Hunting 111 the Isle of Thanet, 169 



is extremely pleasant and agreeable to boot. The 

 pack consisted on this day of eleven couples of useful- 

 looking hounds, which forthwith proceeded to draw 

 for a hare, a short time only elapsing before there 

 was a find ; and away they went merrily at a rattling 

 pace, running puss into an enclosed meadow, from 

 which escape was impossible. 



Owing to the violence of the wind, the ladies who 

 had honoured the field with their company, retired 

 from stress of weather, and it was proposed that the 

 meeting should stand adjourned until the following 

 day, in the hope that the elements might give up 

 their boisterous play ; and it would have been better 

 if this resolve had been carried out, for, having drawn 

 for some little while, one of the hounds suddenly 

 disappeared down a drop, and giving tongue, the 

 whole of the pack followed him, unfortunately jumping 

 some forty feet into a disused chalk-pit. When we rode 

 up it was to find that the first hound, who had set 

 this evil example, was dead, and that three were limp- 

 ing and howling with broken legs. This was an un- 

 fortunate accident, terminating the day^s sport abruptly, 

 and being a great loss at the commencement of the 

 season. I had never in my experience seen a disas- 

 trous occurrence of this sort, and it was evident that 

 the pack mistook the yell of the hound that fell first 

 into this trap, for a find, to which they hastened at 

 once. I think it would be an advantageous thing if 

 a few fir poles were to be used as a warning and pro- 

 tection against accidents, or some day we shall hear 

 of horse and rider going headlong into one of these 

 dangerous unguarded pits. 



Owing to the unusually fine time and long con- 



