The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-28 00:00:00

OXFORD RACES-THURSDAY.

Favoured by better weather then at Egham, this meeting
opened very successfully. The attendance was large, and
the sport of a satisfactory character, the fields being more
than respectable. The ground, however, was very heavy
in some parts, and backers were totally upset in the Prince
of Wales's Stakes and the Selling Plate, neither of the
winners being fancied.

The sport resulted as under:—
The Trial Stakes of 5 soya each, with 50 added; weight for
age, the winner to be sold for 200 soya ; if for 600 to
carry 71b extra, if for 100 allowed 51b. Three-quarters

of a mile.
Mr. Beadman's Rubini. 3 yrs, Bst 81b (£200) (J. Plumb) 1
Mr. R. G. Walker's Winchester, aged, 9st lib (£100)
(Backman) 2
No betting. Rubini cantered in front all the way and
won by a length.
The Prince of Wales's Stakes of 5 says each, with 50 added,
for 2-yr-olds ; colts Bst 101 b, fillies Sat 71b, winners extra;
allowances. Half a mile.
Mr. Meredyth's Mulberry, Bst 21b (PAyne) 1
Mr. Eyke's Gordian Knott Sat 51b ..(Fordharo) 2
Lord Westmoreland's Usher, Bst 51b (J. Goater) 3

Vandervelde, Pelios, John Davis, Teneriffe, Verdiere,
Garotter, Confederate, Glenduek, Lady Fanny Cavendish,
and Agatha also ran.
Betting-5 to 2 agst Gordian Knot, sto 1 age Glen-
cr,usk, 100 to 15 agst Garotter, 8 to 1 each agst Vander-
velde and Usher, 10 to 1 agst Confederate, 12 to 1 agst
Mulberry.
After a long delay they were despatched very unevenly,
Mulberry, the favourite, and Lady Fanny Cavendish getting
off in front, they showed the way to the distance, where
Lady Fanny Cavendish gave way, and Usher and Garotter
joined the two leaders. In a few strides further Mulberry
drew away, and won easily by two lengths. Three lengths
between second and third ; Garotter was fourth, and Agatha
and Lady Fanny Cavendish next. Ulendusk,who brought
up the rear, was last a!1 the way.
The Oxfordshire Stakes of 15 soya each, 10 ft, and only 5 if
declared, with 100 added, winners extra, the second to
save his stake. Two miles.
Mr. Morris's Balham, 5 yrs, 7st 121 b (Judd) 1
Mr. Mundy's 00ine, 3 yrs, fist 71b (inclu. bib extra)
(J. Uriwshaw) 2
Count Batthyany'a Loiterer, 6 yrs, Bst (Cushitic()) 3
The following also ran :—Anaticulus, Tourist, Church
Militant, and Nebula.
Betting-5 to 4 agst Balham, 3to 1 eget Loiterer, 4to 1
eget Church Militant, 100 to 8 agst Nebula.
Church Militant, Tourist, and Nebula lay in front, but
ran wide in making the top turn past the enclosure, and
Balham and Loiterer went on with the running,Odine being
third. The two leaders kept close company all down the
back of the course and into the straight, where Loiterer
dropped a length behind the favourite, and at the distance
the Count's horse wag beaten. Odine then went after Bal-
ham, but t.ho latter stalled her off cleverly by a neck.
Loiterer a bad third ; Tourist was fourth, Church Militant
fifth, and Nebula next.
The County Members Plate of 3 sous each, with 30
added ; winners extra. Three-quarters of a mile.
Lord Batsman's Lord of the Manor, aged, 7st 91b
(Daley 1
Mr. Meredyth's Barmaid, 3 yrs, Sat 101 b (J. Gritushaw) 2
Mr. Chaston's Cynic, 5 yrs, fist 31b .... (A. Woodhouso) 3
The following also ran :—Walloon, Spicebox, Margery,
Curie, Dux, and Girdle.
Betting-3 to 1 eget Lord of the Manor, 4to 1 agst SPie°-
box, 5 to 1 agst Walloon, 6 to 1 agst Cynic, 10 to 1 each
agst Barmaid and Dux.
Cynic and Girdle made the running to tho distance, where
Lord of the Manor went to the front and won in the cora•
monest of canters by five lengths ; Barmaid and Cynic
pulled up second and third, a neck separating each; Spice-
box being fourth, and Margery filth, Girdle bringing up the

roar.
The Selling Plate of 50 soya ; weight for ago, with selling
allowances. Halt a zuilc.
Mr. Hodgman's Farmer's Daughter c, 2 yrs, sst 71b,
(Morris) 1

Lord Covcntry'a Cosette, 2 yrs, sst 71b, £2O
(IL Grirashaw) 2
Mr. Fieming's Lady Derby,
5 yrs, pat 41b, £1 i
110
Abernethy,
y.
(Norman) 3
AsTphaseittfoclololt:viDnogmailnsoo, ran ' --S t.
Constance l'ttis
,Beet,
fistl
and
Lady
Betting-5 to 4 agst Cosette, 5 to 1 each agst the Lady
-i
Constance filly and Rest, 8 to 1 agst Lady Derby.
The three placed (with Rest) lay in front to the distance,
where the latter was beaten, and the Farmer's Daughter
filly and the favourite came on, the first named winning by
a neck. Lady Derby was three lengths from the leaders.
The Lady Constance filly was fourth, and the Aspasia colt
next, The winner was bought in for 100 guineas, and

Mr. Fleming claimed Cosette, who goes into Nightingall's
stable.

The Freemen's Plate of 3 sous each, with 30 added ; win-

ner's extra. One mile.

Mr. R. Walker's Colonel Crocket, 5 yrs, Bst 41b
(Fordham) 1
Mr. Abel's Camperdown, 5 yrs, Bst 61b.... (H. Bradley) 2
Mr. Adams's Wortham, 5 yrs, Bst 41b .... (J. Holman) 3
Mr. Powney's Raglan, 3 yrs, 7st slb (Juda) 4
Mr. R. Sly's Everlasting, 5 yrs, 7st 121 b (S. Adams) 6
Betting-5 to 4 agst Colonel Crockett, 3to 1 agst Ever-
lasting, 5 to 1 each agst Raglan and Camperdown.
Colonel Crockett made all the running, and won by three
lengths ; a bad third.

Mr. P. Brodie's Lothian's King was struck out of the
Great Yorkshire Handicap immediately on the weights ap-
pearing.

Testing Chain Cables and Anchors.

Yesterday a number of scientific gentlemen at-
tended at the Proving-house of Lloyd's committee,
in the New-road, Poplar, for the purpose of wit-
nessing the mode designed by Mr. T. M. Gladstone,
U.E., of testing the merits of chain cables and
anchors. Several engineers, shipowners, and masters
of vessels were present, and also some ladies and non-
professionals, who took great interest in the experi-
ments. The importance of having what is techni-
cally called the " ground tackle" in a sound and reli-
able condition has been long felt by seafaring men,
inasmuch as however perfect in other respects
a ship may be, unless her cables and anchors are
trustworthy the lives and property on board may
be sacrificed, The attention of the Legislature has
been frequently called to the subject, but up to the
present time the " collective wisdom" has done
nothing to guarantee " Those that go down to the
sea in ships" that their ground tackle will be ade-
quate to its purpose. Last session, Mr. Laird,
M.P., the shipbuilder, a gentleman sensitively alive
to the -importance of the subject, introduced a bill
into Parliament for the purpose of making it im-
perative on shipowners to have their chain cables
and anchors properly tested before going to sea, but
the bill underwent so many alterations in committee
as practically to defeat its original purpose, and it
was consequently withdrawn.
Lloyd's committee have, however, taken measures
which render a compulsory act of parliament almost
unnecessary. Government, the Indian Board, and
the Emigration Commissioners having refused to
charter any vessel not having a certificate that its
"ground tackle" 'has been tested up to the Admi-
ralty proof, Lloyd's committee have made arrange-
ments for proving all chains and anchors voluntarily
brought to their proving-house, erected last year at
Poplar, under the directions of Mr. Gladstone, their
engineer, and further arrangements are now in
progress for the erection of similar establishments in
almost all the important seaports in the country.
The Proving-house at Poplar is about 500 feet in
length, and here a chain cable of about 75 fathoms
in length can be proved in one operation, in-
stead of having it tested as formerly by the
dilatory and less satisfactory process of testing
it in sections of from 12,-t. to 15 fathoms, and after-
wards connecting them by shackles. By a beauti-
ful and mechanical contrivance invented by
Mr. Gladstone, and appropriately designated
" Gladstone's Dromedary," the chain, cables,
and anchors of a ship are lifted out of a barge
in the dock (or from the ship herself when
she can be brought alongside), conveyed Into the
Proving-house on a railway, which runs from the
dock into and along the Proving-house, weighed,
deposited in a trough which runs the length of
the house, and having been subjected to the re-
quired strain is coiled up and returned to the ship
from whence it was taken with a facility that seems
to set the law of gravitation at defiance. This en-
gine performed its work with an ease and celerity
which excited the admiration of all present. The
dromedary is a substantially made steam-crane,
mounted on a four-wheeled truck, provided with
means of self-propulsion as a locomotive, and also
with means for underrunning cables and driv-
ing a set of hydraulic pumps. As a crane, this
machine will lift, swing, and lower 10 tons. Sta-
tioned near the pumps, and working through a
universal joint, it will in about two minutes get up
a strain of about 300 tons on 75 fathoms of cable,
and no more than six or seven men including
enginemen, smith, and labourers, are employed
in the entire work of bringing in a cable or anchor
from the dock, testing, repairing, and redelivering
it. The process of lifting the ground tackle from
the barge, placing it on the truck attached to the
dromedary, conveying it on the railway into the
Proving-house, weighing it, testing it, and returning
it to the dock, is accomplished in a few minutes.
We have been informed that by the arrangements
at the Proving-house as much work can be done in a
day as could be accomplished in a week by the old
system. A machine for exactly determining the
amount of strain is fixed at one end of the Proving-
house, from which point a view of the whole opera-
tion is obtained. The arrangements for the preven-
tion of accidents that might arise from the snapping
of imperfect chains while undergoing the proof are
such that no casualty has occurred to any of the
operatives since the Proving-house was opened.
When a chain cable requires repairs, the dromedary
takes the forge to the chain, instead of adopting
the more tedious process of bringing the chain to
the forge. Additional
works are in progress at the
Proving-house by which increased facilities for
testing will be afforded.

BULLY BOTTOM has been thus amusingly spoken
of by Mr. Charles Cowden Clarke, in his new and
interesting work on " Shakspere Characters," chiefly
those subordinate. He was, says the commentator—this
Bully Bottom—the epitome of all the conceited donkeys that
ever strutted and straggled on this stage of the world. In
his own imagination equal to the performance of anything
separately, and of all things collectively; the meddler, the
director, the dictator. He is for dictating eve 7 moyement, and
directing everybody, when he is not helping himself. He
is a choice arabesque impersonation of that colouring of
conceit which, by the half-malace of the world, has been
said to tinge the depositions of actors, as invariably as the
rouge does their cheeks. Peter Quince, although the dele-
gated managerof the company, fades into a shadow, a cipher,
a nonentity before him; for the moment Peter announces
the commencement of proceedings with, " Is all our com-
pany here ?"—in darts first tragedian, Bottom, " Yen were
best to call them generally, man by man, according to the
scrip." And when Quince does produce the scroll the other
instantly proposes something else. It is interesting to fol-
low out this feature in Bottom's character—a perfect variety
in the " class" " bumptiousness," ranging under the general
" order":" conceit." Our "first tragedian" then interrupts
the manager with—" First, good Peter Quince, say what the
play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so,
grow to a point." And no sooner, again, does Quince pro-
ceed to read the title of the play, than Bottom bursts in with
his comment—" A very good piece of work, I assure you,
and a merrY"—merry I—it was high tragic in their estima-
tion. And then he instantly resumes his dictation—" Now,
good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll.
Ills own name coming first,
Masters, spread yourselves."
he promptly replies, " Ilea* Name what part lam for,
and proceed." His part is the chief point. And when tho
part of Pyramus, the lover s` is assigned to him, he
announces that the audience must look to their eyes, for
that he will wore storms"—" he will condole in some
measure." Great, however, as Mr. Bottom professes to be
in the lover's von,
his "chief humour (he declares) is for a
tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely; or a part to tear a cat
in; to make all split?,
Then he will play Thisbe—the
heroine—if he may _
hide his face ; and he will " speak in a
monstrous little voice." Then ho will play the lion : " Let
me play the lion too. I will roar, that it will do any man's
heart good to hear me. I'll roar, that I'll make the Duke
say, `Let him roar again! Let him roar again I' " What
an amusing caricature of self-esteem 1 The idea of a man
pluming himself on the possibility of being encored
in a roar. But the roaring is objected to, for that
would frighten the ladies, and that were enough to
hang every mother's son of them. But when is
true conceit ever put to a nonplus ?—and so with our
friend Bottom. Like a Chinese tumbler, however you may
thrust him from his centre, he instantly regains his posi-
tion; he is equal to all contingencies, and therefore he
answers the objection to the roaring by the amendment, that
he will so " aggravate his voice, that he will roar you as
gently as any sucking dove;" he will" roar you an lavers
any nightingale." Nothing is proposed, but an amend-
ment comes from Professor Bottom. Quince says—" We
will have a prologue , end it shall be written in eight and
six" --that is, in alternate lines of eight and six feet. " No,
make it two more (rejoins the dictator)—let it be written in
eight and eight." What a happy example of opposition
for opposition's sake—for Quince's was the better plan,
Peter Quince, by the way, displays the part of an expe-
rienced manager in tickling the conceit of his first trout
tragedian, and moulding it to his purpose when ho de-
clares, "You can play no part but Pyramus : for Pyramus
is a sweetface man: a proper man 1"
In the late conflagration of the woods near
Toulon the extent of laud lail bare was upwards of 160
acres. A vast number of half-roasted rabbits anti par-
, tridges were afterwards found on the ground.

The King of the Hellenes and his Subjects,

FRJ tNKFORT, Aug. 26.

The Europe gives the follow ing documents which
have recently been communi," mted to the National
Assembly at Athens :

MESSAGE OF THE KING OF nIE HELLENES TO THE

NATIONAL ASS E MBLY.

I thank the Assembly for .0 ie new mark of confi-
dence it has just exhibited toivards me in proclaim-
ing me of ego six months in advance of the legal
term. I will use my best exa:tions to show myself
worthy of that confidence.
All my aspirations impel me towards my new
country, and I shall leave 1 tem for Greece the mo-
ment that the question relating to the annexation,
of the lonian Isles permits mie.
In the meantime the cxuotry counts on the
patriotism and concord of the National Assembly,

(Signed)
Copenhagen, July 30, 1563.

GEORGE.

COUNT SPONNEK TO I\l. BUFFO, PRESIDENT
--- -

OF THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL.
Mr. President,—His Majesty the King of the Hellenos
has instructed the undersigned to thank you for having
submitted to him, by your letter of the Stb, the reply of the
National Assembly to the letter which his Majesty had ad.
dressed to it, and the decree which proclaimed him of
age.

His Majesty begs you, Mr. President,
tthrough me, to be
royal message
and
sie
so good as to transmit to the Assembly b
sent herewith, written in the Greek
language,
e y
with his own hand.
communi-
cation Majesty has read with much pleasure the
of your excellency, from which it appears t
quillity is restored after the regrettable events whichrau-
curred recently at Athens. By the royal message your el.
cellency will learn the intentions of his Majesty relative to
the epoch of his departure, which is determined by political
considerations of high importance.
His Majesty instructs me, at the same time, Mr. Presi-
dent, to add that just as he has every confidence in the
patriotism and spirit of concord of the National Assembly,
so he is convinced that the Government also will find in its
devotion and the sentiment of duty the firmness and courage
necessary to repulse energetically any criminal attempt
against the law, the more so as the National Guard, to the
lively satisfaction of his Majesty, has shown itself so well
worthy of its honourable appellation.

(Signed)

COUNT SFONNEK.

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, Aug. 28.—Wind this day at noon—South ;
moderato breeze, and fine weather.
TORBAY, Aug. 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Anna, from
Hamburg for Buenos Ayres.
SHIELDS, Aug. 26.—Wind S.E.—Sailed —British Cons
stitution, for Rio Janeiro.
GLOUCETER, Aug. 27.—Wind SW.—Arrived—Bella
Leandra, from Monte Video. Sailed—Jane Alice, for
New York.

HULL, Aug. 27.—Wind W.SW.—Arrived—America,
from Quebec.

GRI-MSBY, Aug. 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Stella,
from Quebec.

MARYPORT, Aug. 26.—Wind S,—Sailed—Eupheraial
for Quebec.

CARDIFF, Aug. 27.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Sea, for
New York.

KINGSTOWN, Aug. 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Tra,
falgar, from Demerara.

IVExpoRD, Aug. 26.—Wind S.E.—Sailed—Wexford*
for Quebec.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Arrived, Aug. 27.—Diana, from Amsterdam ; Horizon,
from Calcutta ; Heriss, from Minititlan ; X X, from Guern.
soy; Julia, from New. York; Kilea Lass, from Jamaica ;
Flora, from Christiana; Roseay, from Buenos Ayres.
DEAL, Friday Morning.
Anchored.—Malbrook, from Shields, for Nadaskar ;
Havre, from London, for Demarara ; Excelsior, from Lon,
don, for Cape of Good Hope.
Passed.—Colomba, from Quebec, for London.
Sailed.—Guillemo, for Montreal; Fidig, for Dunkirk.

Bank of England Returne—Yesterday.

An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
cap. 32, for the week ending on Wednesday, the 26th day
of August, 1863:

ISSUE DEPARTMENT.

N otes issued .....X29,131,010,

Government Debt £11,015,100
Other Securities .. 3.634,900
G old Coin & Bullion 14,481,010
Silver Bullion ....

£29,131,010