.Although the new Railway and civilization generally have driven us quite out of 

 Ballygunge, an extensive and most suitable part of the country round Jodpur is 

 still available, and will be for many years, I hope. The popularity of this sport 

 is so well known that it is unnecessary for me to say anything about it. Let the 

 unbeliever find his way out to Jodpur on any paperchase morning and he will 

 be more than surprised to see the large number of people who find their way 

 to see a paperchase at such an early hour, while the Cup day seems to bp the 

 signal for a regular exodus of every person in Calcutta, who can raise a crock 

 or pay twelve annas for a ** ticca." Amongst them may be seen the winner of 

 the first paperchase Cup tOi^ether with two or three well-known sportsmen who 

 took part in the first chase in 1870. The addition of an Average Cup last, and 

 this year, has no doubt added very considerably to the interest taken in the 

 weekly meets, while a cup for the heavy weights has also been presented by a 

 spotrsman who has won the Cup on more than one occasion, and whose record 

 of spills and broken bones, not to speak of horses killed in paperchasing, will 

 be difficult to beat." , 



Thanks to various good sportsmen who have kindly 

 furnished the Editor of this book with their experiences, 

 this account of what happened can be amplified and the 

 date corrected. Mr. Edward E. Bigge, who left India 

 about nineteen years ago, and Mr. Thomas Watson who 

 is still in Calcutta to-day and therefore a most valuable 

 witness, and Mr. G. W. F. Buckland, until quite recently 

 in India, have given their testimony which proves that 

 Mr. McLeod makes the date about two or three years 

 later than the actual one, about 1867 or 1868. Mr. Bigge 

 wrote to a well-known sportsman in Calcutta, when he 

 heard that it was intended to compile a history of paper- 

 chasing, the two following letters : — 



I. 



Watton Housr, EIkrtford, 

 April yth. 



It is years since we met, but I have just been reading the Overland English- 

 man and see you were presiding at a Paperchase dinner and talking about the 

 early history of Calcutta Paperchases. Strange to say, I can tell you the history 

 of the first. It was got up either in December 1868 or possibly 1869 by Brancker 

 of Ewing & Co , Butler of Gillanders, Beebee of the Educational Department, and 

 a few friends joined ; the meet was at the Racket Court, and they went along 



