Sporting Notes in the Far East. 1 8 1 



I have shot snipe in the middle of April, on the British rifle 

 s at Kowloon ; but you have to be a very early bird (and on 

 the ground before it is light), to be before that inevitable "someone 

 else," who always spoils your fun. 



The number of birds is very limited, and their condition is 

 extremely poor ; they will mostly be found in the damp paddy 

 between the different " ranges." 



Hongkong, amongst its other attractions, enjoys the distinction 

 of being the " Newmarket " of China, racing being indulged in in 

 the East, to a far greater extent than people at home might imagine : 

 every Coast Port, from " Sporting Shanghai " southwards, having its 

 own little Meeting, regularly every year. 



The several events are solely for Chinese ponies ; and great is 

 the number of "almighty dollars," that change hands over the efforts 

 of these game little " rats." 



These ponies have truly a curious career ! 



Born and bred in Mongolia, a country many hundreds of miles 

 away from any of the Coast Ports, they probably spend the earliest 

 and best years of their lives as pack animals, or beasts of burden : 

 after which, those for disposal to the " despicable foreigner " are 

 annually collected together in herds, and driven down by easy 

 stages (taking weeks en the journey), to one of the northern Treaty 

 Ports from whence they are distributed by steamers to other 

 places. 



