vate contract, the blood was not thoroughly appraised this season. The eight that were sold averaged 615 guineas-to wit, four fillies at 335 guineas, and as many colts at 895. Seven colts and one filly were sold for a thousand and upwards. Following is the return-list of the money market, the chief operations in which were conducted at Eltham and Doncaster Gs. (Duke of Hamilton) 2,500 Mr. Blenkiron's b. c. Angus, by Newminster-Lady Elcho (Mr. Chaplin) 2,000 (Duke of Newcastle) 1,050 Her Majesty's b. c. by Wild Dayrell-Ayacanora (Mr. Padwick) 1,000 (Mr. Chaplin) 1,000 (Count Batthyany) 1,000 Mr. Blenkiron's b. c. Typhoeus, by Stockwell-Typee The average of the eight amounts to 1,350 guineas, and it will be seen that both in the colts and fillies Newminster is the premier, in conjunction with the late Sir Tatton Sykes' Elcho's dam's blood in the one instance, and Canezou, who will, it is feared, breed no more, in the other. The best Christmas wish we can make for their progeny isthat they will turn up trumps instead of following the fate of their predecessors, which has been poor enough. Taking them from 1853, the premier colts, with the exception of Tom Bowline and Zambesi, have won next to nothing; while the fillies have done a trifle better. Last year, Pedagogue, Ruthven, and King Charles were bracketed head at 1,500 guineas. Panacea (800 guineas) has won half her price back at fourteen times of asking; but of the colt trio, one died a maiden, another might have been claimed for £20 after his only victory, and the third has so far only paid forfeit in a match. Good prices have been the rule this season, and 109 of the yearlings have realised as follows Looking more closely into the list, we find that the stock of only eighteen stallions have been sold as high as 500 guineas. Four Weatherbits have averaged 777 guineas, four Dundees 654 guineas, three Buccaneers 637 guineas, two Thormanbys 875 guineas, three King Toms 593 guincas, three St. Albans 1,247 guineas, three Orlandos 707 guineas, two Wild Dayrells 760 guineas, and six Newminsters 1,016 guineas. One of the Dundees-Liquidator, from Exactfigures twice in that horse's average, and made 230 guineas advance on his first sale. No sires of great note have been in the market, and 500 guineas each for Wallace and Chevalier d'Industry are the highest prices. The Cure and Windhound have each sunk, like Charles XII., to a "pony" estate at the hammer, and the little bay has declined to survive it. Brood mares with any pretensions have sold well, and the highest-priced six have averaged 893 guineas. Bathilde made 1,100 guineas, and Rosabel went at the same figure to the Royal Stud, with a Blair Athol colt at her foot. Cousin Bet (1,000 guineas) had a similar chesnut pledge to send her along; and Tension (760 guineas), Polynesia (700 guineas), and Alma (600 guineas), with a Prime Minister filly-foal, brought up the rear. Fern, without a foal, and with the recommendation of Rama as her first-born, stands seventh at 500 guineas. Sister to The Rake (covered by The Cure) was sold before her brother's fame was fixed, and hence she was knocked down at only 175 guineas." Sussex hares have not much peace of their lives, as there are twelve packs of harriers hard upon their scut, about seven of which hunt the hills, and the remainder the vale country. The Brighton are still kennelled near the level in Hollingdean road, under the care of Joseph Sherwood, whip and kennel huntsman, and John Cooper, who lived for some years with Lord Poulett at the Hambledon kennels. They are hunted this season, as last, by their master, Mr. E. H. S. Hudson, who kept the Vale of Evesham Hounds for several years previous to his taking to the Brighton. The sport shown this season has been far above the average. They have had some capital runs, and accounted for upwards of thirty-eight brace of hares up to the present time. This fact, considering that the Down hares are very difficult to bring to hand, compared with Vale hares, speaks well for the hounds. There are two packs, dogs and bitches, which hunt on alternate days. Mr. Hudson has been most fortunate in obtaining drafts from some of the first foxhound and harrier kennels in England, amongst which are the Bramham, the Rufford, Sir T. Boughey's, Mr. Honeywood's, the Crawley, Mr. Foster's, the Badsworth, the Hurworth, Lord Leconfield's, Earl Fitzwilliam's, Duke of Beaufort's, Lord H. Bentinck's, and the Southdown. This year's entry consists of eight couples of young hounds, all of whom have entered to their work in good style, and the most critical judge of a pack cannot find a fault with either their appearance or their performances in the field. There are a few old hounds in the kennel of the Vagabond stock, which, as Mr. Willard, the late master, can bear testimony, are not easily to be beaten. Vagabond and Beatrice (both dead) were great line hunters in their day, and the veteran (who was only laid-by for two days during his period of office) always stood up stoutly for Lutestring, from Mr. Morrell's, and her daughter Liberty. He had no better helpmates than these hounds during his nineteen seasons, thirteen of which were spent on Harkaway, who was good to tell in a crowd by his white face and three white legs. The horse was selected for the presentation picture, and the brush, which rests above it in Mr. Willard's parlour, proves that his pets had a turn at a fox occasionally. They found this one in a bit of rape, and split him up in five minutes, before they could be stopped; and again they packed with the foxhounds near Patcham, got a view, enjoyed it very much," and to ground. October 10th to March 10th is the season; and October, November, and January their best months. From fifty to sixty brace are generally killed, though they have reached sixty-five brace; and the shepherds get from three to four shillings for each hare marked in her form. The meets, which were formerly at Patcham, Race Course, Thunderbarrow, and Dyke, have been considerably extended by the present master, Mr. Hudson, and it becomes a matter of necessity for any stranger intending to hunt with them to purchase a map of the country, which may be obtained, for "the trifling sum of one shilling," at Mr. Embling's, stationer, corner of West-street, and which also contains the meets of the Southdown Foxhounds. There have been great runs in the Thunderbarrow country, which has been most successfully hunted for the last two seasons by Mr. Scott Stonehewer's Harriers, the "Old Shoreham." Mr. Richard Sharpe, who has now quitted his lonely "cup-like hollow of the Downs," and lives near the kennels at Old Shoreham, handles the pack in capital style; and to any one who has not yet had a day with them, we advise him to lose no time in so doing, and take a peep at " The Squire," who always attends the "meet" in his pony cart, and hails one and all with a good-natured smile and a hearty welcome. The meet at the Dyke is generally a favourite fixture for the Brighton, there being oftentimes upwards of two hundred horsemen present, and, considering the fact that there are no fences to stop the field, it becomes a matter of some difficulty to keep them in order. It is most trying sometimes to prevent them from overriding the scent; nevertheless we are happy to say this difficulty has been in a measure overcome, owing to Mr. Hudson's firmness and quiet determination. Mr. Hudson possesses some beautiful line hunting hounds in Barmaid, by his Rambler, out of the late General Lygon's Amethyst; Factor, by Sir T. Boughey's Gamester, out of his Fair Maid; and Gameboy, by Mr. Crawley's General out of his Beauty, which are always among" The Guides," and have never been known to fail"at a pinch." A number of rare horsemen and sporting characters have been seen out with the Brighton in their day. General Shubrick was a constant attendant, sometimes on Van Amburgh, who ran second to Coronation for the Derby, and made a pace for Satirist in the St. Leger till Bill Scott took it out of Nat's hands when he was weary of shouting "Faster, faster!" Mr. Tom Drake and Mr. Morrell joined the throng from Oxfordshire, and Jem Mason and Captain Becher practised the à la Russe line of business down those hills. Mr. Westwood Chafy has also done a good deal of bruising on his chesnut horse Thunderbolt, who was buried at The Dyke. He is now, as then, a constant attendant at the meets, and remains invariably till the hounds go home. The Emperor of the French took his constitutionals after this fashion twice a week in '47, and many still remember how they met at Patcham, and how His Majesty blew his horse up Hollingbury Hill. It was, in fact, a Solferino, which he could not solve at all, and they saw no more of him that day. THE AMERICAN YACHT RACE. This yacht race between the Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta, for a sweepstakes of 90,000 dollars (nearly £19,000 sterling), which for some time past has created so much excitement amongst our Transatlantic cousins, has been decided in favour of the Henrietta, who arrived at Cowes at 5.40 p.m., on Christmas-day, the Fleetwing coming in at 2 a.m., and the Vesta at 2.30, yesterday (Wednesday). The match was originally made between the Fleetwing and Vesta, for a stake of 30,000 dollars aside; but subsequently, at the request of her owner, the Henrietta was admitted into the race, the terms being that each party should subscribe 30,000 dollars, and the winner to take the whole. The tonnage of the competing craft, all of which are schooner-rigged, is as follows:-Henrietta, 205 tons; Fleetwing, 204 tons; Vesta, 201 tons, The start took place at Sandy Hook, punctually at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 11, the Henrietta being to the leeward, the Vesta in the centre, and the Fleetwing to the windward, about half-a-mile apart. At the start the Henrietta and Fleetwing set their jibs, flying jibs, fore and mainsails, and maingaff topsails; the Vesta following suit, with the exception that she carried no topsails. The Henrietta took a slight lead, and both she and the Fleetwing set their square sails, the Vesta also setting fore-and-aft gaff topsails. At a quarter past one the three yachts cleared the bar, with all their canvas set, the Henrietta still leading, the Vesta second, and Fleetwing last. They passed the light ship at 1.45, and when last seen from land appeared to preserve the same respective positions. There was a great wind from the west-north-west. During the voyage the Henrietta carried in the day time a blue flag, the Fleetwing a red flag, and the Vesta a white flag, and at night showed lights of the same colours, in order that they might be recognised and their progress reported by passing vessels. On board the Henrietta were the owner, Mr. J. G. Bennett, jun., Messrs. Samuels (captain), Lyons, Laurence, Jerome (stakeholder), and Melvin Knap. The Fleetwing carried Messrs. G. A. Osgood (owner), Thomas (captain), R. Center, and Ernest Staples. The Vesta, Messrs. Pierre Lorrillard (owner), Johnson (captain), Dayton, and Lieut-Col. Taylor, the betting at the start being 5 to 4 on the Vesta. All three vessels parted company twenty-four hours after the start, and saw nothing of each other until their arrival at Cowes. The Henrietta made the entire passage from New York to Cowes on one tack, without the slightest accident; her greatest run in one day was 280 miles, her least 113-and that was on the 19th instant, when she laid to in a heavy storm. She averaged throughout the passage 218 miles a day. The Fleetwing, when eight days out, encountered a heavy southerly gale. The sea boarded her at 9 p.m., and carried away her jibboom, and washed six men overboard, including two quartermasters, all of whom were lost. This caused a deficiency of hands on board, and to that and her loss of canvas her owner attributes her defeat. The Vesta was boarded by Pilot Webb at 8.50 p.m. on Tuesday night, ten miles west-south-west of the Needles, as he supposed; but, owing to the misty weather, he mistook the St. Catherine light for the Needles, and thereby caused the Vesta to be last instead of second in the race, as she would otherwise have made the Needles at 9.50 p.m. Tuesday instead of 12.40 a.m. Wednesday. The Vesta met with no accident, and did not lose a rope. The Vesta's greatest run in one day was 277, and her least 165 miles. We append a description of the winner, who, according to the New York Tribune, did good service against the South on the coast of Florida during the late war, and had been expressly prepared for her present voyage. Her bowsprit has been shortened 16 in., her lower mast 7 ft., and her main boom 6 ft. She has been furnished with an entire new gang of rigging of Italian hemp, and also with new fore and aft stays and jibstays of first quality charcoal wire, independent of which she has been provided with an extra forestay, which comes into the night heads. Her jibstays are double and of 3 in. wire; her bobstay is of 4 in. wire; her main spring of 4 in. wire, which will prevent her backstay. She has extra gammonings, spare fore and main boom, fore and main gaft jibboom, top mast, and also two spare spars. She also carries extra sails, with three storm trysails and storm forestay sails. Her hatches are so arranged that in five minutes they can be thoroughly caulked and wooded. She has also extra deck lights fore and aft, so that the cabins can be always lighted, the sky lights being caulked and battened down. Her steering arrangements have been attended to with particular care; she has a new rudder, and is steered by a patent screw and wheel. In case of any accident, however, she carries spare tillers, which can be shipped in a few minutes without boring through the rudder-head; and she has also, in case of the rudder-head becoming twisted, some strong ropes to which tackle can be fixed. She carries two patent liquid compasses, and also two storm compasses, to which, in case the binnacle should be carried away, lights are attached. Her boats and spare spars are secured by ring bolts passing through the deck, and clinched. Her deck cabin over the ballast has been secured by extra sleepers, which are stanchioned under the deck in deep sockets. The following is an epitome of the log of the Henrietta: December 12: Heavy squalls, snow and sleet; the 13th, squally; the 14th, moderate breeze; the 15th, cloudy, heavy with hail and snow, and squally; the 16th, heavy northerly winds; the 17th, north-easterly winds, with heavy squalls; the 18th and 19th, heavy cross seas; the 20th, strong westerly winds; the 21st, heavy swells; the 22nd, southerly wind, cloudy; the 23rd, smooth seas; the 24th, weather threatening squally; the 25th, brisk south-westerly winds. The winning yacht made the quickest passage on record, with the exception of the clipper-ship Dreadnought, which, singularly enough, was also commanded by Captain Samuels, the skipper of the Henrietta. |