HUNTING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4527, 30 April 1889, Page 3

HUNTING.

COXTUIDCTED^ ' Onca more autuma is here, though it has j crept on ub so slowly and quietly that it is , bard to realise that wo are almost at the first j of winter, bringing with it that nobli-st of ;ill t sports, hunting. The grawd old sport has taken such a strong hold m South Canterbury ! that I do not think it will easily die out, and } with things financially on the turn I hope to ( tea it well upheld this winter. Wo hear a ( great deal about making bridges and roads to . attract tourists, and no doubt they arc useful m their way, also about the benetit of acclimatisation societies. A good pack of . hounds are equilly useful, and we have m j this district the best south of the line. Hunting eends up ths price of horses and ' circulates a good deal of money m virious ways, besides attracting to a hunting district f as a resident any sporting colonist or tourist, and improves the society and sociability of ( the district. Therefore it deserves the support of all well-to-do residents and Inrge j land owners, and townspeoplo should re- . member that by helping to keep up the pack ' to a high standard they will get a good ] return for their welcome assistance by baviDg | mauy visitors to the distiict. lam m hopes t that our new Governor will pay us a visit | this year, as to his many other good qualities ( he adds that of being a hard and straight ( rider. I The clipping machine hai been m request ( Utoly ; and saddles and bridles have been , anxiously overhauled m anticipation of the coming "season. Our old master, Mr J. Rutherford, has resigned, and his stud of hunters has gone to Australia, much to our regret, as both master and horses are hard to beat. Our new master, Mr E. T. Bhodes, has therefore got a hard task before him m following after such a popular man, but his many sterling qualities and genuine sociable ' character will pull him through. His greatest difficulty has been and will be to collect a good atiid of hunters, as, of course, unless the . huntsman and whip are well mounted, the ' beifc pack m the world are useless. j Wo generally have a few days hunting up lute, but we feared that wj were not to have it this year. However, Mr Rhodes kindly ] determined to stand by the old custom, and j 13 giving us a few days, and the Hehxld contained the welcome news that the first meet was at Strathconan on the 2fjth. Friday morning a. howling N,W. gale was blowing and gave little promise of any sport, and I hardly expected the hounds would be taken out. 'ihe fact that it was Mr Rhodes' first appearance m tho field, and that tho meet was at Mr McLean's, where we are always certain of a kindly wi-Icame from ilr aud Mrs McLean, was BiiJlicient to draw a good Celd for such a day. On our arrival we found Mr Bhodes already there. Ho was mounted on •• The Plug," who wa3 looking very fit. The huntsman, a nice light-weight, wsji on a good looking black horse, and tho whip on a wiry grey mare. The hounds were looking very well, eoata sleek and bright, and although on the fat sida that can eoor. be set right. Many of my old favourites I rrmied, but their places were taken by goodlooking young hounds, and Mr Bbodeo has a giod level lot to start the ecaion with. After a chat, a look at the hounds, and the inevitable Bmoke, a move for the open was made. 'I he wind at times almost lifted us out of the saddle, and made it a work of no small difficulty to retain possession of our hata. A little wild at first, no doubt from the wind, the pack soon settled down and hunted nicely. A whimper or two, and then a bare broke away from the tusaock and took to tho open, and a full chorus proclaim! a find. What a grand ?ound it is, and ;is each hound vies with its mate m proclaiming its delight at fluding, how it lends the blood surging through our veins. It it impossible to hold back, and rimming on our hats, and driving m our heels, we quite forget that it is only an old crock that wo are ajtnde of . Luckily for as. bofora we reach a fenea ncont dies away, as the ground is too hot to hold it, and hounds timing to check we regain our ieoie«. Making a cast up wind, the huntsman lets his hounds quietly work out their line, and hitting off we are m hopes of a run, when they unfortunately chop a hare. After this we potter around and make several ineffectual attempts at a run, ua the scont will not hold. A move is at last mude, at Mr A. McLean's invitation, for lunch, and let people scoff as Ihey like, on such a day it is a grand institution especially when it U a Stratlicynan luncheon. M-i Rhodes ullowed us plenty of time for lunch, and a quiet smoke and chat, hut at last the wind dropping, a move was iigain made. Soon a liat was m the air— too poon for somo, as I heard onts nnn plaintively remark "Oh, that pic!" Leading down a ntecp terrace, and away across ;i flat vullev, trie hounds led us at a pneo that showed they had not forgotten how to travel, Tho •pack bcre divided and a few of the hounds broke away up tho yalley after a fresh hare, ;ind tho whip and some of thn field after thum. Tho roßt bearing to tho left, led m over a good gorse fencn, and now Ir:t stoics Ray what thoy please, what finer thing is thero on earth than a good horse under one, good grim going, and tho music of tho streaming pack m front? How one's spirits riso. " Worry, there's no such thing m existence sir! " As wo fly over the high gor«o fence, with a swiah through tho uir like n. groy duck, wo fully realise Whyte Melville's linos : — " It's worth tho risk of lifo and limb or ncek, boys, To «c thorn glanco and sloop Till they finish with wlio-whuop, forty minutes o'er tho grass without a check,

i : Then across anotlior grass field, over a 7-wir j ' fence, and cut of this flold they broke thei 1 I lino at a great pace, over another gorse fei.ci into the valley ii"am. (At this fence I notieec .. -° x . . a A wJlf ) is well known as a stecplechaso rider, do i > most unwarrantable thing. Pulling his hors< • right m front of the master, he took his line, I and the master, to save jumping on him, had to pull his horse off the fence. These tactics may be allowable m steeplecha?ing, but arf i most unpardonable m the hunting field. I trust, that tho young man will take this hint.) Circling arouu'd the, valley tho whole pack again united and showed a pretty bit of hunting, and a check enabled tho huntsman to show he knew how to handlo hia hounds, us ho made a nico east and quietly helped his hounds to find their line. Hitting it off again down tho spur, we rattled over a large gorse fence, past the house, and straight for tho road, over another wire fence, and then bearing to the left over another 7-wire and ditch fence and up the crerk, we were pulled up by an 8-wireand bank. This caused a delay, as tho huntsman, after trying it once, wisely left, it and road.i for a gat». Meantime the hounds changed hares, the hunted one fquatting, being dead beat and us black as a coal, would soon havo been killed. We then kept on galloping and changing hares for nbout half an hour, till horses and hounds getting baked, Mr Rhodes determined to stop. The scent was wonderful for such a hot day, and tho hounds worked well ; and for men who were not accustomed to wire, and had horses not used to it either, the huntsmen and whip did well. The huntsman was a little slow at getting to his heueds sometimes, but it may have been his hole's condition, that he was afraid of, so it is hardly fair to judge him yet. Mr Rhodes is to bo congratulated on his men and horses, and when they get to know each other and the country they will I think give a good account of themselves, ami enable him to show good sport. I vra9 sorry not to see Mr J. Rutherford, but I hear that business kept him away. I also missed several old faces, but tho notice was so short, and harvest was so late, that many could not attend. I look for a better field on Monday. Altogether wo had a good day's eport and a very pleasant outing, bar the wind, and as 1 slowly wend my way home, nnd the fascination of hunting and" thoughts of olden days arise, I make up my mind that neit season, if wlu-at— " \h, there is always that confounded