228 



and the jumps, consisting chiefly of mud walls and natural banks, very 

 numerous. A big bank with a path running along the top of it proved 

 a little too much for some of the horses, while many riders clung des- 

 perately to their horses' necks on reaching the landing side. After going 

 over two very st'ff old banks, wc went through a piece of jungle to the 

 right. Zil and Handicap now rushed to the front, the pace still being 

 good. On emerging from the jungle we rattled down a long bit of lane 

 and then sharp to the right over a nice bit of open country. In the 

 direction of the Thannah the going hereabouts being very soft, Zil and 

 Handicap were leading with Jack lying handy, while Commissioner was 

 now hurried up to the front The course now went over several mud 

 walls, a hurdle, and a bank and across the road where the finish took 

 place over a hurdle, a mud wall with a drop, and another hurdle. 

 Handicap led over the road, after whi( h Jack rushed up to him, and 

 they took the hurdle togeth-^.r. They, however, had to turn very sharp 

 to the left to reach the mud wall, and as above mentioned they both came 

 down at the trappy place near which the paper was laid. Zil had now 

 no difficulty in securing first honours, while the Mem Sahib, who came 

 with a rattle over the last hurdle, was just beaten for third place by 

 Commissioner, Mr. Dunne fourth. Tambourine fifth. 



188485. 



With the month of December come the Paperchases, and old friends, 

 whose faces we are glad to see again. 



"Jam satis terris nivis atque diroe 



" Grandinis misit pater. — " 

 Which being interpreted into the vernacular meaneth, the rains are 

 over, and we shall now proceed to enjoy ourselves. 



" Sunt quos curriculo pulverem Olympicum 



" Collegisse juvat, metaque fervido." 

 We shall again see coaches toiling up the Gurriah Hat Road, a 

 proof of the efficacy of Turnbull tuition during the dull season. 



The heavy fall of rain we had in September must have made the 

 selection of a decent course a difficult task, the country as yet being 

 more fit for snipe-shooting than for riding. Crops are not cut, the 

 jungle is blind, and for some time courses will have to be laid more or less 

 amongst the lanes and roads. For the next fortnight at least our flyers 

 will be out of it, and happy is the man who possesses a crack as cunning 

 as a lawyer and handy as a knife and fork ; his will be the chance of a 

 show at the finishes. The first new chases, however, are seldom a 

 criterion of how horses will run for places towards the end of the season. 

 Our " first rank " are usually either on young ones, or their nags are not 

 yet in a condition to be bustled, and a man on a handy horse has a good 

 chance of a " place " to his credit for the next few weeks. 



