Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-22

sPlendid Race C0urse-Queer Racing
: A Great Scene-The Horses and the
People. *

| People. *
From the Cornhnl Magazire.
The Hong Kong race week IL one Of those rare
occasions when the Chinese come out Of theiI
| swarming snthills, habitually so difficult Of
penetration to strangers. On the afternoon Of
the Cup day the broad, handsome main road Is
taken possession Of for miles by swiftly circu-
lating mass of chattering, pig-tailed and most
| uneanny looking Chinese, with their equally
chair carried BY bamboo poles On the shoulders
OF two coolies, and the rickshaw, two-wheeled
vehicle with pair Of shafts, between which Is
DONKEY, nG but one Of those uncessiHsiy toiiine
Chinese. "Lickshaw, nckshaw!'-they cannot
manage our sn s'sh na,i ENaen eager c1m a
shaws, about three deep, every one at q brisk
trot, with not an inch interval in front, behind
nss aes
stationed along the route; and II any driver OF
horse-one and the same in the present case
dares to deviate from the prescribed line the
policeman, with great tact and sagacity, In.
stant,y steps forward and whacks him, not taps
offenders Understanding, shaven skull.
But we must not lose sight altogether Of q
very important element in the throng, the
staid elderly ladies. The 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 occu.
pants, perched high in the air. endeavor to look
disnifed, but only succeed in appearing SUI
pIeTneiE dDSuTu. 1nelT COOleS, II In private
employment, are habitually clad in light. bright
cotton liveries-barefoOted, of course-and the
effect is thoroughly Oriental and rather pretty.
taDlishnent of the governor of the colony It
Is borne by four coolies in our brilliant national
scarlet uniform, and this dazzling color, in the
midst of the Chinese green, yellow, and blue,
really looks very imposing There is a Differ
ent sort of chair, carefully covered and closed
public view some Chinese beauty g of f high de
gree Soldiers under the rank of sergeant are
forbidden by garrison orders 10 travel in rick
shaws.
The Europeans are only as units among thou
sands. True, the natives, high and low. rich
shrink aside at the incessant warning. "Hyah.S
or the running cOOlie, who thus tntimates that
be is conveying an Englishman, but the enor-
course, Asiatic Chinese The route is lined with
palms with banyan trees and with bamboos,
and the red. fever-causing, disintegrated granite
brellas Up hill, and my trotting eoolie never
flag; down hill, and bis speed becomes so
breakneck that every moment I expect an
upset, collision, or a smash irrespective of the
contingency OF broken bones to q few English
foot travellers, who would scorn to move out of
the way, for any number OF Chinese cries Of
Here we are at the entrance to the grand
stand. A payment of about IS procures admis-
sion 10 the lawn, and once more the strange
ness of the scene seems for a time to baffle any
systematic observation, however painstaking
In lieu of stands are some seven or eight large
mat houses, light picturesque structures sup
ported on bamboo poles, with sides and roofs Of
PUSHES and decorated with tropical evergreens
and bright cloth or calico, the effect of which is
excessively p city. Each mat house is the
property Of some one private individual or of
an association. and the refreshments provided
are so costly and abundant that the i'm putation
of excessive eating and immoderate drinking
can scarcely be resented.
The race crowd. without which a race meet
Ing Is as dull as German steeplechase, Is Of
large proportions, with representatives OF
nearly every Asatic state: but, of course. Chi
are chattering, and quite ali are in high good
humor, enjoying the general sense of holi-
day. Not a single case of drunkenness did
see-no pickering, no rowdyism, and yet no
The saddling bell rings, the numbers are
hoisted. thud Of hoofs announces the prelim-
mary canter. Well, what of the racing? Be
Meath criticism almost beneath contempt. The
ponies are from Australia, Japan or Chefoo-
spective countries. but as racers, wretched,
weedy. groggy, understood brutes; while the
chief features to be noticed of the amateur
jockeys are the paraphernalia of their bust
ness, the preposterous length of their legs,
their heavy weights, their horse-coping lido
syncrasies and their Indifferent riding.
l bought very average type Of racer for
f6 los. In fact, the sport is merely peg on
which to hang the love of gambling, which
part of the world. innumerable and high
prize lotteries are started, and three-legged
screws are merely bought and entered ON the
Off chance of winning the stakes, which, in
addition, are very considerable.
s'T.ree faone bar one" is an unknown cry
on this course-all the better, perhaps-and the
excitement among the masses of Chinese is nil.
AEaR3sfsies gallop past the post the English,
it rs true, begin to cheer; but a cheer unless
fetal Sc shouting behind the scenes.
IT NJ give up lie sport" as a bad job. There
Is aen,y else to admire Of which Ascot has
sit LATED at the very bottom Of one of Natures
pler'ii amphitheatess, and if we lose a little
- & tendency to swampiness, we gain enor-
j. m mi q O
eag.ns Of unbroken lines of bambOO-that
tree wcich shows how nature can be perfectly
Then there is an upward siopng mass GRAIN of palm
but friendly looking scotch fiji; then, to crown
all, the vast framework of rugged hills, both in
form aud in heathery aspect, recalling the
Soils" about Deeside Ballater, only their
denizens are eagles and cobras instead ofgrouse
and roe deer. Still further, through a large gap
ere the Red mountains Of the China mainland
overlooking kawOOn, nObly setting of the
Teia.lvely lower level beauties of the Hong
Kong race course.
While bordering on the scene, my attention
is suddenly aroused by an unwonted hum, bus
tie and excitement among the Chinese mob.
race Is in course of being run, but to this In
cdent they are habitually very Indifferent
Something unusual is certainly arousing them
Here comes the horses. How Gueerthe Jockeys
look, how strangely they are launched up, how
wildly they throw their arms about, how
bless my heart, why, they have got pigtaiis
streaming in the wind! The puzzle Is explained.
i. IS race ridden under special arrangements
by Chinese I" mafOos" or grOOms-the best race
OF the meeting, the only one which has caused
any real enthusiasm. Reused by the half
laughter, half-cheers. of their white masters
stimulated by the cries of their fellow country
men-"Go fl. Fordhamv' once heard an en-.
cOuraging Chinese lad shout-the mafoos as
they finish" up their Walpurgis ride, wild with
excitement seem to have lost still further their
serabiance 10 humanity, and To be transformed
into distOrted-visaged, ohorribTy frenzied de-
mons. The race over, how they strutted about
In all the pride of jockey caps and Jackets and
how they chung to their costume to the last pos
sibie moment.
Inc tenants OF the numerous mat-faShfOned
grand stands belonging to the higher class ma
ives nave become very jubilant and vivacious
IL consequence OF the above-descriped race.
ana avail myself of an opportunity to enter
one tenanted chiefly by Chinese and Japanese
ladies'. must confess that my bashfuiness
compelled me to retreat after q very few mo-
ments from the battery OF their half-wondering.
half-scornful glances at the European intruder
but not before had time to remark that Their
faces were flushed all over with skillrullv ap-
pied pink tints, excepting in patches, which
revealed o1sagreeabiy even and intensely
| Opaque Wilderness. Their eyebrows were pen.
ciled into narrow stiff arches, their headdress
! vests and trousers-fOr in China all the women
| wear large, loose trousers-were OF yarie9ated
colors, quite ingenious in their contrasts and
brightness; their black hair was dragged back
into lumpy, Shiny rolls like jelly fish: their
stature Was ugly and stunted and their feet
| their extraordinary feet, in many cases had
been contracted since childhood into mere de-
! formed knobs, hideOus to look at, on which
\ they painfully tOttered for q few yards
| the very thick of China race-course drees Vel
/ these dregs differ from their Enolish concones