A FEATHERED RACE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2313, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FEATHERED RACE.

Bobbstt relates that Colonel George Hanger and George IV,, then Prince of Wales, made a wager concerning the comparative swiftness of the turkey and the goose, by which the Prince whs victimised. Hanger having settled the question to his own satisfaction, first 'introduced the subject at dinner, and gave his opinion in favor of the turkey, Others hacked the goose, and a match of twent7 turkeys against twenty %mc was made for a distance of ten miles. The Prince backwl the turkeys heavily at 2 to 1, and commissioned Hanger to choose twenty of the finest birds he could find, On the day appointed the Prince and his party of turkeys and Mr Berkley and his party of gppse set oil to decide tlia match, For the lirst three hours everything seemed t<> indicate that the turkeys would be th" winners, as they were then two miles in advance of the geese; but m nitih 1 came on, the turkeys began to stre'eh out then- necks towards the bra: ches of the trees which lined the suln-i of the road, In vain the prince linked at them with a pole to which a tut of red-cliith wan attached; in vkiii ■George Hargi'i' dislodged one from its roosting place; in vain was burlev strewn upon the road. The geese waddled on in the meantime and passed the turkey party, who were, all Uisy in the. trees, di>logiii<! their obstinate ; birds. All their efforts, however, were ' to no effect, ami the geese weie tiei clare.d the winners.—Nineteenth Century,