THE TURF 23 



the property of the Jockey Club since the 

 year 1753. A great power is gained here 

 by giving the power of preventing obnoxious 

 persons coming upon it during the meet- 

 ings; and it would be well if that power 

 were oftener exerted. Betting-posts are 

 placed on various parts of the heath, at 

 some one of which the sportsmen assemble 

 immediately after each race, to make their 

 bets on the one that is to follow. As not 

 more than half an hour elapses between the 

 events, the scene is of the most animated 

 description, and a stranger would imagine 

 that all the tongues of Babel were let loose 

 again. No country under the heavens, 

 however, produces such a scene as this; 

 and he would feel a difficulty in reconciling 

 the proceedings of those gentlemen of the 

 betting-ring with the accounts he might 

 read the next morning in the newspapers of 

 the distressed state of England, or that 

 money was scarce anywhere. 'What do 

 you bet on this race, my lord?' says a 

 vulgar-looking man, on a shabby hack, 

 with *a shocking bad hat.' 'I want to 

 back the field/ says my lord. 'So do I,' 

 says the leg. ' I ; 11 bet five hundred to two 



