The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-17 00:00:00

Two Vols. Chapman and Hall.
The lovers of sport, especially of steeple-chasing.
cannot do better than avail themselves of Mr. Tom
Crackenthorpe's agreeable invitation to share with
him in the perils and pleasures of his sporting box
at Lushenham Chateau, in the neighbourhood of
Pumpington, which he has taken for the season,
having selected a locality famous for " the biggest
fences, the widest brook, the largest grass field, and
the sloshiest mud in the kingdom." To this happy
resort Tom Ci'ackenthorpe and his fides achates
Bobby Munster gladly welcome all comers. We
cannot say that the story of which these
gentlemen are the heroes, possesses any very
absorbing or concentrated interest, or that it is
written in a style of particular elegance; but it
abounds with life and animal spirits, will provoke
many a hearty laugh, and among the catastrophes
of its closing chapters includes a happy marriage of
a supposed heiress—a marriage which " was very
like an Armstrong shell: for it disabled the couple
itself, two fathers, a mother, several sisters, and an
indiscriminate phalanx of money-lending Jews."
The chateau at Lushenham has passed into other
hands, but we are glad to learn that it continues to
this day the pleasantest Bachelor's Box in the
county.

The Smuggler Chief. By Gustave Aimard. Two
Vols. John Maxwell and Co., Fteet-street.
The translator of M. Aimard's story, " The
Smuggler Chief," in his preface tells us, " That if
there has been any fault In the author's previous
works it is that the ladies introduced are too subor-
dinate, but in the present tale the primary interest
hinges upon them, and they are the most prominent
characters." We cannot for our part but regret
that M. Aimard did not place his heroines of the
book under review, in the same unattractive and
subordinate position as the female characters in his
other works, for we should not in that case be scan-
dalized by the want of modesty of Inez and
Maria, and shocked by the indecency of the scenes
in which they are unwillingly compelled to bear a
part. The incidents recounted in "The Smuggler
Chief" are irreconcileable with all probability, and
the growth of the friendship which has sprung up
between Diego and Lean, from the accident of the
latter having rescued the former from the fangs of
a panther which had overpowered him, is accounted
for in a manner quite inconsistent with Diego's own
subsequent account of his previous mode of exist-
ence for many years before ; he had been a spy,
sent by his people to dwell amongst the Spaniards
to ascertain the nature of their tactics, the strength
of their armies and fortresses, and thus discover the
best means of attacking and overthrowing their
power ; but our author tells us, forgetting
all this, that Diego's unbounded affection
for his friend arose from " The sublime self-
denial of virgin natures whom the narrow
civilisation of towns has not degraded." Why
Diego, who turns out to be the most powerful, anci
talented, of the Indian chiefs, should be called a
" half-caste" we are at a loss to discover; and still
more are we surprised that a merciless savage, such
as he is represented to be, should have so often
spared Leon, who not only taunted him with his
crimes, but baulked him of his revenge when he
was completely in his power. " I believed you to
be a man of heart, and you are a precious brute,"
exclaimed Leon, " I no longer hate you, I despise
you." ...." I curse you, and I swear by the ashes
of my mother, that if you let me leave this place,
my vengeance shall pursue you; you will ever find
me on your road, ready to fight you, and overthrow
your plans." Notwithstanding this declaration
of hostility Leon is allowed to leave the Indian
camp, where he bad come without protection, and
when " the friends" meet again, it is in the
shock of arms, at the sack of Santiago, where
Diego, covered with blood, and fighting like a de-
mon, has smote down the brother of Leon's mis-
tress with a blow of his axe, and is about to de-
spatch him, "A t last," he said. At the same
moment he received a violent blow, and he fell
back blaspheming. He rose with lightening speed,
and saw Leon Deibes before him, who had rolled
him in the dust by dashing his horse's cheat at him.
" 0o," exclaimed the Indian, as he let his axe fall,
0 always he between this family and me." And
then the clemency seems all on the side of Leon,
who, knowing that Diego had dishonoured his in-
tended sister-in-law, would quietly have allowed
the unrelenting enemy of all he holds dear to depart,
at the very moment when his destruction would
have secured victory to the side on which he fought,
were it not for the interposition of one of his fol-
lowers, who shot him dead. Some portions of this
book are graphically written, and the author seems
to be intimately acqnainted with the habits and
manners of the South American Indians; but it is
absolutely unfit for the perusal of pure-minded
persons, and we cannot but regret that at a time
when our own light literature teems with immo-
rality, an English gentleman should have added to
our stock of mischievous productions, by borrowing
from the French,

Age st lb
Stockovner .. 4 7 2
Muezzin. .. 4 7 2
Nebula .. 4 7 0
Gratitude 4 7 0
Amelia .. 4 7 0
Soapstone .. .. 4 7 0
Tademis 4 7 0
Prince Lee 800 .. 4 6 13
Barber .. .. 4 613
Trap .. 4 6 12
Crisis .. .. 3 6 11
Evelina .. 3 6 11
Lady Superior .. 4 611
Amazonian .. 4 6 11
Gently Kitty colt.. 4 6 10
Kempton .. 4 6 9
Durham .. .. 3 6 8
Horse Marine .. 3 6 8
Midnight Mass .. 3 6 7
Caryophyllus .. 3 6 5
Voluvas .. 4 6 5
Glendtvk 3 6 5
Lord Zetland .. 3 6 b
Sir Roger .. 3 6 4
Young-Rapid .. 3 6 3
Lady Emma .. 4 6 3
Echo .. 3 6 2
The Count .. 3 6 2
Bangle .. 3 6 2
Welbeo .. 3 6 1
Woodcraft .. 3 6 0
Moulsey 3 6 0
Bacchus .. 3 6 0
Lady Hylda .. 3 6 13
Beadle .. 3 6 12
Highland Piper 3 512
Ostentation .. 3 5 11
Dispute .. 3 611
Battaglia .. 3 6 10
Lucky Star .. 6
3 10
Bonus • • .. 36 9
Wandering Minstrel 3 5 9
Redcap • • .. 35 9
The Sea Boy •" 3 5 9
Rigolboche .. 3 5 8
Hawkshaw .. 3 5 8
Ccnfederate .. 3 5 8
Oberon .. 3 6 8
Lytham .. 3 6 8
Queenßee byAcrobat 3 5 7
Lady Milton .. 3 7
Bittern .. 3 5 7
Guerilla .. 3 5 7
Lobelia • • •.3 5 7
Templar .. 3 6 7

dicap of 25 soya each. R.M.
Age st lb
Adventurer 5 9 4
Twilight a 9 2
Lawyer (h b) ~ 6 9 1
La Toucques .„ 49 0
Stradella .. 5 8 13
The Knave .. 6 8 12
Giraffe colt .. 4 8 12
Umpire .. ~ a 811
Gemma 6 8 10
Bathilde 6 8 7
Tippler • • .. 48 7
Exchequer .. 6 8 6
Berkeley .. 5 8 6
General Hess .. a 8 6
Carisbrook .. 5 8 6
Donybrook .. 4 8 3
Onesander .. 4 8 3
Bertha .. .. 5 8 3
Blondin. .. 4 8 2
Tom Fool 4 8 1
Hospodar .. 4 8 1
Vivid .. .. 4 8 0
King of the Vale .. 4 8 0
Marigold .. .. 48 0
St. Alexis .. 6 8 0
Sea King .. .. 4 7 13,
Beverley .. .. 6 7 13
Gladstone .. 4 7 13
Fantail .. 4 7 13
Despair .. .. 57 13
Suburban a 7 12
Blue Mantle .. 4 7 12
Leonora .. .. 5 712
Innellan 5 7 12
Flying Fish .. 4 7 10
Miss Armstrong 4 710
Cadiz .. .. 4 7 10
Taj e .. 4 7 9
Union Jack .. 3 7 9
Golden Dust .. 4 7 8
Oscar .. 4 7 8
'humps .. 4 7 8
Jarnicotoa 4 7 7
Blarney .. •• 3 7 7
Merry Hart .. 47 7
Newmarket • . 4 7 6
Dr. Syntax .. 47 5
Coup d'Etat •• 3 7
Stockinger .. 5 7 5
Flash in the Pan .. a 7 4
Black Lily 6 7 4
Charlemagne •• 4 7 4
Dolphin ..
.. 4 7 4
Summerside .. 47 4
Comet •• •• 47 2

BIRMINGHAM ANNUAL STEEPLECHASES.
TUESDA.T.

The Hunters' Plate of 25 hove, for horses that had never
won a handicap steeplechase ; four-yr-olds and upwards;
winners of any steeplechase extra; gentlemen riders ;
professionals 71b extra. About three miles.
Mr Digby Collins's Express, aged, 13st 71b (in. 141 b ex,)
(Owner) 1
Mr J. Milward, a jun.'--* Jocular, aged, l2st 71b
(Mr James) 2
(Mr Stanford) 3
Mr Robinson's Tattler, aged, 13st (inc. 71b ex.)
Mr Jones's Killarney (la), aged,
Mr T, Ivens's Huntsman, aged,
13st 21b (inc. 91b ex.)
ged, 13st 21b (inc. 91b ex.)
(B. Land) 4
(Owner) 5
The following also ran, :.....Errand Boy, Nawminster
mare, Miss Hawthorne,HighHi Pressure, Killarney, Hermit,
and Achyranthes colt.
Ch
get Jocular and Hermit, 5 to 1
agst Mr, Chadwick's Killarney, 7 to 1 agst the Newmin-
atßeremttianrge—: to
Pressure.
Hermit made the running until within half a mile of the
finish, where he was headed by Express, Jocular, and Mr.
Jones's Killarney, the latter having just previously passed
his namesake, who comB to 1 1
agsteach agst
pounding a couple of fences from
home, was stopped in company with Hermit. The issue,
two fences from home, rested between Express and
Jocular, and the former having advantage of a slight lead
at the second fence from the finish, continued in front to
the end, and won by two lengths. Mr. Jones's Killarney,
who was a bad third, beat Tattler by half a length, and
Huntsman, who was knocked over by Miss Hawthorne
while crossing the Park, cantered in many lengths behind
Tattler.
The Licensed Victuallers' Plate of 5 soya each, with 30
added ; winners extra. Two miles and a half.
Mr Hannaway's Telegram, aged, 10st 71b (inc. 71b ex.)
(J. page) 1
Mr Downe's Arlescott, (h. b), 10st .... .... (G. Stevens) 2
Mr. Dixon's Old Squire, aged, lOst lib (Barton) 3
Mr. E. Green's Deception, aged, lOst 101 b .. (C. Boyce) 4
Mr Handford's The Screw, aged, lOst 71b (Thorpe) 5
Mr. Holman's Stanton, 6 yrs, lOst 121 b .. (G, Holman) 6
Mr Hervey's Princess ltoYalt aged, 10st
(G. Waddington) 0
Betting-6 to 2 agst The Screw, 3to 1 agat Deception,
4 to 1 agst Telegram, 5 to 1 each agat Arlescott and Old
Squire.
Telegram held the lead for about a tulle, after which Old
Squire went to the front, but was deprived of the lead again
fully half a mile from home by Telegram, who was at-
tended on either side by the Old Squire and Arlescott,
the rest being in close attendance over the second fence
first 1
from home, which wascleared by Telegram, who
stalled off Arlescott's rush, and won by half a length; a
neck only divided the second and third; Deception a bad
fourth.
The Birmingham Grand Annual Steeplechase of 15 sovs, 5
ft, with 100 added; certain penalties and allowances.
About three miles and a half.
Mr Adam's Chamade, aged, lOst 71b (G. Holman) 1
Mr Astley's Arbury, aged, list lib
Captain Tempests Merrimac, aged, lOst 131 b.. (Owner) 3
The following also ran :—Avalanche, Little Lady, Pre-
mier, and Magician.
Betting-2 to 1 agst Merrimac, 3to I agst Arbury, 9to
2 agst Chamade, 7 to 1 (at first 4 to 1) agat Avalanche, 10
to 1 each agst Premier and Magician.
Little Lady made play, followed by Premier, Magician,
Arbury, Merrimac, Avalanche, and Chamade last. Beyond
several alterations in position nothing of importance oc-
curred, as the lot were ail full of running, until half the
distance had been run, when Chamade took up the run-
ning, followed by Avalanche, Magician, and Premier, Ar-
bury and Little Lady being the last two, but on going
down the hill towards the plough land these latter two
drew towards the leaders. The race was virtually over a
mile from home, Chained° taking a long lead, which she
maintained to the end, and won by eve lengths. Two