THE PRINCE OF WALES AT MADRAS, 1875. 19 



embodied in the shape of racing, steeplechasing, and jackal 

 hunting. 



The first two, you may say, he might see much better at 

 home. Granted, so he might ; but that he saw much that was 

 novel and much that was interesting in them here I will 

 endeavour to show, and that he extracted much amusement 

 out of all three I am prepared to assert. Take my assertion 

 for what it is worth, but grant me a fair hearing. 



One of the Prince's most conscientiously kept maxims would 

 appear to be to " do at Rome as the Romans do," if we may 

 judge in any way by the facility with which he at once assi- 

 milated himself to the ideas and customs of the good people 

 of Madras. Without shirking one jot or tittle of the cere- 

 monial connected with his visit, nor even after a day's toil 

 allowing himself the luxury of a single yawn during the 

 delivery of the dullest of addresses, he entered with hearty 

 and most unmistakable enjoyment into all that was provided 

 for him (whatever shape it took) ; stayed up with the latest, 

 rose with the earliest, and ever appeared the freshest and 

 halest of all. 



So, on the second or third day of his arrival, 6.15 A.M. saw 

 him at the racecourse, where, for some time previous to each 

 meeting the whole sporting population of Madras daily adjourn 

 at early dawn. 



And now there was indeed to be a meeting, for was it not 

 yclept " the Prince of Wales'," and was it not to eclipse every 

 previous effort of its kind ? A morning's racing was to be 

 provided, wherein should be put before him the game gallantry 

 of the Arab, the slashing stride of the ungainly Waler, and, 

 still more remarkable, the power of these latter to race over 

 four feet walls, in spite of shoulders that would make Mr. 

 Thomas shudder, and heads that would convulse a Croydon 

 crowd. 



The Madras racecourse is situated some five miles out of the 

 said city — though why it was ever allowed to place itself there, 

 I have yet come across no white man of sufficient information 



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