xvi WAYFARING NOTIONS 



hadn't thought about Barnes for telegraphing, 

 but made for Mortlake. (Later, twenty- four 

 gentleman turned up at a Putney Rowing Club of 

 which I hold the honour of membership, and 

 wanted rewarding for saving my life. If I 

 recollect right, Mr Pat Labat scored twelve 

 quarts of beer to my debit, and finding the stairs 

 full of applicants then, kicked the rest down.) 



** Thanks to the Sportsma^i, I went Down 

 Under with the Hon. Ivo Bligh, and there was 

 made a member of the cricket expedition, and 

 had the best time I ever found in my life. As a 

 matter of fact, that commission as Special 

 Correspondent represented one long holiday, 

 seeing men and cities, and writing about them. 

 With Mr Ivo Bligh I was, as attached to his 

 team, a persona grata in all the Colonies of 

 Australia, and I saw more of Australia in five 

 months than most old Austral-Colonials do in a 

 lifetime. Everyone was kind to me out there. 

 Thank goodness, I have found many oppor- 

 tunities to wipe the slate clean by returning good 

 offices, but at that I am much in debt. I, as I 

 say, had the best time of my life, thanks to the 

 Sportsman, gathered experience which has served 

 me for long, and made friendships among Colonials 

 which have borne good fruit." 



The series of special articles on that 

 Australian cricket tour may perhaps be taken to 

 have established Martin Cobbett's position as a 

 sporting journalist. But his knowledge of the 

 racingf world was so extensive that he came to 

 write more on the Turf than on any other sport. 



