REMINISCENCES OF soNEPOke. 145 



dissatisfied owner makes many, and there is no doubt a very 

 strong feeling exists against Sonepore. The majority of visitors 

 who attend the meeting come purely and simply to enjoy the 

 most pleasant camping picnic in India. Ladies are there in 

 legion, and the sterner sex in attendance on them far prefer 

 seeing their subscriptions spent on balls, lawn tennis and 

 other amusements which the ladies can share and enjoy 

 equally with them to plunging at the lotteries or seeing 

 horses that they do not know, belonging to owners they do 

 not care a dump about, gallop round the course. There is 

 literally no interest taken by the public in the first-class races 

 here, and in the lottery rooms, with the exception of perhaps 

 half a dozen punters, the business is confined exclusively 

 to the representatives of three stables, and there is very 

 little margin of profit left for them, when the tickets they 

 have lost, the high prices they have to pay for supposed 

 good things, which generally fail to come off, jockey's 

 fees, forced subscription, and other inevitable expenses are 

 deducted. 



" For the last two years, sky races in the afternoon have 

 been, by the consent of the Stewards, allowed, and a great 

 deal more interest is shown in them than in the legitimate 

 business, because all racers being barred, the competing hacks 

 and ponies are known to almost every lady and gentleman 

 present. Why they were not got up this year I could not 

 exactly find out, though somebody said it was because the 

 gentleman, who has hitherto kindly oflficated as Secretary, took 

 offence last year because one man alone in the whole camp had 

 refused to subscribe the ten rupees asked for to enable prizes 

 to be given, saying he did it on principle as he had already 

 subscribed to the races. I heard afterwards that this individual's 

 subscription for the entire meet had been a gold mohur only, 

 and as he had attended both races and ball suppers, his princi- 

 ples were evidently those of the highest economy. I therefore 



