‘Hullo, “Anthony!"’

‘Aha, “Charley,” how d’ye do?’

‘By Jove, “Ferdie,” where have you turned up from?’

‘Has the “Skipper” arrived?’

‘Have any of you seen “Jamie?"’

‘Where’s big “Mars’” tents?’

‘Have any of ye seen my “Bearer?"’

‘Has the “Bump” come in?’ and so on.

Such a scene of bustle and excitement.  Friends meet that have not seen each other for a twelvemonth.  Queries are exchanged as to absent friends.  The chances of the meeting are discussed.  Perhaps a passing allusion is made to some dear one who has left our ranks since last meet.  All sorts of topics are started, and up till and during breakfast there is a regular medley of tongues, a confused clatter of voices, dishes, and glasses, a pervading atmosphere of dense curling volumes of tobacco smoke.

To a stranger the names sound uncouth and meaningless, the fact being, that we all go by nicknames[1].

‘Giblets,’ ‘Diamond Digger,’ ‘Mangelwurzel,’ ‘Goggle-eyed Plover,’ ‘Gossein’ or holy man, ‘Blind Bartimeus,’ ‘Old Boots,’ ‘Polly,’ ‘Bottle-nosed Whale,’ ‘Fin MacCoul,’ ‘Daddy,’ ‘The Exquisite,’ ’The Mosquito,’ ‘Wee Bob,’ and ‘Napoleon,’ are only a very few specimens of this strange nomenclature.  These soubriquets quite usurp our baptismal appellations, and I have often been called ‘Maori,’ by people who did not actually know my real name.

By the evening, all, barring the very late arrivals, have found out their various camps.  There is a merry dinner, then each sahib, well muffled in ulster, plaid, or great coat, hies him to the club, where the ‘ordinary’ is to be held.  The nights are now cold and foggy, and a tremendous dew falls.  At the ‘ordinary,’ fresh greetings between those who now meet for the first time after long separation.  The entries and bets are made for the morrow’s races, although not much betting takes place as a rule; but the lotteries on the different races are rapidly filled, the dice circulate cheerily, and amid laughing, joking, smoking, noise, and excitement, there is a good deal of mild speculation.  The ‘horsey’ ones visit the stables for the last time; and each retires to his camp bed to dream of the morrow.

Very early, the respective bearers rouse the sleepy sahibs.  Table servants rush hurriedly about the mess tent, bearing huge dishes of tempting viands.  Grooms, and grasscuts are busy leading the horses off to the course.  The cold raw fog of the morning fills every tent, and dim grey figures of cowering natives, wrapped up over the eyes in blankets, with moist blue noses and chattering teeth, are barely discernible in the thick mist.

The racecourse is two miles from the club, on the other side of the lake, in the middle of a grassy plain, with a neat masonry structure at the further side, which serves as a grand stand.  Already buggies, dogcarts in single harness and tandem, barouches, and waggonettes are merrily rolling through the thick mist, past the frowning jail, and round the corner of the lake.  Natives in gaudy coloured shawls, and blankets, are pouring on to the racecourse by hundreds.