Shanghai. 167 



-s 



which has a peculiar meaning of its own in China. There, 

 everything has to be bought through a supposititious broker, 

 who gets a percentage in right of his intermediate position. 

 That being the case, the good, though needy fellows, are 

 naturally selected as the recipients. Thus, if I wanted to 

 buy 1000 shares of the Lie Foo gold mines, I would go to the 

 agent of the company and state my wants. When we had 

 agreed as to the price, he would ask : ' To whom shall I credit 

 the brokerage ? ' I would then think of the friend of mine 

 who wanted it most, and would, for instance, reply : ' Put it 

 down to Dick Finisher ; he had a bad time during the last 

 races, and wants a lift.' 



Although the China limit of height is just under 1 5 hands, 

 the best ponies for racing purposes are under 13 hands'3 inches. 

 For Arab horses, the limit at which height ceases to be useful, 

 is about 14 hands 2 inches ; and for English racehorses about 

 16 hands. By this I mean that, generally speaking, the fact 

 of horses exceeding these respective heights is no advantage 

 to them from a galloping point of view. 



The Shanghai race stand is a fine large building, which is 

 provided with offices and a coffee-room capable of holding 

 over a hundred people, in which the members of the Race Club 

 meet every morning during the training season, to talk, read 

 the papers, and refresh themselves. The Race Club is a very 

 flourishing institution to which everyone interested in horses 

 is given ready admission without any ridiculous class distinc- 

 tions being made. Shopkeepers, tradesmen and merchant 

 princes meet there during life on the same terms of equality on 

 the turf, as they will do under it, when they die. The Club 

 owns all the ground occupied by the racecourse, which is 

 about \\ miles in length, and the extensive enclosures ; so it 

 keeps this fine breathing space clear from all building en- 

 croachments. Although the ground is immensely valuable, 

 it could ill be spared ; for it is a potent means for promoting 

 health and sport, especially, as members only are allowed to 

 ride. This busy commercial community marks the import- 



