Chap. XI. PITONE RACES. 277 
betting-books were pulled out at the hotels, at the 
club, and at other lounges, 
I had been appointed Clerk of the Course ; and 
rode over the day before with " Old Jenkins," the 
most active Steward, to superintend the putting uj) of 
the necessary posts on the course. A day had been 
selected on which a very low spring-tide would leave 
a hard sandy beach uncovered ; and the distance was 
about a mile and three-quarters, from the mouth of 
the Hutt to Pitone pa. It poured with rain on the 
19th, and we augured badly for the weather on the 
next day. Mr. Molesworth's house, where I spent the 
night, was full of sporting characters, including two 
or three of the gentlemen riders for the next day, 
very busy drying themselves after the soaking they 
had got in coming from town. 
In the morning, the village of Aglionby, on the 
opposite side of the river, was in an uncommon state of 
agitation ; the stable-yard of the neat little inn was 
full of grooms and horses ; and clodhoppers, dressed in 
their best, were coming down the path along the river- 
bank, with their wives and children ; for a general 
holiday had been agreed upon. 
By dint of begging and borrowing, I had managed 
to dress myself out in very great style for the jier- 
formance of my duties ; and when I rode out of the 
inn -yard in full Clerk-of-the-Course's uniform, the 
pink coat — the only one in the colony, and an old 
traveller in the East Indies and New South Wales, 
belonging to Mr. Watt — excited universal admiration. 
I was thinking to myself at the time, how awkwardly 
I should be situated if every one were to claim his 
own on the course. 
Soon after I had seen that the course was in due 
order — here and there getting a large pebble or a 
