He was not hung, and oft as memory threw And his round eyes stared wildly; sometimes, too, He is far from the land where his fathers sleep, The nautch-girl no more is clasp'd in his arms, For death, though it may have its own hidden charms, He had lived for his pay, though not on it, and died— Lamenting his past career, and sigh'd, For the bills left unpaid behind him. Oh! bury him deep where the sun shines bright, The place of his rest won't be cold if I'm right, ANDROPAIS. NEW RULES OF THE POONAH TURF. At a meeting of the Stewards, held at the Race Bungalow, at Poonah, the Rules as published in the 5th Number Oriental Sporting Magazine were repealed, and the following substituted. That the Newmarket Rules, as published in the 5th Number Oriental Sporting Magazine (page 282) be, as far as applicable, adopted, and commence and remain in force from January 1st, 1830. That the stewards decide how far these rules may be applicable to any point at issue. Rules in addition to the above for the Poonah Course. I. Every horse must be entered between eleven o'clock and one o'clock p.m. on the day previous to the race, unless it happens on Monday, when the horse must be entered on Saturday. Horses entered after that hour to pay 150 Rupees to the fund, but no horse can be entered after six o'clock p.m. of that day, and no post entrance admitted. Sealed notifications to be given to the Secretary, who will open them at one o'clock p.m. on the day previous to running. II. All handicaps to be made by the Stewards. III. Two Stewards to take the time i.e., the whole time, and the Secretary mark it down: such time only is authentic and all bets must be paid by it. One Steward starts the horses and one judges the race. No Steward to refuse to take the half miles if personally requested to do so by an owner of a horse about to start. IV. Half an hour allowed between heats, and one quarter between races; the Stewards, however, can, if they please, direct private matches to be run between heats; all races and matches being settled the day before. V. A. horse walking over receives but half the amount, and can walk over but once during the meeting: he must show himself at the winning post to the Stewards, who may, if they please, order him back to his stables or make him go round. VI. None but subscribers can run horses on the Poonah Course. Any horse running on the Poonah Course under one name, having ever run under any other without such notification, together with all horses belonging to the same owner or his confederate, shall be distanced, and such person shall not start another horse during the meeting. VII. All horses intended to run on the Poonah Course must be aged and measured by the names they are intended to run under on a day which will be notified by the Secretary. No horse can be aged or measured afterwards without paying 50 Rupees to the fund; this rule does not extend to strangers who arrive from out-stations with their horses after the day of measuring, but applies to all horses, whether the property of residents or absentees, who are in Poonah or within ten miles of it on the day of measuring. VIII. In extraordinary cases a horse may be aged by any two Stewards at any time of the year, upon paying three Gold Mohurs to the fund. The Stewards have the power to call upon a veterinary surgeon or any experienced person XIII. In races, weight for inches, 14 hands, carries 9 st., with 1lb. added for every eighth of an inch above, and deducted for every eighth below that height. XIV. By Arab horses is meant any horse imported from Arabia or Persia, and is generally called a Gulf horse. XV. By a country horse is meant a horse, bred in India, of whatever breed, except his sire and dam are thoroughbred English imported horses. These horses are qualified for all races, but if the sire and dam are thoroughbred English imported, they come under the term of English horses. The produce of a thoroughbred English horse or mare bred in India is qualified. XVI. All horses imported from any other part of the world are termed English, and must be excluded from races under that term. XVII. All horses of whatever breed may run for country plates, cups, or sweepstakes, provided they are bred within the space contemplated in the terms of the race. A certificate of the birth by two persons, not owners or partners, must be produced; if the mare belongs to a native, the testimony of two natives is quite sufficient. All colts will be aged from May 1st, but this rule is not retrospective, and commences January 1st, 1830. from XVIII. A maiden horse is one that has never started on any course for plate, cup, purse, match, or sweepstakes. Walking over, provided he walks over on the Poonah Course, does not exclude him; paying or receiving profit does not exclude him; but a Match against time does. XIX. Mares and geldings in all cases allowed 3lbs. XX. No persons, except the Stewards, the Secretary, and the owners of horses about to start, can be in the Judge's stand, and this rule is on no account to be deviated from. XXI. All horses running for cups and public money to pay three Gold Mohurs entrance, and one Gold Mohur for every other race. XXII. To prevent mistakes about English imported horses starting, it would be presumption to dictate to Regiments, &c., &c., giving plates, what horses were or were not to start for them; they are therefore requested to exclude them or not, as they think proper; for public money the Stewards, in making races, have the same power; when they are not excluded it is to be clearly understood they carry 2lbs. extra. If, therefore, a race is made for all horses, it must be understood to mean English included. XXIII. All persons who leave the station permanently on duty, or the country (which is intended to mean the whole of India; a voyage to sea, unless the vessel is bound to some part out of India, not included) from sickness, may withdraw their subscriptions to all sweepstakes. They must in writing state their reasons at full length to the Secretary, who will consult the Stewards, without whose permission he cannot withdraw. XXIV. The Stewards may, upon the suggestion of any person, pass a rule hereafter, the same being published by the first opportunity; but such rule is in force from the time it is made, as any person may on application get a copy from the Secretary; catch bets on the same not being payable. XXV. The word "off" once given by the Steward appointed to start the horses is decisive, and all horses must start or be distanced; no horse once distanced can start again during the meeting except for the Beaten Plate, for which no horse can walk over, unless he has saved his distance throughout a race; no horse distanced for misconduct can start again. XXVI. A race once judged cannot be run over again. XXVII. Any jockey who dismounts without being ordered to do so by a Steward distances his horse, and it shall be the duty of every jockey to acquaint himself with the Steward, as no mistakes will be considered; the jockey shall unsaddle his horse himself, and no person except the jockey the owner, and one horse-keeper, shall be admitted into the weighing stand. XXVIII. All subscriptions to Sweepstakes must be paid before the race is run, or no horse will be entitled to the stakes, though he come in first; neither will any horse receive the stakes unless his entrance be paid before he starts, and no application will be attended to unless the money accompanies it. XXIX. A person will be kept expressly to destroy all dogs found on the course from the beginning of training until the end of the races. R. D. LUARD, Secretary. A HUNTING SONG. SUNG AT THE ELLICHPOOR PICNIC PARTIES BY A MEMBER. Hark away to the Jungles, for, see in the East, A beam ushers in the bright morning, Let us catch the old boar ere he comes from his feast, Hark forward, dash onward, my boys, dash onward! By the side of a Jeel where the Paddy is ripe. A Tallyho sounds from some emulous pipe, See there he takes the sloping lands; Dash onward, my boys, dash onward, dash onward! Hark forward, my boys, hark forward, hark forward, &c. Have a care, for he's off to that Jungle of reed, Thus we gallop along for a mile on the plain, Each step that we take on Old Grunter does gain, He turns about with sudden ire, Rage sparkles from his eyes like fire! He charges, he charges [here grunt like a hog], he'll cut me, &c. I have tickled him up on one side of the bristle, My spear is gone through him as clean as a whistle, Whoop hoo! Whoop hoo! how he sinks on the ground; Whoop hoo! Whoop hoo! how the Jungles resound! Now round the old boar all the hunters do ply, With joy they see their enemy lie, Whilst he who quickest rode the race, Is hailed the Champion of the chase. Well hunted, my boys, well hunted, well hunted, my boys, well hunted, We all give you joy, much joy, no hunter in England can, surely compare To this, their dull chase of the Fox or the Hare, SIR, Tallyho, Tallyho, for another good run! ON COURSING MEETINGS. How should it become a matter of wonder, as it appears to some people, that our greyhounds do not improve, or even that they degenerate in a country like this, where distemper is generally as much more destructive, and when in other respects so little encouragement is held forth to improve the breed? I am happy to observe, however, that even under these great disadvantages, the breed is far from degenerating, but your correspondent (A Friend to Long Dogs) has in my opinion hit the mark exactly, by recommending a more frequent competition of one kennel against another; the forming of regular meetings* for that purpose at stated periods, and also favouring us, through the medium of your valuable magazine, with the result of those meetings. All this might easily be effected in some countries, and would stimulate the sportsman to pay stricter attention to the breeding of his greyhounds, in the first place, by judiciously crossing the Arab with the English, and, se We hear it is in contemplation to establish a sweepstakes for greyhound puppies under the patronage of a certain distinguished personage and sportsman. If this be carried into effect, and with such support it cannot fail of success, it may fairly be said to be the first thing of the kind we have been treated with, or at all events that we have ever heard of in India. condly, by the numerous trials, would soon put him in possession of the most expedient method of conditioning them for the field. These and no other circumstances have been the means of the British possessing a superiority of stock, to the horses and dogs, over all other nations. It might be said that racing and coursing are sports (comparatively speaking) nearly allied to each other, and it therefore seems almost inexplicable why the one should so completely outstrip the other in its progress, unless for the want of a stronger competition among the coursers, for surely the simple gratification a man can receive from merely trying how many hares or foxes his greyhounds can murder in a morning's excursion must be trifling indeed? If, then, one good coursing club be well established with suitable rules, &c., I am convinced they would soon become general all over the country, and many of your readers would refer to the pages of the O. S. M. for the result of those meetings, together with the performances of celebrated hounds, as others now do to its racing calendar. As I am but a spectator in the business at present, I shall, therefore, until I become a more active member, subscribe myself Yours faithfully, December 9th. A LOOKER-ON. |