RACING IN CEYLON 329 



picked this animal up out of a batch for 400 

 or 500 rupees, and won several races with 

 him, including a very sporting and heavy 

 betting match. The Maharajah, or rather 

 his agent, took him over at a long figure ; 

 but when they got him home, they found 

 him so useless that he eventually found his 

 way into harness. Among the local owners 

 were John Baker, the sole remnant of 

 the famous '' Baker colony," who always 

 had English horses ; Beauchamp Downall, 

 Johnstone of Annandale, Arthur Mercer, 

 whose classically named Protos often acted 

 up to his name ; and, in later days, 

 Dumaresq Thomas, the Farquharsons, 

 Murray Robertson, Captain Mills, and 

 many others. The professional jockeys 

 of those days were Tingey, Mitchell, 

 Ryder, Donaldson, and others whose names 



