The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-04 00:00:00

THE MELTON HUNT.

A soaker now and then is a most enjoyable thing—that
is to say, the warm bath and complete change after are
more thoroughly appreciated after a good drencher, but
when such soakings are the rule rather than the exception
it becomes a matter for consideration as to whether they
are really enjoyable or not. 'Tis true, thanks to the in-
ventive ago in which we live, it is possible to be enveloped
in complete suits of waterproof clothing, but it is no joke
to ride through a run thus muffled, and in the end to find
ono's coat as wet inside, from confined perspiration, as out-
side from the wet. Nevertheless, it is no more nor less
than hunting have had to put up with, and an overcoat
strapped to the saddle has been as much a t'ade mecum as
the saddle itself. Scent, that puzzle to philosophers, has
also been most precarious, and consequently good runs
have as yet got to come. We are now getting comfortably
full, and things are as they should be, when such well-
knownotrp
whon
facese, as Earl Wilton, W. L. Gilmour, Esq., Hon. F.
al
and Major Paynter are to be seen at the covert
side. The neighbourhood also is filling 11P. .„arCaptains___by
Fenwick and Boyce have put in appearance at Bark
by
and the gathering of scarlet every morning at the
meet is quite up to the average.
Friday saw the Quern at Great Dalbn
field, and after finding a fox at Gartree
however, they did very little good, they went
the covert with no
wiliithwaitvhewryhifeahir,
Trussells, and after racking about innbit
of gorse outside,
result, a fox was found in the little bit
nicely laid on, but
Hent'on to Thorpe
and he went away well,. with ho
to
alas ! "a
drain on Fisher's farm, about
an end to what seemed likelyot hf i milenthg 0.
roofflb"
eheroputiog
was much conversation on coincidencethert
no fox in this far-
drawn—on both occasions eox f:l,ieeiolgastfo • towniaceouittshidaos—baenend
sundry whisperings were .
discredit upon a community
famed
covert
of a certain fresh tenant
themselves the reputation of being
who have earned for trs
~ on that side the Quorn country.
farmer, who is likely to bring
the best fox Preserv; check in time may be put upon any
attempt with the widely spread fame of this
and as the wholeaffair may
arise from some
It is to beto lropt:wd
styli awt 1
little covert,
quietly, and see if peace cannot be
say, talk
things
s the foxes left at rest. Leaving their fox
stupid misundersotvaenrding between parties, we would simply
maintained and
ea hl f
gooda
nother day, they went on to Ashby Pas-
ture and eaving Thorpe village to the
and I •
in
the
drain
nufnodr at:gain, running back by the Trussells,
T f d after
which road near wy orWindmill,
right, crossed the. ,
if for Burrough, but he doubled
they kept on as
across 1%11. Paget 's farm,
back, and they lost him near Adams's gorse. This last
run took place in a soaking rain, and many were wet to
the skin before reaching home.
Saturday, the Duke's came to Piper's Hole, the country
not at all improved by the heavy rain of yesterday. The
Old Hills was the first draw, and gave them a fox, who
went away well, and ran sharp round in a ring to Scalford
Plantations, after which scent failed, and though they
dragged on to Melton spinnies no more good was done
with him. At the spinnies there were, as a friend said,
"heaps of foxes," and after flogging one up who, with the
craft of his kind, had crept out of the covert and laid down
in a ditch close by, leaving those inside to stand the frizzle,
they got away on the east side, and had a nice sticky piece
of galloping across Scorer's farm and the Grantham turn-
pike up for Brentingby spinnies, but it did not result in a
good thing, and although they afterwards went to Scalford
Bogs, I did not hear that they had any more sport.
Monday gave Melton men an opportunity of dividing
their favours, as the Quorn were at Wartnaby Stone Pits
and tliv DttkO's o,t, st9hvsby. AS they had INvia with the

Duke's at Hose Glranbe, 7
the Quern had the preferejce, and
by far the largest field of
pinks assembled to meet the Mar-.
tidmide.
nTothefomrboordne-
iDngoniwngastonfi,
fine, but
tupancarth
quis, who, notwithstanding the long stretch
&mu Castle
cuttinge appointed
ir
much scent, and so it proved in the first part of the
day. We went back to the Old Dalby Wood for our
first fox, but drew it blank, nor did Saxilby spinnies
improve upon it, so on we wont to the old
quarters—Grimstone Gorse—always a safe find, not-
withstanding the moderate slaughter there has been
amongst its occupants this season. We had not long to
wait for a view hollo, as " Charley" crossed the ride, an'
he soon went away on the top side, and dropped over
the
road into Dalby Wood, but they drove him through, and
away on the Wartuaby side, along the hills, towards Which
he ran with hounds only able to pick up the scent at i
tervalq, with the exception of " hark back," which
took ea
nearly to the wood again. We kept straight on the top,
past Wartnaby, and. llolwell Mouth, the huntsman evi-
dently thinking the fox had gone on for Clawson Ttiorue,
but he failed to hit off the line, and then put into Holwell
Mouth with uo result ; so we then passed ou through
Kettleby, and after trying the spinnies near there workecl4
round to Welby Osier Holt without any signs of a fox
and looked like being a middling day, but before goirg
back to Grimstone Gorse they dropped the hounds into a,
small coppice, known as Cant's Thorn's, when up bolhed
fox, and the real business of the day began. Away he
went down for the turnpike, crossing it, and going in the
direction of the Old Hills, but reachingwhich he turned up
to the right, and ran merrily across by Hind's Lodge, and
on in a line pointing for Melton—leaving Sysonby Lodge,
to the right. We soon got on the ploughed land, arid
scent was not'quite so good, but in they went, and
crossed the Scalford-road, not a great way above
Lord Bradford's lodge, bearing down for the Scalford
Brook, which they went over, near an opportune ford place
or the field must have been thinned, RS the brook was (rote
full, and by no means an enticing object, except to te 'few
of the hard riding division who were in the va.r„ and
amongst whom was Lord Royston, whose horse 'came to
grief, and gave both of them a cool bath, and wo mistake.
It did not, however, cool his lordship's ardour, for he
mounted again and went through to the find of the run,
drenched as he was. But to return, bewails held on as far
as Thorpe tollgate, and were getting a long way from,
home, when reynard doubled and came round pretty much
over the same line again, except that he bore more to the
left, and passed close to Mr. Gaskell's house, and was viewed
as he crept across the turnpike on to Selby's farm. Re
was here reported to be, quite beaten, but they carried on
across the turnpike at Potter-hill, pointing for the Old
Hills, but only for a short distance, as he took anotherturn,
and they traced him back to Cant's Thorns, when, they
left him, after a very fair burst, the first part of w'nieh waa
all that could be desired as to pace and quality of country,
and amongst those who rode to the fore were Captains
Clowes and Ponwick, E. Cheney, Sir G. Wombell, and
Lord Royston.

On the same day the Duke's hounds came down from
Stonesby to Burbidge's covert, which was full of foxes, and
tho old one soon broke away with a cub close after him, for
Brentingby. After passing which, ho went for Stapleford
Park, but he did not reach it, and leaving it to the
left, he wont towards Whissondine. Here the foxes parted
company, but the hounds stuck to the " young 'un," which
turned to the right for the Oakham turnpike, and ran under
Burton village back to the covert. Time up to this point
forty minutes, across as stiff a lino for fences as could be
selected. The hounds ran their fox in a covert a short

time, and by accident chopped a fox, but Cooper was awakj,
to his not being the run fox, so he went at it again, and
and soon made him face the open again, which he did by
the side of the river, and went over the railway bridge, and
on for Brentingby Spinnies, but was completely beat, and
was killed near to Brentingby village, after a very good
hour and ten minutes. Tho Duke was out, and appeared
to thoroughly enjoy this really good thing. Tho hounds
went to Newman's Gorse for a second fox and found, and
ran to ground near Waltham.
Mr. Burbidge, of Thorpe, who was out with the Duke's,

left for home after the kill, and was surprised to hear the
Quorn running down for Thorpe toll-bar, and poshed in
and joined them, and wont through the remainder of the
run with them, thus hunting with two packs in one day, a
feat not often accomplished oven in this fox-hunting
country.
The country is still awfully heavy, and we want a few
fine days to make it easier going for horses.—Leicester
Journal.

THE YELLOW FEVER ON BOARD THE
SEINE.

A supplement to the London Gazette, published
yesterday, after reciting the various Acts of
Parliament bearing on the quarantine laws, contains
the following Order in Council anent the above-
named vessel :
1. That the said vessel, called the Seine, shall remain
and continue at the Motleerbauk aforesaid, until the Lords
of her Majesty's Most lion. Privy Council, or any three or
more of them, shall mak,' further order :
2. That the persons now on board the said vessel,
called the Seine, not ordered to bo removed to the Mene-
laus, shall be removed to the hospital ship Parana, unless
ordered to remain on board the Seine by the Medical
Superintendent of Quarantine, at Southampton, in accord-
ance with the provisions contained in the 24th paragraph
of the Order in Council, dated July 19, 1825.
3. That all persons so removed on board the Menelaus
Quarantine Hulk, or who shall hereafter be removed on
board; the hulk, or on board the Parana, or any other
hospital ship, and who shall have been on board the
Seine, shall be kept and detained on board the said hulk or
other hospital ship, until the said Lords of the Council, or
any three or more of them shall make further order.
And the Eight Honourable the Lords Commissioners of
her Majesty's Treasury, and the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, are to give the necessary directions h erein
as to them may respectively appertain.