h. m. RISES Morning. 5 6 morn. aftern. h. m. h. m. s 4 4927 5 51 12 33 12 58 6 31 1 F Manchester Races & Steeple Chases r 7 41 26 s 4 53 N SETS. afternoon. s 4 56 2 7 11 7 T Cirencester Club Coursing Meeting. r 7 32 3 8 21 10 Fifth Sunday aft. Epiphany. 17 Septuagesima Sunday. 18 M 19 T Lincoln Races. Morning. S5 049 32 2 21 1 19 1 40 2 0 2 18 2 37 2 55 3 13 3 29 3 47 4 2 4 19 4 38 4 56 5 14 5 32 5 52 6 14 6 36 7 0 7 28 7 58 8 33 3 27 9 15 9 56 4 27 10 38 11 23 5 19. 12 1 r 7 1313 6 8 5 18 F RISES. 312 34 1 4 afternoon. 1 30 1 57 r 7 915 6 32 2 20 2 42 Great Haywood, 4; Everleigh Club, 6; Brough and Catterick, 5; Cardington, 5; Rufford, 6; Cirencester Club, 7; Border Union, 8; Prees, 11; Mamble, 12; Audlem, 12; Malton, 12; Cardiff Club, 14; Barton-upon-Humber, 15; Waterloo, 20; Tamworth, 26. "There he sat, and, as I thought, expounding the law and the prophets, until on drawing a little nearer, I found he was only expatiating on the merits of a brown horse."-BRACEBRIDGE HALL. WAY BILL:-Ice and Snow Curling Foxhunting-"The Cheshire Journal"-Derby Discussions-The Croydon Prosecution-The late Lord Exeter and Mr. Charles Peck-The Nominations-Hop Betting. NOW and ice have been the leading actors in the past month, and in depth of snow, at least in the north, it has almost rivalled the January of 1767, to which the Gentleman's Magazine bears witness. Skating in the streets of London is certainly a new winter phase, and so is the pelting of a funeral procession with snowballs, a Cumberland fact, which the Carlisle Patriot records. "Mariana in the Moated Grange" must have had her counterpart in Jem Mace, with his Derby goal turns on the treadmill, and his early hours, and all for "attending a little pic-nic" in the Midland Counties. His pals are rather Job's comforters, and consider that it will "do Jem's condition no harm to be kept out of these Christmas junketings," but we doubt whether the Champion just "sees it" in that light. The midland "beaks," who bound over Heenan on a tailor's information, have had their revenge at last. The ups and downs of Soiled Dove, and the philanthropic effort for "the improvement of race-courses' which ended in £11,115 of debts and £i 3s. 7d. of assets to meet them, are also points of which the month may be proud if it likes. Lovers of sport become so accustomed to regular reports of meetings from March to November, that they cannot understand such a disturbance of the whole order of nature as to open their paper and find that the hunting column is a blank, and steeple chases and coursing meetings are being postponed from day to day, or rendered void altogether. The "Diversions of Purley" (as some one called them) on the ice have been boisterous and daring enough. According to our observations, a good many ladies tumbled into a good many gentlemen's arms, without any strictly provoking cause, and one skater was "playing at school" with a fair companion on each arm and a couple holding on behind. It certainly was instruction made pleasant; but when the frost broke up the lookers-on were not enabled exactly to "report progress" in the science taught on these free-and-easy principles. The London gamins were most facetious in their skate-buckling vocation: "Never you mind my lady-ladies can always do a thing when they trys ;" and then if there was a hitch or tumble you would hear, "pick yourself up-Room wasn't built in a day. The sad accident in Regent's Park may have proved an ultimate saving of life, by the shock which it sent through the country, and the extra care which it inspired; and it may also seriously raise the question, why are the ponds to which the people of London resort to skate, so systematically kept at drowning depth? Why should not the winter as well as the summer pleasure of people during a frost be considered in all our park outlay, and the superfluous water be drawn off during winter, or the ponds always kept at reasonable depth? At present the authorities seem to be entirely in the waterfowl interest. They break the ice for them, as if swimming and dabbling was an absolute necessity, which we believe it is not, and don't seem to think much about the bipeds, and the risk they inflict on them. However, thanks to Lord John Manners, there may be an amendment next winter. Owing to their having a good deal more of King Frost's company, and their devotion to curling, the Scotsmen understand ice a great deal better than the English; and such is their enthusiasm, that it is just as much as a farmer can do to get his beasts foddered when it is strong enough for curling. His men will be in at some rink or other, and skating is quite a secondary matter. At some of the leading proprietors' farms you will see large artificial ponds, lined with wood, and ready to have a few inches of water let into them, when curling time comes round. The late Lord Eglinton was very fond of the sport, but he never would play for money, and always made the stakes a boll of meal for the poor. His lordship's three artificial curling ponds at Eglinton Castle were made with bottoms of wood or asphalte and polished ashlar. Two of them were fifty yards by thirty-six, and the other sixty by sixty, and he would have twenty rinks going at one time. In his own rink he took the direction, and played last with the 40lbs. stone, while his head. groom, Napier, handled the 50-pounder. "No one was cooler in action, and understood better all the subtle generalship of chap and lie and outers, and yet he was always learning. He would be at the ice to a minute on a dark winter's morning, and keep himself warm by sweeping away the snow till it was light enough to begin, and then he would curl all day. If one rink was better than another he would never rest till he played it, and Sir James Boswell's was one of the defeated. He and his leading players had each three or four pairs of curling stones, and none of them better than Sir Thomas Moncrieff's, which were very quick and polished. They were made of granite, called "burnoch," which was got near Sir James Boswell's estates, and was spotted black and white, like a starling's breast." Mr. I'Anson seems to have started the game at Malton, and we believe that it is played at Manchester; but it is astonishing how very little it has been introduced amongst us by the many thousands of canny Scots who have crossed the Border, and never mean to retrace their steps. The Fen skaters have been in very fine form, and, profiting by the Regent's Park tragedy, more care has been taken to prevent the lookers-on, who come to the Washes in thousands, from massing so much on spots during the skating races. There must be a perfectly delightful absence of jealousy in the sport, as it is Fen etiquette-which Jemmy Grimshaw must think the perfection of all human wisdom-for skaters to start themselves. They seem quite as uncertain as race-horses in their form, as Lee beat Porter cleverly over Welney Wash, and was beaten by Fletcher at Littleport in one of the ties, and yet Fletcher could not beat Porter in the run-up. Mr. Warwick has, of course, been re-elected judge at the Waterloo meeting, in whose nominations neither old "Canaradzo Campbell" nor Mr. Gregson figure this year. It is remarkable that so little should be said about Brigadier, who won the cup so very cleverly last year, and in fact, no one seems to know what nomination he will be in, or if he is going to run at all. Breadalbane, one of the sons of Patent, and own brother to Marionette is now at the stud. A few packs "fetched it out of the fire" between the two frosts, which have given the hunting stables ample time to recruit their energies, which had never been more sorely taxed by deep and wet ground. The Quorn had their best run in the "little recess,' and killed in an apple-chamber at Loddington. Pike, whom many will remember as second whip at the late Mr. Morrell's, when the hounds were sold, seems to have pleased every one so far; and we hear, on what we know to be authority, that The Marquis of Hastings has not the smallest intention at present of giving up the country at the end of the season. The frost did not damp the bids at the sale of Mr. Coupland's horses, of which the three best averaged some 240 guineas. Their owner will be remembered as the Cheshire gentleman who made an offer to take the Quorn at the end of last season, and who was ready to give Mr. Clowes £1,500 for his pack. He rides very well and forward, but has unfortunately met with an accident, which will, we fear, keep him out of the saddle for the rest of the season. The cub-hunting was good with the Bicester, but the scent has been bad, and the weather changeable since the regular hunting commenced, and Goddard and both his whips are new to the country. The same may be said of the hounds, and it will take a long time to make them handy. There is a good supply of foxes in the country, and the farmers are as staunch as ever. There was a capital bye day at Bletchington on the 9th. Finding in Bushey Spinney, they went away to Kirtlington across the park, pointing to Middleton, turned to the right for Chesterton, leaving Bicester on the left for Wendlebury, back to Kirtlington Park, where they changed foxes, and stopped the hounds beyond Weston, as it was very late and the horses were beat. On the 10th, they found at Ham Green, and ran their first fox to ground in 35 minutes, while pointing for Chearsley Grove in the Vale of Aylesbury. This was followed by a very pretty forty minutes from Rush Beds below Brill, which ended with a kill in the open below Ashendon. Then the frost came. Jem Hills has been out several times with the Heythrop this season, and he is to be judge at the Moreton-in-the-Marsh steeple chases. The landowners and occupiers of the landover which the Brighton Harriers hunt have been invited, during the frost vacation, to a dinner by the subscribers, and it is to be hoped that the capping controversy was at last drowned in the bowl. What a number of letters we had all about that unfortunate half-crown-" action for libel," capper's own pedigree, and we know not what besides! Mr. H. R. Corbet, the new master, has been doing the thing well in Cheshire. The stud is full of young fresh horses, from five to seven years old, and the huntsman and two whips, &c., have had a very large and good lot to pick from. The huntsman has always a second horse out. Mr. Corbet is a good sportsman, and takes an immense deal of catching when hounds run hard. The scent on the whole was bad up to the end of November, but good all December. The following is the journal of sport: Tuesday, Oct. 30, Hayes Farm.-Found in Philo Gorse; had 25 minutes, and killed. Found a second fox in Darby Cover: a fast 18 minutes to ground near Cassia Lodge; a burster. Found a third fox at the Adjuncts Cover; to ground at Darnell; a good 35 minutes. Thursday, Nov. 1, Dutton Heath.-Found at Stapleford; a short ring, and killed. Found a second fox at Green Loom, and lost him at The Willingtons: 55 minutes. Found a third fox at Clotton Hoe Field and had a clipper of 35 minutes without a check, and killed in the open at Oak Mere. Friday, Nov. 2, Highwayside.-Found at Wardle Gorse, and had a fast 23 minutes, and changed foxes. Found a second fox at Calverley New Gorse; to ground near Calverley; a good 45 minutes. Found a third fox at Capt. Garnett's Cover; a good 33 minutes to ground near Bunbury. Wednesday, Nov. 7, Tatton Park.-Found at Rostherne Mere; 40 minutes; and killed near the river Bolling. Found a second fox in a small cover near Mobberly; had one hour, and lost the fox in Tatton Park. Thursday, Nov. 8, Arley Hall.-Found in the Big Wood; a good 18 minutes to ground near Maston. Friday, Nov. 9, A Bye-day at the Kennels.-Found at Buddworth Common, and had a rattling 50 minutes to ground at Cassia Lodge. Thursday, Nov. 15, Astle Hall.-Found in Snelson Gorse, and had a good hunting run of 55 minutes, and killed at Astle. Wednesday, Nov. 21, Wistaston.-Found in Old Gorse; had a ring of 15 minutes, and killed. Drew the second time, same cover; a ring, and lost the fox. Found a third fox at Pool Gorse, and had a sharp 18 minutes, and killed at the Rookery. Found number four at Pool Gorse a second time; 45 minutes; and lost at Wistaston. A good day's sport. Thursday, Nov. 22, Wrenbury.-Found at Wrenbury Moss; a firstrate run of 55 minutes to ground at Nobury Common. Friday, Nov. 23, Cholmondeley.-Found in the Laurels, and ran up to Peckforton Hills, and stopped the hounds. Found a second fox at Spurstow Wood; one hour; and killed the fox at Charley Hall. last thirty minutes very fast from Aldersey's Gorse to Charley Hall. The Monday, Nov. 26, Abbey Arms.-Found in Blake Mere Moss, and had a good 45 minutes to ground in the Forest. Found another fox at Ashton Hayes, and had a clipping 1 hour 12 minutes, and killed him in the open, one field from Clotton Hoe Field Cover. Tuesday, Nov. 27, Black Dog Inn, Saighton.-Found at Saighton Gorse, and lost near Waverton. Found a second fox at the Large Wood, Willingtons, and had a good run of 1 hour and 30 minutes, and stopped the hounds near Beeston Station at 5.5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Dutton Hall Farm.-Found at Newton Gorse, and had a good 50 minutes to ground at Grimsditch. The same day, four more little gallops. A good day's sport, Friday, Nov. 30, Appleton.-A fair day's sport. Monday, Dec. 3, Belmont.-Found at Marbury Wood, and had a sharp run of 30 minutes, and killed him at Combrebach. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Highwayside.-Found at Calverley New Gorse; 1 hour and 10 minutes, and rolled him over. Friday, Dec. 7, Tattenhall Station.-A fair day's sport. Saturday, Dec. 8, Burley Dam.-A good day's sport, but unlucky in changing foxes. Monday, Dec. 10.-Found at Groby Gorse, and had a clipping run of 1 hour 14 minutes, and killed in the open at Wydunbury, in the North Staffordshire country. |