rsroRy oF THE SutaNcuAL Dart lowe "Erne $863-1990."—By oct' Daviga sh. diustrated by "Focg: Kelly & Walsh hie been known for some time pnst by many of De. Davis's friends thet he was at work on a history of fat Paper Hunt Club, occupation of his leisure for some six years past and the result now hex before us. The book we have advance copy; some of the pintes have to be worked over fugainy but the volume will generally tre on sale in the next week or two and may already be seen at Kelly:
Walsh's, Assuredly no one incrested in the lore of Shanghi should -be without this delightful ook, and indeed, rule apart from riders, paper hunting has always held so high a popularity with the Shanghai public that there is sure to be a great demand for Di Davis's history. He has done his work extraordinarily well, with all the mithusiasm of an ardent rider who was for three years Master of the Paper Hunt Club, and the of the instinctive littérature in lecting, arranging and presenting material, The book also enriched with many_ illustrations both in line and colour by that delightful artist Mr. Edmund Too, than whom no one understands bet: ter how to express the peculiar and. whimsical characteristics of the China pony. Many of the illustre tions are caricatures of well known riders, In ndiition to these there fave some flights of pure comedy, among which we would specially mention "East of Suez" and "The any you think you will never be: able to ride in the country." Apart from the historical narrative the book contains a complete set of all the rules for paper hunting, cluding those first published 1864, a full list of all winners, and, in vecont yours, of riders who get "on the card" since 1863, and a number of excellent maps of the surrounding country. The book is produced with that care and Linction for which Messrs. Kelly Wash ave famous.
Hunting is one of the oldest organized sports. Dr. Davis recalls "that there ix good document evidence for believing that the el est hunt in England is the Hol ness in Yorkshire, for Adam: Byeringham held a Patent Roll iven to him by Edward I in 1279 "to hun" the fox in the King's chaces fand warren of Holderness'. those days, of course, the mad ligner had not been heard of in Shanghai's first. recorded hunt look place in December, 1863, and way won by Mr. Augustus Broom on a pony named "Mu The swampiness of the country strongly to the for the second unt was won by a pony named "Bogtrotter.' It is generally believed that the sport of paper hunting was brought to China by Bute ish officers who came here during the Taiping Rebellion and had practised the sport in the Crimea ni in India, By 1866 hunting was well organized and Dr, Davis reproduces from the "North China Herald" of that date a very breoxy report of the hunt dinner hold at: the clote of the season. In this. connection the "North China Herald" also published a leading article on paper hunting, and journalists will no doubt notice that in those days leader writers in Shanghai were allowed to quote from Horace the original Latin. The memory some of the old landmarks, from the days when hunts started no fur ther west than Seymour Road or: Gordon Road, still lingers, and Dr. Davis includes a record of some of the most famous, particularly Black Auster's Leap near the Route de Zay Zoong, wi seems to have. been' a fearsome jump. But many of these old features are now quite untraceable, Among the maps. reproduced is one pre= pared by Mr. C. Cummings in 1891 "of the near country between the Soochow and Siccawei creeks," on the back of which are some extra ordinarily interesting notes and Jcomments. One learns from these that otter hunting was a great sport near Shanghai in those days, and the writer not only gives directions as to how the otter may be hunted, as well as the badger, Jbut Taunehes out into a defence of the sport. So far as we are aware there has been no otter hunting in this region for many long years past, though "Springie's foot hounds" are famous snd seem to pot up many curious Among other interests torical section there is a good account of the Royal Hunt of December 3, 1881, when the presee! King of England and his elder brother, the Duke of Clarence, then serving in H.M.S, Bacchante, rode after paper across the Shanghai country. warm tribute is paid to the services of the paper hunt "boys," particularly Ab Pau, who has been head paper hunt "boy" for nearly 20 yours. There is a good photograph of him viding on Newbury, presented to the Club by Mr. A:
Burkill in 1917. Newbury was ridden. by Ah Pau in the hunts AL years, another example of many that might be queted of the quite unnecessary haste with which some riders decide that their ponies are past riding and discard them rather heartlessly, to be sold at suction and to drift down to one does not Tike to think what depths of de-redation between the shats of 0 hire carriage.
The China pony deservedly gets full description and that he really enjoys paper hunting every yider can testify. In which connection the following wonderful anecdote of the present Master, Mr.
fine old pony, "Wild and the Christmas Hunt for, going to' be, done out of Christmas Hung! "so ay the cing out of obueving all one saw rites whole Bunty interfering Bye ried pee This volume is a life of the famous Wesleyan preacher and writer who died on New Year's Day this year, when only two days off his 88th birthday and the Wesleyan Publishing House has lost no time issuing the story of this many-sided man. He was born in Corn-forbears are said to Methodists cither in Cornwall or' anywhere else. At first he thought of entering. the medical profession but gradually his thoughts turned towards the ministry though we are told that when "Old Rosie" used to put her hand on his head and pray "God bless the little lad: bless hi Lord, and please Lord, to make hi a preacher" that the lad put his foot down and said "I won't." However in due course he entered the Wesleyan ministry and was the famous preacher at St James Hall maneetjon with the West London Mission for many years.
The time is perhaps very oppor tune for such a book and yet the fact that it must have been prepared at some speed may be the reason why it is harly as thrilling a one might have expected. make the following retort to the Principal of the Theological College must surely have left many other quaily good yarns on record.
"At the beginning of the autumn term Dr, Hannah told the students sat he had formed a new resolu-lon, 'You must know' he said that in the past I always smoked one: pipe of tobacco before retiring to bed, But it so happened that 1 stayed in a home at Conference where my hosts strongly objected to tobacco smoking and so 1 was deprived for three weeks of my night-pipe. On the first night of my return Mrs, Hannah filled my pipe. 'No my dear' I said 'I have done without a pipe for three weeks without discomfort and now the ipe and I will part company for fever.' 'Does that apply all round said. young Pearse' Why do you "Well, sir, did you say to Mrs. Hannah, My dear I have been separated from you for three weeks without discomfort let us part company for ever?"
The present reviewer found the the most interesting"
"The Man in the Pulpi the. book as gen fy [though personal interest sts echo run iny a partly account for that, There is near the card: As one of the wite|the account of Mark Guy's first said. ne deserved carat (ale) of Croon, An old steward to. whom jhe had gone to announce that the To the China pony's undoubted preacher could not come gave him of humour the following entry Bible "Here" said he go out into]
yr. Davis bears sufficient evid-the orchard and look for a text" and as he meditated. the sermon to take one of himself, and it is (he pony) fs algo well able jeame. He had, during a period of enforced idleness to LISTEN instead fof preaching and wrote to his wife have come to the conclusion thet the principal uso of a sermon is to exercise your patience and prepare We could go on quoting almost you for' the lesser worries of life! fon the weekdays. -Won't I put in indefinitely from the fascinating records of Dr. Davis's book, but Dit for the children! And won't T readers will be contented to. pith try to be short.' "After which, it out their favourites for themselves interesting to hear that he himself on one occasion preached for: The History ends with the following fan hour and three quarters! The: charming: comm triennial change of circuits which nea 00 yar he grea is. customary in the Wesleyan Church is suggested as one reason for Mark Guy's exceptional know. ledge of men though one may well wonder if three years gives the o portunity for getting INTIMATE knowledge of men and whether the system is as suitable in China jete the constant change must mitigate against the pastor becom-'Chinese. a ing the lax bang yen So dear to all
Between each chapter there is a tittle poem and some of the chapters Belay wtfed up and losing are illustrated by the quaint drawings with which Mr. Pearse used to illustrate his letters. There is some account of Mr, Pearse as a writer and of his travels through out the Colonies and the United States: lecturing and preaching. It is per-Dr. Davis is warmly to be con-' haps natural to invest the sayings gratulated on his work. Choosing' of those whom we love with an sport which is almost unique {interest which the actual words the world and which certainly could hardly warrant and as one reads challenge comparison with any. this book one sometimes wonders other in all the realm of athletics, whether the stories and sayings he has handled his subject with preserved would have strack an out-admirable insight and sympathy, sider as being so interesting. So at and, with the aid of Mr. Toeg, has least the reviewer felt, for example, produced a volume which should keep his memory green long. after the time—may it be far distant—when he shall have passed to the celestial hunting fields—O. Mf. G.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.