102 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



of HeJlister Wood and Strak&r's Bog. These two planta- 

 tions are practically one covert, but there are two owners, 

 Straker's Bog belongs to a relative of the Master of the Tyne- 

 dale. The two coverts are a certain find, and have 

 wonderful lying, Straker's Bog being partially a 

 whin coverti, and having an undergrowth of heather else- 

 where, but foxes found here have a knaok of ringing round 

 Healey Dene and Healey Big Wood, and perhaps provide 

 fewer good runs than a majority of Braes of Derwent 

 foxes. I have now described all the western end of the 

 hunt, and I may mention that the Master divides the district 

 into four quarters and meets in each quarter once in every 

 four weeks. On the south aide the Shotley plantations are 

 for one day, with meets at the kennels, Shotley Bridge, 

 Ebchester, Newlands, or Shotley Field. The riverside coverts 

 from Shotley Bridge to the Sneep inclusive, with meets at 

 Bridge Hill, Allansford, or Caterway Head form the other 

 southecrn section, while on the north side the Minsteracres 

 and Kellas Coverts, with meets at Minsteracres, Scales Cross, 

 and occasionally at Unthank or Winnow's Hill, comprise one 

 of the northern sections, while the other includes the Healey, 

 Lord Allendale's, and Mrs Pumphrey's covertQ, and hounds 

 meet most frequently at Healey Hall, Hindley cross roads, 

 Hindley Hall, and occasionally at Brooanley, or at Oaklands. 

 This leaves out the Blanchland country, for which there are 

 no regular days and hounds go there most frequently in the 

 early autumn and late spring. 



Before discussing the eastern side of the country it should 

 be mentioned that there is a bit of intermediate country which 

 may be used either from the east, or westi, the coverts being 

 the Hollins Gill, the Duke's Rush, and The Heugh. Foxes 

 are always bred at the Hollins, which liea a mile east of the 

 Watling-street, and sometimes these coverts are first drawn 

 from a. Whittonstall meet, which, if it takes place on a 

 Saturday, means going west when the Hollins country is done 

 with, and going east if the meet is on a Wednesday. Plans 

 are, as a matter of course, at times altered by foxes going in 

 an Tinexpected direction and country being disturbed that was 

 not intended to be drawn, but the main lines of the* average 

 meet are closely adhered to, and thus the country is all fairly 



