must go. William Thomas makes a bold attempt on The Fenian^ 

 but something puts the horse a little out of his stride, and not obtaining 

 sufficient bite with his hind feet on landing, his hind legs slip into the 

 water. But the two are not to be denied, and it does not take them 

 long to be out and off again. Two or three jump in, and after frantic 

 struggles scramble out. Two or three more flounder through by a way 

 somewhat easier where a ditch joins the stream ; while a rider on a 

 grey horse is walking up the centre asking if " any fellow can tell a 

 fellow how to get out of this" Meantime there has been grief untold. 

 Some are fathoming the bottoms of ditches, others are for ever on the 

 "refuse," while others think "discretion is the better part of valour" 

 and give it up. Among those who thus met with grief may be noticed 

 Bourke, a Barrister, since added to the list of murdered Irish landlords. 

 But let us get forward with the first flight, mostly composed of the same 

 riders who were to the fore in the first instance. Not one of these has 

 yet been left behind. They now swing round to the right and cross 

 the Gurriah Hat and Tollygunge road half a mile beyond the further 

 turn of the present steeplechase course. Still bearing to the right a 

 fence with a ditch and drop the other side meets the view. Nowhere 

 is a better illustration of the inferior jumping knowledge possessed by 

 the horses of those days. With the best men and best riders that 

 Calcutta could produce not one could accomplish this fence for the 

 first time of asking, and some not till after two or three refusals. 

 The first man the other side " slithered " underneath horse and all, 

 leaving the upper rails untouched. This brings them to strip a of grass 

 which runs alongside Tolly's Nullah, and is about two hundred 

 yards at the back of the present race stand. And here the pace 

 is increased somewhat, the going at times having hitherto been 

 heavy 



But the end is not yet : Turn to the right up a lane and then 

 suddenly to the left, and the riders are confronted with a brick walk 

 Over go the majority of the string, now well drawn out, and througli 

 some gardens only to meet with another brick wall. Aitchison — not 

 by the way Sir Charles of that ilk — is now leading, but weighf, distance 

 and strong leaping has told its tale on Red Prince, and he comes 

 down smashing his rider's collarbone, and to this pair must be accorded 

 premier honour, for this was the end. For the rest it may be said *-hat 

 lapse of time has effaced from memory the various links in the chain 

 of riders. 



This was a rare chase, four miles at least, not such an artificial 

 course as has now to be encountered, and never a mud wall. The 

 water jump was an especial feature. One of the hares cleared it, and 

 it was said one of the field did likewise. If it was so, the names can 

 be narrowed down to Downing or Apperley. 



