NEVIS ANNUAL RACE MEETING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 623, 27 March 1874, Page 3

NEVIS ANNUAL RACE MEETING.

—o — A short report of a journey to the No via Race Course may ho somewhat interesting to several friends who unfortunately did not share in the treat. On the morning of the fust day’s racing, according to pre-ar-rangements, having managed to scratch myself together, 1 wont at once to rouse my mates, who numbered only two, but they were as jolly a pair os ever threw a leg over pigskin. 1 found the big one on his beam-end looking after the requirements of the innei man—l told him to stow awry a good cargo onboard, because the distance was long, and the road rough. What caused me to he more particular about his inter nal and external comforts was, because it was his maiden trip to the Kens. W’e started all light and crossed Donald's puut about half-past six. At the far top of the Cairn Muir, 1 amused my mates by drawing their attention to Skinner’s Rock, which neither had seen before, and some rather amusing anecdotes of days gone past relative to the rock being so called. We arrived at Parcell’s Half-way Ilousn, dismounted, and had two “ nips ” each. By this time the fog had cleared away from the mountain tops, the sky was clear, with a nice mild bracing wind, whichJ made us

as fit as fiddlers to tackle the weary Carrick Range .Mountains, when 1 was pleased to hear my mates being'so contents d about that it was nut half so bad as they expected to find it. Over this difficulty all right. Ten o’clock brought us to |Mr. korraFs at the Nevis crossing ; we alighted and found several oi l friends from Cromwell and the Carriek Range, all wending their way to the race course. The landlady of the house was very jolly and in excellent tune, the landlord had the mumps, about bis house bc.ng only half covered in the roof, for the want of men to cut “ other ten ton of grass to thatch it.” I think there must be 16 tons on it already. I told him if the roof be as strong in proportion to the partition walls, which are 3 feet 9 inches thick, he need not allow Lis night’s rest to bo disturbed with the thought of the roof falling in ;he -said that, w.is all right. We made a start to cross the Nevis river, which was very much swollen, however, wo succeeded in getting over all right, but 1 am sorry to say, a friend who joined us at this point, was not so fortunate, while in the middle of the stream, with a strong current running, and the water over the saddle flaps, his horse got restive, and made a complete bolt of it for the shore, the irider sticking gamely to the pigskin; while iu this dangerous position he was thrown off the horse fast as he reached the land, however, with the exception of a good fright he was little the wore*. This excitement over we arrived at 'dr. Spence’s, where a general halt was made, for the purpose of giving our nags a snack. My big mate got the wind (he did not smell it, because he has none) that rather a nice goose or turkey was on the table—just by the way of killing time for a little—suggested the idea of us just having two cuts off the breast, and a wing each, he did not think it wuuld disarrange our stomachs ony, and by that time our horses would be ready for a fresh and final start for the race-course, which is situated on a large fiat about throe miles from the Nevis township. When we arrived an the ground, everything was as pleasant as could be desired, the course was a little rough, but really its position is one of the prettiest I have seen on the gold-fields.

St. Patrick's day, tho patron Saint of Ireland has, ever since the opening of tho hievisgold-field, been observed as a holiday, not only by true born Irishmen, hut by all classes of the community, and this year, from a variety of causes, special importance was given to the festival. This animal Race meeting commenced on Tuesday the 17th, and owing to the'number of good horses entered to take part in tho several contests, much interest was exci-ted,-and a very large influx of visitors resulted in consequence. The weather was beautiful, it was not only, neither windy, cold, or hot, hut there was general sunshine, tempered by a light breeze, and one of the brightest of those bright skies, under which the enow ela.i peaks of the Romarkables look so beautiful..

The coarse is one mile and 25 yards in circumference, and was in capital trim for galloping; and the general opinion expressed was that the various races were pulled off honestly—That, they were run for, and won after a struggle, in which each horse did its best to win, and that the money was won by the best horse I can vouch. The attendance was good, and numbered about 205, which included So Chinamen the latter nearly all occupied the Grand Stand, which is a natural bald hill, only a very short distance from the winning post. The reason that I give this year of the Celestial flight on to the Bald Hill, was tho.ir experience of the Nevis races of 1573 whin Spec, with his fine ear for music put in T.n appeara' cc, he gave as a substitute f.ir Lis usual preliminary canter, a sailor's

liotnpipe, and while jVi’obb, Ilia conductor, W.i 3 scientifically beatingsix-eight time on his ribs, gave an extra shuffle, and cannoned on to one Chinaman, and knocked over sixteen “ devils,” Webb ‘ bursting ” on the tan.

Spec, as full of fun as ever this year-doing his best to amuse the public j>ut in an (ally appearance, with a harmless “ dove ” on his back, and according to the dove’ a style of beating time, ho must have commenced the Ball to the tune of “ The Devil among the tailors,” because a tailor body rushed frantically past me at the time, shouting, “clear out boys, to the hill among the Chinamen. Speck and the ‘dove’ is coming,” and coming he .was in earncs t, he jumped over on apple cart, the “ dove” then pulling him up to an empty feed box.

Ths booth was large and commodious, and under the able management of Mr. B. Thompson, of the “ Crispin Hotel.” Every thing was got up in his usual good style, detached Stewards room, and horse padduck, with all the delicacies of the season in fruit, which were vast improvements to former years, and there seemed to he possessed by the majority of all classes sufficient means to purchase the elements of assuaging amount of personal drouth. Our return trip, and opinions about the Carnck Range Water Race will appear iu a future issue.