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baud. His pony, a slim unstod beast with long tail and mane, bore as heavy a caparison and at many bells as any fat abbot's mule that ever delighted the band of Robin Hood, It seemed wonderful that the pony could keep up the gait it did among the stones and over ditches. But these little animals are surefooted as goats and very untiring.
By the way, the use of ponies by Chinese in the New Territory has increased very much since the British took it over. This is no doubt due in part to the fact that they are used largely by the Europeans there; perhaps more to the disappearance, under our rule, of that fear of showing evidences of wealth which subsisted amongst well-to-do Chinese under their own Government.
Between these great paddy-plains and the sea rises a range of hills up which the traveller must climb before Taipo valley comes in view. When one gains the crest of such a hill (especially if the pace is weet by a man with such long and untiring legs as our guide) and sees, below, the desired haven, one acquires a slight conception of what Stanley must have felt when he saw afar off the long-sought waters of Lake Tanganyika. But as it turned out our descent to the valley was nearly as arduous 88 the ascent had been.
From the foot of
the hills to Taipo all was plain walking, and we entered the town across the stone bridge which stands a monument to our P.W.D.'s ability to accomplish undertakings under difficulties.
"
One of our party had got it into his head that there was a shop in the town at which he had been able to purchase beer on a former visit. The sun was blazing hot and we were parched. | We searched through all the shops but our Yau beer-teau mo ?" was everywhe e answered with a depressing negative, until a grizzled old shopkeeper made our hearts glad by an affirma- tive response. He disappeared in the dark recesses of his shop and returned smilingly, in his hand a quart Lottle bearing a well known beer label. Hurriedly it was uncorked and -it contained samshu! We had to be content with suî.
From Taipo to Kowloon runs the splendid new road that has been completed quite recently. For 18 miles it stretches like a huge artery connecting the mother Colony with the new. Along its hard, well-kept surface we tramped for other eight miles from Taipo before we sighted the welcome rickshas (three- manned) that were to take us over the last ten miles of our journey. All the way to Kowloon new beauties opened up-smiling valleys,fragrant treams and dashing waterfalls, and verdant patches snatched by an industrious peasantry from the niggard mountain-side.
SPORTING NOTES.
(Daily Press, 21st November.} By way of a novelty, the match on the Cricket Ground to-day will be a League game, the H.K.C.C. Reserves meeting the A.O.C. at 1.30 p.m. As the A. O. C. appears one of the best teams in the competition and the Club Reserves look weak in bowling-there is little beyond Lammert's bowling which is of known strength-a defeat for the Club would not occasion surprise. Speaking of surprise reminds me that I wrote last week that I should be much surprised if the Garrison beat the Club on Saturday. The surprise nearly came off, and indeed would have, but for the wonderful form of Mast and considerable assistance from Lowe, When the Club cracks had failed and when 38 runs were still required from the wicket it was certainly not expected that the game could be saved. It was, however, as everyone knows, and in splendid style. The breakdown in the Club's. innings is unaccountable, for the military. bowling was not so very deadly. Their fielding, on the other hand, was far abead of the Club's Truly, there is a lot of bad fielding to be seen on the Cricket Groupd. If running out all hits would improve it, then those in favour of doing so have a case already proved.
It was very kind of Penang to save us from the wooden spoon of the Interport rifle contest, especially as they did it by the handsome margin of 141 points. But there is little enough for
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
| our men to pride themselves upon, except indeed | for Sergeant-Instructor Davies, whose 10% was a fine performance; he was no less than 13 points ahead of the team average, and beat the best Singapore man, Captain Elliot, by 2 and the leading Shanghai man, Inspector Wieson, by 4. A comparison of the three teams shows that for Singapore one score of 100, seven b t- ween 97 and 90, and two below 90, were put in; for Shanghai, seven between 98 and 9, and three below 90; and for Hongkong, one of 102, three between 95 and 91, and six below 90, These figures tell their own tale. Hongkong has now scored 9 firsts, 1 second, and 4 thirda; Singa- pore, 3 firsts, 7 seconds, and 4 thirds; Shanghai 2 firsts, 6 seconds, and 6 thirds; and finally Penang (which joined the contest in 1901), 3
fourths.
www
The marks towards this season's champion ship of the Royal Hongkong Yacht Club up to date stand as follows :-
CHAMPIONSHIP CL 38.
20 Aileen
5. Elspeth
ONE-DESIGN CLASS.
Vernon Dione...
Min Erica... Kathleen
8 Colleen
8 Bonito
BECOND CLA88,
་་
***
10 4
Alannah 11 Doreen Gloria Payne Chanticleer
22
0
Iris Mist Maid Marian
(has not sailed) Alannah has entered a protest against Chan- ticleer for an alleged foul in the 2nd Race.
The Victoria Recreation Club's fall regatta programme shows a great variety of racing. Nine rowing and three sailing contests are to be decided on the first day, the 17th inst., and eight rowing and two sailing contests on the following day. The most interesting race should be for the open Challenge Cup, between the V. R. C. and the Hongkong Boat Club, but it is too early to discuss the prospects yet.-The Boat Club's annual meeting last Tuesday had no sensational features. The elections of committees resulted as follows:-General committee-Messrs. Car- penter, Gale, Kohler, Messer, Rouse and Warre, Balloting committee-Messrs. Barlow, Danby Davies, Kennett, Konig, and Tester. The Hou F. H. May was elected president, and Mr. Basi. Taylor vice-president.
To-day at 11a.m.-
m.-that,'at least is, the ad vertised time-a match will commence on the Cricket Ground between the Club and the Navy. The Club team contains six of the late Interport team and looks on paper very strong. The Navy, considering the limited number of ships in the Harbour at present, is also a fairly powerful side. In the cold snap which we are now enjoying, or saying we enjoy, some brisk play will be looked forward to. The presence of the bands of H.M.8.S. Amphitrite and Blenheim should contribute not a little to the enjoyment.
Next Saturday the leading cricket match will be between the Interport team and the Rest of Hongkong, including the warships in harbour. The Interport XI. will, of course, unfortunately lack the services of Lumsden, Lowe taking his place. Lumsden has had two operations on his knee, and is now on the road to recovery.
It is hoped that he will escape a permanent stiffness. It is unlikely, however, that he will Without him play cricket again this season. the XI. will be robbed of its brightest star, but still there is Turner, as well as a number of good bats who did not come off against Shanghai, and the bowling inspires confidence. The Rest ought to be able to get together a capital team with the assistance of the Navy, who may be strengthened by next week. There is a good nucleus of a side in Sercombe Smith, Chichester, Lee, Heath, Rimington, P. G. Davies, W. Dixon, and Mackenzie, with Mait- land, Mast and others to compete for the last three places.
In League cricket the Civil Service C. C. meets the Craigengower C. C. this afternoon. The Civil Service men have much the superior record, and have only just been deposed from the leadership in the League table by the
November 30, 1903.
A.O.C.; but still I cannot think that the Craigongower has done its best so far. If so, the club has fallen off since last season, and there seems no reason for this, as its personnel is practically the same, I expect to see it higher up the list before long The Parsees make their debut in the competition, turning out in the Happy Valley to-day against the Tamar team, who have lost both their engage- ments up to date.
To-day the As ociation team of the Club meets the V.R.C. at 4 p.m. Neither team has settled down yet to it true form, but there is promise in loth. It is to be hoped that the civilian sides will distinguish themselves more this season than last, for undoubtedly a certain amount of interest for the residents here avaporates when only service teams are left to fight it out. The triangular battle between Army, Navy, and civilians is required to make a really successful season. Up to the present Rugby football attracts more spectators than Association. It is a great pity that there is only one field of play for the two sections of the H.K.F.C., which necessitates important games such as that between the Club and the Navy being played on some other day than Saturday.. Thursday's match was well worth watching. The Club backs were far too strong for their opponents, but forward there was little in the game, and that little was in favour of the Navy. Still it must be remembered that the Club pack was without Hallifax and Goldring. On the other hand, the "Navy
" was only the Tamar, Amphitrite, and Blenheim. Their forwards were a big, strong lot of men, who sbowed up well in the scrum. Formby, if his methods were a little crude, was always on the ball, and his powerful physique was most useful as the ball came out of touch. Behind, Stoyle proved himself a real flier; he seemed the fastest man on the field, though Robertson of the Club was not far behind, and Barues has an excellent turn of speed for one of his build. Pearce and Becke complete a fine three-quarter line for the Club, and both the halves on Thursday, Campbell and Fletcher, are well worth their place. Fletcher is less obtrusive, but works hard all the time. Campbell might learn to collar rather than to " scrag"; other. wise he is a plucky and persevering half. The whole team, at its full strength, is a capital combination.
The approach of December (of which the coldness of yesterday made us almost painfully aware) begins to make footballers think of the Shield ties.. Entries for the competition close on the 12th pror, and by the end of the month first round play should be commencing. An important alteration has been made in the rules of the competition. In response to the request of the Sherwood Foresters, that re- giment and the Royal Artillery will be per- mitted to enter one or more teams instead of company elevens as before. This is a concession which should greatly increase the chances of a military side winning the trophy. The Sherwoods last year did not show up very prominently in the competition, but there is some good material, and, not being restricted to company teams, they should be able to get together” a good XI. or two. It is to be noted that the new regiment do not by any means play the rather violent game of their predecessors, the Welsh Fusiliers. From what I have seen of them, their game is a strictly fair one. Some of the Fusiliers, it may be remembered, were inclined to distinctly rough play.
Only one hookey match of any importance took place during the past week, the Amphitrite team beating the Club by 3 goals to 2. The Club was unlucky to lose, as one or two easy chances of scoring were offered but not taken. Still, of course, grod and prompt shooting is the mark of a successful team. A new back has been discovered for the H.K.H.C. in the person of Lieut. Smith, R.N., who is very sound in defence. An interesting game will be played on Monday, Scotland v. the World-in honour of S. Andrew's Day, I suppose. A proposal to play the game the day after the ball was rejected.
Bowling, in view of the match for the Shield between the Hongkong and German Clubs, is