POLO IN INDIA 277 



freely and almost as strongly as on the right ; they are the ordinary 

 forward strokes, and a back stroke, by which the ball can be hit 

 either straight back or at right angles behind the pony's tail. 1 This 

 is a most useful stroke and not difficult to acquire after practice 

 although at first the beginner generally succeeds in hitting his 

 pony's tail oftener than the ball. There is also a two-handed 

 stroke on this side, the ball not being thrown into the air but hit 

 along the ground, both hands being used to give greater power. 

 Besides these ordinary strokes, with which every Munnipoorie is 

 acquainted, and which are constantly used, there are many fancy 

 strokes which are more for show than use. One of them is to hit 

 the ball, when at rest, with a downward stroke, so as to make 

 it rise in the air, catch it on the butt of the stick, and hit it 

 away. Another is to hit the ball forward behind the pony's tail by 

 a back stroke on the right-hand side ; but strokes of this kind are 

 extremely difficult and only attempted by the very best players. 



According to our ideas of hands^ a Munnipoorie has none, and 

 his way of turning his pony is by a rude jerk of the bridle and 

 being ever ' at ' him with his whip. Consequently, when a Euro- 

 pean gets on one of these animals a misunderstanding generally 

 arises. Taking them all round the Munnipoories, with their long, 

 streaming hair, their bodies naked to the waist, their quaint 

 saddlery, and excited demeanour, give one a fair idea of the noble 

 savage thoroughly enjoying himself. 



When playing by themselves and merely for practice the 

 Munnipoories prefer to ride barebacked, and letting loose their 

 long hair, and gripping the sides of their ponies with their naked, 

 dark-hued legs, they flash hither and thither, making such abrupt 

 and sharp turns and sudden pauses that it is difficult at times to 

 realise that man and pony have not one will, as they seem to have 

 one body. 



To Major-General J. F. Sherer, to whom I shall presently 

 allude more fully, I am indebted for the following additional 

 remarks on Munnipoories and their play. 



He says : 



To see kan-jai-bazet played in its greatest perfection one should 

 go to the fountain-head of the game, at the Munnipore capital itself. 



1 I have seen Mr. John Watson, Mr. F. B. Mildmay, and Mr. Arthur 

 Peat perform this latter stroke several times at Hurlingham. 



