BECKHAMPTON TO SOUTH AFEICA 71 



cat. In every heat when a lady matched his 

 ribbon he tied up the knot in a twinkhng, and 

 jumped of! the mark like a professional sprinter. 

 Five times did I see him do this, and in four of 

 these he was first past the post. Once, indeed, 

 he was too quick, and started while still tying 

 the ribbons, amid loud cries of ' Objection ! ' But 

 when it came to the final heat he put in an Al 

 performance, dashing his lady past the post fully 

 six lengths in front of the second, whose pilot, 

 though twenty-two years of age, and himself the 

 winner of the potato race, was quite outclassed 

 on this occasion.'' 



These trifles would not be worth mentioning 

 were it not that they form an object lesson of the 

 easy way in which a man who can take a sea 

 voyage may regain health and vitality in a short 

 time. I was, at that period, training myself — so 

 to speak — to be ready for the training of Ard 

 Patrick and Port Blair when I got home. 

 Thanks to the trip to South Africa and back, I 

 was able to take on the big campaign of the 1902 

 season with full vigour and confidence. 



The rest of the voyage was uneventful, though 



very pleasant, until the Sunday evening, 



boxing on January 20, 1902, before we reached 



the Gaika 



Cape Town. Then indeed there was a 

 diversion, which afiorded excellent sport, and again 



