CHAPTER I. 



TURF HISTORY. 



" And, pray, what is a gentleman without his recreations ?" 



Old Sony. 



liF we swell the crowd which blocks up the Strand 

 II in front of The Life office, whenever a St. Leger 

 or Derby telegraph is due, into about four millions, 

 we shall not be overstating the number of those to 

 whom " TattersalPs" is the Shibboleth, and whose 

 best sporting affections are bound up in " Ruff." It 

 is not to the United Kingdom merely that we have 

 to look for this mighty host of turfites. The roving 

 Briton needs no law, even by the Black Sea wave, to 

 remind him that the "fortuitus cespes" is never to be 

 despised. Wherever he sets foot, it is at once brought 

 into play, either for cricket or horse-racing, More 

 than a century ago, the Jamaica meetings figured 

 with especial honour in the " Racing Calendar ; " 

 and natives who have long since tutored themselves 

 into the belief, that British batters run about in the 

 sun expressly to catch the fever, have alike ceased 



