" THE COTTESMORE IN 1826." 13 



drying and ironing with a hot iron to get them into 

 any kind of shape again. The hat of those days 

 was very unlike the light silk affair that we cover 

 our brains with in these days ; but in spite of this 

 the servants of the Cottesmore hunt preferred them 

 to caps, and were always allowed to wear hats, 

 making an excuse that with caps the rain got down 

 their necks. When first I remember them they 

 wore caps, but later on they wore hats. I never 

 thought it looked workmanlike, but I dare say it was 

 an improvement on the cap in respect of actual 

 comfort. For the information of those who were 

 not born yesterday, a short description of the mud 

 boot may be edifying. It was a large roomy kind 

 of legging, made of either drab cloth or fustian, 

 with a foot to it and leather sole which took in 

 the boot ; it came up to the middle of the thigh, 

 was held up by a strap of the same material, of 

 either brown cloth or fustian, and it had a cleverly 

 contrived hole in the back of the heel to let the 

 spur come through ; the whole was secured to the 

 owner's leg by a row of buttons too numerous 

 to be described. 



As soon as the master got off his hack his 

 servant came to his assistance and unbuttoned his 



