Back to Album belonging to Colonel F F Colvin 9L (1860-1936). Contains newspaper cuttings and paper ephemera
Photographs
Item 0023
Purchase a copy
Image details
| Accession number | 912L : 2124/6 |
|---|---|
| Transcription |
11 The The Seldom have I seen so many good men and good horses got together as I saw at Gungagunge on Thursday morning . number of entries for the Cup nearly doubled those of last year , and although not so many as for the Kadir , still no one could be disappointed . Under the careful and experienced eye of the present popular Honorary Secretary all the arrangements were carried out en prince . Towards dark on Wednesday evening the well - known camp began to assume an appearance of cheerful activity , as sportsman after sportsman arrived from far and near , and on all sides one heard those hearty greetings which pig stickers are wont to give to each other . After an excellent dinner the heats were drawn and the busi ness of the evening was commenced , but the lotteries were very feeble , more so even than I expected . This , however , was pro bably so , because sportsmen , and not racing men , were in the ascendant . Then at an hour which did not bode well for the riders on the morrow , each and all retired to dream of that " Noblest sport in a sporting land , A boar in front and a spear in hand . " Well up to time on Thursday morning , horses and riders were at their appointed stations opposite the capital cover which seemed to be actually teeming with pig . 201 The following is a detailed account of the various runs : FIRST HEAT . No. 1 Party . Mr. Mackenzie's g eb g Olover ( Owner ) . Lord A compton's b a h No Luck ( Owner ) . Major Gough's bw m Miss G ( Major Chisholme ) . Mr. Shaw's g cb g Fisherboy ( Mr. Cookson ) . This was not a very satisfactory run , as the start was bad , and the pig was lost almost immediately after she was found , for she was a very fine sow . Lord A. Compton got the spear . No. 2 Party . Mr. Dimond's b k w m Black Bess ( Owner ) . Mr. Allsopp's b w g Cold Steel ( Owner ) . Mr. Fitzgerald's g a h Charlie ( Owner ) . Major Spottiswood's b a h Sweet William ( Owner ) . This party were lucky in getting a good straight running boa r Black Bess went off with the lead , which she maintained the whole way , Cold Steel being close at his heels , till he fell ; but it was Mr. Dimond's pig from start to finish , and getting well over him he got a good spear as he turned to charge . No. 3 Party . Colonel Liddell's b a h Ismail ( Owner ) . Gopi Singh's ch eb h Bishop ( Owner ) . Mr. Tipping's bwg Pole Star ( Owner ) . Mr. Impey's ch a h Comet ( Owner ) . alles aan All four got away well together , Ismail and Comet being neck and neck when they got on to the pig . Bishop's rider got a chance at a jink and missed him . About the same time some body got a first spear off Ismail , who , however , was not much hurt . Mr. Impey eventually got the spear . No. 4 Party . Mr. Caldecott's bk w g Asmodeus ( Owner ) . Mr. Stockley's g cb m Impatience ( Owner ) . Mr. Reid's b cb h Saunterer ( Owner ) . Mr. Templer's b w m Sweetheart ( Mr. Shaw ) . fanges lup Cawn por This was a great run , the four getting off together . Impa tience for a short way took the lead . A melon bed soon disposed of Asmodeus and his rider . The other three all kept well on the pig , each in turn getting a chance , till he got tired , when Mr. Shaw shot to the front on Sweetheart and eart and got the spear . No. 5 Party . Lord W. Beresford's b a h Hussun Abdul ( Owner ) .ATOS Mr. Wilson's ch cb m Starvation ( Owner ) . Mr. Baden - Powell's b cb h Jawaki ( Owner ) . Mr. Douglas's bah Hotspur ( Owner ) . This was a very short run , not more than quarter of a mile . The pig ran straight . Mr. Wilson had the legs of his field and got the first spear as he liked . No. 6 Party . Mr. Thompson's cb w g Silvertail ( Owner ) . Captain Martin's ch w m Dainty ( Owner ) . Mr. Bishop's b w m Beeswing ( Owner ) . Mr. Baden - Powell's ch w g Dick ( Owner ) . No 7 Party . Lord A. Compton's b w g Guzni ( Owner ) . Mr. Wilson's b cb h Herod ( Owner ) . On breaking from the cover this pig took quite a different line from the others and went away across the sand and jhow on the river . Beeswing led from start to finish , and after a stiff run Mr. Bishop got the spear . Major Gugh's Sugar Plum ( Major Chisholm ) . Mr. Bishop's b w g Whalebone ( Owner ) . sing r This was a clipping run , Whalebone and Herod coming up to the pig neck and neck , but Mr. Bishop had a little the best of it and got the spear . No. 8 Party . Maharajah of Dholepore's ch a h Red Prince ( Owner ) . Mr. Baden - Powell's b w m Hagarene ( Owner ) . Major Spottiswood's b cb h Fyzabad Lord W. Beresford's b w g Oliver Twist . No. 9 Party . Mr. Stockley's b cb m Fretful ( Owner ) . Mr. Harvey's gag Barsac ( Mr. Allsopp ) . Gopi Singh's ch cb m Lottery ( Owner ) . Mr. Caldecott's g cb p . Milk Punch ( Owner ) . In this run Hagarene was first on to the pig , but her rider missed and broke his spear in the ground . Oliver Twist fell over some rough ground , and Lord W. Beresford broke his collar - bone . The Maharaja then got on to the pig and got the spear . Immediately after the start Fretful disposed of his rider , and Barsac leading , the other two horses standing still , Mr. Allsopp got the spear whenever he felt inclined , April 22-83 . No. 10 Party . Lord W Beresford's gw g Premier ) owin's Honest John i Lord A. Compton's b w g Lord of the Isles ( Owner ) . oh ohm In Mr. Bishop Mr. Wilson's ch cb m Surprise ( Owner ) . This was one of the greatest runs of the day . Premier came away with a long lead , but overshot the pig , and Mr. Wilson getting on terms with him kept his place and eventually got the spear . SECOND HEAT . No. 1 Party . Mr. Bishop's Whalebone ( Mr. Baden - Powell ) . Mr. Harvey's Barsac ( Mr. Allsopp ) . Mr. Impey's Comet ( Owner ) . Mr. Templer's Sweetheart ( Mr. Shaw ) . In this run Barsac and Sweetheart got away first . Barsac getting the best of the start . The pig was young and lean , and the pace was pretty hot . Sweetheart was first on to the pig , but he jinked , and Barsac getting on to him , never left him . Mr. till Mr. Allsopp overreaching himself dropped his spear . Baden - Powell on Whalebone then had a chance , but missed him , and the pig jinking back into Comet , Mr. Impey got the spear . No. 2 Party . Mr. Bishop's Beeswing ( Owner ) . Mr. Dimond's Black Bess ( Owner ) . Mr. Wilson's Starvation ( Owner ) . This was the prettiest run in the meeting . For about half a mile the three horses went away at their best pace , neck and neck , but it was getting dark , and Starvation came a cropper over a small drain and Mr. Wilson broke his collar - bone . Mr. Bishop then got the spear , Black Bess being only half a length behind him . The Maharaja of Dholpore's Mr. Wilson's Surprise ( Mr. No. 3 Party . Red Prince ( Owner ) . eid ) . Lord A. Compton's No Luck ( Owner ) It was too late on Thursday to run this off , so on Friday morning , having drawn . the old cover blank , recourse was had to the jhow on the river , and soon a small pig was viewed . Surprise was first on to him , and Mr. Reid rode him the most of the way ; but the two Arabs soon had the best of it , and the pig jinking towards Red Prince , the Maharaja got the spear . FINAL HEAT . The excitement was now intense , and Mr. Bishop on Beeswing was fancied most for the spear . There is little or no doubt , had the pig been a straight running one instead of a jinker , he would have got it , as he had the legs of the two Arabs and went straight away from them ; but the pig took to jinking , and walers are out of it when pigs do that ; so the Maharaja on his grand little Arab got the spear and won the Cup , which has never been won . but by a good horse & a food man & I dont . will Ever suppose - - de A ( Asian ) " Look here , Mr. Whipples , I bought this mare of you ' warranted sound , " Just and here she's a confirmed roarer . Just hear the row she's making . " so , sir . We guaranteed her sound , sir , as you say ; and what I do say , sir , is , if that ' ere ain't sound enough for you , nobody could ha ' suited you , sir - they couldn't , indeed . " SPORT IN SUMATRA . a early part of this year , I was fortunate enough to receive some copies of your valuable journal , one of which , dated Dec. 31 , 1881 , and signed E. T. S. , contained a glowing account of the sport to be obtained in the Dutch East Indies . In consequence of this , a friend and I planned an autumn campaign in Sumatra , and so , after a brief excursion in Cash mere , we found ourselves , one bright morning at the end of August , landed at Padang , on the west coast of Sumatra . So far , all E. T. S.'s information as regarded fares , steamboats , & c . had been correct ; and ,. still acting on his advice , we soon reached Kayu Tanam , about forty miles inland , which E. T. S. says is a good sporting locality . A very short stay here sufficed to convince us that the sporting properties of the place had been considerably overdrawn ; so , having secured the services of the famous tiger - hunter Sinen , we determined to push on to Siedjoendjoeng ( about 130 miles from the coast ) yclept by E. T. S. " the sportsman's paradise . " On our arrival there we were most hospitably received and entertained by the Comptrolleur , who , however , informed us that elephants and rhinoceros had long since disappeared from this part of the country , that wild buffalo were unknown , and that even the hot springs , which according to E. T. S. these animals frequented , did not exist . These statements were confirmed by the natives , who added that , some twenty years ago there , a large herd of elephants had been driven into an inclosure , in which , perched in trees or otherwise posted in security , were numerous Dutch sportsmen ( save the mark ! ) , who blazed away into the " brown " to their hearts ' content , killing about twelve . The remainder , breaking away , took the hint , and sought more remote and secure quarters . Of course , we were not satisfied to rely entirely on what these people told us , but searched the country fruitlessly ourselves for traces of big game . Perhaps an account of one of our days ' shooting may be novel and interesting to some of your readers . One morning , under the guidance of Mr Ros , secretary to the Comp trolleur , and late sergeant in the Dutch E.I. army , a small thickset man , a most enthusiastic sportsman , and the reputed slayer of 2000 boars , we set out in a cart drawn by two spirited little Battar ponies for a jungle of great fame , about eighteen miles off . After rattling through fifteen miles of lovely scenery in the exhilarating coolness of the early morn , we exchanged the cart for the saddle to complete the remainder of the journey . About half - way to covert , we came to a river , which Mr Ros's pony perceiving first , stopped abruptly ; not so the impetuous rider , who , having described a parabola , was suddenly discovered lying on his back on the margin of the river . With much sympathy and a little help from the whisky flask , he soon remounted , and having crossed the river , we shortly reached the rendezvous . From all sides Malays were assembling , most of them carrying a bundle of sharp bamboo stakes , and armed with knives , spears , and most dangerous - looking firearms . The beaters numbered nearly four hundred ; each man had to bring twenty - five stakes , with which to make a " cheveux de frise " fence along the narrow glade which here intersected the jungle . These stakes are intended to delay the unfortunate animal as it crosses the open , and so assist the tardy sportsman ; but a more cruel method could hardly be devised . My friend and I were placed in the most advantageous positions in front of the stakes , and concealed by trees . Mr Ros , armed with a Beau mont rifle and sword bayonet , took post further off . The rest of the guns , about fifty , distributed themselves as they pleased . In the meantime , the beaters had gone round to the other side of the jungle , and in about an hour's time we heard them approaching , yelling , occasionally firing , and beating their gongs . Presently a charge of slugs whizzed past me from some neighbouring gunner , and was quickly followed by a sambur deer , which , however , I missed as he bounded through the stakes . Then a great crashing in the jungle was heard ; my attendants became fearfully excited , when a herd of swine emerged and went gaily trotting into the stakes , followed by what I took for a white elephant as it lumbered past me . However , I gave it two hardened bullets from my smoothbore , which eventually stopped its career , and then discovered it to be a fine white tapir . The Malays , who are Mussulmen , refused to touch it , as they say it is a species of pig , though where the resemblance lies I can't see ; so I had to perform its decapita tion myself , and , with great difficulty , induced two men to carry its head home on a pole . My friend shot a sambur deer , and had a snap shot at another tapir . Mr Ros also increased his pig collection . This virtually concluded our day's sport , as , although we tried other beats , our Malays , thinking they had done enough , invariably hid themselves and went to sleep . The Sumatran jungle is fearfully dense , and it is impossible to obtain game without beaters . The Malay is the most useless man in this capacity , as at best he will only follow his predecessor through the jungle , and refuses to enter any covert that might hold a tiger ; nor will they consent to molest one unless he has previously committed some mis demeanour , such as killing a buffalo or one of themselves , as they believe the tigers contain the spirits of their departed relatives . In conclusion , allow me to say that , although a few elephants and rhino ceros are to be found in the island , they inhabit localities which , if not inaccessible to the sportsman , are at least only attainable with great trouble and expense , and in my opinion he will do far better to turn his R. B. C. attentions elsewhere . Batavia , Nov. 2 . KASAULI DEPOT GYMKHANA . THE SECOND MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE EVENTS . ΟΝ SATURDAY 2ND JUNE 1883 . COMMITTEE . Major G , A. Cox , 2nd L. Regt . I Capt . E. B. McInnis , 9th L. Lieut . C. M. T. Western , | Lieut F. M. St. Aubyn . R. B. Royal Horse Artillery . | F. F. Colvin , 9th Lancers . Hory . Secy . Capt . J. Browne , The Devon . Kegt . PROGRAMME . Part I. 1. Wheel - barrow Race 100 yards wheeling a man blind folded . } ... 2. Walking Race 1 mile ( all comers , ) 3. Bucket Race 100 yards , fullest bucket to win , ... 4. Native Race , for Native establishment and Officers servants of the Depot , Rs . 4 ... 33 PRIZES . 1st . 2nd , 3rd . 11 6 4 2 2 1 . 3 1 . 28 as . 18 as . |
