Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-09-04
A CHINESE RACE COURSE.
REMARKABLE SCENES AMONG THE
ALMoNU-EYED eRIENTALs.
Going 10 the Races i'm Queer Vehicles
The COOiie Carrier - -Qu.er
Horses and Jockeys.

The COOiie Carrier -Qu.er
Horses and Jockeys.
The Hong Kong race week is one of
those rare occasions when the Chinese
come out of their swalming ant hills,
uabitually so difficult of penetration to
strangers. On the afternoon of the cup
lay the broad, handsome main road is
aiken possession of for miles by a swiftly
circulating mass of chattsring, pig
tailed and most uncanny looking Chi
aese, with their equally strange looking
gehicles-the light covered armchair,
carried by bamboo poles on the should
ers of two coolies, and the rickshaw, a
two wheeled vehicle with q pair of
shafts, between which is placed not a
horse, mule, pony, or even donkey,
but one of those increasingly toil:ng
Chinese. "Liekshaw, lickshaw p'-they
cannot manage our 'r"--shout half a
lozen eager competitors to the English
man. The rows of rCkshaws, about
three deep, every one at brisk trot,
with not an inch interval in front, behind,
or on one side, are kept rigidly in their
places by tall, stalwart policemen, Eng
lish or Sikhs, stationed along the route !;
and if any driver or horse-one and the
same in the present case-dares to de-
viate from the prescribed line, the
policeman, with great tact and sagacity,
instantly steps forward and whacks him
not taps him. but showers down heavy
whacks on the offenders hollow sound
ing, shaven skull.
But we must not lose sight altogether
of very important element in the
throng, the sedan chairs These are
more suitable for the staid elderly ladies.
1he bearers, two, or-if the weight OF
the lovely burden should try the sup
| porting bamboo poles-four in number,
shuttle rapidly and unweariedly along,
and the occupants, perched high in the
air, endeavor to look dignitied, but only
succeed in appearing supremely absurd.
Their coolies, if in private employment,
are habitualy clad in light, bright cot
ton liveries - -baretooted of course-and
The effect is thoroughly Oriental and
rather pretty. There, see, is the chair
belonging 10 the establishment of the
governor of the colony. 1t is born by
four coolies in our brilliant national
scarlet uniform, and this dazzling color,
in the midst of the Chinese green, yel
low, and blue, really looks very impos
ing. There is different sort of a
chair, carefully covered and closed
around with straw lattice work. 1t wells
from public view some Chinese beauty
of high degree. Soldiers under the
rank of sergeant are forbidden by garri
son order to travel in rickshaws.
The Europeans are only as units
among thousands. True, the natives
high and low, rich and poor, afoot Oh
transported, will instantly shrink aside
at the incessant warning. "Hyah," o
che running coolie, who thus intimate
hat he is conveying an Englishman, bu
he enormous majority Of the streaming
5hrong is, of course Asiatic Chinese. Th
"oute is lined with palms, with banyar
trees, and with bamboos, and the red
fever-causing, disintegrated granite dus
lies up into our faces. Up go tn
umbrellas. Up hill, and m.
rrotting coolie never flags; dowl
NIL, and his speed becomes so breaknecl
that every moment | expect an upset,
collision, or smash, irrespective of tn
contingency of broken bones to a fey
English foot travellers, who would scor
% move out of the way for any numbe
Of Chinese cries of "Hyah."
Here we are at the entrance to tn
grand stand. A payment of about S
brochures admission to the lawn, an,
>nce more the strangeness of the seen
eems for time to battle any systemati
observation, however painstaking.
leu of stands are some seven or eigh
arge mat houses, light, picturesqu
structures, supported on bamboo poles
With sides and roofs of rushes, and deco
'ated with tropical evergreens and brigh
cloth or calico, the effect of which is eS
;essiveIy pretty. Each mat house is tn
property of some one private individuG
,r of an association, and the refresl
nents provided are so costly and abund
INT that the imputation of excessive eat
ng and immoderate drinking can scarce
y be resented.
The race crowd, without which a rae
Meeting is as dull as German steeple
chase, is of large proportions, with rel
esentatives of nearly every Asiatic stat'
out, of course, Chinese enormously pr'
oonderate. Nearly all are chatterin&
and quite all are in high good hume
; enjoying the general sense of holida,
Not a single case of drunkenness did
) ;ee-no pickering, no rowdyism, and "
40 lack of fun.
The saddling bell rings, the numbe
Ire hoisted, thud of hoofs announce
he preliminary canter. Well, what {
= he racing2 Beneath criticism, almo.
beneath contempt. The ponies are frol
Australia, Japan or Chefoo-doubtle:
serviceable for the work of their respe
, dive countries, but as racers, wretchet
weedy, groggy, undersized brutes; whil
he jockeys are. the paraphernalia
heir business, the prepoSterous length
,heir legs, their heavy weights, the
aorse coping idiosyncrasies, and the
!, Indifferent riding.
: bought very average type of rae
y for G6 los. In fact, the sport is mere
y peg on which to hang the love
= gambling, which, like the love of drin
! uns very high in this part of the worl
Innumerable and high prize lotteries a
y started, and three legged screws a
\ merely bought and entered on the c
+ chance of winning the stakes, which,
. addition, are very cons derable.
While pondering on the scene, my a
. tcntion is suddenly aroused by an u
y wonted hum, hustle and exciteme
= among the Chinese mob. A race is
- - course of being run, but to this incide
- they are habitually very indifferer
i Something unusual is certainly arousil
:, them. Here comes the horses. He
:, :, queer the jockeys look, how strange
!! they are hunched up, how wildly tn
- throw theiar arms about, how fierce
10 - they fog, what diabolical faces-an