An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

122 AUTOBIOGRAPHY He was a "masterpiece," and as jovial as a mau could be made. It he is still alive I suppose he is now one of our deadly foes. Just about this time I had put up a butt in my garden and practised pistol shooting assiduously, getting to shoot very well, for I see that with 12 shots I scored 35 as against two well-known game shots, IO and 6 ! Fired with this I made up my mind to go in for archery, and contriving to get a 50 yards range on my lawn had plenty of practice. Privately I could shoot well, but in public was always a duffer. One of the pleasantest rides of the year was on the 30th seeing the yachts start for their long journey at Acle regatta, and keeping them in view most of the way till they stopped at Horning Ferry, about 30 miles in all. In August I bought privately the Norwich Rate Book of 1633-4 (?) which no doubt bad been stolen from the Guildhall in the bad old days, and before returning it to the Corporation arranged with Messrs. J arrolds to print it, which I did soon after. Hertzfeld, a German Socialist, we had known through Furnivall, and a very pleasant man, came to see me for a day or two. On the August Bank Holiday I went to the East Dereham sports and saw C. G. Wood, the old nmning champion, do very well in the riding competitions. I noted that Spencer, the aeronaut, was a very superior and quiet man, and that Boyle, the Conservative candidate (after– wards M.P.) was both pleasant and sensible. Dr. Venn, the great Cambridge antiquary, and an old correspondent of mine, gave us a visit on the 7th. Our Coronation Sports on the 9th at Lammas were very success– ful, the new R.C. tenants at the Hall behaving very well and liberally at a vtry short notice. My usual autumn coast ride began on the 16th, through East Dereham, Seaming, and Swaffham to Lynn. The next day wa::; pouring, and as I could get no food at Hun– stanton ,I was too wet and dirty to be taken in by r~spect- _able hotels) I pushed on to Burnham. Next day I had a mare's nest discovered for me as to an alleged cave dwelling at Salthouse, which I thought would have ~een a splendid score to show the N. & N.A S., which had its autumn meeting the next day at Wiveton, &c, However, it turned out to be a very prosaic smugglers' cave. After I had