304 



POLO 



by a thin rope made of twisted yak's hair, and this lashing 

 is continued for some little distance up the stick above its 

 junction with the head. 



Amongst Eastern polo-playing races the goal posts con- 

 sist generally of permanent upright stone pillars, which are 

 always depicted in old illustrations of the game, some of which 

 will be found in this volume. Such things, 

 however, in the polo field at home, consider- 

 ing the pace at which the game is now 

 played, would not be tolerated for an in- 

 stant, and would prove a fruitful source of 

 danger, not only to the players themselves, 

 but to the ponies. Thick wooden posts 

 were generally used at Hurlingham fixed 

 into a socket in the ground and sawn nearly 

 through at their base. Thus in the event 

 of a pony colliding with them they would 

 give way and break. These are, neverthe- 

 less, dangerous, for the material is hard, 

 and the post even when it falls may give an 

 awkward knock. Sometimes, too, the pre- 

 caution of partially sawing the post through 

 may be neglected, when the consequences 

 of a collision are very serious ; then thinner 

 posts were used, but one or two nasty acci- 

 dents proved that these also were open to 

 Thibetan polo-stick ob J ectio in the event of their splintering, 

 or -byntu' By far the best form of goal posts yet in- 

 vented is that now used at Hurlingham, 

 introduced by the Earl of Harrington. These posts consist 

 of hollow cylinders of papier mache bound round with thin 

 brass wire, having a diameter at their base of some 9 inches. 

 A slight stick fixed in the ground inside them is sufficient to 

 keep them upright, and being light and elastic they give to 

 the slightest concussion. They are manufactured by the 

 Willesden Paper Company, and should certainly be used on 

 every polo ground. 



