REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. IJ 



appreciated in those days than now, by our dusky brethren ; 

 for what with the perpetual changing, and the want of sport 

 and pageantry shown by present officials, added to the perpe- 

 tual upheavals of their authority by the far too numerous 

 courts of appeal, our Government authorities are held in but 

 small reverence, by the masses they are supposed to rule 

 over. For the Colonials, only two faced the starter, Firefly 

 and Woodbine, the latter pulled up half a mile from home, 

 and Mr. Holdfast secured a second inglorious victory. He 

 then walked over for the Durbangah Cup with Bellona, and 

 so ended the first day ; t.e, five horses altogether putting in an 

 appearance, the winners scarcely being asked to canter. The 

 second day was almost as discouraging, Mr. Holdfast walked 

 over for three races, and one race only came off, the Sonepore 

 Cup, for which Mr. Holdfast sent out Bonanza and Pretender, 

 his pair being opposed by Mr. Fitzpatrick's Referee, Mr. 

 Holdfast declared to win with his worst, Bonanza, and a sort 

 of dhoby's donkey race was the result, the two miles being run 

 in four minutes, and Barnes had nearly to break Pretender's 

 jaw to hold him back ; Toujours Mr. Holdfast, and yet a round 

 dozen had entered for this handsome prize of 50 gold mohurs. 

 Even the very heavens could not refrain from mourning over 

 such a decadence of sport, and on Wednesday the clouds wept 

 copiously. Only those who have suffered at a wet Sonepore. 

 can tell the awful misery entailed on the visitors, when slowly 

 but surely the drawing room shamiana collapses in the centre, 

 and the only dry roofings are those of the dining room and 

 bedroom tents. Underfoot, the rain water invades these mer- 

 rily ; yet given good sport during the previous days, and 

 prospects of better when the clouds clear, spirits can be 

 kept up by pouring spirits down. But verily the Sonepore 

 of 1849 was a damper alike to man and beast. Now it is a well- 

 known fact from one end of Indian sporting circles to the 

 other, that meetings are made or marred by a judicious selec- 



