find his way across country. Still he has a trifle more at the point of the shoulder than we like to see. Acrobat, hailing from a "horserepository," which we suppose is what is vulgarly called a liverystable, is a lengthy, short-legged horse, full of blood and character, as well as an Irishman, and looking like a pleasant horse to ride, but we should have given him credit for being a year or two more than six. He is a rarity, and one may travel some miles before meeting with his fellow. Mr. D. M'Intosh's Voltigeur is a cobby hunter, that we spoke favourably of when exhibited at merry Islington, while Cambric's merit we could not exactly sec. Mr. Stanford's Spanton, who was placed second to Mischief at Islington, has power, but a short neck, and not elegant shoulders; in fact, there is a common but useful look about him; while Capt. Unett's grey mare Alice is a very nice one, if not much noticed by the judges. The four-year-olds, with eighteen in, were poor, Ashwell winning easy. He is a bay, and a short horse for his height, with breed and grand limbs; indeed, we seldom see such arms and thighs on a horse; but he is much disfigured by being very thick and throaty at the setting on of the head. Another from the same string, and commended, is somewhat like him in contour, but much lighter, and, if anything, higher on the leg. The Hawk has a hunting frame, but a shelly one, and is long and light in his shank bones, and does not look like a wear-and-tear customer. Major Quentin showed Sedan, although he was not down in the catalogue-a horse that took a prize at Islington for something, and long enough in the back to take up half-a-dozen behind the saddle. Roulette, a commended one, was shown at Islington this year, and was the first twoyear-old here in '67, and the first three-year-old in '68. Then Sprig of Nobility, Topstall, Shambally, and Ashwell came in to contend for the cup for the best hunter in either of the classes, which, after a turn over the bar, was awarded to Topstall. Mr. Cookson and Mr. Topham had acted as judges so far, when Mr. Bennett came on in place of the latter, who retired. The dozen three-year-olds were not grand, but a fair class. Barrister, by The Lawyer-a horse with a slight stain in his pedigree that keeps him out of the stud-book, but a first-class horse for a distance-is a chesnut, very nicely made throughout, looking like a thoroughbred, and likely to make a hunter, but not up to great weight; while the Beverley horse, though big, and with hunting characteristics, has not quality enough. The third-a brown rakinglooking filly by Big Ben-has large drooping quarters, like her unfortunate sire, who, when just making a name at the stud, slipped up and broke his thigh. We have just been handed a catalogue of the whole of the Swalcliffe stud, which is for sale, including the stallions Chevalier d'Industrie; Neville, a winner of the Royal Hundred at Worcester; Naseby, who took third at the Royal at Leicester; Cedric, Union Jack, and Picton. The Chevalier by Orlando is a grand horse, with a double-barrelled back and loin, with a groove up the centre that one may lay a walking-stick in. Now is the time to invest for a prize hunting stallion. The two-year-olds were fairly represented, the first being a slashing-looking filly by The Saxon, and that moved well, barring, as we thought, going a little wide behind. The second was a chesnut by The Lawyer, with a nice top and quality, but queer forelegs; while the third was a run-up, waspy-middled, slack-loined thing,

and just what anyone may expect from the loins of the light, corky, herring-gutted American Umpire.

This ended the first day's judging. Shepherd F. Knapp was brought out in trotting gear, but there was no room for him to show off his расез. Messrs. Bennett and Welby commenced with the hacks and roadsters on Wednesday, which were well represented, but many were entered in several classes; for instances, Bird on the Wing, the first in the hacks exceeding fifteen hands, we have already had before us in a hunter class; while Beauty, with length and breed, was worthy of her name; and the third, Gipsy, very neat. Mr. Bromley's Extravaganza, another good-looking one, and a goer, occupied the judges some time in looking her over, particular attention being paid to her feet. The Peer, a well-known horse, was here, and Steamer, a nice one of Mr. Jones'. The weight-carrying hacks were good, with nineteen in the ring, and among them Beda and Sambo from the same stable, both well-known in public, who also appeared afterwards in single and double harness. Then Leybourne, the trotter, was here, and a capital goer he is, striking out bold and well from the shoulder, without any fuss or flourish. Scaramouch and Jerry, both from Myton Hall, the former a cob of great quality, but, as he would not canter, put on one side; while Jerry is a model of an old gentleman's cob, though he would look all the better with a little less carcase. Ginger, a powerful cob from Manchester, and with Albert, who was shown in the previous class afterwards, took first and second honours in single harness horses exceeding fifteen hands, and then again appeared in the pairs, and ran a well-matched pair of carriage horses of Mr. Holmes' so close that Mr. Westley Richards was called in to decide. He very naturally said they are so very different in character, it quite depends whether you want the horses for town or country, and accordingly gave it to the coachers. King Solomon, under the circumstances, we think would have divided the prize. Bobby, the second prize, is very powerful, but not of grand quality; while the black hack from Norfolk is anything but a good specimen of a weight-carrier. The cobs under fourteen were poor, and we thought Mr. Edmunds' Minnie would have had a place. In the ladies' hacks exceeding fifteen hands we have already noticed The Esquire, and the second, a slashing-looking black by Gunboat, but hardly the cut of a lady's horse; while Brunette, the commended, is a very nice mare, and about the best-looking, but one of her legs was a great deal handled by the judges, or we think she would have been asked to take a higher place. Lazaretto by Newminster was also a very nice one for the purpose, bred by the Rawcliffe Company. Socks, a chesnut, so-called after her white legs, which come about half-way up the leg, is a good-looking cobby hack, with manners, and just the size for anyone blessed with a comfortable wife. Lady Jane, a very pretty grey, is more adapted for a light weight, and Mr. Shaw's blood-like chesnut mare Polly for a medium weight in town, country, or with hounds. The harness horses exceeding fifteen hands we have noticed, with the exception of a grand-looking high-stepping grey of Major Stapylton's, and who in harness may not have been recognised as the prize weight-carrying park back at Islington the same year that the Sprig of Nobility took the £100 for the best hunter. Still, although a tower of strength, we fear the grey is seldom called

upon to use it, as he looks but a slave of appetite and sloth, who after trotting a dozen times round the ring, stood weltering in his fat, when it was really distressing to see so fine an animal blowing like an alderman after a dinner of eight-and-twenty courses, including a run to save sixpence and the last 'bus. The Peer was highly commended in this class, and when the Secretary handed the servant in the gig the green riband, he threw it back in the most contemptuous manner, for which conduct he ought to have been ordered out of the Hall then and there, and never allowed to enter another until he had begged pardon. In a very good class of single harness horses not exceeding fifteen hands, the best-looking were Beda, Sambo, Leybourne-an old stager hereDaisy, and Mr. Haines' Marionette of London, and the winner, Fire Fly, a hollow-backed chesnut mare of quality, who was first in the ladies' hacks last year, and, we think, took honours in the name of Duchess the year before; while old Duchess, in her fourteenth year, looks as fresh as ever, though she only took a second-last year she was first in this class. Daisy went as if hung on wires, and Leybourne did step out in style and no mistake, and as he bowled along looked like passing everything on the road. In the tandem of horses and ponies there were a couple of bays from fourteen to fifteen hands high, and two little black ponies. As it was for horses and ponies, we think the Liliputians had the best of it; at any rate it was another case for King Solomon, and the prize might have been divided. The stallions for getting ponies and cobs were not well represented, but Souter Johnny, a grey Arabian, fourteen hands high, whom we noticed at Lincoln, has one of the nicest forehands ever seen on an Arabian; he is a little high on the leg and light in his thighs, but he is a gentleman, and we were glad to see him handed the ribands, although he did not quite answer the description at the heading of the class. King Arthur, a chesnut thirteen hands and a-half high, is a thorough-bred pony, with a strong heavy shoulder. Messrs. Randell and Swale, the latter the breeder of Emblem and Emblematic, two Liverpool steeple-chase winners, judged the dray and agricultural classes. The dray horses it will be seen by the prize-list was a repetition of Beverley, with the grey first and chesnut second; while in the cart horses Honest Tom was first again, and two from Orlingbury, a grey and a black, second and third, while there was a very nice horse from Hanwell, near Banbury, called Forester. In the four-year-olds, Mr. Brierly's beautifully-built grey, with such a head that we have not seen on a cart horse for some time, was a long way the best, although the class was well represented. There were some very capital ponies, and the ring was thronged with them, so that looking for the best was something like the old game of searching for a needle in a bundle of hay.

This was the fourth show, as good as we have seen, and held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Everything went off very well. There was a model veterinarian, who never gave an opinion until asked for one, and kept aloof from the judges, and there seemed every desire on the part of the officials to oblige. As an instance, an elderly gentleman, when the s allion cart horses were being judged, called the veterinarian, and said he should like to see those horses trotted; and although the judges did not consider them trotting cart horses, Honest Tom and his companions went jogging round, as the

next thing we expected was that he would have had them saddled and put the judges up!

J. Topham, Welford.

JUDGES.

LIST.

J. E. Welby, Grantham.
C. Randell, Evesham.
J. Swale, Wolverhampton.

Thoroughbred stallions for getting hunters.-First prize, £30, Major Barlow, Hasketon, Suffolk (Dalesman); second of £10, Westley Richards, Birmingham (Amusement); third of £5, H. Brown, Swindon (Redoubt).

Hunters exceeding 15 hands 2 inches high, equal to 15 stone, 5 years old and upwards. First prize, £30, Major Stapylton, Myton Hall, York (Sprig of Nobility); second of £10, D. McIntosh, Romford (St. Clare); third of £5, S. Berridge, Drayton, Banbury (Grafton).

Hunters exceeding 15 hands 2 inches high, without condition as to weight, 5 years old and upwards.-First prize, £30, and silver cup, Major Barlow (Topstall); second of £10, Major Quentin, Cheltenham (Tres-Ace); third of £5, G. V. Wart (Thekla). Highly commended: Westley Richards (Vengeance and Widmerpool). Commended: N. Dyer (Blair Athol).

Hunters not exceeding 15 hands 2 inches high.-First prize, £20, Westley Richards (Shambally); second of £10, W. A. Corbet, Evesham (Tupsley). Highly commended: H. Humphrey, Cheltenham (Acrobat). Commended: J. Gilman, Birmingham (Esquire); W. Everett, Bromsgrove (Cambria); and D. McIntosh (Voltigeur).

Hunters, 4 years old.-Firt prize, £20, Westley Richards (Ashwell); second of £10, W. Morley, Dorking, Surrey (Hawk); third of £5, J. Watson, Waresley, Kidderminster (General Hood). Commended: G. Wise (Roulette); and W. Richards (bay colt).

Three-year-old colts or fillies for hunting purposes.-First prize, £20, J. Aston, Seisdon, Wolverhampton (Barrister): second of £10, G. Holmes, Beverley (bay); third of £5, W. Hurlston, Ditchford, Moreton-in-Marsh (brown).

Two-year-old colts or fillies for hunting purposes.-First prize, £15, Hitchcock, Daventry (chesnut); second of £10, W. Robinson, Tamworth (chesnut); third of £5, J. Watkins, Droitwich (brown).

Hack or roadster exceeding 15 hands high.-First prize, £15, F. Barker, Ingatestone, Essex (Bird-on-the-Wing); second of £10, C. Cook, Winchcomb (Beauty); third of £5, W. E. Evans, Edgbaston (Gipsy).

Weight-carrying hacks, exceeding 14 hands, and not exceeding 15 hands 2 inches high. First prize, £15, J. Hornsby, Grantham (Beda); second of £10, C. Cook, Winchcomb (Bobby); third of £5, W. J. Beart, King's Lynn, Norfolk. Commended: Major Stapylton, Myton Hall, York (Jerry); and A. Turner, Leicester (Young Prior).

Cobs not exceeding 14 hands high.-First prize, £15, G. W. Crum, Pershore (Tommy); second of £10, F. B. Price, Monmouth (Rufus); third of £5, H. E. Williams, Handsworth (Colonel).

Ladies' horses exceeding 15 hands high.-First prize, £15, J. Gilman, Birmingham (Esquire); second of £5, F. B. Jones, Cheltenham (black gelding). Ladies' horses not exceeding 15 hands high. First prize, £15, H. Ashton, Prestwich (Socks); second of £5, W. H. Harrison, Oxenden, Northampton (Lady Jane).

Harness horses exceeding 15 hands.-First prize, £15, C. L. Clare, Higher Broughton, Manchester (Ginger), and second of £5 (Albert). Highly commended: R. L. Chance, Chad Hill, Edgbaston (brown mare); J. Gilman (Turfite); and R. Campbell, King-street, London (Peer). Commended: Cooper, King's Heath (chesnut).

Harness horses exceeding 13 hands 2 inches, and not exceeding 15 hands high.First prize, £15, J. Webb, Edgbaston (Fire Fly); second of £5, T. Worthington, Derby (Duchess). Highly commended; J. Tyler, Birmingham (Leybourne); and J. Clayworth, Moseley Road (Daisy).

Pairs of horses from the two previous classes.-Prize of £20, G. Holmes, Beverley (two bays). Commended: C. L. Clare (Ginger and Albert).

Tandem of horses or ponies.-Prize of £5, G. Tharne, Birmingham.

Ponies in harness not exceeding 18 hands 2 inches high.-First prize, £10, T.

Howdle, Cottingham, Hull (Tommy); second of £5, G. Stevenson, Swan Village (Ben). Highly commended: G. Clements, Birmingham (Beeswing).

Ponies not exceeding 13 hands high.-First prize, £10, W. Tyler, Birmingham (Billy); second of £5, J. Darling, Burton-on-Trent (Black Prince). Commended: H. A. Gem, Halesowen (Taffy).

Ponies not exceeding 12 hands high, to carry children.-First prize, £10, T. Howdle, Cottingham (Tommy); second of £5, F. Bower, Birmingham (Jenny). Highly commended: Crawshaw and Blakeley (Pretty Jane). Commended: R. Parish, Great Barr, (brown gelding); and W. Cosby, Birmingham (Prince).

Pairs of ponies in harness.-First prize, £10, W. Tyler, Friday Bridge (Tommy and Billy); second of £5, J. Gilman, Birmingham (Jenny and Jane).

Stallions for getting cobs or ponies, not exceeding 14 hands 2 inches high.-First prize, £15, J. M. Clayworth, Spilsby, Lincolnshire (Magdala, late Souter Johnny); second of £5, C. Groucock, Wymondham (King Arthur).

AGRICULTURAL AND DRAY HORSES.

Stallions. First prize, £30, W. Welcher, Wisbeach (Honest Tom); second of £10, J. Manning, Wellingboro', Northampton (Hercules); third of £5, J. Manning (Black Prince).

Horses, mares or geldings, 4 years old and upwards.-First prize, £15, C. W. Brierley (grey); second of £5, G. Cook, Warwick (Farmer). Commended: R. Robbins, Kenilworth (Tinker).

Dray horses, mares or geldings, your years old and upwards.-First prize, £15, C. W. Brierley, Manchester; second of £5, Crawshaw and Blakeley, Dewsbury (Punch).

LITERATURE.

A CRUISE IN THE GORGON: Or, Eighteen Months on H.M.S. Gorgon, engaged in the suppression of the Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa. Including a Trip up the Zambesi with Dr. Livingstone. By W. COPE DEVEREUX, Assistant Paymaster, R. N. London: Bell and Daldy, York-street, Covent Garden. 1869.

Amidst the noise and bustle of the gun-room the author of this volume chiefly wrote the manuscript of the pages he was induced by his friends to have printed, and as duty caused his absence in the Southern Hemisphere during their transit through the press, one of these undertook the labour incident to publication, performing his kindly office with a discretion mainly evidenced in letting alone what he found entrusted to his charge, and refraining from the assumption of editorial functions which might materially have marred the unsophisticated jottings we get in all their originality and freshness. The book has its specialties, professional and otherwise; but though sporting adventures certainly cannot be ranked as one of them, we nevertheless intend giving their counterfeit the ten-minutes' reading of which can scarcely fail to afford amusement after the perusal of heavier tomes of enterprise, replete with daring deeds and gigantic bags of game.

The ship's provisions becoming scarce, and there is a determination to save them, grounded upon an expectation of being able to "live upon the country," and consequently a boat is taken up the river in search of bucks, wherewith to replenish the commissariat. Several hippopotami are first met with, frisking about like porpoises, leaping out of the water, and raising huge waves; or, cautious and