Huntiiig i?i the Isle of Wight. 281 



ever, though prevented chasing the fox, I was yet able 

 to hunt with the hounds, and hold with the hare. 

 Having ascertained that the Isle of Wight Harriers 

 were to meet at Sheats Farm, distant from Yentnor 

 some eight or nine miles, lying to the left of the 

 Newport Eoad, I secured a mount on a clever little 

 nag, who, however, exhibited some slight eccentricities, 

 objecting, for instance, to the touch of my coat tails, 

 declining to go beyond certain defined boundaries; 

 but yielding under pressure (like the Turks), and 

 getting the wrong end of the stick (also like the 

 aforesaid) he conceded more territory, and finally 

 concluded an armistice, which enabled me to reach 

 my destination, though a little late, like the Kussian 

 despatches. 



As I galloped along what no doubt is a beautiful 

 country, but which was obscured by a dense fog, the 

 prospect was not inviting. To the left, as I passed 

 along, I caught a glimpse of Appuldurcombe, formerly 

 the seat of the Earl of Yarborough, a very charming 

 place for a residence ; then away through the exceed- 

 ingly tranquil, not to say dull, villages of Rooksley, 

 Wroxhall, and Godshill, I arrived at the " Meet," to 

 find that the hounds had left, and when I got up to 

 them they were running a hare through a copse on a 

 steep hillside. Looking around me I was constrained 

 to admit that "it was a queer up-and-down sort of 

 country," bearing a strong resemblance to the Brighton 

 Down, with, however, a considerable tract of com- 

 pensating level "country," with small fields and 

 tolerably stiS" fences. 



Shoving my heels into my little horse, I was not 

 long before I reached the hounds, which by this time 



