OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 41, 25 June 1881, Page 451

OUT DOOR SPORTS

— Elias Laycock won £100 at the recent Grafton Regatta. — Vaughan and Pawell, tlie Englishman, Ijeat O'Leary and Albert, American pedestrians easily. — In the race with Kivby, Triekett used a sliding seat, and liis opponent a fixed one. — The Sabrina has been dismantled, and will be hauled up for tlie season at Carr's. — The Magic is to be raffled for shortly. The winner may be proud of his luck. — Query ! who are the leading members of the new Ponsonby Football Team. — Swanson and McGechie played very hard for North Shore in the match against Auckland. — Dufaur's collaring for Auckland last Saturday week was very good. — The favourite "shanty" on board the Hawk is 'cveaway, 'eveaway, we are all bound to go. — Captain AVebb has accepted W. Becksmith's terms for two matches for £100 each— a twenty miles and a six days' swim. —Wallace Ross wants to arrange matches with Wnrran Smith, George Hosmer, and Charles Courtney. — Rush will have a new boat by Swaddle and Winship for his match with Laycock, and for the "Walker- whiskey contest. — J. C. AVilliams, the Sydney pedestrian, recently won a twenty -four hours go-as-yon-please contest at Knpunda, South Australia, covering 112 miles and six laps. — The heavy downpour of rain prevented the two football matches which were announced for last Saturday from taking place. They were consequently postponed, til], to-morrow. — O'Connor and Mears played a fine game last Saturday week for North Shore. The former especially has much improved, and works especially well in the scrimmages. — Grafton play against North Shore on Saturday, but all inducements to get the champion runner to help them, have failed — too much like hard work to cross the water. — Our footballers speak in high terms of Mr P. Butler's drop kicking. He is practising daily, and is pretty sure to be selected as "full back" in the intercolonial representative team. —Albert White was in steady practice at . Mercury Bay from the time he accepted Hearn's challenge. He intended to resume his training at "Wellington without any delay. — Betting in Auckland on the champion sculling match is very even, but if anything, "White is rather the favourite. Hearn is a strong favourite at Wellington, and it is believed that he will be heavily backed. — Coursing is the popular amusement' at Christchurch just now. A movement is on foot there to form a company to get about 500 acres of land on the model of the English Plunrpton Grounds. The proposal has been well received. — The language used in the match at North Shore last Saturday week was at times decidedly unprrliamentnry. "Was it because of the weather or the easiness of the victory? The latter- surely ought to have exercised a contrary effect. —Albert White was in apparently good form and excellent spirits when he left for Wellingtctoi. He spoke pretty confidently regarding the match, and it was evftlent from his tone that he intended to make a struggle for the honour of this part of the Colony. — Albert AVhite took with him to AVellington a new outrigger, which he built for himrelf at Mercury Bay. Its weight is only S)Bilbs., while the dimensions ore: Length, 32ft.; beam, ll^in.; depth, sJin. The boat is a very pretty one, and exceedinly light one. — A football match was to have taken place place at Melbourne last week between teams selected from the Melbourne clubs (Jnd the officers of the squadron A similar match should be arranged to come off at Auckland during the Visit of the men-of-war to this port. —A seven miles walking match for £35 a« side, took place at Saltwater Creek, near Timaru, last Thursday, the competitors being two local men named Lawrie and Lambart. The latter won easily, bleating his opponent by about 25 yards. According to the time ' taken, the seven miles were walked by Lambert in 58inin, ssecs. — E. L. AVilliams, a 6culler a.nd boat-\milder, of LowelL Mass., has applied for a patent for a system of diagonal bracing from gunwale to gunwale of boats, and from ridgepool to keel. It is said that this improvement imparts 200 per cent additional strength, while reducing the weight very materially. — It is almost certain that football matches will be played this season against the Thames and Waikato teams. The players of the latter district are desirous that an Auckland team should go up there, dad the treatment that their representative cricketers received on their recent trip to this city will scarcely offer much encouragement to them to come down. — It is now almost certain that the proposed trip of a New Zealand football team to Sydney will prevent any Auckland team from going South this year. There was a slight probability of such a team being formed, but some of the best players would necessarily have to be left out of it in consequence of being unable to obtain an additional leave of absence. Consequently, tlie eighteen could not be looked upon as our best possible selection. Acxsogr.