The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-02 00:00:00

STEEPLECHASING REDIVIVUS.

TO THE EDITOR OP TEE EXPRESS.

Sig,—lt has been evident for some time that the
fortunes of steeplechasing are mending, and the records of
the past two month@ speak most eloquently as to its pre-
sent popularity ; hence it is not surprising that the recent
meeting at Croydon should have been such a success, nor
that every coming week up to the second in the new year
should have its " fixture.' At the same time, it is impos-
sible to shut one's eyes to the fact of the same old tricks
being plzyed, in despite of a strict grand national COM-
mitts*, that brought the sport into such ill-repute a few
years back, three or four " incidents" not in the pro-
gramme, nor wanted there, having occurred at the meet-
ing just referred to. Firstly, there was an objection, and
the majority of the lookers-on seemed to think frivolous,
though it will not do to be led away by the outcry of book-
makers, who from their very avocation are bound to " talk
the loudest "when a dispute's on ; then there was, to wind
up with, • case of " roping," supposed to be more
than suspicious by the excited people who believe
that when an animal recedes in the market it must be a
" safe 'tin ;" and to add to the fun of the proceedings, we
had a gram case of assault in the weighing room, in addi-
tion to a bit of horse stealing. To mention what was
hinted with reference to the way one or two favourites
were " thrown out" of the races they participated in is not
my province, seeing there were no objections from the
jockeys on that score ; but after what is known of the past
few days' history, it cannot he said that the other sport
the irrepressible " betting man" has taken to so kindly of
late-1 mean rowing—for all the odium thrown upon it on
Wednesday and Thursday last, has dropped lower in the
scale than steeplechasing yet. In addition to the case
that excited the mob to such a pitch, there were other
very strange performances at Croydon, and the fatal pencil
disposed of many of the early favourites for the great
event, so that my coupling of the 25 to 1 outsider,
Tallyho, with my Warwick friend, Chimney Sweep,
turned out a happy hit, as they ran first and second.
! Astrolabe, unfortunately, was stopped by legitimate
causes that cannot but be regretted by the Burlington-
street authorities, who made all the mischief, although the
backers of the lured° not lose the money invested on either
of the races she was entered for, as the nomination
was invalid from the first. A further trial is awaiting
Chimney Sweep on Wednesday next at St. Albans, be
being in the great Steeplechaae to come off there ; and as
the list Illb he has to carry is no more severe actually
than the list llb landed so triumphantly at Croydon,
whilst the stake is worth some 400 sae., Lord Coventry
will doubtless run him out, in the face of spoiling the race.
Northern Light, receiving 161 b for the Warwick beating,
might face him, and one or two more of the light weights
—such as Arimoott and Lawrence—will claim some re-
spat if at the post ; still, I cannot see how the Sweep is
to be beaten, except by an accident. Patience is in the
Mint Chase, among • lot that is, with the exception of
Hippie's brother, Hippolyts, only moderate; and there
are many other good horses in the minor items, Comberton
and Sir Bobby being anything but stopped by their heavy
imposts; but only those on the spot should ever meddle
with such email fry, and I am quite content to have done
your readers such good service over the principal jumping
affairs at Warwick and Croydon.
It having been graciously divulged at last what were
really bought in at Stockbridge the otherfay (though it is
bard to understand why Athena should be included in the
lot " sold," seeing the "financier," who prompted the auc-
tioneer all through the piece, had her knocked down to
' him at his own price), and Mr. Chaplin's auction proving •
mere weeding out, the sporting papers have now dons
with sensational sales, and will have to amuse their
, readers for some time to come with statistics of the past
and other " light literature." Already the jockeys' doings
for the put season have been registered, and from the
' lists published many interesting facts can be gleaned. In
the first place, the public's darling, Fordham, comes out
at the had of the poll, not only as regards the number of
winning mounts he had, but also in his average, for he has
' again beaten the crack light weight of his year at all
' points. Having participated in some sixty fewer races, he
yet polls Kenyon by over a score, and he can boast
the fine average of about four wins to seven defeat',
which is only approached by Wells's dozen wine out
of thirty-four mounts. Butler, the "promisinglight weight"
of whom so much was expected • year ago, fulfils the
promise given by springing from seven to ninety-six Lao-
. lute victories, having fairly distanced Wyatt another that
was to help oust Kenyon out of his championship in '67.
His avenge is half a point better than that of the young
Chifney Cameron, who has also done a lot of riding this
year, but cannot show such a successful balence-sheet as
the heavier weighted Daley, Edwards, Cadence, Grimehaw,
Late,. or Snowdon, who either rival or beat Kenyon's 3 to
1, the two first-named taking rank as second to Fordhani
and Wells on their merits, even leaving out all considera-
tions°, the lucky Daley's ten walks over. Costume, having
no Lord Lyon or Achievement to help him, cannot boast
his last year's average, but he is still among the cracks,
and the clever Richmond hero, " Jem" Snowdon, beats all
Yorkshire, with his thirty-two wins (some of which were
great coups) to ninety-six defeats. However, for the con-
venience of the many who back jockeys, I have endea-
voured to find out what the average odds against
' each professional whose mounts reached nearly •
hundred should have been, and bare is the statement :-
7 to 4 each apt Fordhani and Wells, 5 to 2 each apt
Daley and Edwards, 3to 1 each apt Kenyon, Custanoe,
Grinishaw, Snowdon, and Loates ; 7 to 2 each apt Butler,
Clement, and Idaidment ; 4 to 1 each apt Cameron, Jef-
frey, and French ; 9to 2 each apt Cannon, Norden, T.
Cbaloner, Covey, Walker, and Oradea ; 5 to 1 apt R.
Chaloner ; II to 2 each apt H. Clark and J. Mann ; 6 to
1 each apt the three capital P's, Parry, Peppier, and Payne ;
100 to 15 each agat Hibberd and the new light, Quince ; 7
to 1 each apt Hudson (another comparatively new mem-
ber) and Osborne ; 100 to 12 apt Goodwin ; 9to 1 earh
apt Huxtrible and Morris loh ! what a falling off is
here !) ; and 100 to 8 each eget Vasil and Wyatt. Some
aspiring youths have been at work all the year without
scoring a win at all, sad what could be worse than Peake's
50 to 1 and Parker's 26 to 0, but there must be some un-
lucky people in every sphere, and I can only further ob-
serve that the hint given this time last year—that only
such great men as Custanos and Foram score good eve-
' rages every year, making them the best jockeys to follow—
is tally justified by the above figures, eight of the nine
beet men being heavy weights. Nothing can be got out of
any remaining statistics we may hereafter be treated with
that can interest your radon, and my next communica-
tion will have reference to the past seamen's two-year-old
form, so that we can handicap quadruped celebrities instead
of biped.—l am, Mt, METEOR.

THETFORD ELEoTION.—This election has been
delayed in consequence of some informality in the applica-
tion made be Mr. Baring for the Chiltern Hundreds, but
the nomination will talcs place this morning, and contrary
to ex • the Lord Advocate will be returned lump-
. Up to Saturday the Lord Advocate had an op-
ponent in Lord Frederick Fitzroy, • member of the
Grafton family •, but the other member for the borough,
Mr. K. J. H. Marvey, having thrown the considerable
local influence which he preseues into the scale of the
Lord Advocate, Lord Frederick deemed it prudent to
retire, and on Saturday the noble lord's withdrawal from
the impending contest was announced. Mr. Baring, the
late member, was • moderate conservative.
CAPTURE OF THE BISHOP OF SIERRA LEONE.—
By the arrival at Liverpool, on Saturday, of the Boyal
Mail steamer Mandingo, with the West African mails, we
hear of a painful affair which has recently occurred up the
Niger. It appears that early in October Bishop Crowther,
of Sierra Leone, went on a visitation up the river Niger,
and after landing at several points he ultimately cases to
a place called Ida, where he proposed making • brief
sojourn. On his presence becoming known to the natives
of the village, several palaver, took place, and at last it
was resolved that the bishop should be detained, and a
ransom demanded before he was released. The chief re-
quested that the British consul at the confluence of the
Niger should he communicated with, and the value of
1,000 slaves delivered to the " goveraor " of Ida before the
representative of the see of Sierra Leone could be set at
liberty. The consul at the confluence of the Niger be
absent at the time, the vice-consul, Mr. Fell, consulted
with the Europeans resident at the place, and it
was agreed that the exploring steamer Thomas
Bailey, which was then at the confluence, should be
manned and equipped, and that Mr. Fell and several
traders should go down the Niger to Ida, and demand the
release of Bishop Crowther. All the arrangements having
been completed, the Thomas Barley started on the expedi-
tion, and reached the native village all well. On making •
demand for the bishop, Mr. Fell and his companions were
I met with a flat refusal on the part of the principal chief. A
squabble then took place, the natives appearing determined
to retain their prisoner by force of arms. The Europeans,
however, were armed with revolvers, and the Ids men bay-
ing first commenced the fight by firing arrows into Mr.
Fell's party, a regular melle took place, in the course of
which Bishop Crowther took to his heels and escaped tothe
shore, where he was taken on board the Thomas Easley.
Meantime the fight was carried on with determination on
both sides, Mr. Rollesten, one of Mi. Fell's companions,
having shot down five of the natives during the affray.
The blacks, having received reinforcements, were about to
make a grind assault upon the small body of traders, when
the latter retreated towards the beach, and [had got on
board one of the boats, when the natives rushed down and
delivered a perfect shower of arrows into the pinnace. One
of the arrows struck the vice-consul in the left side,
pierced the heart, and the unfortunate gentleman died
almost instantaneously. Mr. Rolleston was also injured
by an arrow, and one report from the confluence states
that he died from blood-poisoning, the end of the shaft
having been tipped with a poisonous solution. The state-
ment proves to be erroneous, as Mr. Rollestoa is quite
well. The captain of the Thomas Barley, seeing the turn
the affair had taken, closed in with the shore a little, and
sent one or two shots among the crowd of bellicose blacks
on the beach. The result was effective, and the natives
retreated to the village. The Bishop was ten days in cap.
tivity at Ida ; was kept on the meanest diet, which he was
obliged to eat in the presence of the chief of Ida, or some
of his followers, and was deprived of his Bible until within
a day of the arrival of the Thomas Bailey. The steamer
eventually reached the confluence of the Niger, and the
last aoeounta left the Bishop of Sierra Leans all well at
the British teasalate.