THE HUNTSMAN

Saturday Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 166, 14 September 1878, Page 11

THE HUNTSMAN

CHRISTCHURCH HOUNDS.

On Monday the 10th, the citizens of Dunedin had an opportunity of seeing the first step made towards starting that most glorious of English sports, hunting. Through the instrumentality of one gentleman in our midst, Mr Egan, with the Christchurch Hunt Club hounds, has been persuaded to come down for a short season round Dunedin.

The want of better game to hunt compelled the huntsmen to have recourse to tho drag, which, for the benefit of those who do not understand, we shall explain as consisting of the very simple method of an artificial scent laid over the course which it is desirable that the hounds and field should follow.

The throw-off took place in a ploughed field in front of Mr John Cargill’s residence, Sea View, at the appointed hour of two o’clock. By this time a large concourse of people had assembled from Dunedin and its environs, some on foot, but by far the greater number Counted on every conceivable description of the equine race, from the heavy draught to the smallest sort of a pony. In addition to this we were delighted io see several carriages full of ladies whose bright looks, coupled with the beauty of the afternoon, lent a charm to the whole affair w-hieh must have been very much appreciated by every one present. After a false start when several wild sportsmen began to gallop about in an aimless kind of way, the hounds, striking the scent, got away up through theploughed field, over a gorse fence into a small grass field away in a northerly direction towards the Ocean Beach. Every one seemed to get over or rather through the first two gorse fences without any mishaps; one gentleman, or a boy, ran against another on a chestnut at the second fence, but no damage being done they both went on to the third, which the majority of the field finding a little stiff, were inspecting as if they had lost something in its midst. The master mounted on his clever little Tally-ho with his staff, and several others had gone on and come to a stone wall. Tally-ho was over like a bird, followed by the indefatigable promoter of the hunt, who sat in his saddle as if built on purpose. Then came two or three others, rattling the stones aboutin great style, so that by the time the mob wbo had been inspecting the third gorse fence came up, there was little left but an insignificant heap of stones. However, through they went, and then a slight check, when we heard many a quick relation of their exploits by several ofjtlie heroes of the last edition of the stone wall who seemed fully under the impression that they cleared a house. Sounded the music again, and away they go up to the hocks in the plough, and several gorse fences of a very harmless description, along the carriage drive under the eyes of the ladies, then a slight chuck in amongst the spectators on horse-back, who seemed to take a delight in crowding round the fences at the { daces where the wire had been driven, and ooking into their very depth, much to the disappointment of those who wanted a chance over. One old sportsman, well-known near by Manse Street, seemed to be dying to get at it, and had it not been for the very diminutiveness of his pony, he would have been away. The run had now come round and was going almost due south with very few immediately after the hounds, the ground going very heavy, but the gorse fences were mere nothings ; then over some rails into the middle of the Beach road, helter-skelter along it, and then a check when the whole field collected. One or two harmless spills, amongst which a small boy about eight years old, belonging to a well-known stablekeeper, showed ug none the worse for the clay, and game as ever. After a few minutes* breathing the scent was taken up again, out of the road at a rattle, every one but some four or five being pounded by a bank and gorse, but handy to a friendly gate which gave them a chance to cut through the stable yard towards home ; in the mean time the lucky ones were having the only real bit of jumping of the day over posts and rails on the hill to the south of Sea View. These were crossed three times, but by the time they were done with, the splinters lay about. Then down the hill round by the back of the house and killed in a small field at the front, the master and staff being in their proper places. Altogether the afternoon was most enjoyable, fine weather, no accidents, and many men who had never gone over a fence in their lives before, went home with the firm conviction that a steeple chase would be mere child’s-play for tliem in future. Cantering Jack.