1 62 Among Men and Horses. 



the highest of which, within my knowledge, has been 3000 taels 

 (which, at the time of purchase, was equivalent to 600 guineas!) 

 by Mr D. E. Sassoon for the dun pony Harbinger, an animal 

 that was easily beaten for the Champion Stakes by Mr Galles' 

 Susewind. In England or in India, Harbinger would not have 

 been worth more than .£40. 



In the early sixties, when Shanghai had an English garri- 

 son and Indian cavalry regiments, there were fairly well-filled 

 races for Arabs and also for ' All Horses,' which class was 

 chiefly represented by Australians. The Arab pony (I pre- 

 sume it was he who was meant) must have early established 

 his claim to superiority ; for I find that the race for the 

 Imperial Cup, in April 1864, was 'for all ponies, Indians 

 excluded ; Manila and Straits ponies 14 lbs. extra.' Later 

 on, the two last-mentioned classes were warned off the course ; 

 and from about 1868, the races have been confined, with the 

 best results, to China ponies. When Anglo-Chinese sports- 

 men of but local experience wax enthusiastic over the race- 

 course performances of their sturdy Mongolian favourites, and 

 assert, as I have heard them do, that their animals could hold 

 their own, under the weight they have got to carry, and over 

 the distance they are required to run, with ponies of any class ; 

 it is clear that they have not studied the history of their own 

 turf. 



Mention of old time racing in China naturally recalls to 

 my mind the name of Mr R. Kelly Maitland, who, during the 

 sixties, was one of the most prominent gentleman riders and 

 owners in the Celestial Empire, and is now a well-known owner 

 of racehorses in Australia. He was able to ride without 

 wasting, the wonderfully nice weight for a G. R., of 8 St., or 

 even 7 st. 12 lbs. As I was coming one day out of Jardine, 

 Matheson's place in Shanghai, I knocked up by accident 

 against a gentleman with grey hair, fresh complexion, and a 

 pleasant face. As I stopped to apologise, he looked at me 

 and asked with a smile, ' Aren't you Captain Hayes ? ' On 

 hearing my ' yes,' he introduced himself as Mr Bush, who had 



