280 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



in many matches— indeed he was a capital oarsman. 

 When he completed his university career, adopting 

 the course then usually followed by youths of his 

 rank, he set out for a lengthened tour. But absence 

 from his native land does not appear to have cooled 

 his rash and daring spirit, as he several times came 

 under the notice of the authorities during his travels. 

 When sojourning at Brussels, he made an attempt to 

 carry off the well-known "Mannikin;" and while play- 

 ing some harmless jokes on a Norwegian peasant girl, 

 in her own country, he nearly met his death, as his 

 skull was fractured by a blow from a policeman's 

 truncheon. He visited the American continent, where 

 he spent some time buffalo-hunting, and in Africa he 

 destroyed many a '* king of the forest," and he had a 

 splendid lion in Curraghmore for some years, which 

 he had brought home from that country. 



The Marquis was staying at Liverpool during a 

 race-week, about five-and-thirty years ago, and, after 

 spending a very pleasant evening, he was returning to 

 his hotel with a friend of mine, who, I am sorry to 

 say, died some years ago (a genial, jovial, popular 

 sportsman, and a noted steeplechase rider), when 

 passing a tobacconist's, over the door of whose house 

 hung a large metal man with a pipe in his mouth, my 

 friend bet his lordship a **pony" that he would take 

 down the statue. The wager was made, and the layer, 

 who was a great athlete, jumped up, seized the "sign," 

 and with great difficulty smashed the fastenings at- 

 tached to it. The statue and the sportsman, of course, 

 both came down a "cropper;" the "sign" was unin- 

 jured, but its captor was severely shaken. The Marquis 

 was pleased with the escapade, and having paid the 



