A Free Translation of a Chinese Letter Upon Horse-Racing.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 302, 1 May 1894, Page 2

A Free Translation of a Chinese Letter Upon Horse-Racing.

(By Old Grumble.) "To my Celestial brethren in the' flowery land of pigtails I send greeting. Knowing you to be desirous of all information regarding the habits and customs of the people amongst whom I am sojourning (and truly a great people 'are they), I will from time to time acquaint you of such things as are worthy of observation. In my last I spoke of the worshippers of the ball. I will now describe the religion of the turf, the votaries of which worship the horse; the rites and ceremonies of this sect are very curious, and their turf festivals are so numerous that more than half of the days in. the kalender are devoted to the celebration of them. In preparing for these feasts the fleetest horses are selected and handed over to a priesthood of which there are several orders. The two highest, called " Trainers " and " Jockies," dedicate them to their favourite " dieties, whose names they henceforth bear, such as Satan, Hercules, and Billy-go-by-em, these divinities being supposed to impart to their name-sakes their strength and powers, for to the mind of these heathens their feasts really represent the contests of the gods. The priests diligently apply to the horses their craft, which is very great, swathing them in cloths so that no one shall know them, and being exceedingly careful that not the slighest scratch occurs to them, for the consecrated horse must appear unblemished otherwise it cannot enter into the contest. As the festival approaches many fanatics are seized with hallucinations, and conceive that they have the power of looking into the future and learning of the fates which diety will wear the laurel wreath of victory ; this protended knowledge, called " tips," they willingly dispose of for a remuneration. False prophets are they, and I say beware of them. At the last festival I attended, I purchased from one of these fanatics a tip, who, as he received the solatium, ipointed out the favored animal, thereby inducing me to make mauy offerings to the god under whose patronage it was, for he said by thus doing I would gather in much riches ; but, shades of Conf ucious ! the horse did not enter the arena at all. With much anxiety I enquired the reason and learned to my dismay that the horse had been " scratched." I went to where the horse stood, and, although I examined it closely, I could not perceive the least abrasion of its glossy skin. As the horses enter the lists the devotees begin to grow excited and hurry to a shrine that is erected in the field, and at which a high priest officiates, into whose hands these benighted creatures pour their offerings which are very costly. The contention begins, and as the horses strive and strain with the "jockies," who, seated on their backs, flog them unmercifully because they will not remain submissive and stand still as desired by some great personage, the worshippers grow more and more excited until frenzy sets in and they scream out strange prayers with which are mingled cries of lamentation, shouts of rejoicing, and taking off their hats and whirling them aloft as they watch their favorites being defeated or growing victorious. At last, when all is over, a few may be seen to take their way towards the shrine while by far the greater number turn their faces disconsolately away. As for your friend Sing Song be lost much gold by reason (as a barbarian told him) of his not having " struck a difly," which your friend took to mean he had not assaulted a god. Perish the thought! Need your friend say that rather should his last shekel leave him than he be so impious as to raise his arm to strike a divinity. Trusting that the dragon which soars over you has by this time had some offspring, so that you can send one to protect us, for verily the barbarian hath a hand which smites like a rod of iron. I. remain, still holdiug the bond of fellowship with you, Sing Song."