MuNiPURi Polo. 243 



Another favourite stroke, when a player desires to 



hit a ball at right angles to the direction his pony is 



galloping, is, instead of hitting it from in front of the 



animal's legs, to pass the ball on their near side, and to 



istrike it a swinging, backhanded blow the moment 



the pony's hind legs have cleared it. This can, of 



course, only be done when the player wishes to drive 



the ball to his left. Mr. Daly, who was the finest 



European polo player in Eastern Bengal, could do 



this stroke with telling effect, especially when he was 



.racing with an opponent on his near side, whom he 



wished to shove out. When he used to play against 



the Alunipuris, they always paid him the not very 



■agreeable compliment of telling off a couple of their 



men to hamper and impede him in his play. 



As their ponies are so small — 11.2 being the limit — 

 .and so clever, they have no restrictions as to playing. 

 I may add that accidents are almost unknown. The 

 ball is made of bamboo root, and is consequently light 

 and tough. The goals are placed about 80 yds. apart, 

 and the ground is about 200 yds. long. The great 

 •distance between the goals certainly favours free play 

 and hard hitting. A good Munipuri polo pony will 

 fetch from ;^5o to £60, and even more. 



