two 

 licensed houses of the beautiful old village would benefit con- 

 siderably. 



East of Minsteracres the country is open for many miles. 

 There is a long narrow covert named Fotherley Gill, parallel 

 with the Lead road, and a second gill ati right angles toi it, 

 which joins Fotherley Gill at Low Bridges. Both gills are 

 much favoured by foxes:, and are frequently drawn with 

 suooess. Further east, again is a plantation called Watch 

 Hill, the name being derived from the fact that the summit 

 of this hill was once used as a lookout when attacks from the 

 Scots — or in more recent times from Mossitroopars — were 

 expected. The view from the top of this hill enables one to 

 look over all the southern part of Northumberland, and a. good 

 deal further. Simonside Hill, near Rothbury, though thirty 

 miles away, seems quite near on a clear day, and the Cheviot 

 Hills beyond are alsoi distinctly visible when there isj no mist, 

 whilst in the foreground the whole ol the Tynedale country 

 is laid out like a. map, it being quite an easy matter to pick 

 out all the well-known landmarks and many of the most 



