HOME AT LAST

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8275, 22 September 1888, Page 3

HOME AT LA ST

JOTTINGS BY THE WAY BY J.K. fjAKM XBHWORTIiyJ On British soil 1 How cuarming is thy Tlew, Thy pleasures many, and each p'easme ntw. ASCOT RACES ON -CUP DAY. I Went to Ascot on the Hunt Cup day. This is a grand course for the racers, almost flat, and beautiful turf. The new mile course in quite straight the whole length. The old mile and other distances on the circle as usual, but so great is the stretch of flat land here that it appears to me any distance can be run on the once round by using one or other of the many outside tracks laid down, all of course leading into the straight in front ,pf the long line of stands. There was a great crowd, but nothing like as at Epsom, and of altogether a different clnss. The buildings, r&iHage, aa<l B tabling, horse and other paddockp, are of better style and finish. As there is no railway nearer than Windsor this means that those who either do not own or cannot hire a vehicle, or pay for ihe ride, have to walk, and it is a pretty long tramp, though delightful us a A DMVB THROUGH ETON AND WINDSOR. I went by rail from London to Slough, then joined with the friends of a shipmate and drove through Eton and Windsor, and A'irough the great park, and on through woods nnd country lams till Ascot was reached. The great pnrk at Windsor is superb as a troop review p round, and at its. furthest end there nro some grand old oaks. Queen Anue'a drive, a long ond wide avenue, trees en 1 pasture all in the very best trim, which was posßed en route, was itself a si^ht. . Ascot, town or village, whichever )ou like, is but a email affair, and looks pretty much like an adjunct to the course, or relreut for such ns abominate railways and manufactories. Certainly, if I ruled thereuboutp, I would never sanction any nearer approach of a railway. It is best as now. ON TUB COUKSB. Being on the courso about half- past eleven, there was already a great show of Tchiolcß drawn up in line on the vehicle reserve, twenty feet or so from the boundary rail of tho course, the intervening space being for promenaders. The fencing, all good where the crowd forme, being strong posts with a top rail formed of strong round iron, the bar only about hip high. Here and there are BtlH of half a dozen strong iron posts giving entry and egroes to and from the coureo. These are necessary, for the railing is too low for tho Indies with their present tall bead gear and clusters of natural flowers and foliage atop to stoop and pass under. Then c^uiD, TUB FASHIONABLE I>ARABOLB, or some of them, are. of a style that the moit vividly imaginative New Zealand beauty Qonld form no gonooptioa, Tho

handles too are long as walkingsticks, and big or bulky enough to pound a burglar, if only the ladies were trained to use them in fight. I fell in love with one of these parasols. Oh, it was lovely ! It passed on top of a four-in-hand, the lady occupying the centre of a middle Beat, all nlone in her glory. The top bad the appearance of a bed of snowdrops growing oat of delicate tiny leaves of fern of freshest greenness, with a frill, I suppose it would be called, all round the rim droopin? from each Btretcher. Ah J this was a lovely parasol; and between the races I peered about among the got up beauties for another sight of that lovely parasol. Well, if any lady — bear in mind the majority wore aristocrats or of the very wealthy classes, in any casb " society " people — had attempted to stoop under this low railing, there would certainly have been a wreck. Dear me, what a sight a score or a few hundreds of such wrecks would have made. THE LADIES On TUB COUBSE. The stylish ladies \»ti»o there by the hundreds. High style— saperb qunlity— that is the dresses. It would have been a certain wreck to sloop, and — ahem — indecdrous to step over. There is no doubt about the carriage of these ladies. Most of them know how to walk, say step. In comparison the thoroughbred as against a wagon horse. Can't cay that aa a cluss they would prove first-class mothers. Too narrow across tho Bhoulrlers, nnd rarely a genuinely healthy looking face. Of course the London season must tell on the constitution, and it is not to be expected that aristocratic ladies can have country health and strength with fashionable town life. I longed to see the beauties made, or volunteer, to form line and each toe the scratch fairly, and all the good pnrnßols spreid. TUB MALE PORTION. There was too much Btrufc about most of the men, an unnatural ramrod-like Btraightnes9. They drive in free and easy enough, and in. tweeds show to better advantage. Nearly all the four-in-bands had tho windows close shut and blinds down. The explanation was that the tucker and clothes and bell-toppers, and in some cases extra servants, occupied tbe inside. This enabled tho swell gents to disrobe their becoming attire and fit up in black or dark close buttoned suits with bell-topper over all. Different clubs each had their respective tentq, and the whole of these railed off from intrusion by the commoner sort, or others not entitled to entry. Races started here at one, and up to shortly before this time there were great crowds. On the course were to be seen the racehorses preparing to start, aud the trainers or owners talking with the

mounted jockeys on the coming events. At the reserve entrance were to be seen the first nrrivuls watching the '• who'swho" as they came up, on the look out for personal friends. THE GRANDSTAND. There were only four occupants of the Roynl hox proper— the Princo of VValt-s, another gentleman, and two ladies. The overhead portion of the stand woo, however, fully occupied by royal adjunct?. The booths und betting men wero pretty much as at Epsom, but there were fewer shows, and fewer steam and barrel-organs, circuses, and swings, though altogether there was as big, if not a bigger, spread of canvas. This was in great measures for the accommodation of horses, for as soon as any vehicle wns druwn up into position the horses had to be removed nnd taken clear sway from the course— that iv, the racing and sight seeing portion. FOUB-IN-HAND TEAMB. There was a grand show of horseflesh of tho four- id-hand teams. EveTy team as perfectly matched in color and size as was possible. Everj' vehiclo of any and j every kind was followed up by two to j half a dozen touterp, all noxioup, and in nmoy cases taking posseßion both sides and at every horse, pretty much ac high- ' wajmen might have done in olden tirms. Even the little pony which had brought my shipmate and his sweetheart to the | course wns seized oo both side*, as also was the horse in the larger trap in which I was seated. " What on earth do all those fellows wiint ?" Either one of the i two at tho pony looked strong enough to pick the animal up und walk off with it, end I almost thought they intended to or fight for possession. "All right," said my friend, " for hnlt-n-crown each convejance they will take charge of everything." That was a relief, though among the hundreds racing about ufter or alongside of vehicles there were scores whom I should have been sorry to trust with unything The wonder to me wus where they could ull turn up from. THE AMUSEMENTS. As the crowd of sightaeers were altogether of the aristocratic order the nigger and banjo element was a'so better got op, and not bo broad an regun'e performances. There were some shabby conjurers, professional boggure, and poor of the agriculture! laboring class, nnd a considerable number of seedy looking sunburnt or dirty men and women who eke out an existence by what they can beg, borrow (like the chosen people borrowed from the Ezyptiuns), or stenl. They were evidently totally u,i.icquuiaied with hard labor, exept it migl t be < cjobijnally whf-n in seclusion anri umkr the direotioo of Her Majesty's official p. TUB RACS9. I never saw such oven racing nnd such large fields. The Royal Hunt Cup was » never to be forgotten sight. It wua on the new mile course, which is perfectly straight. I had a good position, and had the horabs full in sight for at least three puts of the diitanse, There wero 21 or

22 horses in the race, and only about three laggards. The racers filled the whole width of the course, and as they passed where I stood, bar the two or three laggards, there di'l not appear to be more thin three li ngtfcs from the first to the last of this groat cluster. Hitherto I have very much discouated the pictures of these full-field racts. No need. All the races were good.