1 60 Among Men and Horses. 



a mile further, we reach the Bubbling Well, which receives its 

 name from the fact of its being in a constant, though mild 

 state of effervescence. There the road branches off to the 

 right and left ; to return to the city, by the former ; to be 

 lost to view in the distance among well-tilled fields, by the 

 latter route. Riding excursions and paper chasing are ex- 

 tensively indulged in during the cold weather in the open 

 country. 



We were not longer in Shanghai than three hours before 

 Mr Barnes Dallas, the very courteous secretary of the 

 Shanghai Turf Club, called on us, and, in the name of his 

 club, hoped I would consider myself an honorary member, 

 and gave us invitations to the sumptuous luncheons which 

 were to be prepared for the stewards and their friends at the 

 races that were about to come off. We felt deeply touched 

 by the kindness of these gentlemen, and by the generous and 

 friendly manner in which they received us. Our experience 

 of the Shanghai folk, during our month's stay among them, 

 was that they were the most hospitable and charming people 

 we have ever met. They all own ponies, and nearly all race. 

 Their Mongolian ponies are reared under very rough condi- 

 tions, in their native steppes, having frequently, during the 

 long winter of that Siberian climate, to scrape away the 

 snow with their feet in order to get a mouthful of grass. Like 

 Himalayan and Tibet ponies, they show they are wild and not 

 domestic animals, by, when first brought down, their habit 

 of shying. I have frequently noticed this vice in Hill ponies 

 when riding through the Himalayas on shooting excursions ; 

 and was much impressed by the fact that, although my mount 

 might plunge forward, or pirouette round without the slightest 

 warning, at the sight of a falling leaf or rolling stone; the 

 abrupt movement was always made with due regard to the 

 animal's personal safety ; and was quite different from the 

 dangerous shy caused by defective sight, or the light-hearted 

 one due to ' beans.' In fact, it was the instinctive action of a 

 wild animal whose only means of security from foes, land-slips, 



