Immediately after the card was issued by the Hon. Sec. of the above Club, stating that the meet would be on the race course and the half-way house Un-ka-za, ay un-j usual amount of interest was taken in tandem affairs, for of all the drives taken by this sporting club, Un-ka-za is always the most popular and best patronised by out lady friends.
The drive itself not only takes one clean away from the Settlement, but also away from the Chinese carriages, for after the Bubbli Well is passed the road to Jesefield is just as pretty as one can wish, and the native Jehu is conspicuous by his absence. Twadd to this, after entering Un-ka-za, the drive round the beautiful lawns, and the sight of the teams drawn up in line, is enough to make any sportsman feel proud.
And then comes the interview with the host and his friends, and this after all is the secret of the drive being such a popular one, for all of them take buchan interest in the T.C. After having paid attention to the good fare provided, a walk round the teams is the next item; the card, A general talk about the various tuan-outs, and the horsing of them, ete., passes away a very pleasant half-hour, to say nothing of the good done by the criticisms passed, for our friends xt Un za know what a tandem should look like, and a few bints dropped last year I could see had been meted upon this, Here's to the team, Sir, all harnessed to start, Brilliant in Brammagem leather, Here's to the waggerier skilled in the art Of coupling the cattle together.
Our present chat, however, is brought to a close by the horn reminding us that it is time to get ready for the homeward journey, ud after many handshakings, and repeated thanks for kindness shown, the Tande Club again wends its way round the bea ful shrubberies, in a very short time Jessfield is far behind.
Owing to the rain during the afternoon the meet took place on the road outside the race course, and as I heard a spectator remark [last evening, the start seemed rather tam:
wished he cou have seen us n quarter afterwards, however, when in full wing. The leader of the drive had a well set, up team of greys, well matched, but they seemed tomeshurt of work. Ne. 2in the precession again drove his well-known grey and white, and the whole taro-cal looked acy nobby." No. 3, driving " couple of bays, was all there, but the horseflesh seemed to me to be rather weedy; the whole turn-out, however, was very sportsmanlike, introduced us to a uew combination in colours. Were I describing a lady's dress T might Gnd some names to fit, but in horseflesh Tam afraid to make the attempt. Both ponies are very fine specimens, big upstanding cattle, and with plenty' of bone. No. 5 had two dark brow indeed, well matched, well well driven, and what more do No. 6 was more successful on this ace: sion than the guts both ponies going very stonily. No. 7, dr ing a team "f spotted ponies, went very well indeed after the start; at first the wheeler seemed to refuse to go up his collar, but the whip was soon at work and'the team quickly straightened out, both ponies doing their work well. With No. 18, 2 cream leader, with a big black in the shafts, there was also a doubt as to starting, the wheeler for a second or two refusing to budge; experienced hands, however, soon made things all right. No. 9, two greys, was very stylish indeed, quite a "chi knees-with-his-front-teeth " style about the wheeler. I noticed the bearing reins were doing a god deal of work with this team, which however was certainly one of the best. No. 10 was that thoroughly well equipped tandem we were accustomed to see last year, the leader and wheeler both being very pretty bays. The whole turn-out shows that special attention is paid by the owner to all details in connection with his team. There is only one thing wanting, and that is a little more attention to the place and time of starting, for I noticed at the two meets this season that No. 10 has had a way of chipping in after the start; this it must be acknowledged is out of order, especially in tandem driving, where 80 very much depends upon "the style in which it's done."
In my last letter I alluded to the balancing of some of the traps, Drivers seem to forget that an extra mafoo on the back seat throws trap all out of balance. A little more attention to this would, I think, make the whole parade look much better; at present some of the carts look to me as if they had got the kitchen range under the back seat, Owing to unforeseen citcunstances three of the most enthusiastic wombers of the club were unable to put in an appearance, which was very much to be regretted. The whole drive was very successful, no haps having been recorded. No fun at as one of the younger whips told me, which reminded me of the reply of one of Leech's sportsmen when he was told that the parson had been thrown into the ditch, "Oh, leave him there, he won't be wanted till next Sunday.
We heard that one team ordered did not put in an appearance owing to some mistake on the mafvo's part, The owner afterwards interviewed the gentleman, I have not heard what transpired, but have reason to believe that the proceedings did not open with prayer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.