pounds each; ten young horses and brood mares at prices even below that; and five lots of hounds (46) brought eighty guineas. The latter were principally bought by the new club, to hunt the Durham and Sedgefield countries.

8

Lord Chesterfield's hunters were brought to the hammer on the Monday before Epsom, and knocked down at the following sums:Snarley-Yow, 200 guineas; Jew's Eye, 200 guineas; Monarch, 180 guineas; Hi-ski-Hi, 155 guineas; The Doctor, 125 guineas; Bungaree, 84 guineas; Jack of Clubs, 70 guineas; The Bath Guide, 50 guineas; Bush, 50 guineas; and four others at something like five-and-twenty each.

On the same day, Sir Francis Holyoake Goodricke also committed his stud to the mercies of Messrs. Tattersall; and it will be observed, considering "the season of the year," that ample justice was allowed them :-Hotspur, 340 guineas; Bolero, 250 guineas; Galopade, 240 guineas; Cerito, 170 guineas; Spinster, 150 guineas; North Star, 150 guineas; Sorcerer, 125 guineas; President, 120 guineas; Shepherdess, 98 guineas; Tinker, 85 guineas; Fugleman, 78 guineas; Buckhunter, 77 guineas; Confidence, 72 guineas; Conqueror, 71 guineas; Chicken Hazard, 71 guineas; Stranger, 60 guineas; Mistake, 52 guincas; Surrey, 50 guineas; Countess, 42 guineas; Patrick, 39 guineas; and two others for fifty-four guineas the pair.

LORD THANET's Fox.-The late Earl of Thanet was in the habit of removing every year with his hunters and hounds, from Hathfield, near Ashford, in Kent, to another seat he had in Westmoreland. A short time previous to one of these removals, a fox had been run to ground near Hathfield, and upon being dug out, he proved to be so extraordinarily large and fine a one, that his lordship directed it to be conveyed to Westmoreland. In the course of the next season a fox was again run to earth at Hathfield, and, upon being dug out, the huntsman, whippers-in, and earth-stoppers, all declared that it was the same fox which had been taken into Westmoreland, as it had an unusually large white blaze on the forehead. Lord Thanet was exceedingly energetic in his expressions of disbelief of the statement of his people, but they persisted in their assertions, and, having car-marked the fox, he was again taken into Westmoreland, and turned loose, in the neighbourhood of Appleby Castle. In hunting the next season, at Hathfield, a fox was killed, which proved to be the one in question, and which had thus twice found its way from Westmoreland into Kent. By what instinct or exertion of its faculties the animal was enabled to do this (the distance from one place to the other being above 320 miles) it is not easy to form an idea. [We take the above from a provincial paper. Reynard's third and fatal encounter with his old enemies is certainly somewhat singular, but as far as regards the mere journey, we could repeat tales of this description in which dogs, cats, and even pigs, have an equal claim on the lovers of the marvellous and "home, sweet home." By the way, did Lord Thanet ever hunt in that almost unhuntable country called Westmoreland? We cannot help thinking he was the immediate predecessor of the renowned John Corbet, and for Westmoreland should read Warwickshire. Again, have we not heard something of

this already in "Daniel's Rural Sports?" These, however, are mere queries for the authority who supplied the Chester Chronicle with the anecdote, to answer or not as he thinks proper.]

For the Heavy-weight Chase the Marquis of Waterford was also placed first on Blueskin, but was disqualified in consequence of going on the wrong side of a flag; and the judge having neglected to place a second, the race was declared void.

The glories of the Circus are once more revived. We don't allude to Astley's, but to the Racing and Steeple-chasing with which the foxhunters of Rome have wound up the season. A course, said to be equal to Ascot, was marked out at the foot of the Mons Sacer; but after the line had been roped and staked, the Teverone burst its banks, and a move was necessarily made to another piece of ground, where, within sight of the circus of Romulus, the different events were decided. Lord Walpole's Demon won the Chesterfield Handicap and the Grand Steeple Chase; for the latter Mr. De Burgh's The Moor, a horse that has had some experience over a country in Old England, ran the black gentleman to half a length.

STATE OF THE ODDS, &c.

Under this heading, we usually give our summary of the amount of business done, and other matters connected with the turf; and even now we see no reason for altering it. It is true we have not a quotation to offer about the Ascot Cup, the Goodwood events, or the Doncaster St. Leger. No; we must confine ourselves to the old story that has been agitating the United Kingdom for the last six months; and, from what we can see, may possibly keep it in that very agreeable state of suspense for a few months longer. To stick to our text, we may at once give the latest betting on the Derby of 1844.

Even between Mr. Wood's Running Rein and Col. Peel's Orlando. Since the race the state of the odds has varied from 10 to 1 on Running Rein, to 6 to 4 on The Colonel; and the "give and take" has already been for very considerable sums. The partial settling on the Tuesday went off better than could have been expected, considering the many drawbacks to anything of the kind. Every bet in which the first and second, as placed by the judge, were concerned, by a general understanding and a very proper one, too-stands over until another judge, with a jury, shall have "fought the battle o'er again." Mr. Crockford's widow, in the most honourable manner, sent his book-with a cheque to the amount of his loss, seven hundred, a little more or less-to Mr. Tattersall, who appointed Mr. F. Clarke to pay and receive; and there is but little doubt that all parties, who have not already done so, will see the necessity of immediately squaring their accounts, according to the opinion given by Lord Stradbroke and the Hon. G. S. Byng on the subject.

The majority of our readers we presume, ere this, know the story of "the unfortunate Leander" (strictly classical that epithet) by heart. How he lost his life in crossing the Downs; how he was buried; how he was exhumed; how his friends kept his lower jaw, and his foes got the upper; and how Mr. Bartlett, of Dorking, and Mr. Field, of Oxford-street, swore by these fragments that he was four years old; how, again, the venerable Mr. Forth declared his innocence, and testified of the honesty! of Messrs. Lichtwald, and the ferocity of their horse; how the latter, with a degree of instinct unequalled by anything Mr. Jesse or the Ettrick Shepherd have told us, refused to have his teeth cleaned; or how, on the other hand, Leander had submitted, in February last, to an examination by a country vet.; and how then he did not show signs of having entered his fourth summer.

This is a long story, disgraceful certainly in many respects, and funny in others. We have heard that Mr. Lichtwald's fellow-countrymen-conscious of his superiority in certain turf practises-have long since done him "the honour;" and really we think we might find some excuses almost as good as those offered by Mr. Forth for taking it as a precedent in this happy land. By-the-way, we wonder whether this Mr. Forth, in all the innocence of his heart, ever had the curiosity to open Julia's mouth ?-a lady, it will be remembered, to whom Colonel Anson and others were so ungallant as to object. Perhaps, however, Julia-like most young ladies-objects on her part to such a very disagreeable process; and would naturally be flattered by being taken for a year or two younger than she possibly may be.

The fate of the prophets warns us, even now, from saying what is to win the Derby; as it yet has to be seen whether our facetious friend Punch is so dead certain in saying

"'Tis the horse that first comes in,
Shall alone the Derby win."

COMPETING RAILWAYS TO EPSOM.-ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY. A committee of the House of Commons, with Lord Howick in the chair, have just decided upon granting the Croydon Company's branch railway to Epsom, and on rejecting that of the rival company, the South Western. The great characteristic of this protracted contest is, that the Croydon company propose to lay down a line from Epsom to London (a length of twenty-one miles) on the atmospheric system. Mr William Cubitt, Mr. Brunel, Mr. Samnold, Mr. Barry Gibbons, and other eminent engineers, were examined for the atmospheric plan, and Mr. Robert Stephenson against it. The subject excites much interest in the scientific world.

HAMPTON RACES.-In consequence of the determination of "the powers that be" to prevent gambling, the funds will be so greatly reduced, that it has been determined to confine the ensuing Hampton Races to two days; and two, we think, would have always been sufficient.

The Scotts, it would appear, have at length agreed upon a formal separation. William the jockey, as rumour gives it, having taken Highfield House, Malton, where he will forthwith commence public

training on Langton Moor. John Scott's St. Leger, and other lots for the great events next season, stand at present as follows:

THE GAMING COMMITTEE.-We understand that Lord Palmerstone, the Chairman, has drawn up a luminous report upon the evidence taken before the select committee of the House of Commons on the gaming laws, and that it will shortly be presented to the house.

RACING ON THE CONTINENT.-At the Chantilly grand meeting, May 16th, the Oaks prize of 6,000f., added to a sweepstakes of 100f. each, was won by Prince Beauveau's Lanterne, by Hercules, out of Elvira, beating Angelina and five others. Mr. Aumont's Cavatine was the favourite, but bolted at the first turn. On Sunday, May 19th, the French Derby of 7,000f. added to a sweepstakes of 600f. each, 300 ft., was also won cleverly by Lanterne, beating Cavatine, who ran her to a length, Angelina (3) and thirteen others.

The Committee appointed for managing Lancaster Races have made the most satisfactory arrangements, and entertain good hopes that the ensuing meeting will be one of the best ever known: at Nottingham, too, the townsmen are up and doing, and promise alterations and additions that shall be mutually agreeable to themselves and their

visitors.

END OF VOL. XI.

Printed by Joseph Rogerson, 24, Norfolk-street, Strand, London.

INDEX

ΤΟ

THE ELEVENTH VOLUME.