236 POLO IN INDIA. [Chap. IX. 



purposes, especially as native cavalry and mounted 

 infantry remounts and chargers ; and that the army 

 would consequently be benefitted by giving encour- 

 agement to the importation of Arabs and Australians 

 of that height. Also, every Indian polo player 

 will be able to ride his ponies hunting, pig-sticking, 

 paper-chasing, or in any other amusement or sport 

 which may turn up. I know from experience that 14. i 

 ponies are quite big enough for chargers in South 

 Africa. 



Time occtipied by a match. — In India, a match is 

 limited to forty minutes' actual play ; in England, to 

 one hour, including all stoppages, except the intervals 

 for changing ponies. In India, a timekeeper with a 

 stop-watch must be appointed at every match, in order 

 to deduct the odd seconds every time the ball goes out 

 of play, and to time the longer delays when a goal is hit. 

 The result of this is, that matches in India generally last 

 longer than in England, where umpires are responsible 

 for hurrying up the players without waiting for any- 

 one, and where players who change ponies do so at 

 their own risk, except at the end of the ten-minute 

 periods. In England, no time is deducted except the 

 authorised intervals between the periods of play, or 

 when a man or a pony is disabled from an accident. 

 This plan is certain to be adopted in India before 

 long, with modifications as regards time, and limits to 

 suit the different conditions of play. 



In India, a match is often protracted to an uncon- 

 scionable length ; whereas in England, if men do not 

 take too long to change ponies, it will be over in an 

 hour and sixteen minutes, or thereabouts. I think 

 it would be a much better plan in India to deduct 



