202 NEWMARKET 



of the race. You see nothing but a dense mass of 

 closely-packed hats, and little puffs of smoke rising 

 all over the mass, making it look just as if it was 

 smouldering, and might be expected to break out 

 into flames at any moment. One thing that makes 

 Newmarket so enjoyable is that there is no need of 

 dressing to within an inch of your life, as you have 

 to do at Ascot and Goodwood. You see men in 

 comfortable morning and shooting-coats, Norfolk 

 shirts, or any other kind of loose and easy attire ; 

 any one almost who appeared in a frock-coat and 

 topper would be looked on with the greatest sus- 

 picion. However, there are exceptions to this rule. 

 Many ladies do not appear here — about a dozen or 

 so in the Jockey Club stand, and a very few in car- 

 riages, are all who attend ; but those who are pre- 

 sent seem to enjoy the racing thoroughly, as they 

 too are dressed reasonably, and are not in continual 

 misery through fear of a shower, or that the 

 splendour of their costume may be eclipsed by the 

 superior elegance of a rival, as is too often the case 

 on other racecourses. It is, indeed, a curious thing 

 to notice how very few ladies or women at all 

 attend ; even the wives and daughters of the neigh- 

 bouring farmers are not present, though there are a 

 very sporting lot of them in the district. In the 

 morning, before racing commences, you do not see 



