306 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



but he kept himself in mufti and all were sorry to see the 

 genial Irishman so changed. The polo ground, owing to the 

 unusual want of rain, was a bit hard, but the interest in the 

 now popular game was well sustained throughout, and tennis 

 was well supported. Mrs. Lockhart, Mrs. Hay-Webb, Mrs. 

 Barclay, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Ramsay, Mrs. Tweddle and the other 

 ladies who managed the various camps had no light sinecure and 

 right ably did they run their different shows. And now Sonepore 

 from 1896 enters on an entirely new epoch. The old order of 

 things has changed. In olden days the leading Civilians and 

 planters ran the meeting as personal hosts, and the leading 

 racing men of India brought their horses to compete. Now 

 treble the number of people come, but they are no longer 

 united by ties of connection, nor can they fitly be termed a 

 family party lot. Comparative strangers to each other are both 

 hosts and guests of the different camps and Stewards will 

 have in future to accept the change. Probably few of those on 

 the list of 1896 will be in evidence ten years hence, but they 

 can at any rate lay the flattering unction to themselves, that 

 they have left things in a state to satisfy the most exigeant 

 of successors. 



The racing had, if entries were to be taken as any 

 criterion, promised to be far above the average, but the chap- 

 ter of accidents kept many outside horses away. Mr. Abbott's 

 Tornado went wrong with liver early in the rains and had to 

 be thrown out of work, hard lines, for the horse was just the sort 

 for Behar Meetings. Then Monica hurt herself jumping, so 

 Mr. Greenhill was not represented. Messrs. Milton and Co. 

 sent nothing, and Hester having died, Mr. Martin did not 

 <:are to send up Rambler alone, yet in spite of all these draw- 

 backs the events were, in most cases, open, the contests close, 

 and the racing good. Mr. Edward came up with Mr. Abbott's 

 string, Alan, Victor and Kera, and Young had charge of Mr. 

 Hardwick's Stowaway and Wellington ; Ramshaw brought the 



