OUR LONDON LETTER.

DERBY DAY

Jujie 8, 1907. The Dean of Dunedin, who writes me from Madrid that the temperature there is pretty much that of an, Ota go winter, should lhave been here to witness our miserable Derby. Cold, wet, windy, and miserable—only an Englishman could be happy under such circumstances. Butt it is the racing event of tha year, not only are tho trains packed, and roads crowded with ©very kind of vehicle, motor car, victoria, waggonette, dogcart, down to the donkey shay, at onco the conveyance of the highest and the lowest in tlie land; but the roads are full elf sightseers watching the return, and greeting; any noticeably hjumorous conveyance with due attention, which usually took the form of cheers and laughter. For everyone goes to the Derby. No one too wealthy, none too poor. Side by sidb with the stately equipage of a lord is the 'business cart of a successful butcher, with his buxom wife and daughters. Occasionally a brake comes along groaning beneath the weight of a dozen young iellows and their sweethearts, with that •exchiango of headgear so dear to the heart of the London coster. Here, a motor 'bus engaged for the day, with holiday-dressed passengers of the black coat class; there, a party cf maidens, witli summer bodices of many hues Meriy jest and laughter are the order of the day everywhere. The tens of thousands of people who had made up their minds to make the holiday this year wero a little damped in their ardour when (they pulled the blinds up this morning and found itwas raining in torrents.

! Tho attendance was by no meams a record, but considering the drenching morning., was a big one. The folks one chiefly pitied were those whlo had spent the night on Epsom Downs, witih practically no shelter, and1 there must have been at least 2000 of them. Happily, the rain stepped' at noon, and: for the next hour or two tilings were pleasant enough. This time before tho serious business of the day commences is to many tho chief feature of the day. At this stage the course is a seething ocean of men of every sort and condition, and probably aiowjhere else in the world could such a varied collection be seen rubbing shoulders. The crowd i& composed of Cabinet' Ministers. Co vent Garden porters, denizens of Bayswater, of Houndsditch, and1 of Park Lane; butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers; countrymen, from, every county in England, and from many in Scotland and Ireland1; foreigners galore, the bable of tongues being equalled—if equalled—only in Cairo. . There was the puirse trick m'9rcliaat, who changed! his pitchl at frequent inifervals, there was a clever conjurer there were acrobats, there was an opportunity of buying for a penny some original and inpjeniously madfe dolls, there were refreshment caterers in their tlbousanids, for thei sustenance of the inner mam op Derby Day' is the most important thing of all; and the übiqu itous pickpocket was, of! course, to ba counted by his thousands. Seemingly there were more booths than ever, but perhaps never before in tho history of Epsomi, lias there been" such a demand1 for non-intoxicating liquors as compared with beers and spirits, and the lundheons were enjoyed by all.

"So tihe time passed! merrily, and all too quickly, ointil tho signal was given to clear the ooulrso for tho first race, and almost simultaneously the Royal Standard, denoting the arrival of the King, was hoisted over the Royal stand. The masses of people dissolved behind tho nails on either sido like magic, and presently the two-year-olds that were to take part in the Gaterham Plata cantered down the course to the post. Among them was Pearl of the Loch carrying liis Majesty's purple, gold •braid, scarlet sleeves, and black cap.

The sun by this time was out, and the discomforts of the morning were already forgotten. The world-famous panorama of Epsom Downs liias never 'been seen to pjr eater advantage, for the freshness of the greenery is now perfectly enchanting. The Derby parade was over in good time, and the race started within six minutes of the .advertised time. It was evident when the lot had readh'ed Taittenham Corner that Slieve Galloon could not stay, and Orby, running gamely, gained a clover victory over Woolwinder. while the favourite was third, and Bonzonian was fourth.

Tho victory ofi Orby is a great event for I*ot3i Irishmen ami Americans ns tho horso was trained in rrelancl, while tho owner, Mr. "Boss" Croker is well known to every living soul in t3ie United States. Orby, wfllio was supposed to bo 28 lbs. better than Havden., won a raoo at Liverpool, and at Baltloyle was successful from a aiseful (field.