SPORTS OF ALL KINDS.

Evening Star, Issue 11697, 1 October 1902, Page 7

SPORTS OF ALL KINDS.

THE WM\ Wauga&ul ... October 2 awl 3 « Utt i v . Hawk*'* Bay .;. Octobtr 8 and 9 OWKi t October 8 and '9 Dtmedin „.. October 8 and 11

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Mr 'Drift'shandicaps for tho first day of the BuHedin . Joak'ev Olnh's spring meeting swa.to be well thought out. and it is a'job to find (he winner. The ones that: I fancy just now are Zithtfr in the Hurdle Race, rorwand Guard in the Hack Handicap. Pani--1 tro in the MoscierHandicap, Red Gauntlet ia tha Kleotrio Hnndicap, and Abercrombie in the Welter;, but (»>»*e may not be my final scleationfc after seeing the'acceptances. Convey ;iiul Queen's Guard are likely candidates in the Spring Handicap'at Wangi.nni: if Chasseur' gets flomti in the Flying hf> will perhaps pay, a fflir dividend} and F.vcning Wonder mar have a shotr. in the. Kttdle Race. As to the Guineaa, Golden Vein may be good, enough to compel the Wellington ."table to win with the bfcttev of its pair, and 1 think that is Porirtia. December the 20th is the day pitched upon by the Forbury Racing Club for their first race meejiug. About 250 friends aw ready to .go to election a.s members* and Mr E. L. Macassev is prepared to enter' the names of ail ' candklates. The appeal should meet with a prompt response. That response, whatever it may be, will bi the real teat of sincerity in regard to the professions heard from all quarters as to the advisability of reopening the Forbury as a racecourse.

On the third day of the A.J.C. meeting, snys "Umpire," after"Wakeful had silenced Sir Leonard and Sequenco in the Craven. Plate, Ihex put up a striking performance ia winning the Suburban Handicap: Milos waa mado favorite at 6 to 4, but there was a. lot of inonoy for Ibex. Glochette, also on ned by Mr Mate, was backed, but it tinned out that she was not so good a representative as the colt, who simply outilr.sssd the opposition for pace. Ibex and Clochetta were soon cut in front, but Ibex m a very free goer, and ran away in front, as ho did in tho Epsom. He had a long load at the distance, Mid, though he was stowing down towards the end, he still had nearly three length? from Transvaal when ho struck the winning line. The official tune, was Jmin 41sec, and Ibex earned 10.5, which looked something special, even allowing the ground to have been in perfect condition. Milos got into third place, but the field got ,a very bad boating. Another fine niilo performance followed, when Great Scot got credit forlmm 40sec in the Duff Memorial Stokes, carrying 9.1. Like Ibex, he made the pace and settled with his followers early. Then came tho Wvcombe Stakes, in which The Persian showed his second in the Metropolitan was no fluke by outstaying Footbolt after a most interesting engagement from the distance. After Cyanide hod won the Sydney Handicap* easily, her many bickers for the Metropolitan were satisfied thev were rather .unluckv. The distance was the same—a male and a-half—-but instead of 7.13, Cyanide carried 9.0. Queen of Sheba, meeting Cyanide 61b better than in tho big race, was elected second favorite, and gave Queen of Sheba such a bad beating that her failure in the Metropolitan became a matter of general comment. But the hick of races has a lot to do with them sometimes. On the fourth day the Positano colt Postillion won tho Members' Handicap, beating seventeen others in good style. He was made favorite, others backed including Crawfurd (by Eiridspord), Rose Petal, Blue Spec, Carnegie, and Lord Middleton. Postilion did not havo a good position early, but ho made' a urn to get one in good time, and was close up at the distance, when he drew out with •a final effort, and won by a couple of lengths. For the Waverley Handicap there were ten starters, Cyauide'being top-weight with the complimentary impost of 9.12. This proved a trifle too much as against Regalia 11. -with 7.2, and thou-zh the mare drew up at the distance with effort, the hurdle-racer finished too well, and beat her by a couple of lengths. . On the running at Eandwick I should bo inclined, says " Poseidon," to consider CyaTr.dc, Ibex, Regalia 11., Lord Monmouth. The Persian, Patronage, Air Motor, and Felicitous the pick of the handicap division for-the rw6--Cupsv Of this" lot only- the four la.st are engaged in the Melbourne Cup, while Patronage, Air Motor and Felicitous are in the great Gaulfield event. Wakeful fit and well on the day, should, in my opinion, hold the lot safe in the valuabel two-miler, and the same remark applies to Seclumon in the Caulfield Cup. The Persian I take to be the horse from which Wakeful will have most to fear. He is a well-grown black gelding, five years old, «tid though Patrcmago beat him in th 6 Trial Stake's, I do not attach much importance to that performance. Mncb more in accord vrith his ability was his second in the Metropolitan to Queen of Sheba, iu which" race'ho beat some heavily supported and much-fancied candidates. 'He can, I Think, be made a little better, and must ho labelled dangerous in the Melbourne Cup. Patronage 1 cannot quite understand, nor am I certahi which of the Cups he has his eye on. Though a good horse, he is by no means the egual of either of his bothers. Patron or Reunalf, being very much amalller than either of these celebrities. Air Motor may be troubled with the Mlb penalty in tho Caulfield Cup, which will, bring her weight up to 7.13, and bv the 101b penalty in the Melbourne Cup. in .which- she would have to carry 7.15 also. Sheis rather undersized, and does not look as if she could carry weight. Felicitous, like The Persian, is a dangerous candidate, and .'he has thickened out and grown into a fine mare since sho left Victoria in the autumn.

Wakeful, on her Sydney form, promises to become a strong order with the public for the Melbourne Cup in much the same way that Carbine was, but the betting, says " Pilot," will not be half so heavy as 'it was in Carbine's year. Wakeful's stab'e companion. Kinglike, has found a good deal of support, mainly because he is considered to be doing well at Caulfisld. Patronage is not at all knocked but, but since he failed in the Metropolitan he has gone rather out of fashion. Blue Metal,. Flagship, The Per. *ian, and Felicitotft have each found support. For tho Caulfield Cud Simile has been'backed for a fair amount," and his price is getting short. Seclusion up to date, is the best favorite, but Felicitous, Flagshin, Patronage, The Idler. Miltiadcs, Bonnie Chid. Abington, and Great Scot have each been niarketable during the last few davs, and The Idler is becoming one of the wellbacked' division,' though it is not on anything he has done during his stay at Randwick, where ho was not very hard-worked. For the V.R.C. Derby better than even money about Abundance has to be looked for.

Onlv Blue Metal and Homeward Bound had the temerity to oppose the incomparable .Wakeful in the Randwick Plate, It ■WiH thought, remarks ." Asriiodeus,'' that Abundance would have been started, but Mr Phillips, baring in view the main-Valuable future engagements for which his colt is entered, -wisely refrained from setting him such a severe task as trying to beat Mr Macdonald's mare oyer two miles and a-quarter. The betting of 10 to 1 on Wakeful speaks more eloquently as to the favor in which Wakeful's chance was held than mere words could convey. It was Lombard street to a China orange from the word go, though Blue Metal, who made the pace fast, was indulged with the lead for over two miles. Three futlongs from home Home; ward Bound cried a go, and then Dunn went up. fo the leader. The pair raced in company for a couple of furlongs but. Wakeful, getting her head at the *' half - distance, drew.out easily, and though die won by only three-parts of a length' she could easily have made itmuclimbrer Great Scot proved in the Buff Memorial Stakes that lie should hare done much better in the Derby, which was not run to *uit him, writes "Terlinga." Pavten remarked to me aftdr tlse race that he could liot "understand-Great' Scot running so badly hi the Derby, except on the supposition tha; Locbick never do run Well m a messing race. He instanced Paul Pry as an illustration of his argtfment, and I remembered that James Scobie had always said that Paul never gave his best'form unless the pee was solid from the start..'When he had no ij> will be remembered,Paul Pry's jockey woultl. always <gb" to the front, iind make u pace himself. Iu the"

Duff Memorial, Stakes' Kuhn Scot off the mark, and got such a break that the race was neverm doubt, and with ■9.1. thfc white-logged chestnut got;to the end of the mile in Iriiin 40seo' : !" And still I do not think Gre'at Scot has any chance of beating Abundance lii tli'o Derbv: I like Abundance after Ms defeat better'than ever I did. He carried within 41b of 10.0. 'and must have been set to give Great Scot something like 100yd*"itart iff'the last five *ur» long*. He was absolutely last-.at tbispb'int. Abundance seems a very slow beginner, but it is just possibe Bavden waataken'by surprise in the Duff Memoriar. He may not have anticipated Kuhti gding right,throu<>h with Great Scot in the Way'hs did, Anyway, Abundance mntle up a lot of lost ground in grand style, and there can be no two opinions about his being a good colt. ■

Parthian 11. scored his first win in England at Alexandra. Park oft August-4. The race was the Manor Welter Plate.-- one mile and a-half, and .the Grand Flaneur horse had 8.3. the minimum b?.ing 7.0. At first 5 to 4 and'evens Were taken about him. bub so much inoflcy came for a couple of the others that he subsequently eased to 5 to 2. Parthian scored, very easily from the Garbine horse Sandbag (9.0)*. On the 12th August Parthian started favorite at 6 to 4 for the Apprentices Plate, one mile and a half, at Kemptou Park. There were twelve starters, aiid Mr Muir's horse could get no nearer than fourth.

A s.on of Carbine named Powder Puff was successful en August 7 at the Eglinron Hunt meeting in the Cunningham Plate, of 100 sovs-. one mile and a-half. The field numbered five, and Powder Puff, starting third favorite ct'6 to 1, .scored comfortably. The Lewes Handicap, of 600 sovs, crrc mile and a-half, was--run on August 9. and won by the Carbine colt Lord Carbine, •who. in a field of nine, started at 5 to 1. Included in the field was the New Zealander Seiingapatain. . Mr Albert Miller has decided to give Colonel Shilmski a six-month spell. He has a weak leg, which his owner quite expected to go iu the Caulfield Champion Steeplechase. Mr Millet tried to boy Deingoniar, who ran second to Bhilihski* in the race mentioned. He is anxious to sell Metalloid, who so far has proved a very bad bargain. Wakeful has started twenty-four times, with the following result: First, 15: second, 5; third. 2; unplaced, 2. The new Totalisator Act-was in operation for the first time in Queensland last month. Investors were not charged -the extra 2Jj per cent., but lojj per cent, only was deducted instead of the usual The investments were therefore divided as follows:'— investors, 86| per cent.; club, 6|; Government, 5; and machine, 2.

The purchase of San Fran brings to mind an interesting little incident bearing on his sire. At the sale of the Cobham stud in 1881 Maltese Cross (covered by Wild Oats) was tent into the, ring, and at*3sgs she wiis knocked down to an Australian breeder and shipped across the ocean. In due time Maltese Gross, produced a colt who was destined to earn a leading place aniongst Australian sire?. This was GO2O, who, as the parent of Gaulus and The Grafter, ha? the unique record of siring the Melbourne Cup winner two years in succession. ' A trotter that won a heat at the Haverstock (England) trotting meeting on 17th July was. handicapped with tho name of Ninepenny Halfpenny Rabbit. The special commissioner of the London ' Sportsman' recently expressed his opinion that a filly by Merman from St. Multox, bv St. Simon, was one of the best foals he lias seen. ROWING. The race for the livery known as "Doggett's Coat and Badge was rowed on August 1. between Loudon Bridge and Chelsea Pier, aud resulted in a win for 11. G. Odell, Lambeth, who covered tho distance in the remarkably good time of 26min olsec. There were six competitors, and, in the presence of a large crowd, they started evenly. After going a mile. Green, of Barnes, went away with the lead, but collided with a bnoy" above Westminster Bridge and his boat was smashed. Then Odell drew' clear, and, without being approached, won by 34sec. Harry Pcarce, of Double Bay, Sydney, who was some months in England, and who accompanied George Towns to Canada v/hen fhe.Jatier. wresjS.etj._tha.World's Championship from Jake Gaxidaur (Pearce himself won a match aginst Hackett on that occasion), has returned to Sydney. Interviewed, by the Sydriey 'Referee,' Pearce had nothing but good to say of Gandaur aa a man. Towns, he says, is idolised in England, end deserves all ho gets. Towns's bride i 3 a Miss Harding, no relation to the champion of that name. The Australian first met her at Southport, when he was invalided—ribs broken through a collision on the Thames. Tom Sullivan, tho ex-New Zcalander, is very fat and flourishing, and quite a man of mark in the English rowing world. According to Harry Pearce, F. S, Kelly, the Sydheyite, who won the Diamond Sculls at Henley, is*he makings of a very fine sculler'. He has speed, and stamina, and pluck, hut can yet leatu a groat deal in the matter of finish. Kelly practically trained himself for tho race in question, and even fitted up his own boat. Making allowance for Improvement and his u«ng a Neilsen-built "stump" boat on the most approved lines, which his Sydney admirers are to send him, the Australian, bar accidents, ought to be a good thing for the race next vear.

A Committee meeting of the North End Boating Club ■was held in the Bowling Green Hotel ort Menday evening, -when final arrangements in connection with the opening day ceremony were made. It was decided to entertain the lady friends and the patrons of the club at the boatshed during the afternoon, and given fine weather this function should prove a great success. The club will take advantage of this occasion for the unfurling of the handsome flag presented to them by the ladies of their Quadrille Assembly. It was resolved that all members taking part in the procession on opening day shall wear the full uniform of the club. Five new active members and one hou. member were elected.

The following erewa have been selected by the Otago Rowing Club to row in the opening procession on Saturday next:—• Wager boat, J. M'Grath; sculler (Tui), B. Provo; sculler (Weka), L. Hay; old pair (Rewi), Ussher (stroke), Kempston, Morton; old pair (Huia), Sandes (stroke), T. Aimers. P. Taylor (cox); clinker four— A. J. Hellyer, D. M'Laren, R. P. Bell, W. Beswick; D. Paterson, E. Thomson, J. Paterson, A. W. Woodward; Taraiti— P. Donll (stroke), A. Low, A. Jones, Sf. Falla; I Taranni—W. Harvev (stroke), D. Brewer, H. Pattle, F. Foster. ' .( __ _ { GOLF. i [Br the Foozxer.] The tmal contest in connection with the recent golf championship tournament was played off last week, when the tie between Mrs Biflwill and Miss Scott in the handicap maffceh was decided. A dose contest •resulted 1 hi a win for Miss Scott by two strokes J the scores being 111—U3. Thus "Niblick," of the 'Press,' on the ladies'lchampiohship:—"Mrs Bidwill is to be congratulated on her win, which, from all accounts, was thoroughly well deserved. Her exceedingly plucky recovery against Miss JJegg, when she lost the first seven holes'-so. that lady, but finally won by the margin of one hole, was quite sufficient, io enlist on her side the sympathies of all true Bporting men and women. Mrs Bidwill} is a comparatively recent convert to golfi and by dint of hafd practice and assiduous study of the game she has rapidly worked! her way up into the iront rank of lady pjlayers. Those who, saw her. play in Auc/klapd last year, when she occupied the position of runner-up, were quite ready to predict that before long the championship jwwild fall to her, and she has certainty lost no time in- fulfilling these predictions. Miss E. Rattray, the runner-up on this occasion, is a most formidable opponent, having three times previously carried all) "before her, in three successive seasons, thereby winning outright the cup presented by < Lady Onslow. /Many a man would be: glad to play: as! strong a game as Miss-Rattray, It4s a good thing'for all /games that one player should not* remain [too long invincible, ahdvMiss. Rattray her-

self is, much; too good a sportswoman to regret that the honbf 6f being champion is circulating a little." . The London * Times' recently had aleatliug article on 'Golf and Politics,' Inspired, ho doiibt, liy the; fact that the House of Lords' and the House of Commons adjournedl(at a' time when both Housed had ahy amount of important business to transact) for the purpose of bringing off the annual- parliamentary golf match ;• and the " Thuntieter •• pleasantly moralises on the subject. It wag not always thus, however. Although golf has become a universal pastime only within" the last few years, so to speak, it is a game of characteristic antiquity,' and has been played in Scotland from time out of mind. Who invented golf, if, indeed, it was invented, has never been settled, and it seems probable that it has been evolved from a game similarly played, but in a crude form, rather than invented. . At one time it would appear to have been the prevailing form of sport in Scotland, Mid so'far'back as the year 1457 there is an Act of the Scottish Parliament prohibiting it, as interfering with the practice of archery, then allimportant as a martial exercise, and a means of national defence. A few of tho older golf'dubs have records dating back more than a century, some of which seem to point to the fact that the dabs had been in existence at prior dates, although the records are now lost. The Honorable the Edinburgh Company of Golfers havo minutes dated in 1744*; tho Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews dates back to 1754; the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club was instituted in 1774; the first minute book of the Brantsfield Links Golf Club dates from 1787; and the Edinburgh Burgess Golfing Society claims to have been instituted in 1735. There is, however, a golf club in England—the Royal Bla'ckheath Golf Club—instituted in I*6oß, which has, .it is believed, more ancient records than any of the Scottish clubs; but it is doubted whether some of the clubs first mentioned are not older in point of fact although actual proof of this cannot be produced. Whether the Scottish clubs are or not, the Blackheath Club Jim the honor not only of possessing the oldest records, but also of being one of the very few golf dubs in England until within a comparatively recent period. CRICKET. R, Abel ha* for the eighth successive year made over 2,000 runs in the cricket season. He is 41 years of age, which makes the performance all the more remarkable. His scores are: 189? 2,057 loyo ... ... .... poift 1897 .... _ .... ;:; ;: !;g; 1893 2.055 1899 „. 2,685 1900 ... 2,592 ,1902 2,000r Ibe record individual aggregate. ' f Season not complete. Ahsan-ul-Hak, the Indian cricketer who recently made his debut as a first class player with Middlesex, told a good storv to an interviewer who represents 'Cricket*' The incident took place in India. "In mv early days," he said, "I found it verv difficult to pronounce Englirii words", and | How's that?' was beyond my powers. So irstead of saying 'How's that, umpire?' as all the others did, I was obliged to confine myself to 'Umpire?' The captain of the opposing side knew of this peculiarity, and warned the umpire that if I did not say 'How's that?' he was not to give the main out, as the law ordered that the words 'How's that, Umpire?' must bo used. In vain did I appeal when bowling. The umpire was obdurate But my turn came when we went in to bat. We were playing without bails (for this incident occurred when I was very young). Presently a ball got past my bat, and hit the off stump, but I did not offer to go. It was explained to me that I was out, hut I replied that the laws ordered that a etump must be knocked out of the ground when there were no bails on, and that this had not been done. My argument was recognised as unassailable, and althongh I was afterwards bowled twice I did not go out until I was caught." Speaking of the test match, the author of all sorts of sport in the 'Daily Express' says: "Gregory, Hill, Hopkins, and Darling all did clever work in the field, but the palm must be awarded Diiff, whose catching and picking up were brilliant." That tho writer in question is of opinion that there was no want of magnanimity on the part of the Manchester crowd may be judged from tho following paragraph: " Well played! Well played I" was the crythat greeted tho Australians a3 they raced up the steps of the members' stand at Old Trafiord. Not a man among them but will always remember the generosity of those grievously-disappointed Englishmen, "It was a superb outflow of sterling-hearted-ness," said an Australian afterwards. At the theatre at night when the colonials entered thero was tremendous cheering, and for some minutes tho footlight actors were out of the hunt compared with the lusty Cornstalks. , "Jack, send down your fast ball!" yelled a solitary Australian sitting among the crowd at Manchester. That waa the- ball that did it. Tate, nervous beycud all doubt, had his off stump uprooted. Kelly grabbed the ball as a trophy. The little group in the Australian reserve sprang up as one man and cheered madly. The colonials, yelling like a lot of schoolboys, rushed off the field.

The ' Globe' of July 28 prints the following:—Tea Totals.—" Trumper is an abstainer." "The pace of his run getting after luncheon was quite delirious." Yet, though he shuns the bumper, It's manifest that Trumper The best of bowling still can smash With quit© intoxicating dash.

It may (says the 'British Australasian ! ) leaven the three-run defeat of England at Manchester for some to learn that in Berkshire an Australian team were signally defeated by 55 runs on July 19. The conquered were a. fairly composite team from the Antipodes, including five Victorians, three New South Welshmen, two South Australians, and one Tasmanion. A string gale of wind which blew across the ground all day cycloned the ladies' marquee and interfered slightly with the "afternoon tea," but, nevertheless, the cordial welcome and unfailing attention of the hosts to their viators lessened considerably such trivial drawbacks. The Australians were the guests to dinner of Mr James Sinclair, a Ceylon teaplanter, whose thirty years' travelling to and fro on Anglo-Australian liners has brought hhn into close contact with many leading notabilities from "down under." The host and hostess presided at the dinner served in the banqueting hall, and seemed heartily pleased that their guests performed better there than on the green turf. It was certainly a never-to-be-forgotten night for tho "exiles." Hayward's benefit, everyone will be pleased to learn, was a decided financial success. The meeting was between those old rivals Surrey and Yorkshire, and the batsmen had their own way right through. Eight Tykes reached double figures, and Lord Hawke took the lead with 126. Jackson contributed 77, Taylor 64, and Haigh 62. ' Appropriately enough, Hayward showed the way to his comrades, and missed the century by only 5 runs. Levc-gon-Gower was his best supporter, with 70. The scoring in the second innings of Yorkshire was remarkably even, and in a total of 565 for three wickets Taylor made 88 not out, Washington 84, Jackson 81 not out, Brown 52, and TunnicliuV42. Rhodes (two for 116), Hirst (two for 103), aud Haigh (one for 73), together with Lockwood's seven for 189, indicated the work of the bowlers.

of August 7 reproduce* "the only known photograph of the King as a cricketer," in a group of some members of tlie Bullingdon Club; taken when His Majesty was Prince of Wales. L. C. Braund had a big share in the seven wickets'victory which Somerset gained over Middlesex. His *bat yielded 59 and 46 not out, and his ball three for 55 and three for 85. A. E. Lawton, who scored well for Derbyshire against the Australians, hammered the Hampshire bowling to the tune of 146. Llewellyn replied with 109, but rain prevented what promised an interesting finish. ■ . London County., (184, with Poidevin 47 as top scorery had a bad time at the hands of Leicestershire, who made no fewer than.

482 for seven wickets. A. Knight was 190 not out tfhen rain irtterferetl, and S. Coe made 102.

Albert Ward's benefitwas "much interrupted by win,, and no definite conclusion was arrived at'between. Lancashire and Yorkshire, although the latter had a listi oji' the game, They put up 499" for five' .wickets. Hirst made .112 -and Denton 108 (both multdshed}, Jackson 82, .TunnicliffQ i 59, .and IVylor and Washington 55, cacliU Lancashire made only 243, fco doobtieSß!; tkev were thankful for the fain to''save, them from defeat. ATHLETICS. ■'-'..;"■■;: '/■*" In tepiy to the questions of an interviewer regarding G. W. Smith's 1 running in the 120 Yartfe Hurdle* Clfampioaship' of England, the Canterbury • ffiah, Simpsohj said that the comparatively blow time: he put up in the championship was due*to .tho'. lace that tho ground was _so uneven that he had to be more careful aboufc bis jump* ihg.th&n he would -have been on a firsw class ground. One London paper had expressed the option thafe.Ttefford could beat Smith, but the Aucklander proved that, this waa incorrect by afterwards giving Trafford 2yds start and a 2yds beating. Information baa been received ty Mr E. S. Marks, honl secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association of Australasia, t&htoem* tag th© Olympian Qames of 1904, to be hold at Chicago. The Committee on Final Atb* letics of tho Olympian Games of 1804 is in prooesa of and it will tonsisfc of the most represontatuvo and prominent letic sportsmen of the United States and foreign countries. The names of four men are required, ltspresentativo of the Australian section of the world of sport, who are considered the beat qualified to collaborate in tho "work of the Committee. Oh September 2 Mr Marias forwarded a. letter, stating that it would be extremely difficult to sentaiives together owing to distinct organisations controlling each branch of sport. On behalf of tho Amateur Atkletio Union, Mr Coombes and Mr Marks would, the letter continued, " be very pleased to collaborate with the Committee on behalf of Australasia. We could advise as to possibilities and probabilities of the other sports in Australasia to bo decided at' the games, although we would have no direct warrant or mandate to represent them." SMITH AND SIMPSON Iff ESQLAND. As the information pubbshed from time to time concerning the doings -of G. W. Smith and W. F. Simpson while in England has been scrappy and by no means complete, the Aucklander has, at my request (says the athletic editor of the 'New Zealand Herald'), favored me with a somewhat brief yet complete record of their doings. Here it is:—Leaving Lyttelton on March 21, wo had a fine passage to London, and kept in hard training on board, the captain and officers doing all in their power to assist us. Landing in London on May 15, we had to find board and lodging, for ourselves, and eventually got quarters ill Fulhain, S.W., close to the Stamford Bridge ground. We immediately started in strong work for the championship, but were certainly not in love with the track; I really don't know how it gets its name. The first meeting we competed' at was at Horsham, on May 31. I turned out in the 120 yds hurdles scratch race, and won very easily by 15yds; Simpson started in tho mile with 70yds from J. Binks, and ran unplaced. We next ran at the Metropolitan Fire Brigade A.A.A., myself off in the lOQyds flat and Simpson off 85yds in the mile, both running unplaced. On Saturday, June 14, wo started at the Civil Service sports at Stamford Bridge. I was fiving away. 13yds and the first hurdle own on a very heavy track, and ran second, while Simpson, with 85yds start, won the 150 yds nmifc mile race. I also started in a 440 yds hurdles, the bmit : man having 40yds and tho first hurdle down, but only ran half the distance. These, like all races on the Stamford Bridge ground, were run right hand in, and it proved very awkward "to us after being used to running left hand in. On Saturday, June 21, I went to Huddersfield, where I met Mr Trafford. He was handicapped to jrive me Iyd in the 120 yds and 3yds in the 500 yds hurdles. Trafford, however, did not get into the final, being beaten by Gowing, of Newport. Gowing also won the final from me. I was warning this race, but had the bad luck to strike the last flight, bringing down three hurdles and giving Gowmg a clear r,un in, , Later on in the day I wetit out for thb SOOyds hurdles, and won both my heat and finaL After the sports I went on to Bradford with Mr George Stephenson, of Dunedin, and spent a few days with him, during which time 1 saw the Australian cricketers play Yorkshire. After the match I returned to London to put the final touches dii for *he championship. On June 27 Simpidn visited Cobb am to run in a three-mile; race, in which event he finished fourth, and that was the last race before the big meeting on July 5. We both took care to get as well as we could, and it was a treat to see the sun shine out for a bit. it was very warm on the day of the sports. I was the first to turn out, the four miles ; not coming on till late in the afternoon. There were four starters in tho 120 yds hurdles championship—viz., Tralfordj Carey, Phillips, and myself. The starter quickly gob us away to a good start, and I went to the front from the pistol crack, anjd was never hard pressed at any part- of tie race, winning by a couple of yards. Simpson turned out for the four miles, and, all things considered, ran a grand race. He was only a couple of yards behind Shrubb for three miles and a-quarter, but then his side gave way. Ho, however, ran the full distance, and got under standard time, j I have seen a few runners, but never one who gets more out of himself than Simpson. He is, without doubt, the gamest runner 1 have seen on tbe track; when finished ho could not actually stand. After the championships Simpson and myself; went to the dinner tendered to the visitors, but both of us were unwell, Simpson tying bad from his run, while I had a faintin<r fit, and Drs Donovan and Badger were 'attending to me for oyer an hour. We i consequently saw very little of the dinner that night. On, the Saturday following (July 12) I went on to Birmingham, and ran second to S. S. Jones (America) in the 120 yds | hurdles. In this I was owing 16yds audi Jones owed 15yds. tn the 440 yds hurdle!, I was the scratch man, and I ran second in both the heat and the final—the latter being run in 561 sec, beaten by 6yds. Simpson started m the ono mile handicap and Iran unplaced from the 50yds mark. On the Monday I went on to Stourbridge, and started in the 120 yds hurdles from 16yds | behind, and again ran second to S. S. Jones. I also started in the 220vds flat, ijut could not get up to the field. This'>as the last meeting I competed at to England, and of all the tracks I saw while a* Homo there were none to come up to jho Auckland Domain. The best ground t ran on was the Birmingham track, after which I liked most the Huddersfield ground. G. W. Smith informs the! same writer that if overtures were made, it is quite on the cardß that a visit to ti? colonies of some of the famous American athletes could be arranged f(jr. Whih in Eno-'and. Mr G. W. Orton, the American distance runner, spoke tojhe Aucklaidcr about a visit to Australia, and New Zealand of un American team, and seemed very keen on the idea. j FOOTBALL. I . At a meeting of the Management Comnvitte of the New Zealand Rugby Union at Wellington last night correspondence: was read with regard to the proposed visit of a, New Zealand team to England] The AgentGeneral wrote that ho was much' in the project. He had interviewed the football authorities in London, who appeared to think the question of professionalism would prove a serious {obstacle, but the matter had baen left to a sub-committee, Mr Rowland Hill (secretary of the English Union) wrote .that the Xrnion.'cpultLnot; see their way to relax the professional regulalit n3. The English Union would do. everytliing to make ihe tour of tho New Zealanders a success. Thfe letters v were dis cussed at great length, and it was finally decided that afltliated Unions be/advised that it is possible under the existing, rules to send a team to England, and Uiat the unions be requested to supply the names of players who v.ould be willing to make one of, a team ;• that the secretary apply to the English Union for' information regarding. fixtures, estimated receipts, and costofmaJnIftining a team of twenty-five mc-a in. .England for three months. '> . >

CYCLING. , '| At the Bendigo meeting, held on October 1 13, C. E. Burton again rode well, but was | outrgenorallcd by tho older tfders ih both J events, ft. OonafeLl) aNw Zeaknder, its 1 a promising matt, finely proportioned, and performed c*editai)jry in.his heat, of the. two miles, and was vjery proatntht nil'tiirough in the scratch fcWCv: ; He lacks ;csperienca and judgment. '■'■'.-.:''.;.'•.: : ' "•'"'. ■ :. Extracts froHi a Icttar froHt 1?; & Beaudated August;s> at Ottawa, Canada, make mteresting roadrng., He wtites:— '•Martin had & fall in training yesterday, but was not severely Injured. '■■. He, was working behind T&ytop (tie negro),.who did not know that *BUP wis on ha wheel,-and who, ronhing- out forced Martin!' op to the fence, into which ho crashed, .i i. . . . Tajlor is the. fastest rider- bv America, ;bat ..the do not give him much chance, blocking him wherever ] possible. ...." , -'. , The Astnericaft championship is run on different lines.rroto the straight-out Australasian style. A quill'lying championship race is dfedded at every meeting on the «i«suit, tfhitth is a big dr&w. The winner, second, thira, and fourth men score &>. many points, and the rider scoring the highest', aggregate. number during the Season ..wins the. title ,of 'champion of America.' ' This.airrMigtoient is very, fair* and popular .with the tracks* the best man man generally comitg out oft top,. . . • ." 1- "Fortis," in.the 'Australasian,' tbus < discourses .on the proper method of pedalling t ■'—"A, rider using ankle action instead of bushing' straight do*n like a, : piston-rod fnoveS Mi ankle so that the power is defected along the ate of tho cirdo described by the pin ot the crank. A safe and simple iuide itor anyone to is that the "nil leverage <rf & bicycle crank is obtained only whe& the power is applied Oh the are of.the ciftile of the pedal pin, aiid not biitside nor. inside the circle. Although the xzXtib of ankle action' should" be understood by. every rider, there are'but few who realite the large saviitg of power which may be Bad from so simple an effoii. At high Speeds it does not count for mtich, but when climbing hills or fighting head, wihdu there is much to b* gained. It takes eonfederable practice to acquire it thoroughly." During a recent twenty-five miles motorpaced match contest at Boston, in which tire riders were travelling at a pace equal to lnm> 25see per mile, one of the competitor* had a most sensational fall- The chain of his pacing machine broke, and the rider colliding with the motor was thrown into the air over the head of his near pace' niaker. His machine shot over the fence, ! while be slid and biiuaded along the tra*k. Although cut'and bruised badly, no bones were broken, and the race, stopped int* mediately after the fall, was decided on the follovring evening.

So the new storage battery of Edison's seems to be a fact, after all. Twenty-one cells were made, and fitted to an autotaobllc, which, with two men as passen' gers, weighed % cwt. . The Car. tan sixtytwo miles without stopping, up hill and down dale. At the end of the journey the { car Was malting 83 per cent, of the speed with which ib started. This new storage ( battery is made of nickeled iron. . It has far greater storage capacity than anything of the kind ever before made, and if this method is successful it Means that petrole engines won't be wanted; that anyone can keep a car and get it charged tip at any electrifc generating station for a couple of shillings to carry the car a few hundred ffiiles.SWBVTMTNG. A contemporary publishes the following letter from George Read to a friend:—"l want to tell you that I am quite comfortable in England. The money that I received ran out by tire time of the Mile Championship, and Mr Foy is now looking after me. .Re. the Male. Championship: The excitement was too much for me. There were thousands of people there, and I can assure you' I was not myself on the day. The 500 yds was tie race I thought I was going to win. It was swum iu heats, and in my hoat I was only playing, but in the final I could not swim at all. Cavill and I were alongside each other all the way, and in the last lap he beat mv home, and nearly caught BiDington. H« can always win a inim if be is with his man at the finish--you know how fast he crawls. BiUington has turned out a surprise packet this'yearj has he not? "And I-suppose you are l wondering Jarvis is not storting in all tiie i races. - Well, some news of the five miles race: I went in that race thinking I hadn't a ghost of a chance of getting placed, and only had a few days' long swimming. Fred Lane was at Blackpool. We all dived in together, and I left the lot of them, and was leading for two miles, and then had to fease up owing to cramp in my right leg, and that is how Jarvis passed me. I was leading by tea yards in some places,, but towards the finish I died off terribly, as I was'cramped from bead to foot. It was a grand race for third place, and Cavill only Won by his sprinting power." Speaking of the English long-distance championship, the 'Sportsman' of July 21 says;—'"Possibly there nevei 1 have ber-n seen three such fine swimmers- in the longdistance championship as Jarvis, Read, and Cavill, who occupied the first three places on Saturday. For years Jarvis has stood alone as the finest long-distance swimmer in Europe. Four times he had won the race, making hacks of all other English and Continental swimmers. This year it. was at least thought that with the Australasian and Australian champions here there would be a chance of seeing Jarvis beaten, but it was as of yore, and the Leicester flyer registered his fifth successive win- It certainly was a better race than has been seen for a number of years past, as for considerably'over a mile Read pulled Jarvis along at a great pace. However, from Barnes.Bridge there was only one man in it. The strength and reserve power of the holder told its tale, and. from that pointto the finish he had the race well won. Without Jarvis in the race Read would have put up a very fine performance, as his time indicated. When the race started the best of the tide had run out; in fact, it would have been by far better had the event been swum off an hour earlier. Yet-, although the slowest' tone for the past six years, it is very godd indeed. As a matter of fact, after all these years, the public have still to see Jarvis fully extended; he has only once been beaten in an A.SIA. event during five years—m 1899, by F. C. V. Lane, in the Salt Water Championship. The great strugglo on Saturday was between Cavill and.Sharp, for third place, for from Hammersmith to the finish they went at it in grand style, being almost level to the finish, when Cavill's spurt won him the place. The times and positions of the men that finished were as follow:—1, J. A. Jarvis, Leicester, Ih 13min 27sec; 2, George Read, East Svdnoy, N.S.W., lh 14mm lOsec; 3, R. Cavill, Otter S.C, r N.S.W., lh 16minS0sec; 4, G. E. Sharp, Leicester, lh 16mm 55sec; 5, D. V. Cow, Otter, lh 20min lOsec; 6, A. B. Ghiistison, St. Andrew's Home S.C., lh 28min 25sec; 7, H. S. Stevens, Dreadnought, lh 34min 35sec; 8, T. Hose, Hammersmith, lh 40min 50sea* Our London correspondent writes:— The absence through indisposition of Rob Derbyshire, who \ with F. C. V. Lane was the joint holder of the.22o yards record, robbed the championship at that distance of much of its interest for English swimmers, and left this race a virtual match between Lane and Dick CavilL It is true there was a third party on the board at the Weston-super-Mare Baths on August 18—namely, Harrison, of Swindon —but he might just as well have viewed the race from the side of the bath, for he couldnlt live, with the Australian cracks even in the first length. The pair got ajvay to.a very even start, and at a tremendous pace swam head and head for four lengths. Then Lane forged ahead, and at the last turn was nearly a yard iu front. Cavillj .however, was not "■ done with, and putting in one of _those electric spurts for which. he has .become quite famous" here, " drew rapidly on Lane, and it was only by a touch that Derbyshire's old antagonist beat his fel-low-townsman, in the grand tune of 2min 28|sec, - which is 6isec better than the record . aforementioned, achieved in the Lane-Derbyshire _ championship dead-heat in '2mih 34gsec, ih September, 1900. , So close, was the finish that many present ,tlibught Cavill had just won, and others clamored for a " dead-heat "j but, small

r 1 as -was Lane's margin, .there is no dottbt that he did "get bomb first. Another" yard and Cavill tronld have "wion, loir he' ifras finishing much &ibre fctrongly thah,l>!ms •who \raa "411 out 1 ' when he'reached hftffle. On August fe& <Wfl fcrtfad effln6- coftMb-' latibn.for his Barrow defeat in "the',§a& yards by the annexation of the 440 Yards Safe Water - decided 08 South Shields, His victory *as almost a foregone conclusion, for Di of Bacup, the. holder, was absent x!as bank ing at York, and though George Bead *M in opposition he Was hot, on his torn in the Half-tafia, likely to be "'dangeWsfiV* and the only other competitors Were Prie&Uy, of Northtttab«rland,• and Bailey, xtt Tynemeuih, neither of vhoin is "in the BMbb Street" with the Attstraliana. The lftce *as decided in a Very smooth Sea. Froita the-pltttoge Catfill led, and, ■frith Bead in hot pursuit, the pair quickly teffe the northern pair in the rear. When half the course had been covered the Australians were sWitiiniing neck and neck at a rare pace \ but "Read then began to forge ahead, and a hundred yards from heme ■Was a body's length to the JootL Bt> they Bwam for 6% yards, but Cavill theft ooinfltehtsed to drtrtr up rapidly; Thirty yards from the post he had. got on teMnS x»ith ■Read, and then eal&e another of his fafclous '".hondfed-yard-gait " finidies, which landed hiffi a linnet by a couple of long yards, in Siftin 4|see. Read's tiffie was 58nin fefsec, but Burton and Priestly lingered so long on their \ray honie that they failed by half a inimite to secure even standard inedafo.