The day was the opprobrium of yacht sailing-windless, and consequently cheerless. After, therefore, a horrid long bout of drifting, the Sea Nymph did the distance first, winning the Second Class Prize, and the Victorine came in second, winning the first class prize -the Stewards' Cup. In this matter the company had all the best of it, for while the wager crews were sitting still whistling for a wind, the visitors were all on the fantastic toe to the music of the club-band. Thus closed the fresh-water season of the R.T.Y.C.: may the glories of 1844 attend its achievement on the brine, what time its ensigns woo the breezes of the Solent!

Bristol Channel Regatta occurred early in July, and inspite of bad weather for the arrival of yachts, went off with distinguished success. The Weston-super-Mare Cup-the crack prize of the meeting-was carried off by the Champion; her opponent, the Lily of Devon, having carried away her mast, standing rigging, and a good slice of her bulwarks. The British Channel Cup was won, after a dashing race, by the Swansey, and the Kingstone Cup by the Victoria. Of the Kingston Regatta (Ireland) we cannot speak as having authority, because we were not there to see; and therefore proceed to detail the events which marked propitiously the marine rendezvous in the Isle of Man.

There cannot be a harbour more characteristic of the land it belongs to than Douglas Bay. It is wild, picturesque, and of very limited dimensions. The Isle of Man has no yacht club of its own; but, if not a yachter itself, it is the cause of yachting in others. This season it gave £156 to be sailed and rowed for, which, everything considered, was very handsome; moreover the ports of the island are now open to yachts without (charge. The first day of its Regatta was Tuesday the 15th, on which occasion there was a fine spanking breeze stirring up a sea as deeply azure as the Mediterranean. The quaint little town-of which the cockney will form an idea by imagining all its streets to resemble Cranbourne Alley and Great Turnstile-was early astir, and by noon the pier was a brilliant promenade, while from the opposite side of the harbour a military band rang merrily in the grounds of the high-bailiff. I could not, if I would, give a ship shape return of the startings of the various classes, because I was partly puzzled by a fleet of strange craft, and partly because I was engaged in an occupation which I have already suggested does not require an excuse; therefore I offer no apology. The course was six-and-twenty miles, and though the wind was uncommon fresh, the voyages were necessarily long. The match for yachts under 30 tons brought five to the post, the winner being the Wave, R.N.Y.C., belonging to M. Perston Esq., and the great prize-a claret jug-for yachts of from 30 to 45, was first come in for by the Guerilla, H. S. Burton, Esq., R.M.Y.C.; but an objection was taken to her tonnage by Mr. Moss, owner of the Phoebe, R.M.Y.C., that ran second. On Wednesday, the Guerilla was measured, and being pronounced over 45 tons, the jug was given to the Phoebe, and the sack to Mr. BurThat gentleman has good cause for dissatisfaction with the builder of his vessel, who must, I conclude, have put her off as under the specified tonnage; how was she registered? There was lots of

ton.

other fun during the Wednesday, which was wound up by a right gallant ball, where the girls-regular island Venuses-were to the boys as a tithe to the whole. Let any gentleman in want of Philandering ship himself at once for Douglas.

THE NORFOLK CO B.

A CELEBRATED TROTTING HORSE.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY PAWLEY.

If one of the simple paces of the horse, the mere gallop, is found of itself to contain matter sufficient for the establishment of about the leading national amusement of the age, the trot may most assuredly put in a claim for something of the same sort, although confined to far more humble efforts and fewer opportunities. The difference, indeed, between the practice of the two sports, when we for a moment attempt to make any comparison, will be seen much too great to require a moment's farther consideration; the trot, in fact, having suffered, in the words of Goldsmith's philosophical vagabond," that cruellest mortification, neglect." This is the real state of the case the great secret regarding a diversion, or rather, perhaps, a business-agent in every-day life, that has made less progress up or down, within the last half century, than any other art or science we have had the good fortune to become acquainted with. In making this assertion, we readily submit that it has always enjoyed the support of some warm advocates, but, at the same time, has had to contend against the hostility of many equally determined opponents. The former of these, the "ayes" of the house, from being almost invariably of what society terms the Lower Classes, have lacked the power to push their favourite recreation prominently into notice; and the "noes," consequently, have not condescended to give any marked expression, or make any decided attempt, at enforcing their opinions upon the subject. Hence we trace the origin of that cruel neglect which, if not absolutely fatal, has always hitherto acted as a damper on the ardour of any man who (like the Squire) has, for the nonce, made a dash into it, and also smothered up the wonderful performances of the high-stepping stars; while steeple-chasing, and other modern compound innovations, have been coaxed on, trumpeted abroad far and wide, and, in a very few years, given the go-by to friend Jonathan's own game, the out-and-out genuine article, and no mistake. Considering ourselves, in the present instance, as specially retained by the plaintiff, the celebrated Norfolk Cob, whose character we can say, with the greatest confidence, is utterly unimpeachable, we may naturally show to the

greatest advantage the good points in that accomplishment of which he, in his time, was so high an ornament. Previously, however, to entering upon this, we shall, like a really wide-awake pleader, anticipate the grand argument of our learned friend on the other side; which we may, in the answer a friend of ours got the week before last, when he magnanimously offered to take Lady Harriet's maid with him on a quiet voyage to Gravesend: "O la! don't mention it to me; pray, don't repeat it now, if you have any regard for my feelings." "Well, but why so?-how's that? Gravesend's a very nice place; and a great many respectable people go there, I'm sure." "Yes, yes; very true, I dare say," returned her ladyship's lady; "but I can't bear it-it isn't genteel!" So it is with trotting: it may be a very nice pace, and a great many respectable people may go so; but, mind that, it isn't genteel.

Trotting undoubtedly, except in harness, for which work by the way it is the only pace that almost any horse can try either safely or pleasantly, is not much practised by sportsmen or those who ride for mere pleasure. By this we should be understood to mean the maximum fifteen-mile-an-hour sort of proceeding. The race-horse may take two or three fine delicate steps in this pace just previously to his jockey sending him up the preparatory gallop; and hunters will thus jig-jog along to or through a cover; but, with either of them, it is never thought of when business begins. The man of fashion, again, so proud of and particular in the choice of his thorough-bred hacks, is well content with a good walker and easy canterer, adopts high ports and long cheeks to his bridles, wins (though not invariably) a good mouth with a light hand, pulls them well back on their haunches, and sails along with a self-congratulatory feeling, that the fast trot is the savage delight of eastern barbarians and carcass-butchers. This, however, is carrying the point much too far. Should we not rather associate it with men who labour in their vocations? Butchers, as the dandy would insinuate, and good trotters, have, from time immemorial, been closely connected one with the other. Commercial gentlemen, or flash bagmen, particularly plume themselves on the high speedy action of their tits, and are ever ready with a word and bet on their performances. Country auctioneers, corn-dealers, pig-dealers, and so forth, generally avail themselves of the services of a nag well up to this work; and your popular medical man, with three or four Unions, and out-patients out of number to visit, usually travels his circuit on the round trot. From this, the business, naturally and palpably enough arises the match-trot; for which, despite the fraud and trickery so frequently said to attend on races of this kind, we have a word or two decidedly in favour. Take in example now the case of a professional man, or a tradesman, with what he conceives to be something superior as a "racer," or, on the other hand, as a trotter, and of which he has made up his mind to have a taste in public. Well, with the former, should he really boast of ground and presumption sufficient to try training at home, there's the light lad, the loose box, leading the gallop, stable hours, with numerous other indispensables that form of themselves enough to occupy nearly all the time, and quite all the