Life and sport in China / Second Edition

DI

y supplied with horses as China, b

nd to the fact that horses are seldom employed in cultivation of the soil, which is mostly performed by man

nd a dense boating population, whose occupat

ssels are smaller but more numerous, and this adaptation to circumstances goes on until the smallest streams and canals, which invariably cover

few, there is little or no work for the horse, which, beyond a few wretched

pringless carts plough their ways, and strings of pack-animals wend slowly to and fro. The numberless creaking wheel-barrows, bearing heavy loads, are propelled by coolies, who, the yoke across the shoulders, stagger along between the shafts, helped occasionally by a small sail set to catch a favouring wind, or by ano

the treaty-ports, not only no macadamised roads, but not even roads that could possibly be compared with our most out-of-the-way and most ill-kept country lanes, and that consequently there are neither carriages nor dogcarts, but o

of North

page 7

for draught horses is very small, while for riding purposes Chinamen

dred taels for a good one. With his rider leaning well back and pulling hard at the reins the animal tears along at fifteen or sixteen miles an hour, but when the reins are loosened he immediately slackens and pulls up. They are a common sight in the ne

pack-animals camels, mules and donkeys have the preference, so that although the "noble animal" is to be met with alm

rge, stringy horse from Ili; and a weedy, cowhocked pony from Szechuan deserve here no more than passing notice, for they are seldom se

hands, and is a coarse, thick-set, cobby animal, with a large, ugly head carried low on a wedge-shaped neck, so that when mounted you have practically n

cavalry were sold at Tientsin, and being mostly purchased by native dealers, were sent to Mongolia and crossed with the native breed. If this be

year paying tribute to the Emperor of so many head; and as this breed is much superior to the others

n or eight, which partly accounts for the shortness of the time during which China ponies are in the

and I have only seen two during the whole of the twelve years I have spent in China-one at Peking,

overs, carrying long bamboo poles, riding on the outskirts of each mob and directing its course. Villagers, on seeing the clouds of dust and hearing the thunder of hoofs, hurry out to try and divert the equine torr

numbers of these ponies are thrown on the market, and on an average can be

e finest-looking animals to Tientsin, Shanghai, Hongkong, Hankow

reviously run at any race-meeting; and with their tails sweeping the ground, their hogged manes and their long coats clo

either arrange with the dealers for private gallops, when the various performances are carefully timed

upplied to the foreign market, the price is everywhere far higher than at Peking, and may be said to range from fifty to five hundred dollars. Those ponie

at Shanghai that vehicular traffic has attained to any considerable degree of importance. Here the foreign settlements are traversed in all directions by excellent highways, which extend through

ed sea-shells gaudily painted with flowers and butterflies, and running on light iron wheels with bright spokes and rubber tyres. A liveried coach-man on the box, a footman with a smart rug over the ar

elestial beauties, who, with faces painted white, lips dyed vermilion, hair caked with oil, garlanded with flowers, laden with jewels, displaying their

onies are employed, but it is owing entirel

have had any large experience of horses. In very many cases they do not even know how to mount, but finding ponies so cheap, or, better still, getting a discarded racer as a cumshaw, they take to riding as naturally

the course. The old racer no sooner finds himself on the familiar track than he is off with the speed of flames, and our young friend, being powerless to check him, with h

he dismounted cavalier be devoid of all enthusiasm t

nd the training regularly each morning in hopes of getting a mount on any r

lly, like cricket, while others

jockey at the forthcoming meeting, when, if he should happen to secure a win, the confidence it i

ampions. He orders his mafoo to inspect the new season's griffins as they arrive, and arrange with the dealer to bring three or four of the best for his approval. This the mafoo does with great pleasure,

als arrive, and the dealer, perched on a high wooden s

nt nor curb, lifts up and examines the hoofs, grasps the lower lip with one hand and draws out the tongue wit

h anger and alarm at the unaccustomed sight and smell of a European, attempts to rush at one, while the idea of feeling his legs

nies are powed by the dealer for half-a-mile, when the actio

sary turn of speed, and that is as much information as can now be obtained, for as to soundness, age

from sixty to seventy dollars each, and the erstwhile

assed through the farrier's hands and will be certain to fiercely object. No attempt is made to perform the operation by gentleness, and he is f

ng himself down, while each leg is securely lashed to one of the posts, an

with a couple of mafoos hanging on to his ears, and sometimes by

ort distance there is no more trouble, the animal being probabl

lipped and his tail shortened. The transformation is almost startling. You now have quite a smart-looking mount as Ch

ch I bought at Peking seemed to me so quiet that on an expedition of some days into the country I fed, groomed and saddled him myself, until quite convinced that we had become frien

plies to all. Their te

ich usually occurs on mounting, when they kick forwar

her hand, they make capital race-ponies, for they are fast gallopers, and for their size can carry astounding weights. They are also very good for cross-country work, as, in addition to being fair jumpers, their great str

to the stringencies of the Chinese climate it is very doubtful whether so great additional ou

is in good condition, a period of six or seven weeks

are preferable, but adhering to native produce, a diet of b

embers of the community, stop-watch in hand, assemble at the rails, or follow proceedings from the grand-stand while breakfasting on hot rolls and coffee. On return to stables,

-Stand, Hanko

page 8

the owner who best knows how to apply it that will

for half a mile would be fifty-nine seconds, for a mile, two minutes e

ce without shoes, but if the course be wet or mudd

tarters, judges and stewards, so that instead of a race-meeting being a gathering of complete s

at feature of sport in Shangha

ons, when business offices are closed, and a f

e any line of country, they must not lead the trail over jumps

the Master gives a sign

the first welter to cross which are thereafter entitled to sport pink and gain the honour of laying scent for the succeeding hunt. The sport is extremely good though very rough, which is mainly owing to the marshy nature of the soil and the fact that as the Chinese do not here raise banks or hedges between their fields the jumping is mostly over water and dry ditches of considerable width and depth, which accounts for a goodly number of nasty spills.

e for miles one can swing along at a hand-gallop without once having to draw rein. In spring, when covered with fresh, green grass, it possesses an additional charm,

d turned most of the surrounding country into an immense lake, we were in considerable perplexity as to where we should take our afternoon rides

refully, for the route was strewn with loose stones and bricks, we usually made the circuit twice before descending. Where the steps adjoin the wall two large right angles are formed, into which Chinese

nt pull at the near rein brought the brute's head round, but without stopping him, so that he passed sideways from the steps on to the roof of one of t

y any the worse for their remarkable feat. An old woman who was in the building at the time had a narrow escape from being crushed by the falling animal, but she soon r

course, a most remarkable incident occurred, fo

re him at the previous autumn meeting, for which reason I was naturally greatly attached to him, and he, althoug

were discussed till a late hour. That night I dreamed that after I had been riding Chalk, I was standing dismounted and holding the reins, on a plot of grass surrounded with trees, while the pony was lying on

ut attaching the slightest importance to it, I related the circumstance in practically the same

races commenced, I laughingly told a son of the Dutch minister

several lengths. After dismounting in the enclosure and weighing in, I was being convoyed by my friend

which the mafoo had been leading him, he fell to the ground, and there on the club lawn, surrounded with trees, exactly as seen in my dream,

concerned at the loss of my favourite to pay heed to either spirits or dreams, although I had instantly recognised both the scene and the

igestion but rarely have any, and for this one can offer no

amongst the European community, while the Chin

n several occasions, when, in the presence of o

interpretation of it which has invariably been to the effect that in this world, or in a previous existence, I either lent money or did a great service to some friend, who, dying be

e H

Marc

s: that you gave -- and myself a somewhat circumstantial account of your dream shortly before the race; that immediately after the death of the pony you came up to us and called attention to the remarkable fulfilment of your dream, and that I was at the time much impressed with the case

very

. Ferg

Czar and I have not his address, otherwise I feel confident that he, too, wo