38 SPORTS AND ANECDOTES. 



home. Nor will I follow the Melton men, who, no 

 longer resplendent in their well polished chimney-pot 

 hats, which from having been in the water were re- 

 duced to the consistency of tripe, their dapper white 

 cord breeches, and their scrupulously shining boots, 

 would wend their ways back to Melton to change and 

 dress for dinner, and drink their old Carbonell's 

 crusted port or their Snead's claret, and recount 

 the events of the run in their red coats, which in these 

 days were universally worn at dinner by hunting men. 

 In the days I am speaking of people used to drink a 

 good deal more wine after dinner than in the present 

 day, and a bottle of port wine was a common quan- 

 tum with many of the thirsty souls, who required 

 something to keep their peckers up after a long day 

 and a ducking in Whissendine brook, and this was 

 generally achieved by drinking the two admirable 

 mixtures I have named. Snead's claret was famed 

 in those days, and from having a great deal of body 

 in it was an admirable reviver. 



In these days it would be called " loaded," but what 

 with I never could make out, for it was very good, 

 and if loaded at all it was loaded with something very 

 much to the purpose. In those days of yore men did 

 not drink nips of sherry all day long, and B, and S. 



