ON THE RACE COURSE. 207 



much on the extent or importance of the meeting held 

 in the neighbomhood. Close up to, and in a parallel 

 line with the rails of the course, and opposite the cen- 

 tre of the grand stand, should be erected a small round 

 building, eighteen feet in circumference, clear of the 

 walls, which should be eighteen feet high. This build- 

 ing being divided by a floor in its centre, the lower 

 part is for a weighing house, (the door of which should 

 face the stand,) the upper part is for a stand for the 

 stewards, for whose convenience a communication may 

 be made by a staircase out of the weighing-house, and 

 on the roof there should be a bell to ring for saddling. 

 In the centre of the weighing-house, the scales and 

 weights should be placed. It is the case, at most of 

 our principal meetings, and it should be so at all of 

 them, that one scale should be made in the form of a 

 chair, and suspended the same height from the ground 

 as the seat of a chair would be, with a half back, 

 made round in the form of an arm chair ; and an iron 

 triangle of proper dimensions should be fixed to the 

 end of the beam, for the purpose of keeping the ropes 

 that are attached to the beam sufficiently extended upon 

 top so as not to interfere with the jockey's head when 

 he is weighing. This would be much more conve- 

 nient, as he could more readily sit down in this scale, 

 take his saddle and trusses in his lap, and weigh with 

 more dispatch and with less difficulty than with scales 

 put up in the common way. Thei-e should be seats 

 round the walls of this weighing-house, and pegs for 

 the jockeys to hang their clothes on. Cupboards would 



