74: REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



On Monday Lord and Lady Mayo arrived, accompanied by 

 the Marquis and Marchioness of Drogheda, Earl Donough- 

 more, Major Bourke and a large party. At the lotteries specu- 

 lation was poor, and only four papers filled. The customary gun, 

 and simultaneous march of the band through the camp, woke 

 up the visitors at daylight, and soon all were en route to the 

 course ; at a quarter past seven the Viceregal party drove up, 

 and were received by the Stewards, all most killingly got up. 

 Never had such crowds been seen lining the course, and never 

 such a swell assemblage in the grand stand. The bright 

 frocks of the ladies contrasted prettily with the gaudy dresses of 

 the numerous Maharajas, but the two most prominent figures 

 were Lord Mayo, and the mighty Jung Bahadoor. No greater 

 contrasts in humanity could be conceived, the Earl towering over 

 most of his staff and the bystanders, with his fine genial face 

 and kind eyes, every inch a man, and a fitting representative of 

 England's Queen ; but while the squat little Gurkha seemed 

 dwarfed alongside of him, there was that in the keen, bright, 

 restless glance, and square jaw of our staunch little friend, 

 that spoke of indomitable courage, stern determination and 

 quickness of resource. He was not a bit abashed, and bore 

 being stared at, and crowded in on, with a sang froid and 

 good-natured amusement, that would have done credit to a 

 Yankee. He showed extreme interest in the horses, being 

 particularly pleased with the English mares Bridesmaid, and 

 Miss Trelawney, and also with the many fine Arabs. There 

 was not much delay in marshalling the four competitors for 

 the Leger, and a good-looking lot they were, as they flashed by 

 the grand stand. Jaffer was on the favorite Merryman, and 

 this invincible native jockey, had the task his soul loved, to cut 

 down his field, and make every post a winning one. Victoria, 

 Moonlight, and the local nag Planet, steered respectively by 

 Bowen, Keats, and Donaldson, were never able to head Mas- 

 ter Jaffer, and he cantered home an easy winner ; another 



