The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-30 00:00:00

REIGATE RACES.

These races take place to-day and to-morrow. All the
horses remain in the handicaps except Famine and the Stumps
filly.

AQUATICS.
THAMES ROYAL YACHT CLUB.—The below bridge sailing
match yesterday exceeded in beauty and interest any thing
which could possibly have been anticipated. From first to
last it was splendidly contested, and the variety of changes
infused an interest which has never been exceeded in any simi-
lar contest.,. Not:that the knowing ones, the clique, who regu-
late these matte a, in their w y o' ttliniting to a dead certainty,
had not much cause for rejoicing. They were beaten to their
hearts' content, and that to by a yacht they had laid 3 and 4
to 1 against. The qualifications of this club are too well esta-
blished to require any observation, and the cup of yesterday
was given to testify to the world their loyalty and attachment
to his Majesty, and to celebrate the anniversary of their august
patron's natal day. As usual with this club, a steam vessel
had been engaged to accompany the match, and the attend-
ance, comprising many elegantly dressed ladies, was very
good, as was every thing on board. On the arrival of the
steamer at Greenwich the cup was presented by H. Harrison,
Esq., the Commodore, at the Royal Hospital, for the inspec-
tion of the Vice-Patron, Sir T. Hardy. On the return of the
gentlemen the boats were at their stations.
Yachts. Tons. Owners' Names.
Widgeon 2O ... T. E. Snook and J. H. Cassel, Esqs.
Sabrina
Princess Victoria 25 ... G. Barron, Esq.
The number of boats was much less on this occasion than
on previous seasons, but it may be accounted for by the recent
classifications of yachts in this club, the limitation on this oc-
casion being from eighteen to twenty-five tons, and there
being so few wager yachts of that burthen. The Princess was
positioned to northward, and the others in the order they stand
on the list. The Sabrina looked admirably, and so confident
were her admirers, that she was backed at 2 to 1 against the
lot. The Princess was taken at 3to 1 against the Widgeon,
and the latter was hardly considered worthy of comment. Of
the two the Princess was first in trim and under weigh, but
the difference was very slight. The Widgeon was an immense
time getting her top-sail, the gaff hallyards bad evidently got
jammed. The wind was blowing fresh, almost due west, and
it was the general opinion that if the breeze freshened she
would never be able to stand under it. The Princess rigged
her topmast first, and from the beauty of her station, led the way
round Blackwall Point. The Widgeon had held in the second
place, and the Sabrina was just beginning to show off, and
hauled her wind, in an endeavour to weather the Widgeon.
The manceuvering was beautiful on all hands ; and as the
wind freshened into a whole sail breeze, the Widgeon washed
terribly. In Woolwich Reach the Widgeon was becalmed,
and the Sabrina was holding the breeze and coming up with
her on her weather quarter. The Princess was, in rounding
Jenning Tree Point, nearly a mile a head, and carrying on
well. Off Erith the Widgeon's topsail was shifted, and she
and the Sabrina were abreast, the former being to windward.
At Purfleet the Sabrina, who was running admirably, over-
hauled her opponent, and in Long Reach was about a length
a head of her. The Widgeon caught the breeze, and passed
her to windward, sailing nearly under water. In St. Cle-
nient's the Sabrina again.went up, and kept abreast of her to
Northfleet Hope, where the Sabrina stripped her in the runn-
ing. They arrived at the flag-boat at Gravesend thus :—The
Princess Victoria eight minutes twenty seconds past two; the
Sabrina eleven minutes twenty-five seconds, and the Widgeon
thirteen minutes ten seconds after two. In jibing at the sta-
tion-boat the Princess carried away her bobstay, and, in hopes
of being able to remedy the damage without retarding her
way, made two half boards, running right athwart the tide,
which was still flowing fast, and the Sabrina kept her reach
over to the northward, the Widgeon following on the same
board. In rounding the point at Northfleet Hope the Sabrina
was still first, the Princess second, sfal the Widgeon directly
on her stern; the latter directly afterwards lowered her top-
sail. In St. Clement's the Widgeon made a long board to
the southward, and came right up, a few yards ahead of the
leading boat. In Long Reach the Widgeon again hoisted
her topsail, and at Purfleet struck it again ; certainly a very
judicious manoeuvre. The Sabrina shortly afterwards followed
the example of the other and doused her topsail. The inte-
rest here was intense, and in each succeeding tack the boats
were eagerly watched. The least error in seamanship would
have been fatal to either boat, but they maintained the position
which we have described, and arrived at Greenwich thus :

The Widgeon seven minutes fifteen seconds after six ; the
Sabrina seven minutes forty-four seconds after six ; and the
Princess ten minutes seven seconds after six.

The sailing throughout was grand, but the Princess would
have done better had she given into the slack after rounding
the Gravesend station. The Widgeon and Sabrina were each
beautifully handed. The Widgeon buried herself very con-
siderably.
In one hour after the arrival of the first boat the cup was
filled with port and presented to the winner, with an appro-
priate address. " The healths of the King and Queen" were
then drunk with considerable applause, and the steamer re-
turned to her moorings. Every thing which attention could
do to promote the pleasun! of the visitors was done, and the
company left the boat highly satisfied with the trip.

EXTRAORDINARY FEAT.-An immense assemblage of per-
sons thronged the Coburg Gardens, Dublin, on Thursday, to
witness a trial of strength between Cootes, the noted pedes-
trian, and a well known brown hunter, Rover, the property of
Mr. Gibney. The match was for 30 soya, aside ; the man was
freely backed before the start at 2to 1. The feat was each
to go twenty times over the course in the gardens, the horse
carrying 101 stone, the distance being about ten English
miles, taking one hundred leaps—eighty ditches, twenty walls.
The man came to the ground in blooming condition, the horse
with rather a screw loose, having his off fore leg bandaged up,
and he went along evidently down upon that leg. At fifty-
two minutes past four they started at a moderate rate, and the
first round the horse had only gained half a minute on the
man, in the second round one minute and three quarters.
Rover made each round at from three to four minutes ; on the
ninth round he baulked one of his leaps, and was punished
severely--a man with a pole behind aided to bring him to his
work. He baulked on the seventeenth round likewise. On
the seventh round the horse was pulled up, and his mouth re-
freshed with brandy and water, as also on the fourteenth round.
The match was won by four rounds, Cootes not having com-
pleted his sixteenth round until one minute after the horse had
passed the judge's seat, a winner. Coutes was apparently
much distressed, the horse very warm, but rather fresh, con-
sidering the work he had done—ten miles in fifty-six minutes,
leaping one hundred leaps.

There will Ise no fete at Holly Lodge to-morrow,
in consequence of the indisposition of the Duchess of St. Al-
ban's. On Friday last her Grace was so ill after her usual
airing that her medical attendants ordered bleeding ; and al.
though this occasioned instant relief, her Grace is not ,'et able
to rceoive visitors.

MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF

ORLEANS.

FONTAINEBLEAU, MAY 2.7.—This town, generally so
dull and so quiet, presents, and has presented, during some
days, a scene of unusual bustle. For the inhabitants,
who depend entirely for their existence on the strangers
who visit the Royal Chateau, the progress of the Court is
quite a godsend ; and, from the highest to the lowest, all
have determined on turning it to account. Every family
nt,:-jng a room or a bed to spare has advertised it for hire,
and put.themst;yes to the greatest inconvenience, in order
that they may let their apartments, fl?! which they demand,
to be sure, the most exorbitant prices. The grand hotels,
adjoining the Palace, are all engaged, and their owners
will probably realize during the eight days the festivities arc
to? last as much as they would gain in the course of an en-
tire year.

For the last week all the vehicles of the Garde-Meuble,
the Voitures de Demenagement of Paris, the steam-boats
plying up the river, and even the train-waggons, have been
employed to convey to Fontainebleau furniture, plate,
kitchen utensils, &c., for the use of the Court. The num-
ber of persons invited, and th'eir attendants, will exceed
1,800, all of whom are to be lodged in the palace. s Not
one-fourth of them have as yet arrived. You can form no
idea of the state of confusion into which everything is
thrown in the palace, and'it is hardly possible that a re-
gular service can be organized for the feast. The workmen
are still at work in the apartments, many of which are yet
uninhabitable. Servants and other followers of the Court
are literallyencamped, and in some rooms there are as many
as twelve and fifteen together. The only department in
which there appears to exist any order is the culinary one,
for the accommodation of which one-fourth at least of the
palace is appropriated. There cannot be less than 300
cooks, aids, and scullions, both male and female, already at
their posts.
To-day part of the scenery for the theatre arrived, and
was put up, and all the riding horses of the King and
Princes.

The chateau of Fontainebleau, built at the bottom of a
valley, consists of five corps of buildings, forming a nearly
triangular mass, and which, having been constructed at va-
rious periods, may be said to consist of a cluster of palaces,
uniting all the styles of architecture, from the Gothic (which,
however, is only perceptible in the cut of a few windows
and entablatures) down to that of the present day. The
principal front, on the town side, looks to the west, and
embraces a large square court, lined on three sides with
buildings, and closed on that next the street with an iron
railing extending from one wing to another, and allowing a
full view of the whole. The remotest part of the Palace
consists of five stone pavillions, placed at irregular distances
from each other, and which, nevertheless, form a regular en-
semble. A winding staircase, of a tasteful structure, con-
ducts exteriorly to the first floor, where the King's apart-
ments are situate. This flight of steps, constructed by Lemer-
cier, under Louis XIII., is one of the most majestic pieces of
architecture of the Palace, and adds considerably to the air
of grandeur of the Cour du Cheval Blanc (Court of the
White Horse), so called on account of an equestrian
plaster statue, modelled on that of Marcus Aurelius, in
Rome, which was raised by Catherine de Medicis, in the
centre of the Court, where it stood until 1626. The left
wing of the Palace is built of brick, stone, and plaster, and
is three stories high. It contains the apartments of the
young Princes and Princesses of the Royal Family. The
opposite wing, also of brick, has only a ground and a first
floor, and serves for the lodginc, of the porters, upholsterers,
&c., and for the post-office of Court. It is to be re-
gretted, for the beauty of the principal front of the Palace,
that the tennis-court, a most ungraceful building, erected
in the right corner, contiguously to the main edifice, should
disfigure it by its miserable appearance, and that an old
wall, extending nearly through the breadth of the Court,
and which would prove a nuisance even if it recommended
itself by its antiquity or style of architecture, should be
suffered to remain and divide it into two unequal parts.
A passage to the left of the grand staircase leads from
the Cour du Cheval Blanc, into that of the fountain. The
latter, though less capacious than the other, is of a grander
style, and of a very remarkable appearance. More art
and elegance are displayed in this part of the palace ;
still nothing can be more irregular and different than the
style and design of the three piles of buildings which form
this court. "What contributes especially to render the
Cour des Fontaines the most enchanting spot of the Palace
is, the view of an immense sheet of water, skirted by a
beautiful garden laid out in the English fashion. In the
centre of the pond is a tasty pavilion, erected by Francis I ,
in which Peter the Great and his suite got so drunk on
the 30th of May, 1700, that Emperor and subjects bad to
be carried to their coaches, and conveyed in that state to
the Chateau de Petit Bourg, then the property of the Duke
d'Antin, and now owned by M. Aguado, the banker.
Napoleon took particular delight in visiting that pavilion,
which he caused to be decorated with arabesks, birds, in-
sects, &c., most beautifully executed by M. Mcench. A.
flotilla of canoes is moored at some distance, and the sea-
men of the Chateau de Neuilly landed yesterday from the
diligence, to man them during the marriage feasts. A fine
marble statue of Ulysses, the work of Petitot, surmounts
the fountain, from which the court derives its name. _

A passage through the vaults of the theatre leads from
the Cour des Fontaines to the Porte Dorce, and from
thence into the Oval-court, so called from its semicircular
form. This part is the most ancient and in reality the
cradle of the palace. It was formerly celebrated under
the name of Cour Donjon, on account of the ditches
that surrounded it and made of it a sort of fortress.
The vestiges of small turrets are yet discernible, and some
of the windows exhibit specimens of the Gothic style. The
decoration of the gate conducting to the staircase of
Francis I. is extremely remarkable, as also a curious colon-
nade, erected by Henry IV. The Oval-court likewise
offers to the admiration of the lovers of the arts, a beau-
tiful portico, over which extends a semicircular gallery,
opening into the Queen's apartments, together with a pa-
vilion, placed over the principal entrance into the court,
and constructed by Henry IV. for the christening of his
son, Louis XIII. Nothing can exceed the delicacy of the
sculpture, and the good taste of the ornaments of that ele-
gant work of architecture, on which the people both in
1793 and 1830 allowed thejleurs-de-lis to remain, in memory,
no doubt, of the good King by whom it had been con-
structed. This porch conducts from the Oval-court into that
of the kitchens, which covers a vast area, and is entirely
surrounded with brick buildings, which have at least the
merit of uniformity. The entrance from the town into
this part of the palace is truly monumental, and little ac-
cords with its destination. The same objection may be
applied to the selection by the architect of this gate, as a
fit place for an inscription commemorative of the exploits of
Henry IV., Bellator fortissimos, victor cleniciitissinizis, &c.
The kitchens being situate at two great a distance from the
refectories, Louis Phillippe, lately caused a tunnel to be
opened under the Cour Ovale, by which the intervening
space is considerably abridged.
Independently of those four courts, there is another
called La Cour des Princes, of which the buildings, en-
tirely in brick, arc nowise remarkable for their architecture.

,The gardenS of the palace are three in number—the
garden of the Orangerie, or the King's private garden, the
Parterre, and the Jardin Auglais. The former, placed
opposite the King's apartments, was laid out by Francis 1.,
and greatly embellished by Napoleon, who found it in the
most dilapidated condition. The fountain of Diana, and
a small portico, distinguished by the exquisite taste of its
sculptural ornaments, are the only very remarkable objects
of this garden, which covers little more than an acre of
ground.
The Parterre, of a nearly square form, was originally
called the King's Garden, bocauie Francis 1., who likewise
planted it, reserved it to himself and often walked in it. Its
form was totally altered by Henry IV., and afterwards by
Louis XI V. The famous Lenotre was sent by the latter
Monarch to Fontainebleau to lay it out in the style of
which he was the creator, and it is now pretty nearly the
same as in the time of Louis XIV. The terraces are in a
ruined state, and the stones of several flights of steps are
huddled together as if intended to form cascades.
The Jardain Anglais occupies a superfices of 33 acres.
It was planted under Napoleon, by M. Ileurtaut, a member
of the Academy of Sciences, who spent four years in
laying it out. The fountain which gave its name to the
palace, and subsequently to the town, is placed in the centre
of this garden.
Louis Philippe has certainly done a great deal for Fon-
tainebleau since he ascended the Throne, and in no town of
France does he, on that account, possess more truly loyal and
grateful subjects. Still be will find it difficult to supplant
Napoleon in the affections of the people, if I am to judge
from a conversation I had this morning with an old soldier,
resting on a bench of the Parterre. I was observing that
Louis Philippe had considerably embellished Fontainebleau.
" Yes," said he, " but he has merely followed the plans of
the Emperor ; had the latter lived, it would be bier out)
chose; he intended to spend his old age, close his career,
and be buried here. - Though I esteem the King, who
gives employment and bread to so many families, yet even
at present, if Pau/re (Napoleon) was within 200 leagues of
us, we would all go and join him." The restoration of this
noble structure certainly does great honour to Louis Phi
lippe, and when the other embellishments he contemplates
shall be completed, Fontainebleau, with all its imperfections,
will be one of the most magnificent Royal resider.ces in
Europe.
P.S.—This instant (8 o'clock, r.m.), the King, Queen,
and Royal Family, have passed under my windows with a
suite of five Court carriages, and proceeded to the Palace.
They were escorted by ten or twelve hussars, and about as
many gend'armes a cheval of the department. The whole
population was waiting for his Majesty in the Rue de
France, and saluted him, as he went along, with loud cries
of Vice le Roi !—Correspondent Va Morning Paper.