Sporting Notes in the Far East. 157 



the sailor, and the stranger, to trust implicitly to the always to be 

 found civility and courtesy, of the liberal Shanghai residents ; as it 

 frequently occurs on a traveller's./?^/ visit (in the shooting season) 

 to their magnificent club in the Bund, that he does not quit it 

 without more than one kind invitation for a "Houseboat expedition." 



For those who ride, Shanghai affords more opportunities to 

 indulge in this pastime than any other port in the East : there 

 being, when the crops are down, both drag hunts and riding 

 paper-chases every week. 



The former is supported by subscription, and strangers who are 

 anxious to ride must procure invitations to the meet from the 

 Master. The hounds are ordinary foxhounds, drafts from England, 

 and right well can they gallop after the aniseed. The fences are 

 all broad deep open ditches, but the ponies being accustomed to 

 them, scramble over in a marvellous manner, seldom giving a fall 

 unless you " cut a voluntary." Needless to state the " Chass " is 

 great fun, and would be greater still if it were not for the unfordable, 

 unjumpable, navigable arms of the sea, that you are constantly 

 coming across. 



The riding paper-chases are usually held every Saturday ; they 

 are also kept going by subscription, and likewise an invitation is 

 necessary from one of the members, for a stranger to ride with 

 them. The track is laid beforehand. The meet is advertised, and 

 at a given time the riders are expected to be there. When started 



