184 



and the going at next meet ought to be about the best we get in this 

 pavt of the world, so I expect to have to chronicle a bumper meet and 

 lots of fun next week. 



The second meet of the season took place yesterday morning, the 

 meet being at the old kennels. The fixture was unfortunately dated, as 

 the St. Andrew's Dinner overnight (and morning too for the matter of 

 that) and the Ballygunge Association Meeting at the same hour, 

 prevented a large number of the usual following from putting in an 

 appearance. The course too was a particularly bad one for the lookers- 

 on, as it left the vicinity of the pucka at the start and finished in space, 

 or anyhow, in a not very accessible jungle path. It would have been 

 easy enough to fetch the paper along the lane, and finish, as last time, 

 in the open, and I don't know why this was not done. I am well aware 

 how difficult it is to get a course at all at this time of the year, but still 

 I am disposed to think that the promoters of our most popular cold 

 weather pastime are a little apt to lose sight of the fact that a very 

 considerable proportion of the subscribers give their countenance and 

 their rupees in order to see, rather than participate in ihe chase. They 

 are easily satisfied too in this respect, and are at present, at all events, 

 c[uite contented if they can see, say, a couple of fences, at the finish. 

 Later on, when the ground is drier and free of standing crops, they may 

 wax more exacting, but then the facilities for gratifying them will be 

 very largely enhanced. 



The paper was carried by the Jumping Brothers, and I need not 

 add that the field did not on this occasion beat the foxes home. The 

 field, from causes already alluded to, was a small one, and the finish, 

 barring the leaders, a straggling one. In trying to account for this 

 latter, the casual remark of a Cannie Scot that the course seemed "a 

 tirly-wirly like," afforded one assistance. The line was a pretty 

 straight one for so early in the season, but no doubt an over-conscien- 

 tious observance of his duty to his patron Saint and an excess'of sugar 

 in Colonel Fergus Graham's last brew, caused more than one staunch 

 Caledonian to deviate a little from a bee line. Mr. Pedestrian was again 

 to the fore on his now well-known paperchaser, winning at the finish 

 cleverly from Mr. Rajpore, "the Major" on his victorious hurdle racer 

 securing third place. Mr. Mac's brilliant fencer Rob Roy would have 

 had something to say to the finish had he not gone in for the "tirly- 

 wirly" business, in the wake of some misguided Scotchman, just before 

 the last fence. The fences were smaller than last week and casualties 

 were consequently fewer, still there was plenty of jumping and any 

 amount of fun. At the same time, I heard more than one complaint as 

 to the thrusting riding of a young gentleman, who shall be nameless (if 



