RECOLLECTIONS OF NEWMARKET. 383 



took up the postal contract between Galway and 

 America, and used all his influence to make that 

 ill-omened undertaking a success. Unfortunately, 

 it never had a chance, having always been under 

 the control of needy adventurers. Still, Lord 

 Eglinton's action in this and in other matters was 

 never forgotten in Ireland, and he undoubtedly 

 left that country the most popular Lord Lieu- 

 tenant that any Irishman could remember, while 

 in Galway he was simply worshipped. Had he 

 lived, he would, in my opinion, have risen to no 

 ordinary eminence in the Conservative party." 



My next extract is from a letter dated " Athe- 

 naeum Club, Pall Mall," bearing the date June 7th 

 1885. I had asked Sir William for some details 

 of Newmarket in his early days, and he replied in 

 the following terms : 



" If ever you have occasion to deal with Nat, 

 or Captain Tommy Gardnor, pray remember that 

 they, General Peel, and I formed a band of devoted 

 rat-hunters, who betook themselves, after the races, 

 to their favourite pastime on a fine evening during 

 the July or First October meetings. Our champ 

 de bataille was generally some oat-stacks scattered 

 here and there just outside the little town, on the 

 Cheveley estate, which belonged to the Duke of 

 Rutland. As evening began to fall, Nat, the 

 famous jockey, would ride up to Peel, and touch- 



