REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE, 22$ 



Bankipore in July, the Stewards resolved to write to Harry 

 Abbott, asking him to still continue to act as Secretary, and as 

 in addition to the round robin, all and each wrote privately, 

 begging him not to desert the meeting, and as Bob Lockhart pro- 

 mised to see to the course, he consented, and a programme, almost 

 similiar to that of the former year, was shortly passed and 

 published. Applications for camping ground poured in, the 

 Lieutenant-Governor among the applicants, and a goodly 

 gathering was assured. 



Arthur Rogers, then District Engineer of the B. and N. W. 

 Railway, had laid down a new floor to, and generally reno- 

 vated, the ball room. This was Mr. C. C. Stevens' last year 

 as Commissioner of Patna, and sorry was everyone to lose 

 him ; but an equally good fellow was to succeed him, David 

 Lyall, whose prowess as a slayer of the unclean beast, in the 

 Dacca jungles, was great in the land. The camps consisted 

 of Sir Charles Elliott's, Mr. Stevens', Mr. Kemble's, Mr. 

 Bourdillon's, Mr. Lockhart's, Mr. Brett's, Mr. Graham's, His 

 Highness the Maharajah of Kuch Behar's, and several others, 

 while the local Maharajahs of Hutwa, Durbangah, Doomraon, 

 Bettiah and Gidour, all had camps, but vvere only entertaining 

 their own native friends. Sonepore had not witnessed so 

 much magnificence, pomp and display of native equipages 

 and barbaric pearl and gold since Lord Mayo's year. The 

 elephant fair was crowded. The outside racing men 

 were represented by Mr. Ernest Gregory, Barty Bates, Cap- 

 tain Gunn, the Ezra brothers, and Ernest Cowie from Calcutta, 

 Frank Shakespear from Fyzabad, Captain Webb from the 

 North-West. The jockeys present were Robinson, Trahan, 

 Pugh, Griffiths, Ramshaw and Hardy. Mr. Gregory had 

 brought up Miladi and Lady St. Clair. Mr. Ezra, old Exbank, 

 Cruet and Busree. Charley Webb had Midas, Referee and 

 Fairy. Jimmy had Knightsbridge, Black Donald, Gravity, 

 Zuleika, Sylvester and a pretty chestnut Australian pony 



