.REMINISCENCES OF SONfcPOKfc. 



never was Victoria Cross. more worthily \von than by William 

 Traser McDonell at Arrah, but William Tayler should have 

 had it too, for he saved a province, while little Mac only saved 

 individuals, The children of both ; of them live among us 

 proud of their fathers' fame, and assured that as long as 

 planters are allowed to cultivate the fertile lands of Behar, 

 the memory of their illustrious ancestors' heroic deeds will 

 never be forgotten. 



CHAPTER X. 



- , . 



YEARS 1857-58 UP 70.64. 



Although Mr. Eraser McDonell issued the usual pro- 

 gramme early in 1857, the Mutiny, naturally enough, kept many 

 visitors away, particularly the fair sex, who were ; conspi- 

 cuous by their absence. The native fair, however, was held 

 as usual, and was crowded ; the officials and a contingent 

 of soldiers from Dinapore were on the spot to prevent any 

 outbreak; the racing resolved itself intq a very poor 'sky 

 affair, Kenneth McLeod winning most of the events ; and 

 there was nothing worth chronicling from start to finish, no 

 dances or sports in fact, the very tamest Soneporc ever 

 known. 



In 1857 the Indian Sporting Review^ the only reliable 

 turf. guide up to then, died, chiefly because its Editor, Mr. 

 Hume, tried to turn it into a political paper; naturally the 

 interest its readers took in it fell off, and it was not till 1865 

 that the resuscitation of the old Oriental Sporting Magazine 

 l?y Mr. W. Gilbert Hickey, gives reliable data to go on. 

 In 1858 the racing at Sonepore was again poor, but 'in 

 ^859 Mr^ Vincent had a strong stable of countrybreds, 

 and with them" cleared the board both at Sonepore and 

 Mpzufferpore; Schamyl and Helen were . simply invincible, 

 thewgh opposed by -such good nags as Mercury, Cossack and a 



