'should never quit his horse, and now he was the only man who had ' not dismounted, and he still stuck to the saddle when the boat went over, but, strange to say, his horse very soon sank under him.' What a very sad thing!'

"Yes; I never knew any event create such a sensation as this did ' throughout Yorkshire, and nearly every master of hounds in the 'county stopped hunting until after the funerals. Only one horse was 'saved-curiously that was Saltfish, the cause of the accident. He ' was known as a queer-tempered horse. Mr. Paddison of Grantham 'purchased him at Tattersall's for thirty pounds or guineas, and he was afterwards sold to Sir Charles, in company with another, for a large price, on Ash Wednesday, hence his name Saltfish; the other, I believe, was named Eggsauce.'

What was done with regard to the country for the remainder of 'the season?'

Why, Sir George Wombwell of Newburgh Park took the hounds; "but it was decided that they should not meet again, but Lord Middleton ⚫ and Mr. Lane Fox were invited to have a few days in the country on 'their respective sides. The great day, however, was when Mr. Hall, with the Holderness, met at Dring Houses; but before telling you ' of that I must notice the sales of the studs of the unfortunate ' gentlemen, to which men came from all parts, and horses were sent 'from them into some of the best studs in England, a circumstance 'not to be wondered at when we remember the style of horse'men they had belonged to. Saltfish was not sold but pensioned for life, but Sir Charles's next favourite, Rosamond, a very beautiful 'mare, was sold to Mr. Cannon for four hundred and thirty guineas; 'she was bred somewhere in Holderness, and Sir Charles once went 'to see her dam, and could scarcely believe his informant when a 'coarse-looking mare, drawing a cart, was pointed out as the dam of his favourite. Such she was, however; but no doubt there was ' good blood in her veins. The sale at Scriven Park took place ' during one of the most blinding snow-storms I ever saw.'

Good; now for the Dring Houses day. I think you said it was 'something out of the common?'

'Indeed it was in every way, for not only did the élite of three hunts assemble; viz., the York and Ainsty, the Holderness, and 'Bramham Moor, but men came from Lord Middleton's, the Bads'worth, and other places. The horsemen were estimated at from 'five to six hundred, the carriages extended from Dring Houses to ' opposite Copmanthorpe, and of foot people there was quite an 'army. The first draw was Swann's Whin, where a fox was found, who went away over the stiff Rufforth and Martin country, 'threading the Marston drain several times, but the scent was bad, and they could do nothing with him. The spills were more ' numerous than I ever saw before or since, and loose horses were 'running in all directions. Some of the men from the Wolds said they could not imagine how the Ainsty farmers ever found labour enough to dig such confounded great ditches. There was enough

of them to satisfy the greatest glutton, and they proved serious 'stumbling-blocks to the strangers whose horses were not accustomed to them. The great run, however, occurred from the far-famed Askham Bogs, in the afternoon, when some of the crowd had gone 'home. From here to Red House as gallant a fox as ever wore brush led us, in forty-five minutes with not a check worth speaking of. The distance was eight miles as the crow flies, and the country 'decidedly stiff.'

'Did you kill?'

No; as Mrs. Leslie, Sir Charles Slingsby's sister, was residing Fat Red House it was very properly decided to whip off when we 'approached it, so this good fox saved his brush. Had it not been for that he could not have stood much longer before them. The riding, as you may imagine, was . something worth seeing; but 'perhaps from knowing the country better the natives had perhaps 'just a shade the best of it. Mr. Hope Barton, the Master of the Badsworth, was, however, very forward all the time, and Lambert and John Holiday struggled gamely for the honour of Holderness; 'Mr. Hall, on his magnificent horse Stomach Ache, was very forward, and Miss Frances Hall, on Braggadocio, went beautifully; a welter weight, named Johnson, on a fine old grey horse, said 'to be from Durham, also went wonderfully. Sir George Womb'well, it is needless to say, seemed in the seventh heaven of delight the whole time. Backhouse and all his assistants, I believe, got 'down, but they will long remember their day in the York and 'Ainsty country, more than thirty horse-boxes came into York 'Station from the Beverley line alone, and the crowd to see the 'hounds and people disembark and start again was as great as if royalty had been present.'

Who did Sir George secure as huntsman ?'

'Peter Collison from the Cheshire, when in Shropshire called the Canary, a capital man, but of course he was strange to the country; and the only man who could aid him, poor Will Powter, was killed ' in cub-hunting at the commencement of the first season, by his 'horse falling in a blind ditch near Askham Bogs. Having lost him, 'he was alone, and obliged to leave the hounds quite to themselves; ' and when they threw up a dozen people were volunteering different 'information at the same time, so that too many cooks spoilt the 'run. At the end of his second season he left, and Tom Squires, late head whip to Lord Coventry, who learnt all he knew from 'John Treadwell, now takes the vacant place.'

Who are the principal men hunting with these hounds now?' In the seasons of 1870 and 1871 something like the following ' turned out from York pretty regularly:

Sir G. Wombwell from Thomas's Hotel, Mr. Sam Bateman, Mr. Robert Prescott, Mr. William Ingilby, Mr. W. H. Rudston Read, a good judge of all that appertains to hunting and racing, and a most hospitable man to the stranger within the gates, Mr. Edward Hopwood, a good man to hounds, Lieut.-Col. Arthur

'Womwell, Col. Jenyns, C.B., 13th Hussars, Major Mussenden, 8th 'Hussars, Major Wombwell of the 12th Lancers, at one time known as a steeplechase rider, Capt. Fletcher, Capt. Riddell, Mr. E. Wal'mesley, Mr. George Denison, Mr. C. Newcomen, Mr. G. Lub'bock, Mr. Duckett, Mr. Spilling, Mr. Hopkinson, Capt. Preston, 'Mr. Walter Creyke, and Mr. T. Lightfoot of Askham Hall.

'Some of the 7th Hussars also went very well; Capt. Barker 'went as straight and with as much judgment as any man in 'Yorkshire, Mr. Hope Johnstone, and Lord Marcus Beresford, who 'lost his horse when out with Lord Middleton, and had a nice ' walk to find him, also rode hard. I also forgot to mention Jackson of Fairfield, who went wonderfully straight on Barney, by 'Barnton, and some of his other nags a few years ago, but had almost given up hunting for a year or two before his death in 1869.' 'Now having brought the history down to the present time, let 'us hear something of the character of the country. What are its 'best meets ?'

Copmanthorpe, Red House, Goldsboro', Acastor, Shires Bar, 'Skelton, Copgrove, Pill Moor, Street Houses, Ribston, Blue 'Bridge, and Stourton. The most extensive woodlands are on the estates of Lords Harewood and Wenlock. But there are not woods 'enough in the country to properly work young hounds. Swann's 'Gorse is a very favourite covert near Acomb, and they have ere now 'had two or three runs in a day from it. Then there is Askham Bogs, 'which generally holds a fox, though, strange to say, none are ever 'bred in it. It is a low-lying swampy cover close to York, difficult 'for hounds to draw in wet weather, and not over good to get away from, but, nevertheless, a very favourite place. There are 'some earths near Middlethorpe where the vixens always lay up 'their cubs, and move them afterwards into the Bogs. Colton 'Hag and Copmanthorpe Woods are very pretty covers on the 'Ainsty side, and at Stubb Wood the Hon. Egremont Lascelles 'always has a customer of the right sort for them, and they seldom, 'if ever, call upon it in vain. On the other side of York the 'New Park coverts are a fine string of woodlands, and there is some fine country towards Stillington, thinly inhabited, and carrying a good scent right away to the hills. A year or two ago foxes were not very plentiful this way, but I hope it is better now.' < Is it stiff on the whole?'

Very, as it is deep plough, and after wet weather the fallows are very heavy, as the water lies a long time. The rivers are soon 'filled, and the streams are strong. To cross them ferry boats must 'be used, and often the current is too strong to guide them. The 'fields are small, particularly round Pillmoor, and the fences come so 'quick in some places, that it is like jumping over the pews of a 'church, so that to get over it a horse must be jumping all day long. 'There are banks and deep ditches which you cannot see until you ' are either over or into them, especially up round Easingwold and 'between Bramham and York; on the Ainsty side, which is the VOL. XXI.-NO. 141.

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stiffest, the country is severe, and wants a good horse, a good heart,. ' and good hands to get over it. There are a fair lot of gates in the country, but they are very tall, most having six bars. Also big ' drains, which horses must slide down into and clamber up, as few 'can take them in their stride, and a good many becks, which is Yorkshire for brooks, about Escrick and up by Riccal, and in 'places the country is boggy. On the whole, you must have a resolute man and good horse to cross it, as it is nearly all plough, ' and holds a first-rate scent when it is damp. Latterly, however, 'farmers have taken to the use of the steam plough, which is a great drawback, as the soil is light and therefore deep. On the day 'Mr. Hall brought his hounds into the country I encountered three 'fields following that had been so cultivated, and as they were all 'strongly fenced it made me wish for the springy elastic turf of "the shires" to beat from. Another drawback is the prevalence of sheep dogs in Yorkshire, which cross the line of a fox, and 'nearly every man has a cur with him. But take it for better or 6 worse the York and Ainsty is a rare country for a man fond of sport. By the way, I have forgotten to tell you of a man who regularly attended the meets in his carriage when I was there and 'drove about all day, contriving, through a good knowledge of the < country, to see a great deal of sport. I believe he never crossed ' a horse.'

"We have given the York and Ainsty a pretty good turn; which ' is the next country you propose to treat of?'

'I think Lord Middleton's, as it is one of those that touches York. It extends in breadth from Bridlington in the south-east 'to York in the west, from Filey to Farlington, near Easingwold; and in depth, from Pocklington in the south to Malton in the ' north, the Wold district lying between Bridlington and Birdsall. The country may be said to go with the sun, starting from Bridlington going by Driffield to Wetwang, Pocklington, Sutton-onDerwent, to York, and so on, by Sheriff Hutton, Farlington, Bransby Bar, by Hovingham and Malton to Filey; it is extensive, being about 130 miles in circumference, and is bounded on the north by Sir Harcourt Johnstone's, and on the south by the 'Holderness. Mr. Foljambe, who lived at Filey, and had his kennels at Ganton Dale, hunted a portion of it in 1832, when Sir Tatton gave them up for that time, said it was one of the finest 'countries he knew.'

Is it principally plough or grass?'

Plough nevertheless, it carries generally a good scent, and is generally favourable for hounds until Christmas, as the stubbles are not ploughed before that time; and although the fences are 'not large, and there are no ditches on the Wolds, it is trying for horses on account of the hills and the pace hounds run over it. 'The stiffest part is perhaps round Settrington, where there are some biggish woods. Up by Gilling Park, on the other side of Castle

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'Howard, there are fir plantations and stone walls on moorland. 'But this is a nasty bit of country, as you are likely to get into pitholes. Here also there are many outlying deer. It is very wild, 'but foxes don't get away from it. as it is bad for scent. The soil 'is cold, and hounds cannot run over it, and ferns here grow a great height.'

I suppose there is some low country?'

'Yes, along the Vale of the Derwent and towards York, here the 'fences are larger, and almost all have a ditch. There is also generally a good scent, and foxes are plentiful. The country

'round Wilberfoss Mill, Catton Common, Buttercrambe Bridge, 'Leppington Wood, and also Farlington and Sheriff Hutton, is very good. Their finest coverts are Marr House Whin, which 'is perhaps the best, Farlington, Catton Common Whin, Dotterill Whin, Leppington Wood, and Howsham Wood; while for the 'meets, Fimber Village, from whence they draw, Pains Slack, a 'famous covert, Millington Wood, Kilham West Field, where last 'season they had a very fine run, Boynton, Thorpe, Dotterill Farm, Hunmanby and East Heslerton, stand first on the Wolds country; 'while in the low country, Buttercrambe Bridge, Lobster House, Fangfoss Station, Farlington, which borders on the York and Ainsty, where the country is stiffish, Wilberfoss Mill, and Scampston are about the best,'

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Who was the first Master of what is now Lord Middleton's 'Hunt?'

The earliest I have heard anything of is Lord Carlisle; but there are few particulars extant with regard to his reign. Then Mr. 'Osbaldeston_of Hunmanby Hall, and after him Mr. Charles Dun'combe, or Lord Feversham, was Master, with Will Carter as 'huntsman.

After this came Mr. Digby Legard and Mr. Watt. In 1804, 'Sir Mark Masterman Sykes was in power, in conjunction with his 'brother Tatton; Will Carter, who once lived with Mr. Meynell, 'who would never wear a hat or carry a horn, being still huntsman, 'assisted by his two sons. The coats of the club had blue collars, on 'which was a silver fox with "Sykes gone away." Sir Tatton was 'sole Master on coming to the title in 1823, and had them altogether 'for more than forty years; so that he was as famous at the covert 'side as on the racecourse, where he was known as a capital rider; ' though, like the late Sam Chifney, he carried his dislike to make run'ning almost to a fault. The country then extended from Bridlington 'to Castle Howard, and from Driffield to Willerby, and the hounds 'were called the Eddlesthorpe, because the kennels were situated 'there. Tom Carter, the first whip, son of Will, succeeded his ' father as huntsman; he entered the service of Sir Mark in 1804, ' and was presented with a testimonial in 1854. Carter was a sort 'of a man that you seldom meet with now; he was highly respectable, and could sit down in the company of gentlemen. For years 'he and Sir Tatton were almost inseparable; they rode to London