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Adjutant and a dashing and brilliant player He acted as our Secretary for a while, and has done more than any one to improve the play and further the interests of Polo in Hongkong. (Prolonged cheers, followed by "They are jolly
good fellows.")
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
and witness the exciting games that are
are now be- ing played, and the excellent form that is shown, especially by the officers of the Rifle Brigade. (Cheers). Gentlemen, I can add nothing to what Mr. Whitehead has so eloquently said about them, but on behalf of the past players I should like to record our sincere and heartfelt regret at their departure. There is a trite saying that "There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it," but, gentlemen, I think we should have to fish over many wide seas, nay, illimitable oceans, before we came across such a gallant band of sportsmen as we are welcoming here to-night. We envy the colony of Singapore they are going to, and our sorrow at their de- parture is only alleviated, if that is possible, by the thought that we may once more meet in the old country, there to refresh our memories with the recollections of the many exciting games and pleasant times we have had in Hongkong. Before I sit down I should like to propose a toast, and that is the health of Mr. Thresher, coupled with "The Drama," with special re- ference to "Fra Diavolo," unanimously ac- knowledged to be one of the best things ever produced in Hongkong, and to the untiring exertions of Mr. Thresher this is mainly due. (Cheers.)
Mr. Alexander, who was received with hearty lause, said—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, on behalf of the officers of the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade, I thank you very sincerely for the cordial way you have received and pledged the toast of our health. This Battalion of the Rifle Brigade has always been very keen on Polo, and though we only succeeded in carrying off one Tournament, viz., the Calcutta Monsoon Tour- nament, we had several very hard fights to win the Infantry Cup, and in 1891 and 1894 we reached the ante final, beaten both years by the winners; the first year by the regiment who will soon be amongst you, the West Yorkshire, and the latter year by the Durham Light In- fantry-the present holders of the Inter-Regi- mental Tournament in India. Since we have been here we have tried to do our best for Polo, but our great difficulty has been to get ponies to keep sound, and while I was Secretary I broke down no less than three in one fortnight, and others were equally unfortunate. I am afraid as long as Polo exists here this will always be a great trouble. I cannot sit down without expressing the hope that when I am a Major-General, which would be about the corresponding rank to that held by our gallant chairman, I shall be playing polo as keenly as he does now. Gentlemen, I thank Mr. Whitehead most heartily for his kind re- ference to the Rifle Brigade, and all of you for the enthusiastic way in which you have pledged the toast of our health. I now ask you to drink "Success to the Hongkong Polo Club," coupled
*
Mr. Thresher replied in a humorous speech, and several other toasts followed.
Mr. W. M. Thompson in a felicitous speech proposed the health of the Chairman.
Mr. Whitehead replied-Gentlemen, Polo is fast becoming a household word, and is each. successive year gaining a firmer root and a stronger hold on public favour. A warm wel- come awaits the new faces who come to fill up the gaps in the ranks made by departed favourites, but old friends, whether players or ponies, hold
RIFLE BRIGADE on was pla
This ma
Ground on the 20th Nov
a win for the officers of runs. Captain Eccles and it was very
[November 25, 1896.
making the century by showed excellent form in the bowling
ment. Scores
OFFICERS OF THE RIPLE-BRIGADE Capt. Ferguson, b Bonham Cart J. H. Thresher, o Pend, b Carter C. Percival, b Shelford Captain Eccles, b Shelford S. E. Holland, b Shelford Captain Baker Carr, o Pead, b Shelford A. D. Boden, 1.b.w, b Shipway, S. C. Long, o Pead, b Carter R. Alexander, not out...
G. Paley, o Shipway, b Carter. Captain Radolyle, b Carter
-NAVYA
Lieut. J. V. Farie, b Alexander - Dr. Pead, b Baker Carr Lieut. O. H. Bonham Carter, Lieut. Arbuthnot, b Alexander Capt. Mercer, b Alexander, J. M. Steele, b Alexander H. C. 8. Rawson, b Thresher. Lieut. Shelford, b Thresher .... 8. Bennetts, b Alexander V. H. Gascoigne, b Ecoles H. S. Shipway, not out
Extras
THE CLUB V. A very closely-
111
|- NAVY.
Saturday töd
Tiž dica name of that hard rider snå sterling ) & warm corner in our hearts. The future of polo | instructive
day's and thorough
bitter, Captain Loveband.
Captain Loveband aid-Mr. Chairman and gentlemen-On coming here to-night I did not expect to have to get up on my legs, as I did not quite see how I could be let in for a speech; but as Mr. Alexander has kindly coupled my name with the toast "Success to the Hongkong Polo Club," I must say that we are very sorry indeed that the Rifle Brigade are leaving Hongkong. The only thing that helps us polo players to keep our heads above water is the hope that we may find in the new regiment a few polo players who will in some degree help to fill the gap caused by the departure of the Rifle Brigade. I should like to propose the health of the absent polo players of the Rifle Brigade. I refer to Mr. Digby, who went home some months ago, to Mr. Salmon and Lord Conyngham, who also left the other day, and to Mr. Power, who we regret to learn is to-night on a bed of sickness, and who went a long way towards making our last polo dinner a success! All these gentlemen have done yeoman service on the Polo Ground, and we hope to meet them there again. With this toast I should like to couple the names of past polo players. There is a gentleman présent here to-night who accosted me rather warmly this afternoon with the words, "Who got up
this polo dinner, and why wasn't I let know? I am a past polo player and should have been old about it! Whitehead wants me to come as his guest, but I won't come as a guest. I have a right to be amongst the hosts in this farewell dinner to the Rifle Brigade." I said of course we were only too delighted to have him in any capacity. I refer to our worthy friend, Mr. Platt. Let us drink to "Absent friends and past polo players," coupling with it the name of Mr. Platt.
Mr. Platt said Mr. Whitehead, Capt. Love band, and gentlemen. This is somewhat unex- pected, but as I see I am the only past playing aber present, I suppose my fate is inevitable. I thank you, Capt. Loveband, for the kind way hich you have proposed my health, and you, gentlemen, for the cordial manner in which you have responded. My great regret is, as a past playing member I am speaking and not as a present playing one, I can hardly plead old age an excuse for not playing, when I have such brilliant exponent of the game and notable aple before me as our worthy Chairman, Whitehead. I may add we are both about the name age. But, gentlemen, be the cause what my grief at being a non-player is all the more intense whon I go down to the Polo ground
|
|
ime
feel
is largely dependent on new infusions of blood, in a victory for the Navy by 9 quite as much so as a foxhound kennel. I deplore latter were well represented; better the fact that the civil element is now so back than they have been for some. ward in joining our ranks and sharing in the and although no very striking indiy many benefits which the manly and invigorat-performances are to be chronicled on ing game yields. Several of the civilians keep one behalf, every member of the team may jus or more ponies and ride about the roads, so they that he contributed something in the way of cannot plead either expense or time as an excuse batting, bowling, or fielding towards the for not playing. Every sport has its utility, but success of his side. The Club, too, was a fairly might no sport tends to make a man more a man than strong team on paper, a team that one m the entrancing game of Polo, and none fits him reasonably suppose to be worth a good deal more for the sterner joys of war, or enables more than 175 rùns on a good wicket, but him to better fill his part in the battle of life. unfortunately as a team they failed to There is no finer school in which to acquire the up to their reputation, the first four art of riding, and Mr. H. C. Bentley very aptly wickets falling for the inadequate
of 36, and the whole side being out sings :
166. We think, however, that the game really lost in the Navy's innings and that if s little more had been got out of
the Club's bowling, and a little more dash had been put
For the daring turn and the skilful stroke,
The ever quick'ning stride,
The ring of the stirrup, the clash of stick, And the rush of the furious ride;
total
The cheer when the ball through the goal is driven into the Club's fielding, the result might have
By the steady hand and eye,
Have a wild delight in themselves alone
That can never grow old or die.
"
I am a firm believer in the great truth · Mens sana in corpore saño, and there is nothing more conducive to it than polo exercise. The pro coedings this evening have been harmonious to a degree, and at the many "farewells I have taken part in throughout the Far East in the last quarter of a century, it has not been my lot to witness more thorough or more hearty good fellowship than has reigned suprême to-night.
A very enjoyable evening terminated with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."-Com- municated.
Horse Marines were a chimerical joke of the past, but bicycling blue-jackets, says the Nagasaki Express, are a solied reality of the present. Indeed it was probably the oft re- peated spectacle of Russian and American sailors practising on the Bund that started the cycling boom in Nagasaki; and now we learn that the wheel-men of the U. S. flagship Olympia, which arrived in port on the 11th, have secured temporary quarters for their "bikes" at the Seamen's Home. There are fifteen bicycles and several more bicyclists on board the U.S. flagship, and the men intend to do quite a little in the way of century runs, etc., while she is in port. On several of the Russian men-of-war there are regular oycling schools; rooms are provided for the wheels and the men are trained and drilled in cycling tactics when in port.
been different. The Navy were fortunate in winning the toss, and Farie and Pead put on 30 runs for the first wicket before the former was out 1.b.w. to one of Smith's deliveries. Bonham-Carter, Arbuthnot, and Mercer did not give much trouble, but when Plumer and Gascoyne got together a useful stand was made, and subsequently Shipway, Bennetts, and Shelford all made useful double figure contributions to the Boore,the Club bowling did not seem to have much sting in it, but Gillingham did fairly well with wickets for 38, and Howard bagged 3 for 36.
The opening efforts of the Club we very encouraging, Vallings and Wo being bowled by Shelford; Ward bei at third man off one of Bennett's deliver Sercombe Smith being run out to score a very ill-judged ran Eccles made a much better show for the fifth wicket, but when the been disposed of for 46 (an exce and 23 (wi the inevitable ground) respectively and Mast characteristic 20, ther
to stem the though Mackenzie Club supporters eventually closed Navy's tota both bowled w good deal the
By the co Büller, Captain Centurion the band of
Beemed
of
hip played