[ GRATIS.] SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1863. [ GRATIS.] IRISH MEN, IRISH HORSES, AND IRISH SPORTS.— No. in. DEAR BELL: A multiplicity of pressing engagements has pre- vented me continuing the above subject, the last article upon • which appeared in your issue of the 17th ult, and it will not be considered complete without some remarks in reference to a few of the best Irish steeple chase horses and cross- country jockeys. I have before stated that any horse bred in Ireland, with plenty of quality, speed, and bottom, is sure, sooner or later, to be purchased for the English market— indeed, the majority of Irish breeders have no other end in view than to produce horses that will catch tbe eye of English dealers or their agents. It is astonishing the amount of money such men as Collins, Rice, Anderson, and Cox, of London; Murray, of Manchester; Potter, of Ashby- de- la- Zouch, and other large town and provincial dealers will give for horses good enough to hold a place in the front rank to hounds anl safe at their fences. I have frequently seen from three to four hundred guineas paid by these dealers or their agents for such animals, and they take them, too, • without any of the fuss so often made in this country about war- ranty and other conditions, under which a horse cannot be said to be sold out and out, he is only lent on trial, and the money depo- sited as security, and then too frequently returned on the dealer's hands with a long bill for expenses, and a threatening letter from a solicitor for an imaginary breach of warranty. Irish breeders or dealers will not give a warranty, they sell their horses subject to a veterinary opinion; therefore an English dealer must take them like a man takes his wife—" for better or worse." Besides this they are subject to all the risk of transit by boat across the ever turbulent channel, and the no less to be dreaded shocks of railway shunting, which is more injurious to horses than is ge- nerally supposed. With purchasers always ready to give first- rate prices, and take the animals clear away without any conditions as to return, it is no wonder that there should be so few really first class steeple chase horses left in Ireland, either to run for their own stakes, or to enter for the great English cross- country events. It is true there are always a fresh lot brought out in the spring for the National Hunt Race at Punchestown, the premier steeple chase of the year, but those who most distinguish themselves generally find purchasers and leave the country. The Irish horses engaged in the Grand National at Liverpool from year to year, and especially this season, are anything but types " of the best animals produced in the country. There may be said to be half a score Irish horses entered for this year's Grand National— Sly Fox, Grisi, Yaller Gal, Thomastown.' Broomstick, Bucephalus, Fosco, Climax, Miss Maria, and Sir Bobby. The two first- named did not accept, but as they will probably figure in some other event before the season is over, I may include them in my notice of the lot. Sly Fox is decidedly the best- looking horse in the whole string entered for the great Liverpool event, a long, low, fine- moulded horse, with legs as sound and clean as the day he was foaled; but his temper spoils him, his^ orte being to stop like a shot the moment he is collared. I have seen him do this repeat- edly in a race of three miles ; mild persuasion is of no use, and he cares no more for a welting than a chimney- sweeper's donkey. Grisi, the other non- acceptor for this race, is a very creditable performer on the fiat, and one of the best hurdle jumpers in Ire- land. It is also a remarkable fact that she got over the very big country at Limerick, where so many horses were killed in Sep- tember last, without making any mistake. She is a remarkably plain mare to look at, but thoroughly game ; and though she wiil always perform respectably with a weight suited to her size, she is too little all over to carry the impost with which she would have been saddled at Liverpool through the raising of the weights. Of those thdt remain in, Thomastown, list, will doubtless be supported for the greatest amount of Irish money. He is under- going a most careful preparation by James Murphy, of the Cur- ragh ; and whenever he is treated to a few jumps during his daily exercise, he takes them as in days of yore, for he was, prior to last season, one of the finest fencers that ever carried a saddle. He is, however, as cunning as a monkey; and when mounted in colours for a punishing race among a great field of horses, where he may be baffled at his fences and soured in his temper, I, for one, should not be surprised to witness a return ef the jibbing propensi- ties which he displayed at the first and second fences last year. In- dependentof this fault, however, he labours under amost objection- able infirmity, that of being too little all over, short of length in body and stride to gallop in such company as Jealousy, The Dane, Anatis, Northern Light, and the like sort of horses. Thomastown is certainly what may be termed a " great little" animal, compact and well put together as a horse can be, and he can also stay, at a certain pace, as well as anything in the race ; but I repeat that he does not cover ground enough in his stride for such company, and this, added to his uncertain temper, will in my opinion form an Insuperable bar to his success. Yaller Gal, lOst 131b, is a slow game mare, more fit for a big difficult country than the flying fences and fast galloping over the Aintree Course ; she, too, is a short- striding animal, and, although she is sure to take her fences kindly, and I think without mistake, yet she is not good enough to get the distance and finish in front at the pace this race is usually ran. Miss Maria, lOst 91b, is a mere pony, certainly out of place in an event like this, among such a superior class of animals. She has to carry the same weight as her slashing half- sister, Anatis, the winner of this race in 1860. The latter has had a long rest; her legs and wind are said to be as sound as ever; she has been re- served and nursed especially for this race, therefore it would be folly to suppose that an undersized animal like Miss Maria, that has never run in public within a mile of the distance, and never won anything in more than middling company, can gallop and jump with a tried and known good mare like Anatis. Bucephalus, list 21b, was in Irish hands this time last year; he has been in England since his essay in this event in March last, but whether he may still be considered as one of the Emeralders I am at present unable to state. He is a showy, entire horse, with an arched neck, a light middle, and somewhat narrow loins, not by any means to look at the sort of horse to stay this course. I expect, however, to see him an improved horse at Liverpool. He got over all his fences last year in a business- like manner, but he gave way in the last mile, and finished a long way behind old Xanthus ( who was fourth), a very tired horse with an extraordi- nary wet- sail. He has to carry 71b more this journey, but although he will doubtless come to the post much improved with his long English preparation, I do not expect to see him much nearer the front at the finish. Sir Bobby, lOst 41b, is one of those neat, little, compact horses that his name would almost suggest; he is a picture to look at, and a superb fencer, but he lacks both height and length, as also that fine raking stride possessed by many of his competitors, which is so essential to get over this course and finish in the front Broomstick ( late BrianBoroihme. formerlyFarneyBoy), lOstllb, is a thick lump of a horse, with remarkably well- furnished thighs and fore- arms. He, however, looks more like hunting in a thickly enclosed country over his native sod- banks than skimming over the brooks and fences at Aintree at the necessary speed ; he is also partially ( if not wholly by this time) blind of an eye, the off- one too, which is unfortunate for the direction in which the Liverpool course isrun. This infirmity is the cause of the horse freouently refusing his fences when put at them at a fast pace, which, in my opinion, will be the ease at Liverpool, and prevent his figuring to the advantage of his owner. Fosco ( late Mystery), 9st 111b, is a good- looking grey gelding, by Arthur, big enough for anything if he has only sufficient speed, which I doubt. I bave only seen him perform on two occasions, once at Tullamore, over a very difficult course, where he fell, and once over the Tipperary banks, at Cashel, in September last, where he was as fat as a bullock, and could not get the dis- tance ( three miles) ; since then he has been in Holman's care, at Cheltenham, who names him for this engagement, and will, no doubt, bring him to the post fit to go, in which case he ought, with his light impost, to perform respectably. Climax, 5 yrs, lOst 71b, is too green a horse for a race like this, but, even supposing his fencing qualifications to be far better tban ever I saw them, he is not the class of animal to gallop and stay with the field he will have to meet in this event. In concluding my remarks on the Irish horses that have ac- cepted for the Liverpool Grand National, I look over the list in vain for one or two horses that I can recommend in preference to the rest of the division; but were I compelled to state my opinion I should do so in favour of Yaller Gal, as being the surest fencer, the gamest animal, and one that is certain to stay the whole dis- tance, the qualification she most requires be; ng speed. The Irish steeple chase jockeys have abundance of nerve, and many of them are well up to their business. To pilot a horse over the majority of Irish courses and steer clear of accidents is in it- self sufficient to entitle a man to credit for ability and pluck. The stone wall fences in the counties of Roscommon and Galway would be particularly objectionable to many English cross coun- try jockeys; indeed, I often wonder they are not so to owners of Irish horses, for it is questionable policy to race valuable horses over high stone walls ; few get over in safety, and it is no uncom- mon occurrence for half the number that start to come to grief. The banks, too, with which Irish courses are all but universally fenced are often so badly constructed as to be dangerous to man and horse. It is true that many of the old stagers hop on and off these barricades easily enough, but those animals that are raw at the business frequently chest them, and chink their backs. The course over which the Kildare Hunt Steeple Chases are run is inter- spersed with a mixture of stone walls, sod- banks, grips, and one brook. The Mullingar course is as near a fac- simile of an English course as any in Ireland. The Ardee course, in the couxty Louth, is also over a very fair hunting country, and there are a few other courses over which a horse not schooled in Ireland and unaccustomed to the fences might get over in safety if pa- tientlyWered ; but taking them all in all, the owners of English horses wguld be exercising a wise discretion to keep their ani- mals on tWir own side of the water, for even at Mullingar, where I have saiavje fences are easy compared to other courses, I have been an eye- witness to three horses being killed during the last two years, one of which was a Scotch horse, piloted by an Eng- lish jockey, brcught over for the express purpose. ' The best performance I ever saw for an English steeple chaser in Ireland was by Nell Gwynne, a varmint- looking bay mare, ridden by Mr Thomas over the Bushfiald Course, near Galway, in 1861. The distance was a mile and three- quarters, heats, over four rasping walls, nearly five feet high, in each heat, the stones being as sharp as knives, but the mare took them in her stride as clean as a whis- tle, and jumped the last one shoulder to shoulder with one of the best stone wall fencers in the county, winning the first heat on the post by a head, and the second by half a length. The best professional cross country jockeys will not get up for less than £ 5 for a losing mount, and a good share of the stake if they win. Dan Meany, of Kildare, is perhaps best known in England, from having had more mounts in this country than any other Irish steeple chase jockey. He is generally allowed to rank as one of the very best; he can, I believe, ride 9st with a little notice, but 9st 71b would suit him much better. Johnny Whelan, also of Kildare, who married Dan's sister, was brought up under the wing of James Murphy, of Conyngham Lodge, Curragh, and has since been in Germany. After returning to Ireland the Mar- quis of Drogheda had for some time the first call on his services. He can always ride under 9st without wasting, and he has had several mounts in England during the last six months, being re- tained by Captain Machell, the owner of Yaller Gal, Grisi, Sir Bobby, Molly Asthore, and Newcastle, for whom he has won several fair stakes with the two first- named mares. John Noble, who hails from Cork, will be remembered as the inseparable pilot of the game old mare, New Broom, who has won her owner ( a Cork solicitor) many a good stake in her day. Noble does not like to ride less than lOst 71b ; he has rare hands, and a grand seat, no country being too big for him, and he has a peculiar habit of shouting to his horse just prior to taking off at a fence. James Monaghan, of Kilkenny is, perhaps, one of the most patient jockeys that ever threw a leg over a saddle. Steady, ab- stemious, and respectable, he is a universal favourite with ail who know him, a finished horseman, a good judge of pace, and a re- solute finisher; his riding The Rug at Carmarthen last year in the memorable double dead heat with Ace of Hearts will not easily be effaced from the memory of those who witnessed it. He had twice before piloted that wonderful " great little" animal over heavy courses to victory, and he also rode Mary Ann, the winner of the Carmarthenshire Handicap last year. Like his three brother jockies, Meany, Noble, and Whelan, Monaghan is as active as a cat, and unless he gets such a fall as he did at Birmingham last year, where old Broomstick rolled over him, and staved in a couple of his ribs, he never loses much ground by his horse coming down. Larry Ryland, of Bai'k Gate- street, Dublin, is another of those quiet, unassuming jocko ' s so seldom met with in these wonderful fast times. Larry had a yarrow escape at Cork on the lst May, 1861, when riding Oberon for the Marquis of Drogheda in the Dundanion Handicap. Tlk » . banks were as high as a man, the ground as. hard as a ra& d . and the approaches to some of. the fences very narrow and crooked; Oberon turned a somersault< over one of these earthworks, and falling on poor Larry, left him as flat as a pancake, injuring the spine of his back right up to his neck so badly that he was carried off the course to the hospital, where he lay for more than six months. His first mount after this misfortune was on Martha, in the Punchestown Selling Plate at the Kildare Hunt Steeple Chases last year, and notwithstanding that the mare is most difficult to steer, having a mouth as callous as gutta percha, he landed her first at the chair through a field of eleven horses, among whom there were some rough scrimmages, one being killed. Johnny Hanlon, of Mount Brown, Dublin, is the oldest steeple chase jockey in Ireland still following his pro- fession, which, however, he now varies with the business of train- ing. Johnny is a true type of an Irish jockey, full of wit, humour, and jocularity, and though little short of sixty sum- mers old, he can still pilot a raw unmade horse over a difficult country in a style superior to many younger jockeys, whose empty conceit is as painfully apparent as their want, of experience. The twobrothersBroderick, Dannyand Jemmy, have for several years, until recently, resided and been solely employed bv Lord de Freyne, at French Park. The latter is there still, but Danny has transferred his services to a Roscommon gentleman, where he now resides. James Murphy, the eldest son of the well- known Curragh trainer, bids fair to become a good cross- country rider. John Doyle, brother to Denis and James, the fiat- race jockeys, is a bold and judicious steeple- chase jockey; as also Ned Noonan, John Meany, Fanning, Harry Archer, Con and Will Cusack, James Wynne, Gibbons, Graney, Carter, Tom Ryan, Boylan, Tobin, and Mick Brady. Owing, however, to the scarcity of horses in the country, and the very small fields that come out at many meetings, numbers of the latter may be seen in the various enclosures waiting, and vainly hoping for employment; and they are too frequently compelled to accept a mount at a fee much too small for the risk they undergo in riding the groggy cripples over such rasping fences. Let us hope that the authorities of steeple- chase meetings will in future fix the weights at a scale that will effectually exclude these flat- sided, stilty screws, whose owners, allured by the kind consideration of the handicappers, think nothing of the risk which a man incurs when riding them for events over fences, and forcing them te a sort of work which na- ture never intended them to perform.— Yours, & c, MARTINGALE. COURSING. THE LATE ARDROSSAN MEETING. Wednesday evening was wet and stormy, but as the hour of meet- ing approached the rain took off and we were favoured with a beau- tiful day, although the wind was high, and sometimes disagreeable. Lanereost had most speed with Ready- aye- Ready, but the old one outworked and beat him in a short course. Beamstress showed pace, and easily beat Bloomer. Laconic, by favour, made first turn with Broadcloth, and second, Broadcloth getting a succession of points to the cover side, where Laconic killed. I thought Broadcloth had won, but Mr Patrick gave it to Laconic. Golf, in a fine stretch to the hare, showed pace, and had all but one point of a good trial. In a long race to the hare Weazel led t hree lengths out of sight; on reappearing she was still in, turned twice, and led to cover. Donetti, by favour, led Eton Boy, and had all the course in my sight. Loadstar led Balmoral, and, in a course of moderate length, easily defeated him. Wakeful was faster, and, in a short course to cover, well beat Duellist; the latter got thrown out in the slip, and afterwards had his chance extinguished by being partially unsighted. Steam Power and Lord North had ah unfortunate slip, the former being thrown a long way out; his lordship got placed, made first turn, and killed. Bird of Prey and Black Dwarf were slipped out of my sight; on reappearing the old dog was leading a dozen lengths, turned twice, and killed at a fence.— The Maiden Plate: Willing Boy was un- sighted from slips, but showed best in a course badly run by both. Strabo was equally unfortunate in the slip with Locket, getting unsighted and running in the wrong direction; Locket made first three turns; Strabo getting sight, came up and killed, putting himself out. We think Mr Patrick ought to have given them another chance. Bolt showed pace from slips, butthe hare, inalong circle, continued to serve White Surrey till they came to a fair stretch, when Bolt went in, and taking possession of her, well won a longish course to cover. Clanronald led and had much the best of a long course to cover with Dillon. Dear Me was too fast for Bella after the first fifty yards, and won a short course, the bulk of the work out of sight. Black Coat ran very badly, and was easily defeated by Jupiter. Nelly Brown and Lionel had the severest course of the day, the dog I thought having the best of it, but Mr Patrick thought otherwise, and gave it in favour of the bitch. The early and latter part of the course between Elgin and Speculation was out of my sight— what I saw was well won by Elgin. Lucid led Little Maid, made first turn, put in the bitch, raced past, and turned again; out of sight for a second or two, when the bitch appeared with the lead, but was passed by the dog going to cover; this seemed to all the crowd a clear win for the dog, but Mr Patrick's hat came off. Their next trial was on plough, the first we had off grass land. Little Maid getting a furrow, led out of sight; no- go. Their final trial was a near thing, but won by the superior speed of Lucid.— Champion Collar ( first ties): Seamstress led Ready aye Readv, and showed most pace in my sight, but the old bitch, working closer, equalised the points, and the hat again came off. Ready aye Ready drawn. Golf and Druid had a short no- go. On coming again Golf, by favour, led, and struck at his hare, but missing, fell, served, turning and killing. The Weazel and Donetti were slipped out of my sight; on coming in view Donetti was in, turned, and put in The Weazel, who swerved and killed. Donetti had the misfortune to dislocate a toe in her first course, and would not have been run if an arrangement could have been made. MAIDA. THE LATE ~ SPELTHORNE ( NEWMARKET) CLUB MEETING. Not being able to be present on the first day, I am indebted to a friend for a hasty sketch of the sport. The meet was ( by per- mission of the Duke of Rutland) on Mr Gardner's farm at Wood Ditton. The sport commenced with the Cup and Goblet: Strat- ford outpaced Bull and Mouth, and won cleverly. Buxom Lass easily defeated Butterfly. Glimpse at Glory defeated Asterope at all points. Wennington received very little assistance from Fancy, the latter not running at all in her usual form. Penelope proved rather too good for Dart; the latter a good second. Bold Effort led Pride of Kent, and scored the early points, when the latter put in some good work, but, killing too quickly, destroyed any chance she may have had to turn the balance in her favour. Fan, in a short course, outpaced Frolic.— Second ties: Buxom Lass had rather an easy victory with Stratford; the latter ran slackly. Glimpse at Glory easily disposed of Wennington, and ran in such good form as to make her a great favourite for the re- sult. Fan ran a very severe bye.— The Cheveley Stakes : Blithe- some, in a fine course, had a shade the best of Bertha. Fleet the Sccond, being unsighted in the run up, lost the early points, but, once in, she never left the course in doubt. Footpad outpaced Celerity.— The Newmarket Stakes: Banter had too much speed for Deerfoot. Bright Orb and Figaro ran a well- contested course, the balance slightly in favour of the former. SECOND DAY.— The fixture was ( by permission of Mr King of Bottisham) Four- mile Stables. We commenced with the second ties of the Cup and Goblet: Buxom Lass received no assist- ance from Glimpse at Glory ; the latter was all to pieces from some unexplained cause; rumours were rife, but nothing was positively known. From her brilliant style of running on the previous day she was the favourite; 6 to 4 and 2 to 1 were laid on her against Buxom Lass, until she was stripped, when it was evi- dent she had passed a bad night. She did all nature would allow, but could scarcely raise a gallop. Lewis ( her trainer) could in no way account for it. The hare was so good, that little or nothing was done with her but to follow in her wake. Bold Effort ran away altogether from Fan, with another extraordinary hare; Fan, no doubt, felt the effect of her very severe bye on the previous day. Mr Batt, running first and second, receives the Cup and Goblet.— The Cheveley Stakes ( first ties): Fleet got the run up with Blithe- some, and in a fine course, in which both did good work, Fleet had throughout the superiority in pace. Footpad ran a bye.— Deciding course: Fleet got quickest away, and in the run up the hare went to each in turn, but Footpad reached her first, when they sank a brow, and I lost them. The judge thought the exchange of work which followed in a short course so equal as to decide on the run up alone in favour of Footpad.— The Newmarket Stakes ( deciding course): Bright Orb and Banter were both unsighted in the run up ; the latter caught sight first, which gave him a strong lead, but before he reached the hare Bright Orb passed him and brought her round, when they ex- changed several points, the balance during the time they were in my sight slightly in favour of Banter, after which, Bright Orb, by sheer stoutness ( for which Mr Batt's dogs are noted), put in the work so strongly as to finish a clever winner. Mr Batt was warmly congratulated on his success. REMARKS.— Various causes combined against this meeting to make it a short one, and very few of the members were present at the draw and dinner on Wednesday evening, at the Rutland Arms, which house was head- quarters during the meeting, where, it is needless to say, every arrangement was satisfactory. Illness prevented some from being present, engagements interfered with others; some kennels have been too strongly called on by meet- ings lately over to enable the dogs to come again, with such meetings as the Waterloo and Ashdown Park still to be provided for. Notwithstanding the short entry, the sport ( as far as it went) was quite first- class, the weather charming, and the ground so dry and in such good order that no objection could be made to driving carriages over the wheat. Mr King, in addition to offering his ground for running off the ties, assisted both days in regulating the beating, and added much to the sport. Mr Gardner, who occupies the farm where the first day's sport came off, was, I un- derstand, most kind in aiding it in every way. The judging and slipping was, on the whole, most satisfactory, and nothing but the mishap which befel the favourite for the Cup ( the property of so good and popular a sportsman, who was not present) oc- curred to mar the pleasantry of the meeting.— Yours, & c, A COURSER. NEWTON MEETING- EEB 11. Judge : Mr T. Walters. A SWEEPSTAKES of £ 2 each. I. MEStUntly'S r dStarof the} beat MrGraham's bk w b HandsomeNell Mr Birkley ns bk d Just .. Mr Davison's bd w bSleepingMaggie Mr J. Fryer's bk d Harry .. Mr Vardy's r d Owen Swift Mr J. Robson ns f w d Birgham.. Mr Miller's w bk d Billy Barker Mr J. Robson's bd w d Acton .. Mr Scott's f d Dunne Mr Porter's f d Butcher Boy .. M w b PrillCeSS Alex" Just beat Star of the East | Acton beat Butcher Boy Harrv beat Birgham III. Just beat Harry ^ Acton ran a bye Mr J. Robson's bd w d Acton, byWay to Fame out of Sister to Barmaid, beat Mr Birkley's bk d Just, by Judgment out of Handsome Nell, and won. KILKENNY MEETING- EEB 13. Stewards: C. Lloyd, T. Neville, M. Cahill, and E. Maher, Esqs. Judge: R. Westropp, Esq. The EIGHT DOG STAKES. I. Mr Lyster's f w d Bravo beat Mr Neville's bd d Kilkenny Boy Dr McCarthy's r d Set .. Mr Maher's r d Moses Mr Bayley's bd b Lady Galway .. Mr Maher's w b Muslin Mr Neville's bk b Dublin Lass .. ^ Dr M'Carthy's be b Queen Set beat Bravo I Dublin Lass beat Lady Galway III. Mr Neville's bk b Dublin Lass beat Dr M'Carthy's r d Set ( dr), and won. A splendid tract of grass land at Foyle Bridge was, with Lord Mountgarret's usual kindness, placed at the disposal of the stewards for this meeting. The sport was limited to a single stake, some of the courses for which were very exciting and long, owing to the strength of the hares. In the first course of the day Kilkenny Boy was killed in jumping a wall. Mr Westropp's decisions, as usual, gave entire satisfaction. GREYHOUND PRODUCE, & c. On the 16th inst, Mr Holden's blue bitch Bess, nine pups to Mr Howarth's Harlequin ( late Scar Top), namely, four black dogs, one black bitch, three blue dogs, and one blue bitch; all doing well. Mr Gardner's Charge, Mr Blundell's Bude Light, and Mr Rothery's Lady Solway have been on a visit to Bridegroom. On the 13th inst, Mr C. Humphry's red bitch Pride, by Sir William out of Twine, visited Mr T. Dickson's red dog Rifle, by Hurkaru out of Daystar. On the 14th inst, Mr Mason's bitch Merry Lass, seven pups by Pugilist, namely, two white and black dogs, two white and fawn dogs, two red and white bitches, and one black and white dog. On the 17th inst, Mr Holt's white and barred bitch Veritas visited Mr Howarth's Harlequin ( late Scar Top), at Horwich. On the 25th ult, Mr Kennedy's brindled bitch Kitty Nicholson visifel Mr Campbell's Canaradzo. THE CHASE. THE COTTESMORE COUNTRY AND SIR JOHN TROLLOPE'S HOUNDS. BY " CECIL." Surrounded by the most distinguished countries, of which the sporting spirit of England is so justly proud, it would be passing strange if the Cotsesmore did not participate in most of their perfections. Nay, more, it rejoices in some advantages which are wanting in other places, Woodlands, wherein the future hopes of the pack can be initiated in the mysteries of the chase, which all masters of hounds know how to appreciate ; yet in the adjoining country, called High Leicestershire, comparatively there are none, while in many of the provincials they are far too numerous. The happy medium is seldom enjoyed; that happy medium, however, most unequivocally applies to the Cottesmore country, where those essential agents of fox hunting are sufficiently numerous and extensive to contribute their best effects, without the entailment of those dull passages of sport commonly attributed to densely- wooded districts. In these favoured coverts you have constant opportunities of admiring the beautiful instincts of hounds pour- trayed to the utmost advantage, from the first exciting challenge to the still greater enthusiasm when the pack, in full chorus, settles to the scent of the flying fox as he gallantly braves the dangers of an open country. Then, again, the coverts are not in such close proximity as to interfere with those stirring incidents which are attendant OH a burst Neither are the fences, with few ex- ceptions, of impracticable magnitude; the fields are large, and occasionally stone walls, of moderate pretensions, diversify the in- terest, and a brook is sometimes found to weed the field, affording hounds opportunities of slipping from the crowd, to the excusable delight ot masters and huntsmen. The Duke of Rutland exercises the right ot occupying the country on the north; the Hon George Fitzwilliam and ttiePytchley divide the prerogative of the south; while eastward of Market Deeping and Bourn there is a tract of fen which horses cannot cross; westward a portion of that which in former days was claimed by this hunt has been conceded to Mr Tailby, the road from Uppingham, through Oakham, to Melton, as nearly as may be, affording a demarcation. Facilities of transit are presented by the Great Northern Railway, and at Tallington or Stamford station the wandering sportsman will find himself at available distance from Case wick and Uffington Wood. Stam- ford. too, will be found handy for Tickencote, Empingham Wood ; Ryhall station for Tollthorpe Oaks, Pickworth, Horn Lane Toll- bar, Greetham New Inn, Clipsham Careby, Witham- on- the- Hill, Carlby Mill, or Thuriby. There is, likewise, a station at Little Bytham, close to the kennels, from whence Manthorpe, Edenham, Grimsthorpe Castle, Hawthorpe, Stocken Hall and Park House. Corby station for Truham House, Burton Coggles, Colsterworth, Swayfield, The Bull, Witham Common. The Midland Railway, traversing from Stamford to Oakham, gives opportunities of visit- ing the western portion of the country. From Luffenham j o u reach Forster's Bridge, Witchley Warren, Normanton Lodge; and from Manton station Wing Lyndon or Egleton. Oakham station is in proximity to Burley Park, Exton Park, Whitwell, Cottes- more, Barrow, and Market Overton. The preservation of foxes in this hunt is generally respected, though perhaps they may not in some places be quite so abundant as could be wished ; but they are of a line wild race, five brace of which are worth more than fifteen brace of short- running brutes, whose voyages of discovery have never extended many fields from the woods in which they were bred; many of the Cottesmore foxes, like those in the Hon George Fitzwilliam's country, are stub bred, adding further confirmation of a practice I have for many years advocated, that of breaking up all breeding earths. This hunt may well be proud of three of the most mag- nificent meets that can be found throughout Her Majesty's do- minions. Burleigh House, the beautiful mansion of the Marquis of Exeter; Burley Park, the seat of the Earl of Winchelsea, and Grimsthorpe Castle, the truly noble property of Lord Willoughby d'Eresby. The splendid structure, Burleigh House, was erected by the celebrated lord whose name it bears, renowned in history as the treasurer of England in the eventful reign of Queen Eliza- beth. The exquisite beauty which so delights the eye, indicates elegance and chasteness of design which may be aptly associated with the refined approval of the reigning Queen under whose auspices it was constructed. Ornamented with turrets, cupolas, and pinnacles, tastefully arranged, they present uniformity of structure, without conveying the unsightly character of mono- tonous repetition, and the significantly grand edifice suggests the idea of a temple, sacred to noble deeds. Approachingfrom Stam- ford, through the avenue of majestic oaks, whose lofty branches arching over, form, as it were, a canopy of imposing grandeur, when, winding round through forest trees of ancient growth and gigantic dimensions, a view of the mansion presents itself, repos- ing in all the solemnity of princely elegance. To complete the scene, when the hounds and the gay assemblage are in attendance, nothing can be wanting to associate it with the most enchanting picture " Merrie England'' can pourtray. The park, too, is re- plete with scenic beauties, as the coverts are with foxes, and on a fine day nothing can be more attractive to the fair equestrians who grace the hunting field with their presence, than an appoint- ment at Burleigh House. Burley Park— it is singular thereshould be two places in this hunt the pronunc-' ation of which is identical — is on the western confines, two miles only from Oakham, and would be better distinguishable as Burley- on- the- Hill. This mansion was erected upwards of a century ago by the Eari of Nottingham, and is a most spacious and superb specimen of architecture. The park is extensive, and adorned with the mighty oak and other venerable specimens of forest timber. Grimsthorpe Castle is situated nearly on the northern extremities ef the Cottesmore country, and, standing on an elevated site, pro- duces impressive effects, when seen from a considerable distance. Part of the castle is said to have been erected as early as the reign of Henry the Third, and considerable additions were made during the reign of Henry the Eighth, by the Duke of Suffolk, in order to entertain his sovereign in his progress through this part of the kingdom. The park is of vast extent, and in it, as at Burleigh, the monarchs of the forest rejoice in venerable antiquity and ma- jestic growth; nor are the antlered monarchs less cared for, as manifest by a fine herd of red deer, while foxes are preserved by the head keeper with the utmost precaution, and as the boundaries of the Cottesmore country are not extensive, the strictest attention to the welfare of the fox family is of the utmost importance. The first master of hounds in this country of whom tradition speaks was the Hon Mr Noel, who must have been a master of hounds as early as the middle of the eighteenth century. My au- thority for this is an entry in the kennel book at Belvoir, dated 1756, of the services of Mr Noel's Victor; but whether he might not have hunted some other country is a point I have not yet been able positively to determine. There was in those days a huntsman, named Abbey, whose traditionary fame has descended to veterans still living. The successor of Mr Noel was Sir William Lowther, when the pack was kennelled at Stocken Hall, and the celebrated Philip Payne was his huntsman. Sir William, it appears, commenced in 1788, as Payne was in his service twelve years prior to a two seasons' engagement in Cheshire, and it is well known that veteran huntsman entered the service of the Duke of Beaufort in the second year of the present century. The customs of these kennels were then vastly different from those of modern days. Very stringent economy prevailed through- out the establishment, and the huntsman and whippers- in, in addition to the field and kennel duties, had to dress their own horses on their return from the fatigues of hunting; and this was commonly accomplished by riding them into the pool, and per- chance, at it is said, occasionally indulging in a swim. Sir William Lowther resigning, Sir Gilbert Heathcote supplied his place; and there are many who can remember the worthy baronet at Epsom on a Derby Day, invariably attired in white cords with flowing ribbons at the knees, top boots, and blue coat, after the fashion of a real old English country gentleman, which, in goood truth, he was. Young James Abbey performed the duties of huntsman; and the hard riding Dick Christian, whose merits have been so marvellously magnified, was the whipper- in. Of pluck he had plenty, but his hand was heavy. In 1802, on Sir William Lowther coming to the estates and the title as the second Viscount Lens- dale, he resumed the mastership of the hounds, and established them at Cottesmore; five years after he was created an earl. Old Lambert, who had whipped in to Lord Fitzwilliams's Hounds, was installed as huntsman for a short period, when Slack suc- ceeded him, who, in his turn, gave way to Lambert's son, who continued in office till the hounds were sold and the establish- ment broken up. One of the Smiths, of Brocklesby, was the head whip. Preserving a taste for ancient customs, his lord- ship favoured large, heavy hounds, too big and unwieldy to suit more modern instincts ; and when sold at the kennels by Messrs Tattersall, in 1842, the result did not answer expectations, though the bitches more refined were sought for. The horses were sent to London, but many of them did not change masters. At this time 8ir Richard Sutton introduced a splendid pack of hounds, with which he had been hunting the Burton country. The numerous celebrities from the Belvoir, the Brocklesby, Sir Tatton Sykes's and Mr Foljambe's kennels, which Sir Richard had selected to infuse fresh strains of blood, had rendered the pack very perfect, and hunting them in person, with Ben Morgan for his kennel huntsman and head whipper- in, a new era was opened, and the foxes had to fly for their lives— if, indeed, that flight availed them. But the Quorn country becoming vacant in 1? 47, presented attractions irresistible to Sir Richard; and then cime Mr Henley Greaves, with a pack of hounds more than half of which were drafts, and, following such a liberal and experi- enced master as the baronet, there might have been a contrast. Five years afterwards Mr Borrowes, with another scratch pack, collected from all quarters, maintained the mastership three sea- sons. and from that period Sir John Trollope, very greatly to the satisfaction of the country, has held the reins of government. Mr Drake, it was expected, would be prevailed upon to take the country, but his health not permitting him to do so he placed his pack, and Ben Goddard, his huntsman, under the directions of Sir John for two seasons, when, wanting them to resume opera- tions in his old dominions, they were withdrawn, and Sir John Trollope set vigorously to work, and formed his present most efficient pack. This originated from tbe Berkeley kennels, which supplied the greatest proportion, a reduction of their forces having that year taken place, in consequence of the resignation of the Cheltenham country; the Brocklesby, the Belvoir, Sir Richard Sutton's, Lord Henry Bentinck's, Mr Foljambe's, and the Bads- worth supplied the remainder. At the commencement of the sea- son there were forty- two and a half couples of hounds in the Cot- tesmore kennels, whereof twelve couples are juveniles, six and a half couples are in their second season, nine couples in their third season, seven couples in their fourth season, six couples in their fifth season, one hound that has seen six winters' work, and one couple and a half that have done duty a year longer. Of these, from accidents and other misfortunes, two couples and a half are to be returned missing, and a among that number Trouncer, a very valuable hound, in his second season, that was unfortunately ridden over. Five couples of the dog hounds have found favour as sires, a moiety of which have afforded proofs of their perfection in the field for five winters. Governor, a nice airy hound, is a son of Lord Henry Bentinck's Challenger and his Gossamer, combining also the blood of Mr Feljambe's and the Belvoir kennels, as Challenger was descended from Mr Foljambe's Chaunter and the Burton Charity. Gossa mer, from the Belvoir Guider and the Burton Cowslip, an unde- niably good strain. Leveller, a hare- pied hound, having been amiss, did not show to advantage; he is a son of Mr Drake's Lucifer and Lord Henry Bentinck's Remnant, a daughter of his lordship's Craftsman, whose good qualities have been so exten- sively dispersed throughout mostof the fashionable establishments of modern times. Plunder, a hound of good size and much power, came from the Burton kennels, and maj' be justly distin- guished as being the sire of the gems of the pack; he is a son of Sir Richard Sutton's Rambler and Lord Henry Bentinck's Pliant, and he is a worthy representative of the kennel from whence he came before he was introduced to the magic mysteries of woodcraft. Royal, a good black, white, and tanned hound, though perhaps a trifle short in his neck, also owes his birthright to the Burton worthies, and is the issue of the Belvoir Lexicon and Roguish, a daughter of Ranter and Rapture. Comrade, a strong, useful, black and white hound, inherits the blood of the Belvoir Comus and Harlot. The Belvoir Comus was a son of Champion and Barmaid. Wrangler, a very neat black and white hound, whose services are enlisted " in the small pack ; he is of somewhat similar lineage in his maternal escutcheon, through Welfare, a decendant of the Belvoir Comus and Lord Henry Bentinck's Wrangler, a name, by the way, which usually denotes the male sex, but from this example it appears to be common to either. To Statesman may, I think, be accorded the credit of being the cleverest on the flags, and a wide cast must be made to find one better bred. The Belvoir Gambler is his sire, Syren his dam. Gambler was a son of Rifler and Gay lass, and to Syren all honour is due as daughter of Lord Henry Bentinck's Contest. The notice of stallion hounds con- cludes with Roman, a nice active, airy young hound, in his se- cond season, very clever about his head and neck. His paternal ancestor, the Duke of Rutland's Singer, was a son of Comus and Syren; and his dam, Ringlet, was bred by Sir Richard Sutton from Trueman and Roguish, The matrons are of an especially high order, and would be ornaments to many packs of much longer standing. In my travels I can see plenty of dog hounds of good size, with abundance of bone ; but it is difficult to meet with those of the other sex having corresponding power; many of them, however, were in the apartment necessarily devoted to their accommodation, and some of them evidently in a condition to add to a future generation, in which state were Rocket, Pas- time, a handsome black, white, and tanned descendant of the Belvoir Chaser arid Lord Henry Bentinck's Pliant; Cruel also evincing proofs of increase, as did Rachel, a daughter of the celebrated Belvoir Rallywood. To go through a minute des- cription of the pack would be wearisome, but I must introduce Mariner, a very good stamp of hound, with much power; Frantic and Frenzy, both very clever; Stormer, Sanguine, Skilful, and Susan, of the same litter as Statesman ; Bridegroom, a very rich coloured hound, and Danger, both sons of Royal. I must, how- ever, in conclusion, dwell upon three parti cularty clever bro- thers of this year's entry. Galloper, Gamester, and Genius, descended from Plunder and Gravity. Three more clever young hounds of one family it would be difficult to find. Taking the kennel through they are very level, not exceeding twenty- three inches in height, are of good colour, with plenty of bone and abundance of symmetry. The kennels which they occupy are at Little Bytham," close to the railway station, and were erected, if I am not mistaken, by Lord Willoughby d'Eresby. They are about seven miles from Stamford, which is the most convenient locality for a temporary visitor, and I can commend my friends to Mr Whincup, who, holding the George under the Marquis of Exeter, also occupies a large farm on his lordship's estate, where he breeds many horses of high character. The almost unprecedented absence of frost throughout the winter has afforded no days of respite for wearied horses or hounds, and gentlemen with short studs are pretty nearly used up. In many hunting establishments, too, this is becoming a somewhat serious affair. During the boisterous weather which so long prevailed, the important phenomenon, scent, was more than ever unaccountably precarious. On some occasions, when terrible gales were raging, hounds could run, more particularly along sheltered valleys, and on the lee side of hedge rows. The vast quantity of rain that fell rendered the land in a state capable of holding a scent; thus the condition of the atmosphere was pro- pitious. as very little variation of temperature existed beyond that which the wind on elevated and exposed situations occa- sioned. On the wind subsiding, scerit became wonderfully good. Such mild weather has scarcely ever been known in the month of February. On the day I paid my respects to these hounds at Manthorp, the morning was very far from inviting, but the storms abated, and the wind became somewhat less troublesome. When the hounds were drawing Careby Wood it was intimated that a fox was in the habit of frequenting a hedge row near at hand, and, with excellent discrimination, Sir John Trollope sent a messenger to present his card rather than take the hounds to the 8pot and incur the wildness and confusion inseparable with such a coaive of proceeding. The mission was successful, and the fox having notice to arouse from his resting- place, skirted the covert which had just been drawn, and the hounds settling well to their work carried the line with perfect steadiness and truth to Witham Wood, and on to that beautiful domain, Grimsthorpe Park, where there is greater proportion of grass than in general prevails, for the industrious handicraft of agriculture has, within a few years, materially increased the operations of the plough. With but a catching scerit most exquisitely the pack drove their fox from Grimsthorpe, when some ploughed land intercepting their course they had to work it inch by inch over fallows, and here I think it was Comrade who guided them. They were then pointing for Trenham, and in the old park wood they no doubt got on to the line of a fresh fox, who, steering his course over the park, was saved from further exertion by three ambitious young farmers riding the hounds off the scent in a most incautious manner, and nothing more could be done. In the expectation that the first fox had retraced his steps the hounds were held back to Grimsthorpe, and although there appeared in places some indications of a scent, the elements were antagonistic, and a very good hunt- ing run, without blood, elicited the working powers of the pack to admiration. I was particularly struck with the character of the horses in this and the surrounding countries, not merely of the hunters, but more especially of the hacks ; so many with su- perlatively good action I have seldom seen. AT VISIT TO OXFORD, TO THE EDITOR OF BELL'S LIFE IN LONDON. SIR: As the French say. On revient toujcncrs a ses premiers amours; so the remembrance of excellent sport with the Heythrop, Mr Drake, and Mr Morrell induced me, as a dutiful son, after an ab- sence of some years, to pay my alma mater a short visit. I ac- cordingly, on arrival, installed myself at the Golden Cross, and my horse in Charles Symonds's comfortable stables. In a capital article in the January number of TSaih/ s Magazine, called a " College Finger- post," the author says:—" A grand house, verily, was the Golden Cross. Well do I remember thee, Will Holland, jolly landlord, of cross country fame. Thine teas a goodly house in my day !'' And so it is now, and I can assure sportsmen and other travellers that they will find there civility, comfort, and reasonable charges. But a very great change has taken place at Oxford in the last ten years, and nowhere is it shown more than in the stables. The fine establishments of Charles Symonds, Tollit, and others, are now, compaiatively speaking, empty, whereas in former days there was not a vacant stall. " The young gentlemen drives about in them things in the summer,'' said an old stableman, with a contemptuous digit pointing out some basket carriages, reminiscences of tandems and leaders sent on a mile on the Banbury road evidently recurring to him. In those days many noblemen and gentlemen commoners had their three or four hunters; smart grooms flitted across Tom Quad and Peckwater, numerous hacks were seen being led up and down by Canterbury Gate, and before the gates of Balliol. Trinity, Braeenose, and other colleges ; while on Saint's day every college and hall sent forth shoals of embryo sportsmen— for saints' days were, bv undergraduates ( with the exception of a certain section, who used to eat hard eggs on Fridays), dedicated to sporting in some shape ® r other, and so the turn out, on a red- letter day, was enormous. " There are not many top- boots in college now, sir," said one of our old scouts, " and you remember what a many there used to be in your time." Crapper and other clothes cleaners were then seen staggering along under a heap of hunting breeches; while, I am told, the cleaning operations of the present, time are, for the most part, confined to the pantaloon of the period. Filthy Luker is still alive, and has the same marvellous collection of dogs as of yore, and the fair Mrs Luker and the badger live together in their wonted harmony. There is a drag, but the attendance is very limited, compared with the days of Burton and Allgood, as may be seen by Mr Winter's well known pictures of the Oxford drag in 1848, and " Aniseed" is gathered to his fathers. Some Christchurch men, I hear, have a capital pack of harriers, which are kept at Culham, and hunted by the son of Mr John Shaw Phillips, who, in my day, was the popular master of the South Oxfordshire. I hear they have had very good sport, and I regret exceedingly that I was unable to see them. University reform has worked its way into the kitchens of the colleges. An undergraduate of Trinity can now get a hot breakfast supplied from the college kitchen, and he is no longer compelled to steal across Broad- street with a roast goose under his gown, as in former years. Tem- perance is the order of the day; wine parties and other orgies, described in Peter Priggins, exist no more, and the sobriety of the present generation would almost satisfy Mr George Cruickshank. Port wine is a fluid known only by the oldest of dons, and Glad- stonian claret is swallowed with great gusto by the junior mem- bers of the university. There is evidently not half the foolish extravagance of former years, and the present generation are certainly wiser, or have pro- fited by the experience of their predecessors. Men are no longer seen " doing the high," " got up" within an inch of their lives, and round hats and economical pipes have taken the places of Randall's chimney pots and Bryant's regalias. The love of athletic exercise is as strong as ever, and in no place is muscular Christianity more studied than at Oxford. The Uni- versity Rifle Corps appears to be very popular; every day I saw several members in the streets in uniform, and rifle shooting is in great vogue. All this will, I trust, be consoling to the tribe of anxious go- vernors, who wish to send their SOBS to their own old colleges, but who may, perhaps, hesitate from certain recollections of their own times ; but I can assure them, faithfully, that there is a great change, and not half the useless extravagance that there was for- merly. But I have, perhaps, said more than enough of things in " general, and as the object of my visit was to see a little hunting, and not to moralise, I must say something on that subject. The Heythrop have had excellent sport, and the evergreen Jem Hills is in as great force and as cheery as ever. The Bicester country is in want of a master; and I believe Mr Duffield resigns the mastership of the Old Berks at the end of this season. I met his hounds on Friday at Tar Wood, and after drawing that blank, and some other country near Cokethorpe, found, about one o'clock, at a place called Coggs. The fox went away, with the hounds well at him, at a merry pace, crossing the Witney- road, and going over some grass fields with some big ditches to a wood, where there was a check, and a little confusion seemed likely to occur, owing to some gentlemen ( who evidently had not read my letter on hallooing with hounds) viewing a fresh fox, and hallooing with all their might; but Dale, the hunts- man, wisely paid no heed to them, and kept his hounds steadily on the line of the hunted fox, who took us across Lord Macclesfield's park at Eynsham to another wood, and after a ring there the fox went away straight into the Heythrop country, where they ran him to ground. The Old Berkshire are a fine pack of hounds, and at the covert side they looked in blooming condition. I thought Dale particularly cheery in covert, and his style of drawing re- minded me of Summers with the Hursley, and my early recollec- tions of Foster with the Hampshire. Circumstances, as the saying is, over which I had no control caused me to cut short my visit to Oxford, and prevented my seeing the other packs in the neigh- bourhood ; but it is only a pleasure deferred, for, as our allies say, " Ce qui est differe rtest pas perdu.''— 1 am. & c, / ESOP ( OF HANTS). SPORT WITH MR TAILBY'S HOUNDS. MR EDITOR : Now that the storms seems to have passed over our heads these hounds are beginning to go as they did last, sea- son. They had a very fast twenty- five minutes on the 2d of this month from Gumley Spinnies, and killed near Lubbenham Gorse, after going over a most severe country south of Market Harborough. A quick scurry with a second fox. from John Balls's, by Saddington, to ground at Fleckney, wound up the day. The Due d'Aumale who was out rode gallantly, and appeared to enjoy the fun amazingly. On the Thursday following the favourite fixture, Ilston- on- the- Hill, brought together a very large field of " thrusting customers." A short spin from Shankton Holt, by Noseley, to Stanton Wood, served to open the horses' pipes, and prepare them for a second find, which Langton Cauldwell afforded. Hounds no sooner in covert than away went a gallant good fox, disdaining to be headed by either black coats or red, and taking over the very finest country in the world, a line they seldom select, down to Welham and Sutton, pointing for Brompton Wood, from whence he was headed ; made good his way to Ashley, and was killed in the open near to Medbourn station. The last mile the line of the fox was the line of the railway, but, luckily, no trains were running, or disasters must have happened. This was a truly fine run, occupying 50 minutes, and the distance could not have been less than 11 miles; a very good performance considering the severity of the country, abounding with big fences and heavy pasture fields. There was a brilliant field out, graced, too, by many fair ladies of distinction, three of whom were up the finish. Too much cannot be said in praise of the pack, if they only get a chance to settle down to a good scent, j when they need no hunting, and then no man can override them, ! though the young nobles and gentlemen, full of pluck and spirit, j do ride very jealously and spoil many runs.— Yours, & c, HAWK'S EYE. THE NEWCASTLE AND GATESHEAD HARRIERS. MR EDITOR : I was in hopes some more able pen than mine would have undertaken to record some of the good run3 of this i pack, and have given a word of approval to the huntsman, 1 Siddle, of the manner he turns out these hounds, and, when in the field, the masterly way he" goes to work from beginning to end, j showing that he understands his duty most thoroughly. On : Friday, Feb 6, the hounds met at Walbottle Dean, when a large ! field turned out. After waiting their usual time, they were I trotted off to Heddon Banks, tbe property of Dr Bates, who gave all a hearty welcome, and a good hare all ready for a start. The hounds no sooner were put into the field, than up Puss jumped, ! going for Newburn Hangles, and crossing Throckley Farm at a j gallant pace, and over as rough a country asever was crossed by the best horse and boldest rider. She then turned her head up the hill for Lees House, thence through Walbottle Dean, pointing te Wal- bottle Village, which she left " to the right, crossing the Walbottle Farms at a pace that made some imagine a fresh hare had sprung up; but this was not so, as the little pack soon showed they were getting near their game, pointing direct for Chapel House, thence to Hill Head, which she left to the north, thence to Denton Farm, where she was run into after a straight run of five miles. They next proceeded back, and, as they were doing so, Puss leapt up before the hounds, going away from them at a pace which left a space between them, but the good noses and fine; hunting qualities soon showed they were not to be outdone so soon, as they went at a terrible pace, pointing to Dewla Bogs, up to Loff Bridge, and on to Throckley Fell, where the fencing was of the most difficult character— double railings, which were all cleared in a most masterly and sportsmanlike way by a few of the right sort; among those I may mention Messrs Fred. Lamb, Dunlop, and Had- low upon his famous brown mare. After hounds and men crossed the Fell, she turned around to the east, for Black Cal- lerton, then to Fell House, where they ran into her, and finished as good a day's sport as any sportsman" need to see.— Yours, & c, NIMROD. AQUATICS. VANDERDECKEN'S LOG. 1862- No. III. " The sea is like a silver lake, And o'er its face the vessel glides, Gently, as if it feared to wake, The silent slumbers of its tides." MR EDITOR: The poet, when he wrote the above lines, must assuredly have been projecting a marine insurance company, and in ascribing to Old Father Neptune such an entirely amiable dis- position, draws rather freely upon his own imagination. Silver lakes and gently gliding ships would soon make feather- bed sailors of us, and the spice of danger that now seasons our yacht- ing adventures lose most of that fascination which makes so many of us ardent votaries of the sea. On the contrary, we glory in the rattling breeze and the rongh tumble of a lively sea, and the motto of a yachtsman afloat is, " The more danger, the more honour 1" Our dockyard magnates would have but a poor time of it did not Old Daddy Nep knock his favourites about a bit, and our spring preparations for the cruising campaign present a tame catalogue had we nothing but zephyr breezes and smooth water to contend against. No, no, good Mr Poet! such an order of things would never suit the descendants of the Vikings; every season we gain more experience, be it much or little, and we pare and chip, give a new spar here, and a fresh rope there, recaulk, recopper, and overhaul generally, until our favourite barkie is, to our notion, fit for the roughs, tumbles, and ever- changing vagaries of the wilful ocean. Furthermore, we look with no small in- terest to the advent of our new sisters of the deep, that, " With one exulting, joyous bound, shall have leaped into the ocean's arms!" and musingly speculate on those that are likely to follow them. Of the new vessels that have been launched during 1862, the following will be found a pretty correct list:— The Gleam, schooner, 140 tons, built by Hansen of Cowes, and launched in January for Mr J. Richardson, R. T. Y. C. The Cinderella, cutter, 15 tons, built by Fife of Fairlie for Mr A. Finlay, R. M. Y. C. The Phosphorus, cutter, 50 tons, built by Hatcher of Southampton for Mr W. Turner, R. T. Y. C., launched Tuesday, March 18; length 61ft 9in, beam 14ft, depth 10ft. The Octoroon, 12 tons, also by Hatcher, for Mr Cecil Long, R. T. Y. C.; length 36ft, beam 9ft, depth 6ft. The Clutha, cutter, 85 tons, a splendid vessel, built by Fife for Mr Charles Tennant, R. N. Y. C. Circe, schooner, 135 tons, one of the most perfectly found and fitted schooners afloat, built by Steele of Greenock for Mr D. Richardson; dimensions, keel 95ft, over all 114ft, beam 17ft 6in, depth 10ft 6in, launched in April. The Eagle, schooner, 250 tons, built for Mr Gibson, R. M. Y. C., on Tovell's patent principle of building, by Mr Tovell, at Ramsey, Isle of Man. The Wren, cutter, 35 tons, also built by Mr Tovell, on the same principles. The Iolanthfi, schooner, 84 tons, a very handsome vessel, built from his own designs for Mr Harry Bridson, R. T. Y C„ by Messrs Cowle and Archbold, of Douglas, Isle of Man ; length over all 89ft, beam loft 9in, draught aft 10ft, launched April 15, 1862. This vessel made the shortest passage on record from Southampton to Gibraltar, viz, five days, 20 hours ; she was six hours hove to off Gibraltar, waiting for day- light to make the land. The Clytie, schooner, 64 tons, built by Inman of Lymington for CaptF. S. Clarkson, R. T. Y. C., launched on Monday," March 3, 1862. The Redgauritlet, schooner, 140 tons, built by Inman for Mr G. P. Haughton, R. St. G. Y. C.; launched Tuesday, April 15, 1862. A schooner of 135 tons, by Inman. A schooner of 40 tons, by Fife. An iron cutter of 80 tons, by Messrs Wingate of Whiteincli, Clyde. An iron schooner of 40 tons, the Reverie, for Mr F. Powell, R. N. Y. C., built by Steele and Co, of Greenock. A new screw yacht of large tonnage, built by Messrs Mitchell and Co, of Low Walker, Tyne. A new racing cutter, built at Norwich bv Mr T. M. Read, The Ellen, schooner, 17 tons, built by Halliday of Cowes forR. B. Hesketh, R. T. Y. C. The Janie, schooner, 147 tons, Mr T. A. Lane, R. T. Y. C, built by Wingate of Whiteinch, Clyde. The Egidia. schooner, 137 tons, Commodore Lord Rendlesham, built by Harvey of Wivenhoe; length on deck 89ft 7in, beam 18ft llin, depth lift 4in. Wild Duck, yawl, 15 tons, built for F. J. Creswell, by Honigold of Lynn. The Ripple, cutter, 8 tons, for Mr T. L. F. Livingstone, by Fife. The Anemone, cutter, 70 tons, for Mr J. H. Baxendale, by Harvey of Wivenhoe. The Comet, cutter, 42 tons, for Mr W. Lake, R. T. Y. C. The cutter, Peri, 18£ tons, for Mr H. C. Dangar, Treasurer Australian Yacht Squadron, by Mr Cuthbert of Sidney. The Breeze, cutter, 16 tons, Commodore E. M. Hodder, Royal Canadian Yacht Club. The Fanny, schooner, 22 tons, for Mr Marshall, by Halliday of Kingston, East Cowes. The Fastnet, cutter, 65 tons, for Sir H. Beecher, Bart, by White of Cowes, launched Bept 26, 1862. The Gertrude, schooner, of 50 tons, for Mr M. Hayes, R. C. Y. C., by Wanhill of Poole. The vessels in course of building for the approaching season are an iron yacht of 600 tons, by the Thames Ship Building Com- pany at Blackwall. A new cutter of 45 tons for Mr Coode, R. W. Y. C., by Ratsey and 8on, Cowes. Messrs Ratsey are also building a noble schooner of 112 tons for the Liverpool pilots. A schooner of 165 tons for Mr G. R. Stephenson ; by Hansen of Cowes. A schooner of 67 tons for Mr Welsh Thornton, late of the Lily of Devon, by Hansen of Cowes. The Sabrina of 26- 5 tons, a schooner building on the diagonal principle by White of Cowes for Mr J. Naylor. The Phrynfe, clipper cutter of 55 tons, by Hatcher of Southampton for Mr Hesketh of the Leonora schooner. A 70 ton cutter for Mr W. Morgan, by Harvey of Wivenhoe. A new clipper cutter of 48 tons for Mr T. Groves, jun, late of the Avalanche, by Harvey of Wivenhoe. An iron 45 ton clipper fer Mr A. Duncan of the Glance, by the Milwall Ship Building Com- pany at Milwall. A new Yankee centre board shooting yacht for Commodore Lord Alfred Paget, by Harvey of Wivenhoe. A new schooner of 155 tons by Messrs Ratsey, at Cowes, for a French nobleman. A new clipper cutter of 55 tons for Mr Charles Tennant Couper, jun, late of the / Eolus. by Fife of Fairlie. A new schooner of 53 tons, also by Fife. The Messrs White of Cowes are about to commence a steam yacht of 1,100 tons for the Emperor of China. The vessels that have undergone lengthening, alterations, and repairs during the past season are as follows:— The Galatea, Mr T. Broad wood.- was lengthened lift by Hansen of Cowes, and re- launched Monday, March 17th, her tonnage being increased from 123 to 143 tons. The JSolus cutter, 60 tons, was lengthened by the stern by Fife. The Ondine schooner, 57 tons, Mr H. Norris, was new'ly coppered, and received new masts, spars, and sails. The Minion, cutter, 40 tons, Mr J. Cox, R. T. Y. C., was lengthened 4ft by Messrs Ratsey and Son, and re- launched Monday, March 17th. The Witch, schooner, 76 tons, Mr T. G. Wills Sandford, Rear- Commodore R. StG. Y. C., was lengthened 5ft by the stern by Hansen of Cowes. The Glance, cutter, 36, Mr A. Duncan, had new channels, and a general overhaul by Messrs Spencer and Barnes. The Oithona, cutter, 84 tons, Mr G. Salt, was altered to a yawl rig by Messrs Spencer and Barnes. The Atalanta, Mr G. H. Diver, N. and 8. Y. C., underwent a tho- rough overhaul. The Miranda, Mr J. Tomlinson, N. and S. Y. C., was fitted with wire rigging, and new pumps fitted to her upon a principle invented by Mr G. W. Moore of Great Yarmouth. The Osprey, cutter, 59 tons, Mr E. W. Nunn, received a new mast, and was newly coppered. The Viking, schooner, was lengthened by Messrs Ratsey. The Maria, schooner, 83 tons, Mr Williamson, was recaulked and overhauled by Messrs Spencer and Barnes. The Coquette, Colonel Armytage, received new decks by Messrs Ratsey. The Plover was newly coppered. The Amazon cutter, 46 tons, Mr H. F. Smith, Vice- Commodore R. L. Y. C., was thoroughly overhauled and renewed and much improved since her accident at Ryde, in Mr Green's dock at Blackwall. The lone, schooner, Mr W. Stirling, M. P., was recoppered, by White of Cowes. The Caiman, schooner, 78 tons, Mr R. B. Baxendale, underwent an overhaul on Messrs Hansen's slips. The Sultana, yawl, was converted into a schooner, by Messrs White, for Col W. T. Markham. The Leonora, schooner, 116 tons, Mr R. B. Hesketh, on her return from the Mediterranean underwent a thorough overhaul on Messrs Hansen's slip, had a new iron false keel fitted to her, and a new suit of sails, by Lapthorne of Gos- port, for the Royal Thames schooner match. The Flying Cloud, schooner, 74 tons, Count Batthyany, had new spars, and a leaden keel fitted to her. The Beatrice, schooner, 208 tons, Mr J. E. W. Rolls, was recoppered and thoroughly overhauled upon Mr Cam- per's slip in May. The Freak, Mr P. Delink Ratcliffe, was fitted with new masts, spars, and rigging, and a new suit of sails, by Lapthorne of Gosport. The Ballerina, schooner, 117 tons, was newly coppered and overhauled. The Tartar, cutter, 60 tons, was lengthened six feet by the bows, by Messrs Ratsey, making her about 56 tons. The Ginevra, schooner, 142 tons, Mr J. Lamont, was altered in the counter, by Payne of Southampton. The Urania, schooner, 140 tons, Mr W. Wise, was lengthened 15 feet by the bows, by Messrs Ratsev- The Zoraide, schooner, 143 tons, Mr W. J. Pawson, was lengthened seven feet aft. The average number of vessels have changed hands ; amongst them, The Valetta, steam yacht, 80 tons, purchased by the Hon G. F. Boyle, Rear Commodore, Royal Northern Y. C. The Black Eagle, steam yacht, 22 tons, purchased by Mr J. Hamilton, R. M. Y. C. Maraquita, schooner, 125 tons, purchased by Mr C. Putland, R. St. G. Y. C., and from him by Capt Goad. Cymba, cutter, 54 tons, purchased by Mr E. Burke from Capt Smith Barry. The Snake, schooner, 40 tons, purchased by Mr J. Lockett, of Dunoon. Thought, cutter, 27 tons, purchased by Mr J. Jones, of Liverpool, from Mr Marshall, R. T. Y. C. Emmet, cutter, 27 tons, purchased by Mr T. C. Manderson from Capt W. N. Massy. Kingfisher, schooner, 90 tons ( property of the late Mr Cooper Penrose), purchased by Mr J. O'Keefe. Wanderer, schooner, 140 tons, purchased by Mr Sidney Walker from Sir J. Carden, Bart. The Wanderer, schooner, 65 tons, purchased by Vice- Commodore Henry, R. St. G. Y. C., from Capt Cholmondeley. The Brunette, cutter, 70 tons, purchased by Mr J. P. Ellames from Mr A. H. Davenport. The Flying Cloud, schooner, 74 tons, purchased by Count Batthyany. Zouave, schooner, 105 tons, purchased by Col Nicholls from Mr A. Arabin. Ranger, screw steam yacht, 150 tons, built by 8eath of Ruther- glen, purchased by the Hon C. Moore Smyth, The Gloriana, schooner, 134 tons, purchased by Mr A. O. Wilkinson. The Fairy Queen, schooner, 70 tons, purchased by Mr L. Hatsell Powys from Mr G. Bishop, jun. The Querida, schooner, 41 tons, purchased by Mr J. G. Daunt from Mr Burton Irwin. The Freak, yawl, purchased by Mr F. P. Delme Ratcliffe. The Psyche, yawl, purchased by Mr H. Ball. The Georgiana, schooner, 109 tons, purchased by Capt Smith Barry from Mr J. Tremayne. The lone, schooner, 75 tons, purchased by Mr. W. Stir- ling, MP. The Sultana, yawl, purchased by Col Markham from Major Carlyon. The Laverock, 72 tons, purchased by Capt Win. Norris. The Rifleman, 8 tons, purchased by Capt the Hon W. H. Herbert. The Avalanche, schooner, purchased by Mr E. John- ston from Mr T. Groves, jun. The Zoe, schooner, 161 tons, pur- chased by Mr P. L. Powys, M. P. The Ballerina, schooner, 117 tons, purchased by Viscount Templetown. The Fox, yawl, pur- chased by Mr W. J. Rideout. The Pilgrim, schooner, 135 tons, pur- chased by the Duke of St Albans. The Hornet, schooner, 209 tons, purchased by Mr T. E. Moss. The Daphne, schooner, 140 tons, purchased by Mr R. Hall Say from Mr R. P. O'Shee. The Peri, cutter, 81 tons, purchased by Mr Gunston. The Destiny, schooner, 140 tons, purchased by Mr J. E. Bradsliaw from Col Grimes. The Fantasy, schooner, 20 tons ( the late Rear- Admiral Bowen), purchased by Col Atkinson. The Maria, schooner, 63 tons, purchased by Mr F. Williams from Col Burton. The Vivid, cutter ( late Scourge), 25 tons, purchased by Mr J. Elkington from Mr J. Swettenham. The Echo, cutter, 36 tons, purchased by Mr G. Putland from the Rev R. C. Singleton. The Capr'ce, cutter, 100 tons has been sold into the merchant service. The iEolus, cutter, 61 tons, purchased by Mr T. Houldsworth from Mr C. T. Couper. The names of the following yachts and yacht owners have been recorded as added to the lists of the subjoined clubs during the season:— ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON.— lone, schooner, 75 tons, W. Stir- ling. Esq, M. P. Sultana, schooner, 130 tons, Lieut- Col W. T. Markham. Flying Cloud, schooner, 75 tons, Count Edmund Batthyany. Egidia, schooner, 137 tons, Lord Rendlesham. Zouave, 105 tons, Lieut- Col 8. J. L. Nicholls. Laverock, 72 tons, Capt Wm. Norris. Pilgrim, schooner, 135 tons, the Duke of St Albans. ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB.— The Haidee, cutter, 38 tons, C. Birch, Esq. Sylphide, schooner, 38 tons, C. H. Peters, Esq. Achiever, cutter, 21 tons, Capt W. S. P. Mannock, V.- C. Royal Harwich. Bessie, cutter, lOtons, J. H. Hedge, Esq. Maria, schooner, 83 tons, P. Williams, Esq. Emmet, cutter, 27 tons, T. C. Mander- son, Esq. Brenda, cutter, 19 tons, G. Irlam, Esq. Gleam, schooner, 140 tons, J. Richardson, Esq. Wanderer, schooner, 140 tons, S. Walker, Esq. Derwent, schooner, 137 tons, Col T. Clifton. Leda, schooner, 137 tons, G. Hobson, Esq. Leonora, schooner, 116 tons, R. B. Hesketh, Esq. Janie, schooner, 109 tons, T. A. Lane, Esq. Sapphire, schooner, 70 tons, Sir W. B. Smith, Bart. Indian Maid, schooner ( query Fairy Queen), 70 tons, L. H. Powys, Esq. Clytie, schooner, 64 tons, Capt F. S. Clarkson, Violet, schooner, 32 tons, J. R. Kirby, Esq. Ellen, schooner, 17 tons, R. B. Hesketh, Esq. Gloriana, schooner, 134 tons, A. O. Wilkinson, Esq. Fox, 36 tons, H. Chainier, Esq. Bonita, 33- tons, E. Hill, Esq. Octoroon, cutter. 12 tons, C. Long, Esq. Rover, 7 tons, W. Limbert, Esq. Wild Duck, yawl, F. I. Cress- well, Esq. Wasp, cutter, 12 tons, Col A. Swinton. Comet, cutter,. 33 tons, W. Lake, Esq. Ran er, screw steam yacht, 150 tons, Hon C. W. M. Smyth. Egidia. schooner, 137 tons, Commodore Lord Rewdlesham. Fire Fly, 12 tons, Col E. H. M. Kelly. Blue Belle, cutter, 7 tons, J. M. O'Callaghan, Esq. Clio, cutter, 40 tons, F. K. Dumas. Jilt, cutter, 8 tons, J. R. Bridson. Esq. Rifleman, 8TOI'S, Capt the Hon W. H. Herbert Zoe, schooner, 161 tons, P. L. Powys, Esq, M. P. Maraquita. schooner, 125 tons, Capt Goad. Ballerina, schooner, 117 tons, Viscount Templeton. Ella, schooner, 105 tons. Sir G. East, Bart. Flying Cloud, schooner, 74 tons, Count Batthyany. Goliath, 25 tons, P. L. Powys, Esq, M. P. Cygnet, 10 tons, G. M. Hodder, Esq. iBolus, 61 tons, C. T. Couper, Esq. jun. Darenth, 33 tons, W. Lake. Pearl, 22 tons, J. 8. Adam. Breeze, 18 tons, E. M. Hodder, Esq, Commodore Royal Canadian Yacht Club. Coral, 10 tons, Capt H. E. Bayly. Bull- finch, 7 tons, Lord Burghley, M. P. The Doris, yawl, E. B. Faw- cett, Esq. ROYAL LONDON YACHT CLUB.— The Sylviacutter, 7 tons, Philip. M. 4e la Taste, Esq, Jersey. The Empress. A. Walker, Esq. Oriole, 20 tons, J. W. Ledger, Esq. Pearl, 22 tons, J. S. Adam, Esq. Naiad, yawl, 20 tons, C. E. Davison, Esq. Butterfly, cutter, 5 tons, and Siren, cutter, 16 tons, J. S. Anderson, jun, Esq. The Marina, cutter, 65 tons, J. C. Morice, Esq. PRINCE OF WALES YACHT CLUB.— The Little Vixen. J. Gard- ner, Esq. Jessie, cutter, E. Whimper. The Miranda ( S. S.), 46. tons, J. Harvey, Esq. RANELAGHYAHTCLUB.— The Audax, cutter, 59 tons, J. H. Johnston, Esq. Oberon, cutter, 20 tons, J. D. Hewett, Esq. Lur- line, cutter, 6 tons, T. Fuller, Esq. The Fox, 35 tons, H Chamier, Esq. Several changes have taken place amongst the flag officers of the yacht clubs, amongst the principal of which have been the resig- nation of C. R. M. Talbot, Esq, M. P,, of the Capricorn, schooner, as Vice- Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and the elec- tion of the Marquis of Conyngham, Shamrock, 212 tons, to suc- ceed him. The marquis in consequence resigned the commodore- ship of the Royal St George's Yacht Club, and the Marquis of Donegal was elected to the vacancy. Earl Vane, Lotus, schooner, 188 tons, was elected Commodore of the Royal Western Yacht Club of England upon the decease of the Earl of Mount Edg- cumbe. In the Royal Victoria Yacht Club G. H. Ackers, Esq, of the Brilliant, schooner, 480 tons, and T. Chamberlayne, Esq, of the Arrow, cutter, 102 tons, resigned as Commodore and Vice- Commodore. Capt Thellusson. of the Aline, schooner, 216 tons, was elected for the vacant commodoreship. In the Royal London Yacht. Club, Capt J. W. C. Whitbread, of the Queen, cutter, 25 tons, was elected to fill the office of Rear- Commodore. The Royal Harwich Yacht Club elected Lord Rendlesham, Egidia, schooner, 137 tons, to be their commodore. The Ranelagh Yacht Club elected Colonel Evelyn, of the La Reve, schooner. 40 tons, as Com- modore, and Ingram Pick, Esq, as Vice- Commodore. In May, Mr Editor, you gave us a letter with the signature of " Buum Cuique,'' upon a subject which I think yachtsmen should be very tenacious about, namely— the courtesies of tbe sea; in that letter the writer states that in entering the harbour of Cher- bourg a few days previously, he dipped his ensign to a French • man- of- war, at anchor within the breakwater, but that no notice was taken of the compliment. Upon mentioning this incivility on shore he was informed that the French naval officers had de- termined not to return the compliment of any yacht, because so many passed without taking any notice of them. He further states that to his own knowledge a Russian man- of- war, lying at Spithead, displayed the same want of courtesy to two English yachts that saluted her, on different days. Can it, be that some of our gallant courteous yachtsmen have left themselves open to this charge, and perhaps in their anxiety to have a good look at the foreigner, forgotten the due observance of that nice compliment of the ocean, that bhould never be omitted on meeting under way, or passing at anchor the war ships of our own or any other country, and thus given occasion to such a rudeness being practised. With respect to our own men of war, they are most particular upon this point, and wher- ever our yachts are met with, either at home or abroad, the great- est courtesy and attention are paid to their salutes, and com- manders, officers, and men appear to vie with each other should a yacht be in a position to require any assistance they can give. Then, to be sure, the discipline of a British man- of- war must be remembered, and that not a bee can buzz in the rigging without the signalman making out what colours lie is sailing under. Some of our yachts' crews are singularly deficient in the matter of signalling, and where they are so, the duty of giving and re- turning salutes will be proportionately neglected. I should very much like to know how many of our yachts are fully and effi- ciently provided with signal flags and signal books ? I know a great many that are not; but this is another of the many points that a universal code of rules is required to regulate. If the making of, and , attention to, signals, be not part of a yacht's crew's discipline, salutes will be very little attended to, and annoyance may be experienced when we least expect it, as in the case of " Suum Cuique," at Cherbourg. I do not know any- thing more calculated to produce annoyance tban a neglect of courtesy at sea. To a smart yachtsman,' if it be on the part of a brother of the sea, it amounts to insult; and to a man of war, especially a foreigner representing a national flas, it is calculated to excite very strong feelings, that will inevitably bre?. k out in returning the compliment to the innocent. Every yacht should have on board two sets of Marryatt's signal flags; one will do if the extra expense is objected to. but for smart signalling two sets of flags are requisite. Acker's Universal Code is furnished to all our men of war, and a special set of flags ordered by the Admi- ralty are used when communicating with yachts. Marryatt's code enables communication with merchant ships. Many yachts- men are not, perhaps, aware that, by an Admiralty order, all yachts are required to show their numbers upon entering any naval port. The best method of keeping signal flags ready for use is to have a slip of strong canvas, sown over with pockets, upon which the numbers of the flags should be marked. The whole rolls up very handily, is portable for getting on deck hastily or stowing away, and the flags are all in order to the eye instead of being in confusion about the deck. A very little in- struction is necessary to make a crew sharp about signals, but a signalman should always be appointed. Nothing bespeaks smart- ness and good discipline on board a yacht more than quick atten- tion to the acknowledgment, answering, and makina of signals, salutes, & e.— Yours, & c, VANBERDECKEN. MATCH SAILING AND BALLAST TBIMMING. MR EDITOR: Although I do not like occupying your columns unreasonably on a subject which, I fear, is not interesting to the general public, still, as the fate of my suggestion as to ballast trimming ( or rather as to a simple and plain mcde of preventing it) is still trembling in the balance, I venture to trouble you with a few words of comment on the letters which appeared with mine in your impression of the 15th inst, and am only sorry there was not also one from the able pen of " Vanderdecken,'' on a sub- ject he could handle so well, instead of a mere catalogue of prizes won last year. As to those signed " Red Cross" and " Sinbad" I have little to say, as they are strongly in favour of my proposal, and " Sinbad" puts forcibly what was the very essence of it, viz, that the change of rule if made at all should be general, and an- nounced at once " in order that owners, either building new ves- sels or fitting out old ones, may know wl at is to be the general rule and practice of the season." This, I may say, now entirely rests with the Royal Thames Yacht Club, as all the principal clubs who hold open regattas are ready, I be- live, to follow its lead; and I hope its committee will shortly make its decision known one way or other. If it is adverse to my proposal, I trust the rule against trimming ballast will be rescinded altogether, and each vessel left to do as she pleases, which would be far better than the present system, as is very fairly argued in the letter signed " Blue," albeit " the writer is not very consistent in his views as to shifting, and cannot have been much in the practice of sailing matches, or he would know the difficulty of making the search he proposes so effectual as to render it of the slightest use; as " Vanderdecken" very clearly shows in his letter which appeared in your columns of the 1st inst. The Royal Mersey Yacht Club has taken up the question in the kindest way, and although I prefer my own plan ( that the declaration against shifting ballast shall be made at the time, and' form part of the entry), and think that, in such case, the second declaration is unnecessary, anc> l not very convenient for the sailing ( master to sign at a time when he has plenty on his hands, in bring- ', ing his vessel to her moorings in a crowded river, and with a rapid tideway. The way in which it has met my proposal is good evi- dence of what one of the best sailing committees in England thinks of the plan. And I maj' also point to ths published reso- lution of the Royal Cork, the oldest and most practical club in the kingdom, as having the same feeling towards it. The writer of the letter signed " A Witch on a Broomstick'' opens another subject, that of measurement and time for tonnage, about which, with your permission, I propose to say a few words in a future letter. Meanwhile, I am thankful for his support, which will, I know, be influential with two or three of the clubs, but am amused to see that he evidently believes in a story which was circulated last j'ear, and which I look upon as a mere canard, the existence on board the new iron schooner " Circe" of a dodge for pumping water in and out as a means of tri aiming her to windward, and which I suspect arose either from the copious way in which she used to wet sails with a fire engine, or from the fact that the balins in her state rooms supplj' themselves with water from tanks placed in her wings. I was on board her last year when the first gun was fired for a start, and, except that the carpet had been taken off her main cabin, she was as trim and neat below as if she was at anchor in Gourock Baj'; and even if such a plan were possible ( which I doubt)', it would be far su- perior to the " old shot bags," which cause a destruction below that could hardly be believed by anyone who has not seen the condition of the main cabin of a racing cutter after a bard- sailed match in a strong breeze, and with a bit of a sea on. This letter has almost doubled its intended length, so shall be at once closed with many apologies.— Yours, & c, RED WITH WHITE MALTESE CROSS. VANDERDECKEN'S LOG.— Mr Editor : Your corresponded " Vanderdecken," in his summary of the prizes given for sailing matches at the various regattas during the past season has con- siderably undervalued those that were contested for at Shoreham in August last. He states that " A Purse of £ 8 was given for local boats,'' whereas the amount given for local boats was £ 10 5s, in addition to which prizes of the value of £ 5 were given for boats not exceeding 17ft; for boats not exceeding 25ft tiie first prize was the Railway Cup, value £ 12 ; and money prizes for the second and third boats amounting to £ 8. There was also a match for boats not exceeding 21ft, the first prize ( a cup value £ 5, or money) and second and third prizes amounting to £ 5.— Yours, & C, ONE OP THE REGATTA COMMITTEE.— Shoreham, Feb 15. PHIENIX AMATEUR ROWING CLUB, GLASGOW.— The first match ef the season between members of this club was rowed on Satur- day, Feb 14, in outriggers, over the usual course, distance one mile and a half, the competing crews being— Caledonia: 1 B. Maitland, 2 T. M'Farlane, 3 W. Taylor, 4 W, Wyper, J. M'Donald cox— Unity: 1 J. Miller, 2 T. Jackson, 3 G. Shearer, 4 H. M'Farlane, W. Webster cox. The Caledonia, having obtained choice of stations, took the south side, and immediately, on get- ting the word, went off at a dashing pace, at once taking a lead of half a length, which they maintained for the first half mile. The crew of the Unity, who were rowing well together and in a steady manner, which satisfied their friends that they were not long des- tined to occupj- the second place, at this point, in answer to the call of their stroke, put on a spurt, which speedily brought them to the front, a position they succeeded in maintaining till the end of the race, notwithstanding the most determined and persevering efforts en the part of the Caledonians, ultimately winning by two lengths one of the most closely contested races ever rowed on the river. The afternoon being fine, there was a good turn out of spectators to witness the contest, the fine balconj' of the Club House, which commands a view of nearly the whole course, being filled with members and their friends. YACHTING IN FRANCE.— The French j'achtsmen are setting to work in earnest on the South Coast: Marseilles, the bays of Hyeres and de la Napoule are fixed upon as the three most de- sirable stations for the regattas. The season is to be opened in the latter, with its charming town of Cannes, so favoured by visitors, both French and English, and its convenient harbour, where the Fantaisie, Due de Vallombrose; Hornet, R. Y. 8., T. Edwards Moss, Esq; Lys, Count de la Eosiere, and other smaller j'achts have this winter displayed their respective burgees. The duke has been elected President de la Societe des Regattas de Cannes, and to inaugurate the occasion it is proposed to erect a club house on the bay similar to the St George's at Kingstown; £ 4,000 has been already subscribed. Mooring buoys are also to be laid opposite the club house for the converience of yachts visiting the station. Last month the noble Commodore was ena- bled to do good service to a j acht cariying the Victoria colours. Having seen from his chateau Erminia take the ground near the Island of St Marguerite through some error in sounding— to gain the beach, take a boat to the scene of disaster, and order a couple of feluccas, with ample force to follow, was the work of an in- stant. By starting the water, and relieving the vessel of some 20 tons of ballast, she was hauled off before the rising mistral, cr N. W. wind had time to do any damage, and a fine vessel was saved from destruction. The regatta is fixed for the 6th and 7th April, when a hearty welcome will attend all English yachts. SUPPLEMENT TO BELL'S LIFE IN LONDON, FEBRUARY 22, 1863, CRICKET. CRICKET IN ASSAM. The remote, but lovely station of Gowhatti ( capital of Assam, the ultima thule of our vast Indian possessions) has been lately en- livened by its first real cricket match, a report of which we ( the residents) venture to send home, in the hope that the progressing civilisation of this almost unknown province may draw settlers and many new cricketers amongst them to these parts. To get two elevens to measure their strength in a country so thinly popu- lated by brethren of our own blood is no easy matter. A battery of the Eoyal Artillery, however, being detained here on their way to Calcutta from Upper Assam in due course of the relief, the civilian of the station took the opportunity to throw down the • wicket keeping giove and challenge them, aided by the military re- sidents, to meet them a ithe wickets, the parade ground of the 43d N. I. being kindly placed at their disposal by Major E. Camp- bell, commanding, fo rshe day fixed, Saturday, Dec 27. The Civi- lians, having won the toss . sent Messrs Walter and Reginald Bain- bridge to the wickets. Here we may observe that the civilian residents o Gowbatti include members of the University and other noted clubs, and some of them have already nourished the willow triumphantly in the " old country.'' Although Mr Luker's underhand fast twisters were exceed- ingly teasing and dangerous, the ball was quickly careering merrily about the ground, and 25 runs were told to the score ere impetuosity caused Mr E. Bainbridge to be run out. Mr Mawson followed, and soon added 20 to the score, which showed 65 runs, then a teaser from Mr Luker got round his legs and displaced the bails. Mr Pinto next handled the bat, and added his 15, amidst great cheering as his portly appearance was seen to perfection • when running. Mr Eobinson was followed by Mr Herbert Bain- bridge, who arrived late in the field, but in time to carry his bat out for 22. We must say of this gentleman that his leg hitting was really magnificent. MrW. Bainbridge now succumbed, being well caught by Dr De Fabeck, and left the field amidst loud cheers, after a fine innings ; he made some splendid hits to the off, several fours and threes being numbered in his well played 54; the only complaint made by Messrs H. and W. Bainbridge being that the ground was not big enough for their hitting. One square leg- hit of Mr H. Bainbridge went for six, and had it not pitched in a ditch, would doubtless have added two or three more to the score, but unfortunately theground is not Brallingdon. Theinnings finished for 141 runs. The Military side then took their bats. Gunners Campbell and Monohan commenced in style, the former hitting desperately, and soon ran up 44 runs before they parted, Mr Luker taking Campbell's place. This player acquitted him- self in a style which showed that he knew how to handle the bat as well as the ball; he was well in and troublesome, when Mr Walter Bainbridge picked the ball neatly off his bat in true Lockyer style. Lieutenant Hayter took his place, but soon re- tired, after marking 4 runs. Mr Fairfield followed, but was despatched by a shooter from Mr W. Bainbridge. Dr De Fabeck and Captain Dickson, commanding battery, were still more un- fortunate, contributing only 2 between them; the others made no stand, and the innings closed for 100; when the Military players fellowed their innings by selection, and how they were dealt with by the slow twisters of Mr H. Bainbridge the score will show, Messrs Monohan and Cochrane being the only two who gave much trouble, the former when well in being unluckily run out. The Civilians returned to the struggle with 28 runs to win. Messrs W. and H. Bainbridge going to the wickets, Mr W. Bain- bridge again sent the ball far and wide: his wicket fell for 15. Next followed Mr Mawson. who retired without glory covering him; it then remained for Mr Eeg. Bainbridge to add the required 3 to the score, which he did in his own masterly manner; thus the Civilians won by eight wickets. The fielding on both sides was good, the Military side if anything being the better of the two. We hope to have many more pleasant gatherings like this, with tents full of fair spectators, who mustered in strong force on this occasion, and many another merry " Tiffin" to break the day. Gowhatti is not the wild place that the dear good quiet folk at home perhaps imagine; the beauty of its water scenery might vie with the Bay of Naples itself. Score: EOYAL AKTILLEItY. lst inn 2d inn Gunner Monohan, b H. G. Bainbridge .22 runout 17 Gunner Campbell, b W. W. Bainbridge. 22 c and b H. G. Bainbridge. 5 Luker, c W. Bainbridge, b H. G.\ 9,/ c W. Bainbridge, b H. G. Bainbridge : J I Bainbridge 8 Lieut Hayter, b W. Bainbridge 4 c and b H. G. Bainbndge. 4 Lieut Fairfield, b W. Bainbridge 3 b W. Bainbridge 2 Capt Dickson, c Mawson, b H. G.\ „ not0ut . 8 Bainbridge J I> r De Fabeck c W. Bainbridge, b\ „ hit W) b H. G. Bainbridge 2 H. G. Bambndge J ' , „ , ^ „ „ , , f c Wr. Bainbridge, b H. G. Gunner Goffbrd, not out 4- j j- aintiridge 5 Gunner Ctohrane, st W. Bainbridge, I 5 c and b H. G. Bainbridge. 11 b H. G. Bainbridge J GWIBlin> bridge' 0 K" Bainbridge, bj B c KeyS) b W. Bainbridge. 0 Gunner Foster, run out."!.".'!.'.'."!.'.".. 0 b H. G. Bainbridge...... 0 B4, lb 2, wb 3... 9 B 5, w b 1 6 Total — 100 Total — 68 CIVILIANS. CHESS. W. W. Bainbridge, c De Fabeck, bLuker 54 R, N. Bainbridge, run out 13 G. Mawson, b Luker 20 T. E. Pinto, b Monohan 15 W, Robinson, b Monohan 0 H. G. Bainbridge, not out 22 A. R. Durant, b Luker 0 E. Keyes, b Luker 1 J. Smith, b Luker 2 T. Williams, c Campbell, b Mo- nohan 0 W. Higginbottom, run out 0 B 7,1 b 1, w b 5, n b 1 14 Total .. 141 In the second innings of Civilians, W. W. Bainbridge scored ( b Luker) 15, R. N. Bainbridge ( not out) 3, Mawson ( b Luker) 0, H. G. Bainbridge < not out) 8; byes 2— total 28. NORTH LONDON CLUB.— The annual general meeting of the members of this club took place on Feb 6, at the White Hart, Clapton, when the following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing season, viz, President, H. Moore; vice- president, Barker; secretary, W. M. Kelson ; treasurer, Hagworth ; com- mittee, Messrs Page, Ogan, Eolls, Braddle, and Arme. The pri- vate ground of this club is in excellent order. Practice days • Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday in each week. PAKKFIELD CLUB.— A special meeting of the members ef this club took place on Saturday, Feb 14, at the Pavilion, Hampstead, for the purpose of electing officers, arranging matches for the en- duing season, and other club business ; Mr Barnett in the chair, in the absence of the president. A satisfactory balance- sheet was submitted, and Messrs J. C. and W. Heenan were re- elected pre- sident and treasurer, and M. Barnett secretary, vice Mr Prender- gast, who resigns that office. The following gentlemen were then • elected members of the club -.— Messrs D. Aitken, Burgess, Dadd, Davies, Howe, Jeffreys, Jones, Kelly, Martin, M'Keillick, Mer- rick, Preece, Eeynolds, A. F. Eoberts, S. Roberts, Stevenson, and Wood. A vote of thanks to the officers and chairman termi- nated the proceedings. ANGLING. THE SALMON FISHERY.— We take the following from the Mon- iteur de la Flotte :—•" Of all questions connected with fisheries to which public attention has been called that concerning the salmon fishery is of most particular interest, in consequence of the de- crease in that species. Many of our rivers, especially in Brittany, • were not many years since well- stocked with salmon, affording a good trade to the fishermen on the banks, and at the same time a delicate article of food to the public. But the abuses which iiave gradually taken place in these fisheries, and the greater fa- cilities of sale offered, have gradually led to the decrease of sal- mon, which would gradually disappear from our waters alto- gether unless measures of preservation are promptly adopted. England has taken the lead of us in this matter. According to the existing regulations in England and in Wales as regards sal- mon, the capture of that fish is prohibited for four months, from the lst of October to the lst of February— that is to say, during the spawning season, when the salmon goes up the river to deposit its fry. It must, moreover, be observed that this fish is not fit for eating during this period, and that, considered as an article of food, it might have baneful effects for the public health during the months of prohibition. Severe penalties are imposed upon all delinquents in this matter, and only recently a man was fined £ 54 sterling, or three months' imprisonment, for infringing the rules. A society has been formed in England for the conservation offish. LordSaltoun is its president, and it consists of 150 members. According to the information which we have received, this . society has been enabled to establish:— 1. That the quantity of salmon exported into France during the time of prohibition is cirfa 50 tons, the greater portion of which is sold at the Paris market. 2. That these salmon, when taken, are generally near spawning and unfit for food. 3. That, to avoid detection, all sorts of expedients are resorted to— ladies' bandboxes, hampers with hares' feet or game feathers sticking out— to prevent the contents being known. The sale of salmon during the prohibited season has latterly so increased that, while it was formerly sold from 2d to 4d a pound it is now sold at Is arid Is 6d. According to expe- riments made upon the salmon, every pound of that fish would represent about 1,000 eggs— that is to say, a 101b salmon would represent nearly 10,000 eggs. The calculation has been made that, supposing that two- thirds of the salmon exported during the pro- hibited periods are females, and taking an average weight of 101b the number of eggs destroyed would reach the enormous figure of 60,000,000 of eggs per annum. Thus private interests, by practi- cal abuses contrary to the general interests, have led not only to the destruction of the young salmon but to the consumption of unwholesome food. When the habits of the salmon have been better studied a better system will be established and a greater increase may be counted upon in this article of general consumption. It is already generally known that the salmon returns annually to its native river, and that, having spawned, it returns to the sea. It is also known that it deposits its eggs near the source of the river, on particular ground. It is therefore important that the salmon should he allowed to proceed to the spawning ground, and, if traps are laid to capture the fish, the more perfect they are the greater will be the decrease of salmon. However this may be. the importation of salmon into France during the months of October, November, December, and January has attracted the serious attention of men in England, who, with a perseverance deserving the highest praise, have devoted themselves to the protection of fisheries. We believe we are correct in stating that the society founded with this object has expressed the wish that the French Government should prohibit the importation of salmon during the four months when the capture of that fish is prohibited in England. Such a measure could only be really efficacious if the - catching of salmon were completely prohibited in France during the spawning season, not only in the sea, but also in the rivers. We do not doubt that this subject will be taken up by the naval and commercial authorities, as it is a question of vital importance, threatened with destruction unless the lamentable proceedings • which have already occurred are put a stop to. By granting greater freedom to the right of fishing, the decree of the 10th of May, 1862, nevertheless provided for exceptional cases in the interests of the reproduction of the species. Consequently, the regulations of the salmon fishery would be simply in harmony with these views.'' Mr Thomas Boond ( the North Countryman) caught, whilst angling in Mr Thompson's water at Broxbourne, on Sunday, Feb 8, 50 roach, which weighed 301b, two of them weighing re- spectively lib 6Joz and lib 6Joz. They were shown at the Amica- ble Brothers Society of Anglers, held at Mr Groves's, the Cherry Tree, Upper Whitecross- street, St Luke's, of which society Mr Boond is a member. This is, without exception, the finest show of the season. Mr Boond has also weighed 701b of roach in five Sundays this year, all taken from the same water. CHESS PROBLEM, NO. 388. Contributed by Max Lange. BLACK. HI iHP i « HI • • i s Ill If Hi Hi • • § § § IPP 181 i I § j § A 111 111 i 11 § § j H I! i Hi t » § § § I! § jj 11 • • • WHITE. White to move, and force mate in forty- one moves. This sounds alarming; but the position is more curious than difficult. It exemplifies the power of King when unrestricted in his march, and his helplessness when locked in a corner. SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS. SOLUTION OF No. 386. / P Q B 3. If he play K Q B 4, I you check with Q Q Kt 5, then 1. B K B i play B K Kt 2, and mate next. I If, instead, he plays K K 5, you ( check Q 3, and then B K Kt 2 „ x, „ JK Q B 4. If he goes K K 5, you A ^ 1 \ check at Q 3, and mate next 3. Q Q Kt 8, and mates next move. Game in Eotterdam, by two tation, Ealand and Deventner, THE EOAD MURDER.— We hear, on what may be considered reliable authority, that the circumstances connected with the mysterious murder of Francis Saville Kent at Eoad on the 29th of June, 1860, are likely ere long again to become the subject of judicial investigation. PAEKHURST PRISON, ISLE OF WIGHT.— We are informed, on good authority, that the visits of Sir George Grey to the above establishment have resulted in an order to convert the upper por- tion of it, now unoccupied, into a receptacle for our female con- victs, about four hundred of whom may be expected about the beginning of April, the residents in the cottages surrounding the place, who are not doing duty within, and who have been dis- charged upon pension, having received notice to quit at the latter end of March, to make way for the female warders.— Hants Inde- pendent. SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE STEAMER CITY OF NEW YORK.— About nine o'clock on Wednesday morning an accident of a rather serious nature happened on board the steamship City of New York, belonging to the Inman line of New York steamers. It appears that this vessel at the time of the accident was lying in the Mersey midway between the Princes landing stage and Sea- combe, with her anchors down. As the vessel was about to start on her outward voyage to New York a large number of the crew were on the forecastle engaged in working the capstan so as to raise the anchors. The tide at this time ( 8: 40) was flowing in very strong, and the strain upon the anchor- chain was conse- quently very great. All went well for a time, when about nine o'clock the ship gave a lift at the bow, and suddenly the " chock,'' or catch which prevents the capstan from revolving too quickly, gave way, and as the pressure was very strong just then, the capstan flew round with alarming rapidity, knocking the capstan bars about in all directions, together with the poor fellows who had hold of them. Two of the men were very severely injured, and were at once sent ashore to the Northern Hospital. One of them, Alexander Greene, a Swede, aged 32, has his left leg broken and his right leg severely contused. The other, William Cross, aged 23, received a concussion of the brain; but both men are doing well. Two others were slightly injured. Owing to the excellent arrangements on board the ships of the Inman line, the damage to the capstan was soon repaired, and the vessel proceeded on her voyage. FIBES AND LOSS OF LIFE IN THE METROPOLIS.— Several fires took place in the metropolis in the course of Saturday night, Feb 14, and Sunday, Feb 15. The most serious occurred in High- street, Vauxhall, in some very old premises let out to poor fami- lies, an old woman named Perton, nearly ninety years of age, being ia that case Iburnt to death, Raland and De- ventner. 1. KP2 2. K Kt B 3 3. K B Q B 4 4. Q B PI 5. Castles 6. QP 2 7. PXP 8. B Q 5 9. K R K+ 10. Q B Kt 5 11. Q Kt B 3 12. Kt K 5 13. B K 4 14. BQB2 15. Q BXKt 16. Kt K B 3 17. QQ3 18. PKKtS 19. Kt K R 4 20. Kt B 5+ 21. QXB 22. KRP2 23. Q K R 3 24. K R K 3 25. BXKt of the best players there in consul- against Anderssen. Anderssen. K P 2 Q KtB3 Same KKtB 3 KKtXP PXP BQ Kt3 Kt K B 3 Q Kt K 2 Kt K Kt3 QBl'l Q P 2 QQ3 PXB BQ B2 QB KtS K K Kt 2 RKR BXKt K R P 2 RKR 3 QRKKt KKR KRXB Raland and De- ventner. 26. Kt K 2 27. K K Kt2 28. Q R Q 29. P Q Kt Z 30. Q RXP 31. RXR 31. Q K R 33. R Q 3 34. KKR2 85. Q Q B 36. KtXQ 37. Kt K 2 38. Kt K B 4 39. Kt K 6 40. Kt Kt 5 41. K K Kt 42. K K B 43. PXP 44. RXQ P 45. PXB 46. RQ2 47. R K Kt 48. K K It 2 49. R Q 7 50. R K R 7+ Anderssen wins in a few moves. A fine game. Anderssen. R Kt 5 QKtP2 P Q B 4 PXP QQB4 PXR PQ5 BK4 P K B 4 QXQ PKB5 PKB6 PKB4 RK K K Kt 2 KKB3 PKBS BXP BXKt KXP RQB KKR5 RK R K 7 K K Kt 4 Game between Van Kruije and Anderssen, in Amsterdam, July last Van Kruije. Anderssen. 1. Q P 2 K B P 2 2. QBP2 KP1 3. Q Kt B 3 K Kt B 3 4. KP1 K B Q Kt 5 5. Q B Q 2 QBP2 6. Q R P 1 PXP 7. PXP B Q R 4 8. Q Kt P 2 B Q Kt3 9. B K B 4 QRP1 10. K Kt B 3 B Q B 2 11. BXB QXB 12. K B Q 3 Q Kt P 2 13. PQB5 Q B KtS 14. Castles Same 15. K R P 1 Q Kt B 3 16. QQKt3 Q KtK2 17. KtK5 Kt K5 18. BXKt PXB 19. K Ii K Kt K B 4 42. K K R 5 20. QRQ QRQ 43. KtoKt6 21. KtXKP KtXQ P 44. RXQ 22. RXKt QXKt 45. PK6 23. QK3 RKB5 46. RXP 24. KKtPl R K B 6 ( a) 47. PQB6 25. QXR QXR 48. P Q B 7 26. Q Q B 3 Q Q 4 49. R Q 6, wins And seems all forced moves. ( a) All this is very pretty business. ( b) Very pretty move. Van Kruije. 27. P K B 4 28. QQ2 29. Kt K B 2 30. R K 5 31. Q K 32. Q K 3 33. P K Kt 4 34. K K It 2 35. K to KtS 36. K K R 4 37. Kt K 4 38. RXB 39. R Q 4 40. PXP 41. QK4+ Anderssen. R KB QKB4 BQB3 Q Q Kt 8+ QQR7 RKB3 Q Kt 8+ QKB8 Q K Kt 7+ KRP1 BXKt KKR2 P K 4 ( b) RKB6 KKR 42. Q Q R 8, and draws by per- petual check ( c). ( c) But suppose instead :— " " " - RXR P+ QXQ+ RQ6 PXP RQ K K Kt RQB Game between Von Schmitt and Prince P., in Petersburg, re- cently played, Vori Schmitt. Prince P. 1. K P 2 K P 2 2. KKtB 3 KKtB 3 3. K B Q B 4 Same 4. QP2 PXP 5. P K 5 Q P 2 6. PXKt PXB 7. Q K 2+ B K 3 8. PXP R K Kt 9. B K Kt 5 Q Q 4 10. QKtB3( a) PXKt 11. QRQ BXKBP+ 12. K K B Q Q 3 13. RXQ PXR Schmitt mates in three moves, ( a) Very dashing move. Von Schmitt. 14. KXB 15. B K B 6 16. PXP 17. Q K 4 18. R Q 19. Q K B 4+ 20. R Q Kt+ 21. Q Q B 7 22. Kt Q 4 23. R Q Kt 5 24. QRP2 25. QXK B P 26. Kt K 6 Prince P. QKtB3 K O 2 QRK QP1 KQB2 KQ KtS KQR3 BQB Kt Q R 4 P Q Kt3 BQKt2 RQB BQ3 BILLIARD HANDICAP AT SAVILLE HOUSE. The final heat in the handicap for the Roberts Testimonial was played on Saturday evening week, the two left in being Wesley and Dufton. Wesley is a young, but brilliant and showy player, who, on several occasions, during the handicap, quite electrified the company who assembled to witness the play, by his magni- ficent execution of some most extraordinary strokes. He is the marker at the Opera Colonnade Hotel, and although he did not secure a victory on this occasion over his highly accomplished antagonist, his play entitles him to be ranked amongst the first class. Of Dufton, who is the marker at Saville House, it is not, perhaps, too much to say, that his public matches have hitherto been hardly a fair test ol his skill, for in his matches with Bowles and Hughes ill luck pursued him throughout. He has hitherto been considered to be wanting in pluck, but he certainly exhi- bited no sign of fear in this match ; on the contrary, he played throughout with great confidence and judgment. The play com- menced at half- past seven, Dufton starting at 55, Wesley at 30, the game 300 up. Both played very cautiously, 5 to 4 being offered on We3ley, without takers, which at 46 to 81 was increased to 6 to 4. At this point Dufton got in, and made a break of 32, dur- ing which 5 to 4 was laid on him to some money. He made 20 more, and the game 136 to 46. 7 to 4 was offered, with 3 to 1 wanted, without a response. Dufton made his lot 148, Wesley totalling 60, and then a fine break of 34. Dufton followed with 25 and then played a careless cannon. The game proceeded evenly, until at 193 to 123 Dufton had a capital run of 33, scoring seven spot strokes in succession. Wesley succeeded with a breait and got to 159, leaving one red spotted, when Dufton again let loose and made eight red hazards in succession, the score then standing 255 to 159, amid much cheering, and 5 to 1 offered on Dufton, who went on and on, constant breaks falling to his share. When the score stood at 270 to 170 a backer of Wesley's offered 30 to 2 on Dufton to hedge, with no response. At 299 to 175 the excitement was great, as Wesley seemed to have a chance, the balls breaking well and his confidence unabated, but he failed at a long screw cannon, and Dufton won by 119 points. He was warmly congra- tulated by his friends, and his exertions to get up this handicap certainly deserve the handsome prize he has won. Mr Eoberts then presented the cup to Dufton amid much cheer- ing. The winner, in responding, said that he was very much obliged to the gentlemen for attending, and to his brother pro- fessionals for coming forward in so good a cause and for so good a man, Mr Eoberts was no doubt not only the champion player of England but of the world, and as good as a man as he was great as a player. He ( Dufton) had found him act so towards him ever since he had known him. Having taken some trouble in getting up the handicap he had been well supported by the gentlemen patrons of the game and by his brother professionals, whose united assistance had helped in bringing so good a cause to a successful and gratifying issue. This speech was received with loud cheers, and the cup being made into a " loving" one for the players, the match with Eoberts and Dufton proceeded, the champion giving Dufton 200 points in 500. Dufton played well, but the Champion had a long break at 96 and made 52, to- talling 148, at which point Dufton was 257. He increased that lead 50 more, until Eoberts passed the 300. From this point the Champion gradually progressed, though not by any large breaks, and finally won by 23 points, thus bringing to a close a most sa- tisfactory four days' play. CRUELTY TO A WORKHOUSE APPRENTICE.— At the Surrey Ses- sions, on Tuesday, Mrs Mary Langton Thomas, a widow, residing in Linden- grove, Nunhead, Peckham, was charged with neglect- ing to provide for, and with doing bodily harm to, her servant girl, Sophia Jarvis, so that the healthof thelatter was endangered. — Sophia Jarvis, the prosecutrix, said : I was seventeen last Oc- tober. My father died in 1855, and since then I have been in the St George's Industrial Schools at Mitcham. In October, 1861, I went into the service of Mrs Thomas. No other servant was kept. During the first three months Mrs Thomas behaved very kindly to me. Mr Cockerell, one of the relieving officers, came in June last, and accused me of taking postage stamps, which I had not done. I said I had taken some tarts, as I had not had sufficient food. After he left the prisoner began to ill use me by beating me on the hands with a stick. She did that nearly every day. One day she struck me over the back, head, and eye with a fishing- rod. The wound bled very much from the eye and head. The next morning it was much swollen, so that I could not see with it. On that day I ran away. About a week before I left she told me- to undress. I was obliged to do so, and when I was undressed she ordered me into the yard. She stood on a chair, and ordered Master George, twelve years old, to fetch a pail of water. He did so, and she threw it over me. She ordered the lad to fetch another pail of water, which she also threw over me. Then she made me lie down on the stones. I had then only my chemise on. A third pail of water was thrown over me. * I could hardly get my breath. She held me down while she sent her son for another pail of water. That was brought, and she threw it over me, and told me to get up and dress. After Mr Cockerell left I had ooffee, with a little milk, but no sugar, and dry bread, for breakfast. I had for dinner boiled rice, but no meat. I had nothing else but that for four months. The family had roast meat, stews, and hash ; sometimes they had puddings also. I was not allowed any.— Cross- ex- amined: I never said that I had fallen down and cut my eye. Mrs Thomas had complained of my being dirty, but I was not dirty. Mrs Thomas went away for a month, and during that time I entered the store- room, as I was so hungry. Mrs Thomas beat me cruelly with a fishing- rod, until I was compelled to con- fess I stole some postage stamps. I never stole any, but I have taken food because I was starving. When at Mrs Mann's I stole a sixpence. I was discharged three weeks afterwards.— 8everal medical men and other witnesses were called, who proved the emaciated state in which the girl was when she returned to the workhouse, and also deposed as to marks of violence all over her person. The defence was a denial of many acts of ill- treatment and of the starvation, and it was also stated that the girl had never been corrected more than she deserved, as she was dirty, untruthful, and dishonest. Mrs Thomas was convicted, and tentenced to three months' hard labour; but why the judge should have expressed any pain at passing sentence on a person who had thus ill- treated a poor helpless girl we are at a loss to understand. THE NEW MEMBER FOR DEVIZES.— The Hon William Wells Addington, who has been elected member for the borough of Devizes, in the room of Captain Gladstone, deceased, by a ma- jority of 82 over Mr Probyn, is the eldest son of Viscount Sid- mouth and grandson of the first Lord Sidmouth, who was suc- cessively Speaker of the House of Commons 1789- 1801, Prime Minister 1801- 1804, President of the Council 1805- 1806, Privy Seal in the Administration of " All the Talents'' 1806, and Home Secre- tary in 1812 until succeeded by Sir Eobert Peel in 1822. Mr Ad- dington was born in 1824, and married in 1848 his cousin, a daughter of the Hon and Very Eev Dr George Pellew, Dean of Norwich. He was formerly in the royal navy. He Is a Con- servative. ARRIVAL OF THE CONFEDERATE STEAMER SUMTER AT LI- VERPOOL.— The well- known Sumter, now called Gibraltar, has arrived in the Mersey from Gibraltar. She is now anchored in the Sloyne, and on Sunday and Monday many persons crossed the river in the Eock ferry steamer to have a glimpse of the fa- mous Confederate steamer, the object of whose visit to Liverpool is to be refitted and supplied with new boilers, after which she will again commence to cruise on Confederate. account. LITERATURE. THE SPORTING MAGAZINE. [ Eogerson and Tuxford.]— The premier illustration of the February number is a charming group, after Corbet, of mares and foals, entitled " Under the Greenwood Tree,'' and a picture even beyond a horseman's eye. The second print, by the younger Herring, gives Mr Heathcote ; nd the Surrey " Staggers," but the reduction of the original does ' lot allow much of a portrait, though the old ewe- necked mare is full of character. Amongst the literary matter there is a very pleasing paper called " Hunting Ethics in a Biding Habit," and consequently, as we should assume, from some fair correspondent's pen. In the other new names we find Mr Bollaert, with a useful article on the " Llama and Alpaca;" while the " Eambler in Ireland," in the postscript to a most amusing sketch, gives his fellow countryman, " The O'Donohue," a terrible dressing for his want of sympathy with the Lancashire operatives. It is really hard hitting. Hoary Frost, great on a single string, con- tinues his experiences of " Wild Fowl Shooting," and Tom Moody supplies a rather stagy story of " The Circus. Then the hero of " Bachelor's Hall" fulfills his mission in this life by meeting the widow, " under this oak in stormy weather;'' but we certainly prefer Uncle Scribble in an occasional essay to his form over the three volume course. Lord William Lennox and the " Omnibus" keep to the business of the month, and there are some other papers on salmon fishing, shooting, and so forth, with the usual odds and ends of memorabilia that serve to render this magazine so hand} 7 in the way of guide and reference. BAILY'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE [ Baily and Co, Cornhill].— The second number of the current year opens with a notice of the Earl of Sefton, illustrated with a portrait, which, though well executed, is scarcely so good as a " likeness" of that popular young nobleman as others that have appeared in Baily. " The Gentleman in Black" has an article on " Steeple Chase Reform," a subject that has been so fully ventilated in our columns of late. " The Past, Present, and Future of Fox Hunting" is continued, and " Our Van," which is by far the most attractive portion of the February number, rattles on as cheerily as ever. EVERY MAN'S OWN LAWYER. By a BARRISTER. [ London: Lockwood and Co.]— This book is what it professes to be, a com- plete epitome of the laws of this country, and bears testimony in itself of the pains taken by its author to make it thoroughly in- telligible to non- professional readers. It appears to be carefully made up to the present time, and contains an appendix at the end, in which the New Poaching Act and the Act on Copyright in Works of Art are epitomised. The book is a handy one to have in readiness when some knotty point requires ready solution, and will be found of service to men of business, magistrates, and all those who have a horror of spending money on a legal adviser. NOTES IN NORTH AFRICA, BEING A GUIDE TO THE SPORTS- MAN AND TOURIST IN ALGERIA AND TUNISIA. By W. G. WIND- HAM, Esq. [ London: Ward and Lock.]— It is to be feared that the intending sportsman in Algeria will learn very little of his favourite pastime from a perusal of these pages, the book consist- ing of so many extracts from a diary or common place book, rather than an account of sporting adventures, or even of ideas, as to the manner of pursuing sport in the regions of Zouaves and Arab villages. There are some judicious hints, however, at the close of the volume, which those who contemplate travelling in such parts will do well to mark and remember. To be fore- warned is to be forearmed, and the personal experience of Mr Windham points to conclusions which tourists by profession need to be thoroughly acquainted with. MANUAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. By WILLIAM DICK. [ Edinburgh : Adam and Charles Black,]— This is a very able and comprehensive work, one of the best of its kind which we have hitherto met with; the matter is lucidly and intelligently written, and the great variety of diseases to which that noble animal, the horse, is subject to. are detailed with remarkable care. The work was prepared as the article on veterinary science in the seventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and has been adapted by its author, under the present form, as a manual of the art, Mr Dick having intended to give the subject a fuller development in some subsequent work. Enough is here given to render the book a most useful one to the amateur, and to make it an indispensable addition to the library of the professional reader. CAPTAIN DOD'S PARLIAMENTARY COMPANION FOR 1863.— This work has now been published annually during more than thirty years. The following are the chief features of the edition for 1863:— Twenty- five members have during the past year been elected to Parliament, and a corresDonding number have re- tired from public life, or have died. The close balance of parties has rendered increased vigilance necessary in recording the politics of each member, and a more extended statement has been required than in the days when the short words " Whig" and " Tory," " Conservative" and " Liberal," sufficed to classify the house. In all possible cases the exact words of the member himself have been preferred to any other statement of his political opinions; and much care has been taken in recording each member's votes on important questions. The entire work has been diligently revised from the first article to the last, and should be in the hands of every member of Par- liament, and on every office table. MUSIC AND DRAMA. DRURY- LANE THEATRE.— A new candidate for the favour of the public made his first appearance on these boards on Monday night week, when the romantic drama of " Don Csesar de Bazan" was revived. The new comer, Mr Henry Lorraine, is to be credited with a handsome person, a good stage presence, and an ease of manner which betokens some experience of his art. He scarcely realised our notions of a character which originally taxed all the powers of a Lemaitre adequately to pourtray, and which on our own stage tested the versatile genius of a Wallack to its utmost extent. In characters less exacting in their nature, Mr Lorraine will doubtless be found a most valuable acquisition to the corps of this theatre. He had a very cordial reception, and was summoned before the curtain at the close of the drama. Mrs Bowers made a most interesting Maritana, and Miss Howard, as Lazarillo, looked and acted very prettily. The new drama, with all its promised wonderful effects, is to be produced on the 23d of this month, and is to be called " Bonnie Dundee ; or, the Gather- ing of the Clans." STRAND THEATRE.— Charles Lamb used to say that nothing was more fallacious than some of the sayings and wise axioms used in every day life. Mr Wooler, to whom the public are indebted for some pleasant little dramas and farces, seems to be of the same opinion, and ignoring one old saw, produced last week a comedietta, entitled " A Faint Heart which did win a Fair Lady." The scene of this quiet exploit is laid in Dor- drecht, where two young gentlemen, Conrad Bernstorff ( Mr Belford) and Peter Ten Broeck ( Mr Parselle), are fellow students in the house of Erasmus van Kiel ( Mr J. W. Eay), a learned professor of Greek, whose delight in life appears to consist in smashing his learned adversaries in some critical disputation. The two youths are of the most different dispositions possible, Conrad being a resolute, bold fellow, fond of frolic, and enamoured of life at the hostelry of the White Cross, and especially of its attendant sprite Fanchette; whilst Peter is of a bashful, modest, and retiring temperament Both, however, contrive to fall in love with Eosa van der Linden ( Miss E. Bufton), and both make love in very different ways— Conrad all fire and protestation, Peter by stolen glances and half- suppressed sighs. Eosa makes her appear- ance in the professor's garden, and whilst engaged in an agreeable chat with the students, is surprised by the entrance of the pro- fessor. To avoid recognition she dresses herself up in a cloak and hat, and passes herself off as an expected new student. In this disguise she escapes notice, and being struck with the idea that in some such way she might test the fidelity of her lovers, leaves the scene to reappear presently dressed as Carl, the cousin of Eosa. Conrad being absent, imbibing at the White Cross, Peter is alone, and from him she learns that from him, and not Conrad, have a variety of presents been sent to her, also that he ( Peter) loves her honestly and truly. Conrad returning, the pretended Carl tells him that Eosa's fortune is a myth, upon which he declares off, and Peter avows his determination to have her if she came to him in a sack. The real state of the case is thus made clear; the lady throws off the mask, and gives her hand to the delighted Peter, to the discomfiture of Conrad and the astonishment of the prefessor. This neat little drama was well acted, and well received; but it has scarcely stamina enough to be lasting. EOYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.— The tripartite enter- tainment, called " The Family Legend," continues to please the town and to attract good audiences to hear the clever singing and playing of Messrs German Eeed and John Parry, and of that talented lady Mrs German Eeed, whilst the acting throughout, es- pecially in the ghost scene, with its sensational effects, affords an additional zest to the music. Mr Parry having probably become tired of relating the adventures of the Colleen Bawn, favours the audience with a domestic scene, entitled " Mrs Eoseleaf's Little Evening Party," the drollery and humour of which it is scarcely possible to describe. Whether as the hostess receiving her guests, in the deportment and sayings of the guests themselves, or in the singing of the captain and Miss Gushington in the exquisite " Crudel perche finora," Mr Parry's mirth is altogether irresisti- ble, and, great as the fu » is, it is always of the most refined and elegant quality. Everyone should hear this capital scena. HAYMARKET THEATRE.— When Lord Dundreary has appeared on these boards for the 400th time, a term to be arrived at about the beginning of April next, Mr Sothern's present engagement will terminate; he will then proceed to the provinces, where his admirers will have the opportunity of meeting with him once more, and where a fresh concourse of those who approve of first- class acting will have the pleasure of seeing one of the most extra- ordinary pieces of histrionic portraiture which the modern stage has produced. In his absence from this theatre, Mr and Mrs Alfred Wigan will appear and go through the round of their favourite parts. Such talented performers as these are so seldom heard now- a- days that their engagement is a boon to the public. ADELPHI THEATRE.— A novel illustration of the trite proverb of the grey mare being the better horse was produced at this theatre on Wednesday evening week in the shape of a comedietta, entitled " A Grey Mare." This novel and pleasant trifle, which is said to be a translation, or rather an adaptation from the French, was so pleasantly presented by all parties concerned in it that despite its triviality it achieved a success beyond question. A certain Mr Eobert Smith ( Mr Billington), a surveyor, is engaged on some plans for the construction of a railway in the establish- ment of a Mr Marshall ( Mr Toole), and is either so absorbed in his work or so cold in his natural temperament as to be indiffe- rent to the bright eyes and brighter glances of Mr Marshall's niece Alice ( Miss Marie Wilton). In the end, however, he becomes aware of the pretty besieger assailing him, and succumbs to her influence. This slight piece, half farce half comedy, owes all its attractions to the naive and simple acting of Miss Marie Wilton, who looked and acted the complete personification of maiden in- nocence and girlish pleasantness. Nor did Mr Toole fail to use his endeavours to give a most humorous notion of a man whose theory is all for peace, but whose practices are all of a warlike tendency. Mr Billington did all he could for his part, and the " Grey Mare" must be accepted as an ® ther Adelphi success. MR H. PHILLIPS'S FAREWELL.— There were times within the memory of all concert goers and English opera frequenters when barytones were not so plentiful in musical Lon- don as they have since become, and when good sound bass voices were as rare amongst English singers as were and are black swans on our lakes and rivers. In these times who so welcome as Mr Henry Phillips, that light of other days ? To whom but him could Mr Balfe and many other composers entrust the execution of the favourite ballad of the hour ! This gentleman takes his fare- well of the public at a concert to be held on Feb 25, at St James's Hall, when he will be assisted by a host of professional friends, and will, we trust, be received by a large audience of his old admirers. EOYAL GENERAL THEATRICAL FUND.— On Wednesday the annual meeting of the members of the Royal General Theatrical Fund was held in the saloon of the Lyceum Theatre ; Mr. J. B. Buckstone, the hon treasurer, in the chair. Mr Cullenford, the secretary, read the financial statement, from which it appeared that their receipts from admission fees had been £ 30; members' subscriptions, £ 70013s. 10|; dividends on stock, less income- tax, £ 342 lis 2d ; income- tax returned, 13s 4d; profit of dinner ( less arrears), £ 27114s 6d; interest on lapsed legacy of the late Lady Morgan, £ 8 Is 7d; arrears of 1861, £ 22 Is; making in all £ 1,388 6s5j. The disbursements had been: annuitants' fund, £ 80210s; and secretary's salary and other expenses, £ 122 odd; leaving a balance in hand of £ 397 0s 9d. The total capital of the fund was £ 12,539 18s 5d, The members' subscriptions this year were larger than last year. The report was unanimously adopted, and the officers were re- elected. The trustees— Mr Benjamin Bond Cabbell, M. P., Mr Charles Dickens, and Mr W. C. Macready — were re- elected. DRAMATIC, EQUESTRIAN, AND MUSICAL SICK FUND ASSOCIA- TION.— The seventh anniversary festival of the Dramatic, Eques- trian, and Musical Sick Fund Association was held at Willis's Eooms on Wednesday, It is almost the youngest of the six ex- cellent charitable societies founded by the theatrical profession for the benefit of their own order, and is gradually acquiring an important position. Mr Benjamin Webster, who is always fore- most in works calculated to aid and elevate his profession, acts as president, and he is ably seconded by Mr J. W. Anson, the excel- lent secretary, and a good working committee. This society was the first to admit ladies to its banquets, and the festival on Wed- nesday night, which included a dinner and a ball, was attended by a large and brilliant company. The subscriptions amounted to upwards of £ 245. After the speeches and concert, which were got through about midnight, dancing was kept up with great spirit until an early hour. THE DILAPIDATED HOUSES IN STAMFORD- STREET.— The per- sons charged with forcibly entering the dilapidated houses in Stamford- street surrendered to take their trial at the Surrey Ses- sions on Wednesday, Feb 18. As they pleaded Guilty, and as the prosecutrix merely asked for protection for'her property, they were ordered to enter into their o wn recognisances to come up for judgment when called upon, the chairman observing that what- ever their claims upon the property in question, theunseemly and riotous manner of enforcing those claims whichAhey had adopted . could. not be tolerated. MARRIAGE 0E THE PRINCE OF WALES. The great reception to be given to the prince's bride on her ar- rival in this country promises, as each day developes fresh prepa- rations, to be one of the most spontaneous and magnificent popu- lar welcomes ever given in England. Along the whole length to be traversed by the princess, from Gravesend to Windsor, there is not a municipality or corporation which has not its thoughts fixed just now on how best to welcome and do honour to the ca- valcade while passing through its boundaries. There is not an important space along the entire route which has not been already marked out as the scene for some display, and the sites which have not yet been definitely allotted have many eager claimants from different bodies, all more or less qualified to oc- cupy them with credit and effect. The efforts made by the people of Gravesend to do honour to the departure of the Princess Eoyal have led to high expecta- tion? of what the corporation would do on the arrival of another royai bride. As on previous occasions, the portions of the town through which the procession will pass are to be given over from roof to basement to a professional decorator, Mr Snelling, whose designs for the appropriate and harmonious adornment of all the thoroughfares have been, accepted. This arrangement insures a completeness ef effect and a harmony of parts to the whole that are impossible when the work is left to individual efforts, which on this occasion will only be suffered to expend themselves in the side streets off the main route. It is understood to be the wish of Sir George Grey, the Home Secretary, that the royal piugress should be facilitated as much as possible from the Bricklayers' Arms station to that of the Great Western, at Paddington, in order to spare the princess unnecessary fatigue. Originally Sir George desired that the royal procession, after passing along London Bridge, should proceed by way of Cannon- street to Temple Bar, an arrangement which would have materially abridged the distance; but, on being told that a large number of the principal citizens in King William- street, about the Eoyal Exchange and the Mansion House, in Prince's- street, the Poultry, and Cheapside would be deprived of the pleasure of see- ing the pageant, he yielded the point, and so from London Bridge to Temple Bar the procession will follow the more cir- cuitous route of King William- street, Cheapside, St Paul's- churchyard, Ludgate- hill, and Fleet- street. An endeavour will be made to keep the civic retinue within reasonable limits. The Lord Mayor will go in state, and the rest of the civic autho- rities in carriages— open if the day be fine. The members of the Court of Lieutenancy will be in uniform; the aldermen, sheriffs, and councilmen will wear their official robes, as will also the officers of the corporation, and the masters and wardens of companies. A grand triumphal arch is to be erected by the authority of the corporation, near Fishmongers' Hall, at the entrance to the City, and London Bridge will be decorated throughout its entire length with flags and trophies. In front of the Mansion House a gallery fur 40J people will be constructed, and the portico of the building appropriately ornamented. The whole of the open space within the enclosure on the east, south, and west sides of St Paul's Cathedral will be occupied by seats, rising tier over tier, and with canopies, for the accommodation of about 10,000 people, in- cluding the dean and chapter, the governing bodies of the whole of the livery companies, nearly 80 in number, with their friends, and about 700 boys from the City of London School and the Orphan School. The whole of this vast amphiteatre of seats will be erected in the most substantial manner, under the direction of Mr Bunning, the City architect, and some notion may bt formed of the care which will be bestowed upon the work with a view to the public safety when it is stated that, with the exterior decorations, it will probably cost about £ 7,000. The expense will be borne jointly by the Corporation and the livery companies. Temple- bar is also to be elaborately decorated, and on the evening of the nuptial day it and the Mansion House, and probably Guild- hall, will be illuminated. Along Pall- mall the windows and balconies of the clubs will be draped, and this fine thoroughfare will on this occasion present a really magnificent appearance. Perhaps, however, the great centre of attraction will be in Hyde Park, where not only will there be an immense concourse of spectators, but from 18,000 to 20,000 of the finest of our metropolitan volunteers will be massed, so as to give the princess a fair idea of the strength of that second line of defence within which she is in future to dwell. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. CHATHAM DOCKYARD.— During the past six months several hundred of the convicts attached to the convict establishment at Chatham have been engaged in preparing the materials, manu- facturing the bricks, and in various preparations to build the ad- ditional docks and basins at Chatham for the reception of a class of vessels considerably larger than any now afloat belonging to the British navy. The whole of the land required for the proposed undertaking has now been obtained possession of by the Admi- ? alty, the various corporations, public bodies, and other parties interested having had their claims satisfied. The total cost of the construction of the proposed basins, docks, and locks at Chatham, including the embankment of a considerable portion of the Med- way, which is to be deepened from Chatham harbour to the Nore, so as to form a channel 600 feet wide and 27 feet deep at half tides, which will give 31 feet at neaps and 35 feet at springs, is close upon £ 1,000,000 sterling, the Admiralty es- timate of the work being £ 94- 3,876. Of this sum £ 68,000 has been already voted for the work. The Navy Estimates, published on Tuesday, Feb 17, show that only £ 20,000 will be asked for by the Admiralty to carry on the works this year, so that no very extensive operations will be commenced in the proposed undertaking for several months to come. In addition to the docks already existing at Chatham it is intended to construct five other docks, each of which will be very nearly double the length of the largest dock at that yard. The three centre docks of the intended number will be each 500ft in length at the clear, with two smaller docks of 400ft in length. Each of the new docks will communi- cate on the south side with a large basin of 22 acres in extent, with a depth of water of 30ft at the neap3, thus enabling vessels of the Warrior and Achilles class to float alongside the wharf with all their guns, stores, & c, on board. There will also be two other basins at Chatham, the largest of which will be 31 acres in extent, by upwards of 2,000ft at its greatest length, and 700ft in breadth, with the same depth of water as in the adjoining dock. Be- tween the two large docks will be a repairing basin of somewhat lesser extent, this being intended to have an area of about seven acres, its length being 700ft by 400ft in breadth. The total basin area at Chatham will thus be ex- actly 60 acres, which will be about half as much again as the whole of the basin accommodation at all the royal dockyards, the total extent of which is only 41 acres, including the basins at Woolwich and Deptford, which are totally inaccessible to large ships. The new docks and basins intended to be formed at Chat- ham will occupy the south side of St Mary's Island, the portion of which bordering on Chatham harbour for a distance of about two miles having been already embanked by the convicts who have been employed on the work for several years past. Two lochs, each of 500 feet in length, and sufficiently wide to receive the largest class of iron vessels, will communicate between the largest of the three basins and the river. Permission has been al- ready granted by the corporation of Eochester, who are the owners of the Medway as far as the Nore, for the Admiralty to dredge the bed of the river, which contains a valuable earth for the manufacture of cement, to be used in constructing the new docks and basins. The other works in progress at Chatham, for which a vote will be re- quired this year, include a new caissoH for the dock in which the Achilles, 50, is under construction, foun- dations for new machinery, the enlargement of the plumbers' shop, clearing the harbour of mud, and for new machinery, the total estimate for the whole of the above being £ 21,600. A further sum of £ 67,040 will also be required to be voted for engines and machinery for the vessels under construction at Chatham and already ordered, including the machinery for the iron frigate Achilles. The exact cost of the latter vessel cannot be ascertained from the estimates, but it is stated that it will be considerably less than that of iron vessels built by private firms. The amount required for armour plates and iron to complete her, beyond the large stores of that material already accumulated at Chatham, is stated in the estimates to be £ 15,000, which sum will be taken in the votes this year. The net decrease in the navy estimates for 1863- 4 is £ 1,058,273. THE FLEET AT THE NORE,— The arrival of the flotilla convey- ing the Princess Alexandra and suite at the Nore is to be made the occasion of a grand naval display, orders having been received at Chatham for the Formidable, 84, Capt Luard, flagship of Vice- Admiral of the Eed Sir W. J. Hope Johnstone, K. C. B., Com- mander- in- Chief; the Cumberland, 70, Capt Thompson, guard- ship of the Chatham steam reserve in the Medway; and the Leander, 51, 500- horse power, attached to the first division of the steam reserve, to proceed out to the Nore on Thursday, the 5th of March, to salute the steam vessel containing the illustrious prin- cess on her arrival from the Continent. At present only the above ships have been detailed for this service, but it is expected that some others may also be selected from the steam reserve, in order to make the display as imposing as possible. The Formidable and the Cumberland are both at present only jury- rigged, but they will be at once taken in hand in order to be ready for the occasion. The manoeuvring of two sailing line- of- battle ships under canvas at the Nore will be a novelty in these days of steam. CLIFFORD'S BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS.— The Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty have rescinded the order recently issued by the Controller of the Navy, that the boats of all ships in commission should be fitted with Captain Kynaston's detaching hooks, and have directed that Clifford's system of lowering is to be used instead, when applied for by officers in command. THE VOLUNTEERS. THE EASTER MONDAY REVIEW.— On Tuesday afternoon the adjourned meeting of the metropolitan volunteer commanding officers took place at the Volunteer Service Club, St James's- street, for the purpose of hearing the arrangements to be made with respect to the disposal of volunteers on the occasion of the marriage of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra, and to decide as to the site of the Great Easter Monday Volunteer Ee- view. Lord Elcho, M. P., occupied the chair; and Lords Rane- lagh, Bury, Eadstock, Lieut- Colonel Sir John Shelley, Lieut- Colonel Brewster, Lieut- Colonel C. H. Lindsey, Lieut.- Colonel Whitehead, Lieut- Colonel M'Leod of M'Leod, and most of the other metropolitan commanding officers, were present. The re- port of the committee appointed to inquire into the most eligible spot for holding the proposed field- day on Easter Monday was presented. It was to the following effect:—" That Sandhurst is inaccessible for a large body of troops; that Epsom is not large enough for extensive manoeuvres; that Aldershott is not available this year, on account of the present state of Cove Common; that in the face of the strong opinion of the London and Brighton Eailway Company, the committee cannot undertake the division of the forces by sending part to Lewes, and part to Brighton on the present occcasion. They therefore recommended for this year that the Easter Monday re- view be held again at Brighton." This report was moved, seconded, and adopted unanimously ; the volunteer Easter Mon- day review was, therefore, decided to take place, as last year, on Brighton Downs. An official reply was then read from the War Office, stating that it was the desire of the Government that the volunteers should be massed in Hyde Park on the occasion of the passage of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alexandra through London on the 7th proximo, the details of which would be published for the future guidance of the commanding offi- cers of the various volunteer regiments. After transacting a va- riety of other business of a private character, occupying a sit- ting of nearly five hours, the meeting was adjourned till the first Tuesday in March. APPREHENSION OF THE SUPPOSED CROYDON MURDERER AT HULL.— It will be in the recollection of our readers that a barba- rous murder was committed in the house of the Eev Mr Taylor, incumbent of Kingswood, Surrey, on the 10th of June, 1861. It appears that Mr Taylor and his family were on a visit at Chert- sey, and left Mrs Holiday, the wife of the parish clerk, to look after the house. One morning the unfortunate woman was found lying in her nightdress murdered, at the foot of the bed. A Ger- man named Frantz was seen in the neighbourhood, in company with another German, the day previous to the murder, and he was apprehended on suspicion. In consequence, however, of some deficiency in the evidence, Frantz, who was tried at the Croydon Assizes, was acquitted. One of the articles brought for- ward as evidence in the trial was a pocket- book which was found in the bedchamber where the murder was committed, containing the names of several German sailors. This book was mentioned in the newspapers, and was read of by a German lodging- house keeper named Pfeiffer, residing in Mynton- street, Hull. As soon as he read the description of the book he remembered having seen it in the possession of a German named Edward Schmidt, who lodged along with Frantz at his house in May, 1861, being about a month prior to the committal of the murder. The identity of the book was more firmly established in consequence of some memoranda which he abstracted from it and copied on a piece of paper, and through the book having been stolen from Frantz by Schmidt. When lodging at Pfeiffer's house in May, 1862, Schmidt left his lodgings without paying any money, and left a coat as security for the payment. He was not again seen or heard of until Saturday, Feb 14, when Pfeiffer met him in High- street, lout on that occasion he did not speak to him. He met him again near the Monument Bridge, When the recollection of the circum- stance and the remembrance of the Croydon murder at once struck his mind, and he stopped him. He asked him why he stole Frantz's pocket- book, Schmidt said in reply, " I am the man who committed the murder, but you cannot prove it.'' Pfeiffer then seized hold of him, and gave him into custody of Sergeant Grace, and he was brought before his worship the mayor ( W. H. Moss, Esq) and Alderman Gresham, presiding magis- trates at the Hull police- court, when, after the examination of . Pfeiffer, the prisoner Schmidt was remanded for a week. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS MONDAY.— WANT OF BUSINESS, THE BRAZILS, & c.— Lord DERBY commented on the want of business before the house, and asked whether the Government would give a list of the important measures dimly shadowed forth in the Eoyal Speech ? He also condemned in very strong terms the conduct of Mr Christie in the Brazils, and inquired whether it met with the approbation of the Government.— Lord GRANVILLE stated that a bill against the pollution of rivers by noxious gases and chemical ingredients would be shortly introduced by Lord Stanley of Al- derley. The papers relating to the Brazils would be shortly laid before Parliament.— Afterwards a short conversation took place be- tween Lord DERBY and Lord STANLEY OF ALDERLEY in regard to the promised bill on noxious gases, & c. TUESDAY— THE BRAZILS.— Lord EUSSELL, in reply to tbe remarks of Lord Derby of the previous evening, explained the grounds on which our recent conduct to the Brazilian Go- vernment had been based. In regard to the plunder of the ves- sels, the authorities had prevented an inquiry being held, and were strongly suspected of connivance in the matter. With respect to the officers, they had been treated with great indignity, and in spite of the attempts of Her Majesty's Government during more than a year to obtain redress for them all efforts had been entirely unsuccessful. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government had been obliged to resort to extreme measures. — Lord DERBY thought it was rather a strong measure to hold a Government responsible for the plundering of a vessel which had been wrecked on a wild and unin- habited coast. The demand, however, made on the Brazilian Go- vernment had been, not for the value of the cargo, but for the ship and cargo together, thereby holding the Brazilian Government responsible for the wreck.— Lord RUSSELL thought Lord Derby had better keep his impressions to himself until he had compared the papers of Her Majesty's Government with those of the Go- vernment of the Brazils. No demand had been made for the value of the ship. The cargo was uninjnred by the wreck, and that cargo had been plundered. Her Majesty's Government had asked that the claim of the owner should be investigated, and, if found good, substantiated. If a Government neglected its duties In a case of a shipwrecked vessel and allowed her to be plundered, ' le considered that that Government was liable to a claim for com- pensation.— The matter then dropped. THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA.— The LORD CHANCELLOR read a message from Her Majesty, requesting their lordships to concur in such a provision as might be deemed necessary to enable Her Majesty to settle a suitable establishment on the Prince and Princess of Wales.— Lord GRANVILLE moved an address to Her Majesty the Queen in answer to her gracious communication, sta- ting that the house would give immediate attention to the ex- pression of Her Majesty's wishes.— Lord DERBY seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. ROME.— Lord NORMANBY called the attention of the house' the correspondence recently presented on the affairs of Eome, and asked the Foreign Secretary for explanations of certain passages contained therein, relating to the policy of Her Majesty's Govern- ment on the same subject in the year 1849. In the course of a long speech he contrasted the former apparent support of the French occupation of Eome by Lord Palmerston with the present opposition of Her Majesty's Government to that policy. He re- ferred to the asylum offered by our Government to the Pope in terms of ridicule, and concluded his speech by a general attack on the Italian Government.— Lord EUSSELL was at a loss to under- stand the main object of Lord Normanby's speech. There was no need for us, in the present recognised power of the Italian Government, to discuss its alleged ill deeds. Such matters ought to be left to the cognizance of the Italian Parliament and people. Although it was true this country in 1849 had acquiesced in the occupation of Eome by French troops, yet acquiescence was not approval. From a variety of despatches, extracts of which he read to the house, he showed the consistency of Lord Palmerston's policy and opinions in regard to the occupation of Eome from 1849 to the present time. Lord Palmerston had saga- ciously foreseen and earnestly deprecated the results of that course, which was as liable to subject the policy of France to mis- construction as it was contrary to the general principles of inter- national law. From many circumstances it was impossible to reconcile the subjects of the Pope te his rule or to assimilate his Government with that of other European States. In conclusion he vindicated the course pursued in regard to the recent offer of an asylum to the Pope, and expressed his firm belief in the future prospects of Italy.— Lord ELLENBOROUGH expressed his appro- bation of the policy of the Italian Government in refusing to have anything to do at present with the Roman question. He trusted that Italy, by conferring on its citizens a strong, good, and constitutional Government, would ultimately obtain Eome. Such a contrast with the mediaeval despotism of the Papal Go- vernment, if established, would force all nations to admit the claim of the Italians. The time must come when the French occupation of Eome would cease in the interests of France, of Catholic Europe, and of the Pope himself. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY.— The reports on the Post Office Savings Banks and on the Customs' Acts ( Tobacco Duties) were brought up and agreed to, and bills founded thereon were ordered to be brought in THE BIETHS AND DEATHS EEGISTRATION ( IEELAND) BILL was read a second time. The house went into committee on the Illegitimate Children ( Ireland) Bill, the Glauses of which were agreed to after discussion. The report on the Drainage ( Ireland) Stamps was brought up and agreed to. The house then went into committee upon the Drainage of Land ( Ireland) Bill, when certain new clauses were added. NEW STREET IN THE CITY— Mr COWPER moved for leave to bring in a bill for making a new street from Blackfriars to the Mansion House in the city of London, in connection with the embankment of the river Thames on the northern side of that river, and for other purposes. He gave details showing the ne- cessity of a new, distinct thoroughfare to relieve the congestion of traffic in the existing streets of the City, from converging lines, almost paralysing locomotion, and pointed out the recom- mendations of the proposed plan, which would be the cheapest, and not interfere inconveniently with other streets. The neces- sary money he proposed to draw from the Thames Embankment funds, intending to replenish those funds by empowering the Board of Works hereafter to borrow money upon the security of the coal duties, to be continued for a further period of ten years, and which would be applicable to the other improvements he indicated.— Mr LOCKE asked why the work should be taken out of the hands of the city of London, and trans- ferred to the Metropolitan Board of " Works, and the expense be fixed upon the whole metropolis, by appropriating the coal duties for another ten years.— Mr DOULTON urged Mr Cowper to postpone the bill for a week or two.— The LORD MAYOR, in reply to Mr Locke, said the corporation funds were unable to bear the expense of the proposed work. He, however, objected to its being placed in the hands of the Metropolitan Board of Works.— Mr W. WILLIAMS said he should object to the introduction of this bill until it was determined to embank the southern side of the river.— Mr HANKEY thought the bill should be allowed to be introduced, that the house might see what it was. — After a discussion, in which Mr Cubitt, Mr Crawford, Lord Fermoy, Mr Norris, and Mr Lewis joined, Lord PALMERSTON observed that Mr Cowper merely asked to be allowed to bring in this bill, in order that the house might see whether the work was one which it was expedient to have performed. He would then bring in another bill on the subject of the funds. The work was not one which was purely and solely for the benefit of the city of London, so that the cost of this " improvement should be borne by the metropolis.— Leave was given to bring in the bill. TUESDAY— THE PRINCE OF WALES'S WEDDING.— Mr Alderman SALOMONS asked the noble lord at the head of the Go- vernment whether they were prepared to bring in a bill for making commercial engagements falling due on the wedding day of the Prince of Wales payable as is by law provided for Christmas Day, so as to enable all Her Majesty's subjects to enjoy the day of that auspicious event as a general holiday ?— Lord PALMERSTON said that there was no precedent for such an interference, and the Government did not intend to introduce such a measure as that to which the hon gentleman's question referred. THE ROYAL OAK AND THE EOYAL SOVEREIGN.— Mr LAIRD inquired of the noble lord the Secretary of the Admiralty the date when the iron- cased _ ship Eoyal Oak is expected to be ready for sea, and whether, in order to test the seagoing capa- bilities of a wood- built vessel cased with heavy armour- plates, it is the intention of the Admiralty to commission her for service as soon as she is ready; and the date when the Eoyal Sovereign is ordered to be cut down and altered into a cupola ship, and the probable time of completion for trial; also, what armament it is proposed she is to carry ?— Lord C. PAGET said that it was expected that the Eoyal Oak would be out of the dockyard by the 19th of March, and she would be immediately commissioned for service. The Eoyal Sovereign was ordered to be cut down on the 3d of April, 1862. The Government had not yet decided upon her armament, nor could he state when she would be ready for sea. THE BLOCKADE OF CHARLESTON.— Mr BENTINCK asked the noble lord at the head of the Government whether the Go- vernment are in possession of any official information on the subject of the reported defeat by the. Confederates of the block- ading squadron at the mouth of Charleston Eiver; and, if so, whether that information is of a character to raise the question of the legality of the future blockade of that port.— Lord PAL- MERSTON : Her Majesty's Government have no information with regard to this transaction other than that which has been con- veyed by the telegrams which are known to everybody. They simply state that the blockade was raised on the morning of one day, and reimposed on the succeeding day. [ An hon member: " On the same day."] The same information states the raising of the blockade and its renewal. With regard to the application of the general law of nations to a transaction of that kind I shall abstain from giving any opinion, because the application of that law depends so much upon the circumstances of the case [ hear, hear], that until it is well known what has really happened it would be improper in Her Majesty's Government to commit themselves to any opinion as to the effect which this occurrence may have. THE PEINCESS ALEXANDEA.— Lord PALMERSTON having brought down a message from Her Majesty on the subject of an establishment for the Prince of Wales on the approaching marriage of his royal highness, moved an address to Her Majesty, assuring Her Majesty that the house would, at the earliest period, take Her Majesty's message into consideration, with a view of making such provision as will be suitable to the high rank and station of their royal highnesses. He gave notice that he would, on Thursday, propose a resolution to the house on the subject.— The motion was seconded by Mr DISRAELI, and agreed to.— No other business of interest took place. WEDNESDAY— ASSAULTS ON WOMEN,— Lord RAYN- HAM, in moving the second reading of the Aggravated Assaults on Women and Children Bill, observed that ail must admit that this class of offences should be repressed, and that, in order to meet the objection of those who were averse to the infliction of corperal punishment, he had so far modified his own views upon that point as to propose, in the present bill, that such punish- ment should be inflicted only upon the third conviction. He replied to arguments^ urged upon a former occasion against legis- lation upon this subject in a severer form, intimating that he was prepared to give up that part of the bill which inflicted flogging if the other provisions were adopted.— Mr Alderman SYDNEY thought there was no ground for the introduction of such a mea- sure, the present law not being defective. He moved to defer the second reading for six months.— The ATTORNEY- GENERAL ob- served that it was inconvenient, after the house had expressed its deliberate opinion upon a question, to call for its opinion again, without any change of circumstances. When once the law had been put upon a satisfactory footing, as it had been in this case in 1861, it was better to adhere to it, and, in the absence of any sub- stantial reason for altering the law, he resisted the introduction of the bill, to the provisions of which he pointed out various objec- tions.— On a division, the bill was lost by 153 to 43. FIRE AND Loss OF SEVEN LIVES AT LIVERPOOL.— Early on Sa- turday, Feb 14, a fire, attended with the loss of seven lives, occurred in a house in a court off Oriel- street, Vauxhall- road. In the house where the fire occurred there lived seven people— the tenant, Patrick Burke, a porter, and his wife, who earned a living by picking oakum. About five o'clock that morning Burke got up to attend to his work, and on going down stairs with a lighted candle the flame accidentally ignited some oakum which had been hung up for the purpose of drying. The fire, owing to the combustible nature of the material, spread rapidly, and in a few minutes the room in which the oakum was hung up was in a complete blaze. The smoke was so dense that the man became at once insensible, and unable to give any alarm to the other in- mates of the house. Some people, however, who were passing, saw the blaze, and as soon as possible communicated with the police, who immediately went to work to put out the fire, and extricate those who were in the upper apartments of the house. Burke and a woman named Ellen Walsh, both fearfully burnt, were soon after brought down stairs and taken to the Northern Hospital, where Walsh has since died. The smoke, however, was so thick and stifling that some time elapsed before access could be had to the six unfortunate people up stairs, who, when found, were all suffocated. The bodies were at once removed to the dead- house. The fire, owing to the plentiful supply of water, and the exertions of the fire police, was confined to the house in which it originated. The names of the unfortunate victims are Ellen Walsh, Julia, wife of Patrick Burke, and their two daughters, Julia ( 19), and Catherine ( 11), and Mrs Macintyre, the wife of a porter of that name, and their two children, one a boy of eight months old, and the other a girl about four years. A verdict of Accidental Deaths has been returned. HEALTH OF LONDON.— The deaths in the week endingFeb 14 were 1,346, being 61 below the average. Scarlatina was fatal in 69 cases, typhus 45, smallpox 23, consumption 156, pneumonia 69, bronchitis 159. The births were 1,092 boys and 1,016 girls; total, 2,108. THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL. We have news from Melbourne to Dec 26, but it presents few features of interest. The great topic of the day in Melbourne was the resignation of Sir Henry Barkly, the governor of Victoria. The O'Shanassy ministry some time ago passed a bill for reducing his excellency's salary. When the measure reached England the royal assent was refused to it through the Duke of Newcastle. Sir Henry Barkly had in the meantime sent in his resignation, considering that the bill was intended as a personal attack upon himself. A monster meeting has accordingly been held at Melbourne to peti- tion the Queen to allow his excellency to remain at his post and to refuse to accept his resignation. Similar meetings were to be held at Ballarat, Sandhurst, and other places. The thriving young town of Inglewood has been all but burnt to the ground. The loss is estimated at something like £ 80,000. Talbot ( or Back Creek) has also been the scene of a serious con- flagration, the loss being estimated at £ 12,000. Mr Howitt and his party had arrived at Adelaide with the re- mains of Burke and Wills, which were on their wav to Melbourne. The remains were to lie in state in the Eoyal Society's Hall until Jan 21, when the public funeral would take place. The remains will be interred in the general cemetery. Mr Summers's design for the monument to be erected in Melbourne, to commemorate their achievements and their fate, has been accepted. The discovery of new gold fields in Gipps Land is adding largely to the extent of the known auriferous land of the colony. Some magnificent quartz reefs have lately been opened up in Donnelly's Creek, and fresh fields are likely to be discovered all along the southern slopes of the Dividing Eanges. On the wes- tern side, in the fern- tree gullies, on the head waters of the Yarra, some very promisin « alluvial diggings have been made known within the last few uays. They are no more than seventy miles distant from Melbourne. From 8ydney there is nothing of importance. The South Aus- tralian B- gister ( Adelaide), of December 26, mentions the return of Mr Stuart from his expedition to the northern coast as the most important item of news to be transmitted by the present mail. This explorer, it will be remembered, left Adelaide in the beginning of last year to complete the exploration which he commenced in 1859, and which, for the second time, he was un* able to finish in 1860. On the first occasion he was turned back by hostile natives, and on the second occasion by a dense scrub, which separated him from the Victoria Eiver, after he had reached as near to the coast as latitude 17 deg and longitude 133 deg. We are now glad to announce that in this third expedition Mr Stuart has been completely successful. After crossing to latitude 17 deg upon his old route, he found in the course of a lengthened exami- nation of the country that the belt of scrub which had seemed to hem him in hopelessly from the coast beyond was penetrable in a northerly direction ; and instead, therefore, of further seeking to reach the Victoria River, he pressed forward through Arnheim's Land, and came out upon the coast near Point Hotham, opposite Melville's Island. Thus there is now a direct route from Ade- laide to PortEssington, and more than three parts of the country through which it runs has been traversed by Stuart and his par- ties six times, this being the third consecutive year that his expe- ditions have crossed and recrossed the continent. From these facts it will be seen that the exploration is one of vast importance to all the Australian colonies. CONVICTION FOR MURDER AT EDINBURGH.— On Monday, Tues- day, and Wednesday week the High Court of Justiciary sat for the trial of Alexander Milne, accused of the murder of James Pater- son. Milne was a jeweller and artist in hair, in 8outh Frederick- street, Edinburgh, and Paterson was a workingjeweller, who was frequently employed by Milne. On the morning of Wednesday, Jan 7, Paterson sent Graham, one of his workmen, to Milne to make inquiry as to the execution of an order Paterson had re- ceived from him. Milne asked Paterson to come himself. Pater- son entered his shop about eleven o'clock, and in a few minutes afterwards he was seen to come out at the area door, climb over the railings, and enter an adjoining shop, where lie fell down, and in a few minutes expired, having been stabbed to the heart. There were no witnesses to the blow, but Milne was found with a dagger in his possession, which he had bought onlv that morn- ing. At the trial Milne pleaded Not Guilty, but also put in the special defence of insanity. There was no doubt from the evi- dence that he had caused the death of Paterson. As to the in- sanity, the only facts brought forward proved that the prisoner had been in the habit of drinking very hard for some time, and that his health and his mind had suffered from it. He was con- victed and sentenced to die on March 4. THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE PADDINGTON COAL DEPOT.— On Wednesday an inquest was concluded on the bodies of Thomas Downes, John Stafford, and Stephen Langston, wh ® lost their lives at the station of the Euabon Coal Company on the morning of Jan 4. The jury found a verdict of manslaughter against John Edwards and William Lester, the contractor and excavator em- ployed at the works where the accident happened, on the ground that they had not taken proper precautions to prevent accidents. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE OF FRIDAY, FEB 13, WAR OFFICE, FEB 13.— 4th Regt of Drag Gds: J. S. Bates, gent, to be cor, v D. G. Sandeman, transferred to the 16th Lancers. 4thHussars- W. Birkett, gent, to be cor, v J. W. Kelly, appointed quartermaster 1 5th Lancers : A. Ewing, gent, to be cor, v J. G. H. Fox, promoted 6th Regt of Foot : Lieut A. W. O. Saunders to be capt, v St A. B St John, who retires; Ens J. B. Blair to be lieut, vSaunders.— 7thFt• Capt R. C. Clifford, from the 48th Ft, to be capt, v W. L. Lewes, who ex" 8th Ft: Capt G. Sinclair, from h p unat, to be capt, v D. Beere" placed upon h- p from Jan 1, 1863; Lieut A. G. Westby to be capt v Sinclair, who retires; Ensign John Dawson to be lieutenant, vice Westby ; Walter Cowan, gentleman, to be ensign, vice Dawson. 23d: Lieut T. N. E. Kenny, from 73d Ft, to be lieut, v E. B. K. Lacon who ex. 29th : Lieut R. Berkeley to be capt, v A. G. Black, who ret • Ens R. J. Watson to be lieut, v Berkeley ; J. H. Pitfleld, gent, to be ens, v Watson.— 48th: Capt VV. L. Lewes, from 7th Ft, to be capt, v R. C. Clifford, who ex. 61st: Lieut H. L. Hall, from 103d Ft, to be lieut, vW. S. Nugent. whoex. 61st: Lieut E. B. K. Lacon, from23dFt to be lieut, v T. N. E. Kenny, who ex. 77th: Ens G. A. White to be lieut, v C. B. Knowies, prom to an unat company. 86th : Staff- Sur H H. Jones, M. D., from h- p, to be sur, vj. Sawyers, M. D., deceased. 90th: Staff Surg F. O. Barker, M. D., to be surg, v W. Lapsley, app to the staff. 100th: Ens W. P. Clarke, to be lieut, v L. C. A. L. de Belle- feullle, who ret; D. S. D. Johnstone, gent, to be ens, v Clarke. 101st: The Christian name of Quartermaster Farrant is Edwin. 102d: The Christian name of Quartermaster Moore is Thomas. 103d: Lieut W. S. Nugent, from 61st Ft, to be lieut, v H. L. Hall, who ex. UNAT- TACHED.— Lieut C. R. Knowies, from the 77th Ft, to be capt. MEDI- CAL DEPARTMENT.- To be Staff Surgs: Surg W. Lapsley, from the 90th Ft, v F. O. Barker, M. D., app to the90th Ft; Staff Assist- SurgF. Oakes v W. Skeen, app to the 4th West India Regt; Staff Assist- Surg J W. Crow, v A. Morphew, app to the lst West India Regt. To be Staff As- sistant : Assist- Surg A. E. T. Longhurst, M. D., from the 13th Ft, v T. S. Teevan, placed upon h- p. BREVET.— Lieut- Col and Brev- Col M. K. Atherley, 92d Ft, to have the temporary rank of Brig- Gen while in command of a brigade. Lieut- Col P. G. H. Somerset, C. B., 7th Ft, having completed five years' quali- fying service as lleut- col, under the provisions of the royal warrant ef Oct 14, 1858. to be col. Capt and Lieut- Col H. P. Hepburn, Scots Fus Gds, having completed five years qualifying service, to be col, under the 8th clause of the royal warrant of Oct 14, 1858. Capt J. Y. Holland, of the Royal Marines, to be maj. Capt H. B. Stoney, Paymas of the 40th Ft, to have the hon rank of maj. The following proms to take place consequent on the prom of Colonel H. Pester, Roy Artil. to be major- general in succession to General W. G. Power, K. C. B., deceased:— Lieut- Colonel Thomas Edmond Knox, C. B., of a depot batt, to be col; Capt and Brev Maj H. Collette, upon h- p, late 67th Ft., to be lieut- col; Capt W. H. Quead'e, 12th Ft, to be major. The following promotions to take place consequent on the decease ' of Lieut- Gen W. Fludyer, on the 28th Jan, 1863:— Maj- Gen G. Macdonald, Col P6th Ft, to be lieut- gen; Brev- Col the Right Hon and Hon G. C. W. Forester, lieut- col on h- p unat, to be mai- gen; Brev Lieut- Col M. G. Adams, capt h- p unat, to be col; Capt and Brev Maj G. H. Page, 4ixt Ft, to be lieut- col; Capt C. S. Baker. 59th Ft, to be maj. The following promotions to take place consequent on the decease of Mai- Gen A. H. Trever, en the 29th Jan, 1863:— Brev Col E, C. Hodge, C. B„ lieut- col on h- p unat, serving on the staff, at Aldershott, as a brigadier- gen, to be major- gen; Maj and Brev Lieut- Col G. F. Murray. 65th Ft, to be col; Capt and Brev Maj M. Cassan, h- p unat, Staff Officer of Pensioners, to be lieutenant- colonel; Captain Charles Richard Ogden Evans, Royal Artillery, to be major. ADSIIRALTT, FEB 12.— The following promotions, dated the 6th inst, consequent upon the death, on the 5th inst, of Vice- Admiral of the White A. T. E. Vidal. have this day taken place:— Vice- Admiral of the Blue the Hon Sir F. W. Grey, K. C. B., to be Vice- Admiral of the White; Rear- Admiral of the Red T. W. Carter, C. B., to be Vice- Admiral of the Blue; Rear- Admiral of the White F. Bullock to be Rear- Admiral of the Red; Rear- Admiral of the Blue T. L. Massie to be Rear- Admiral of the White; Capt E. J. Bird to be Rear- Admiral on the Reserved List; Capt J. Adams to be Rear- Admiral of the Blue. With reference to the Gazette of the 6th inst. Retired Captains E. I. Parrey and C. Keele have been advanced to be Rear- Admirals from the 30th nit. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE OF TUESDAY, FEB 17. WAR OFFICE, FEB 17.— 10th Regt of Ft: Maj- Gen Sir S. J. Cotton, K. C. B., to be col, v Lieut- Gen T. Burke, dec. Royal Artil: Lieut F. J. G. Hill to be sec capt. v Balfour, prom; Lieut R. C, W. Campbell to be sec capt, v F. S. Maude, dec; Qtiartermas- Serg J. Vignaux to be quartermas, v J. Cass, ret upon h- p. The first Christian name of Lieut Feildenis " Haughten," not " Houghton," as stated in the Gazette of the 6th inst. BREVET.— Quartermas J. Cass, ret upon h- p Royal Artil, to have the hon rank of capt. BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED. Wm. Kerr Howatt, New Windsor, agent for a clothier. BANKRUPTS. Thomas Collingwood Ker, Cornwall- road, Old Brompton. George Rutland, late of Luton and Brighton, milliner. Robt. Cooke Silcock, Lincoln- place, JNew North- rd, Hoxton, builder. Wm. Bestoe Smith, Sudbury, surgeon. Samuel Adams, Great Waltham, Essex, farmer. John Fermor, Bushey Heath. Hertfordshire, builder. Greatrex Naden, late of Weedon, Northamptonshire. Thomas Thomas, Princess- street, Cavendish- square. Alfred Bewer Blenkarn, VYintcrslow- place, Vassall- road, Brixton, Mary Adams, Frederick- mews, Portsea- place, Paddington. John Callow, Twickenham, assistant to a veterinary surgeon, James Brown. Kaphael- street. Knightsbridge. Louis Dlrey, Dulwich, professor of languages. John Walter Cox, Pembury, Kent. Charles and Artis Charlss Thwait. es, Chelsea, journeyman carpenters. Henry Charles Lancetield. Faversham and Canterbury, grocer. Edward Murruss, Maidstone, licensed victualler. John Keyse, Pentou- place, Js'ewlngton, draughtsman. John Spooner, Bishop's Stortford, linendraper. H. A. Gardner, Upper George- st, Bryanston- sq, cheesemonger. George Mason, New- cross, 11 very- stable keeper. Wm. Gill, Princes- road, Notting Hill, bootmaker. Wm. Fryer, Norwich, wholesale boot manufacturer. Nicholas Wm. Hodges, Charlotte- street, Portland- place, bookkeeper. John Dobson, Union- row, High- street, Camberwell, optician. Benj. Wm. Cooke, Burton- crescent, New- road, insurance agent. Elihu Price, Birmingham, merchant. Wm. Greatorex, Hinckley, commission agent. Edward Sollowav, Stafford, clicker. Charles Parry, Hanbuvy, near Droitwich, fanner. Joseph Jones, Stafford, licensed victualler. Thomas Allen Turner, Birmingham, currier. John Langford, Copthorn, near Shrewsbury, cattle dealer, Henry Cox, Birmingham, retail brewer. Uriah Foxwell, Bristol, carpenter. Robert Millar, late of I'enderin, Breconshire, common brewer. L. Ford, late of Littleieon Woodside, Gloucestershire, pig dealer. Samuel Cole, Holsworthy, Devonshire, farmer. Daniel Ward, Bridport, Dorsetshire, ironfounder. John Horsfield, Sheffield, publican. Thomas Bell, Chesterfield, milk seller. John Clayton, Chesterfield, farmer. Thomas Richardson, Kingston- upon- Hull, joiner. Hezeklah Carrall, Kingston- upon- Hull. Eiias Bucuris, late of Everton, publican. Luke Nolan, late of Liverpool. Robert and Wm. Boffey, Ashton, near Wigan, farmers. Josiah Bates, Manchester, rope manufacturer. Wm. Henry Cheetham, Manchester, cashier. Wm. Hunter, Manchester, commission agent. Daniel Birtwhistle, Bury and Elton, Lancashire, joiner. Thomas Grocott, Manchester, photographic artist. Thomas Rider, Manchester, manufacturer of velveteens. Wm. Ootterell Hathaway, late of Birmingham, journeyman castor.. Samuel Nichols, Birmingham, journeyman jeweller. WM. Nicholson, Bedford, tailor. John Liptrot, Bolton, shwpkeeper. John Cassidy. Huddersfield, plumber. John Stott, Huddersfield, power- loom overlooker. Levi Haigh, Huddersfield, woollen cloth manufacturer. Wm. Burgoyne, Gloucester, builder. Benjamin Lawton, Rochdale, card maker. Thomas Phillips, Byton, Herefordshire, innkeeper. David Morton, Basford, Nottinghamshire, journeyman bleacher. Edwin John Buxton, Manchester, manufacturer of fancy goods. Christopher Bean, Lincoln, labourer. James Hewitt, Winterton, Norfolk, general shopkeeper. Sampson Kidd, Leek, blacksmith. Robert Spencer, Milton- Abbott, Devonshire, Richard Holman. jun, M> » ristowe, Devonshire, shoemaker. Arthur Johnson Wanriop, Brampton, Cumberland, draper. Richard Kimber Adams, Southampton, baker. Charles Tweed, Upper Beeding, Sussex, blacksmith. Henry Fisher Pollott, Brighton, licensed victualler. James Clarke, Exeter, butclier. Roger Coale, Swindon, tailor. John Thorpe, Middleham, Yorkshire. John Wilton, jun, Edgmond, Salop, confectioner. Charles Marratt, Barrowby, Lincolnshire, tailor. Rupert Barnes, Stoke- upon- Trent, plumber. Wm. Collins, Burn Bridge, near Selby, Yorkshire, publican, Stephen Dix, Barton Turf, Norfolk, shopkeeper. Benjamin Bicherton, Wrockwardine, Salop, forgeman. Charles Richard Farley, Goudhurst, Kent, commission agent. John Masters, Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, carpenter. Wm. Day, Pewsey, Wiltshire, shoemaker. Wm. Durham, Lower Swell, Gloucestershire, carpenter. Richard Wm. Newton, Southsea, Portsea, seedsman. Wm. Aslett. Portsea, retailer of ale. Nathaniel Wroodward, Shilton, Warwickshire, butcher. Wm. Wright Chamberlain, Stratford- on- Avon, coal dealer. Andrew Hardwick, Bradford, Yorkshire. Edwin Hanson, Bradford. Yorkshire, carver. George Stansfield, Idle, cloth manufacturer. Wm. Streather, Raunds, Northamptonshire, builder. John Henry Legge, Kingsomborue, Southampton, tailor. John Dent, Atherstone, carpenter. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. T. Jackson, Inver, near Dunkeld, innkeeper. A. Todd, Forfar, tailor. J. Munro ( Bain), Rosskeen, Ross farmer. J. D. Bell, Rashiehall, near Balbcggie, farmer. i t » t I v ^ . V- Printed and Published by WILLIAM CHARLES CLEMENT, at the Office,. 170, Strand, in the Parish of St. Clement Danes in the City and Liberty of Westminster.- SUNDAY, FEB 22, 1863.