THE GAME OF BOWLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2104, 1 February 1908, Page 1

THE GAME OF BOWLS.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—»ln a paragraph taken from the Otago Daily Times which appears in this morning’s issue of your paper, regret is expressed that Omar Kliayam was apparently not acquainted with tho game of bowls. I •am not myself 'a bowler and am therefore unable to speak with 'any certainty on the subject-, but I suggest that even if the game is not expressly mentioned by Omar there are lines which convince one that lie played either bowls or cricket, or perhaps both. Ho says—- “ The ball no question makes of Ayes ■and Noes, But here and there, as strikes the player, goes.” The word “strikes” is, indeed, suggestive of a hat—but it may be that the translator was -a cricketer and not a howler -'and translated the passage into a familiar metaphor. Then there are the lines—

“And in your joyous errand reach the spot where I made one. . .” This again' reads more like, an allusion to cricket (there is a. hint of chagrin for a poor score for which the poet could never forgive himself) than to howls. But it mav ho •an allusion to a close win at the latter game: your readers who bowl will ho competent to judge whether this is probable. But there are some phrases which read like direct references to howls. "And that inverted Bowl wo call the sky” and again— , , “Then said another, ‘Ac er a peevish- hoy would break tho Bowl " Apparently even in Omar s tunc, as now. there existed sonic 1 ecling on the part of the older bowlers, against tin: intrusion of mere boys into flic game, "peevish” boys hv whom the placidity of the “amiable gentlemen” of that- day was rudely disturbed.—l am, etc., J- B. Gisborne, Jan. 31.