The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-10 00:00:00

THE START,

On our arrival at the station a few minutes before five in
the morning, we found that the "rasping" division had
dwindled away to an insignificant few. The fact is, the
busy tongue of Madam Rumour had sent thorn so often to
the various stations on the Will o' the Wisp errand that
they were completely tired out, and, after the lesson of
Tuesday and Wednesday nights, without anythieg turning
up, they blew up the whole affair, and quietly stayed at
home. Never was a secret of such a kind better kept, and
the wide•awakes who "knew the exact spot to a yard,"

found themselves neck deep in the mire, after a fashion

they little calculated on. The cut-purse family, wiping
the frosty icicles from their noses in the west when
they should have been looking out for squalls in the
south-easteru horizin. The delightful result was that the
"congregation" of the fistic art passed easily through the
thin dark line of weary and worn snapper badgers. The
excel-
lent.; n. genients of the "conveyancers" were most excel-
done'everybody was comfortably "taken in and
for,"volunteers whilst the presence of the ring constable
sent the foot of authority down with a
crash upon all attempts at " rigging the market."
In fact, one would think that we were all going to see an
early ploughing match, whilst the " Yahoo" business
didn't rise as high as the song of an old tea-kettle And
that ugly element was wise in the course it WAS constrained
to adopt—had it done otherwise there was force enough
present to have brought every atom of it to grief. Both
the men reached the ground in good time, and both had
their fair quantity of supporters, who would persist in
blocking up each carriage door so that the entrance of a
breath of air was almost next to an impossibility.
The train consisted of E 0 carriages, in each of which to
use a theatrical phrase, there was not standing room. We
were " horsed" by two powerful engines, and, at about a
quarter-past six we glided out of the station without the
least confusion, and with the greatest regularity in the
world. The mornieg.stars were just beginning to show
signs of that glimmering faintness which indicates the near
approach of daybreak, Once the train got in motion,
not a sound was to be heard save the outburst of some
occasional hearty lauyh at the jocularity going on inside.
But even this was of the mildest possible character,
and there was an entire absence of that reprehensive boiste-
rous outpouring which has too often awoke the slumbering
people along the route, filling their half-dreamy imegina•
tions with the horror that the Philistines were veritably
upon them, We were more than half afraid that the new
plan of paying at the doors would have been productive of
the direst confusion, Fortunately for us, any mystery had
been so well ravelled that there was really
nothing to pro-
duce interruption. Had there bean a regular mob gather-
ing, we are strong!) inclined to the opinion that not one of
the "excursionists" would have been able to have reached
the ticket window. However, as things turned out so far,
we raised our hands and felt grateful. On casting a quiet
running glance round the interior of each carriage, before
we started we found the genuine patrons of our national
manly "trial by battle" in very strong force indeed. We
heard one and all join in a universal chorus of satisfac-
tion at the way in which we had been got off. On and
on wo rolled through the fair county of Kent, and as
the gray dawn of morning rose eastward on our track
the mild fresh breeze played upon our half-asleep
faces, waking us up to a sense of life and activity that was
as agreeable as it was invigorating. The morning was
beautiful and mild, and way now to our left the bright blue
tinged light of early day could be seen breaking gently and
softly, widening and lengthening as it imperceptibly came,
in a manner that would have excited the warm admiration
of a Clauds or a Turner. Still on and onward we go
through deep cuttings and over high embankments; anon
the iron horses slacken in their speed, and the next instant
the reverberating sounds of our whirling wheels tell us we
are passing through the bowels of mother earth. On
emerging from the tunnel into the open country our ears
were saluted with voices that unmistakeably marked the
owners as denizens of the aristocratic regions west of Re-
gent-street. Speculation made itself heard, and 6 and 7 to
4 on the Benicia Boy seemed to be the chorus of the song.
Just as we could distinguish houses and buildings suffi-
ciently clear the train glided noiselessly into Reigate
Junction, where we were " regaled " by the sight of
a strong covey of early birds belonging to the Surrey
County Constabulary. It is needless to say that they
were not there on our invitation, we considered them more
free than welcome, and following the prudent and time-
honoured examples of those philosophic predecessors of
theirs, Masters Dogberry and Verges of blessed memory,
we stole ourselves out of their company with all possible
alacrity and despatch. A thin white frosty veil of mist
floated over the landscape as we again got in full swing,
whilst the leaden coloured clouds, as they lay heavy and
motionless overhead, gave us cause for grave anxiety, but
as our fears were rising to an uncomfortable grade on our
nervous thermometer, in we rushed to another tunnel.
When we issued forth we made a series of weather-
wish surveys all round us, and were joyed to find the
dark curtain lifting evenly and gradually up on our
right, whilst on the opposite side the bright broken
patches encouraged our most earnest hopes. Another turn
of the steam-valve, and away we sped at over forty miles
an hour; wood and dell, hamlet and village, and cottage
and mansion seemed to fly by like the magic of the kalei-
doscope, and the question of the journey's end took the
place of other topics for the moment. A few miles further
on and we shot by Tunbridge Wells. At length we drew
up in a secluded and well-selected spot, where we got out,
yawned, stretched ourselves, and gulped in the sharp
morning air most voraciously. On account of the ex-
treme softness of the ground it was some time before a
decent place could be found. At this hour, about a
quarter past nine o'clock, the sun was shining out
as magnificently as on a fine May morning, and as we
toiled some mile and a half up a steep clayey hill, the 'stuff'
was taken out of many. At length a chosen spot was
taken possession of, and the ring pit-shed. King first tossed
in his castor amid loud cheers, and was immediately fol-
lowed by Heenan, who was similarly received. Colours
were now unfolded on both sides, and the combatants began
to dress. The choice of ground was won by Heenan, and
then came the referee. Some wrangling here took place in
respect to that functionary, during which the betting went
on with offers at 40 to 20, &c. on Heenan, but there did
not seem to be any takers. Confusion now became the
ruling element, wasting away precious time on the top of
a hill that could be seen for 20 miles around. There were
the men and their seconds ready, while the referee was ex-
pected to come from the clouds. Three quarters of an hour
was sent in this way before matters were finally closed, and
the referee originally proposed was ultimately t
agreed to.
Heenan was the 'first to exhibit, to the loud cheerrs
whhomi
admirers, and was instantly followed by King, fo__ p
earty.
o
another salvo rose up from the throats of his own
Exactly at 10 o
shook hands, and prepared to commence
' lock the men were delivered atthe stretch,

THE FIGHT.
Round 1. Heenan stood forward and made play
with his 1
left, both trying to measure their distance, some open
sparring ensued„ an exchange or two, when Heenan ran in
in a slim_
and closed, grasping King by the neck with his left arm,
sreoeonenatserehdetchaeinreingvatnhd
and put on the old- fashioned hug, eontinuinc to hold his
man in such a way that the raesfe
isatrricintlayncnaeur.tioned him not to repeat that operation
tiantgtempt at counterin b
plaine..
scr2a.tet.ingThmeardeewtahseocifthe
(Cheers.)
g y both,
mouth. First
of the most homely description, very wild, and very
Heenan rushed on King, got the hug again, and threw
like s sack of malt on the grass. On the men being him
Heenan was found to be bleeding froth
the lifted
blood was claimed and allowed to King
3. Both men bent down to their w.ork(e
cams up with great caution, trying to in earnest, and
when after some hard exchanges operate with a will
the hug on, and threw Kin Keenan again put
awful spank, that bowed g on the ropes with an
in
More cheering for Heenan' with every stake in the ring.
rather hopeless tone from Ki counter cheers of a
ing dead against King, exceptng's corner. All was now go.
4. King came up with the first blood.
his left eye. They a " mou ~
ey went to se rather visibly under
that showed the work in this round in a manner
was to follow. From indicationsMeehan
of the slashing business that
after fighting Kin t again running in for the hug
and throwing hi mg () his (Heenan'a) corner, grasping him
meant to fight nothing
forcibly, it was obvious that he
only very lng but a wrestling fight; the fists to be
forth loud subordinate agents in the business. This called
5.
miexpressions of disapprobation.
Bothfej,,.,_,. m came up smiling at one another, and, after
''''-'::, .11-tig took his '
distance as quick as lightning, and
letii
Y a tremendous right-handed thunderbolt against
}leen ,
art 8 left ear, that went " thud" all over the ring, as '
it a person had struck a bale of cloth with a cudgel—
deafening, cheers for King.) Scarcely had the sounds sub-
sided, when King, following up his advantage with terrible
meaning in it, launched a fellow en lieenau's temple, cross
countered, and tried to follow it up, but fell short in his
delivery, his right being out of distance ; Heenan, in de_
threw his antagonist. (Tremen-
spair, hugged again, and
dous cheering.)
6. The ~ slogging" business began at this round, There
vras no science, nor did there seem to be an attempt at it.
Teth men went in ding-dong, struck oat wildly, like dray.
men ,inwciiug over their beer, when Heenan finished the
round by again getting King's nob in chancery and put-
ting the hug on, which he used for a throw. What few
hits were exchanged were not of the
slightest moment in
their effects upon the issue of the contest.
7. Give and take, as our grandfathers did, now becar"
the order of the day, and these great heavy men lunged at
one another at if not only £2 000
, , , but 2,000 of-the best lives

in Britain were depending upon the winner. A fe w seconds,
more hammering, when Heenan again was oblige A to fly to
his favourite embrace, caught King and cross- buttocked
him so fearfully that the man must have left his own im-
press upon the earth. People actually held tt eeir breath for
moment, and felt relieved when the men we :re carried to
their corners. During this round King gave Heenan a
rattling sledger on the nese with his right, a'ad brought
the blood down in a stream (cheers and counter cheers.)
8. On " Time" being called, both were up aad actively
at work. No reconnoitring, or backing, or ducting to get
away. Toe the mark was now the word ; some rapid coun-
tering took place. Heenan went in, when the hugging
mechanism was brought into action, but this time tailed
woefully, for King turned the tables, and floored :his anta.
g mist, (Immense cheering for Tom, and cries uf " He'll
win yet.'')

9. Both sharp to thee. King let out his right, and s'rruck
:Heenan tremendously about the bud. Heenan closed and
threw King again.
10. Express speed had now began in earnest, King lad-
ing out heavily with both fists, closing, and after a struqgla
was thrown.
11. Heenan began to show the pace was telling on b'.m.
Coming up, he caught and threw King very heavily, It
sounded like oxen falling out of a cart.
12. Not more than a minute. Reit vY exchanges about
the head, and at the. close King threw Heenan hef.vily.
(Loud cheering for King.)
13. Some heavy countering about the head on both sides,
when Heenan closed, throwing King as before.
14. Heenan met King at the very outset with a. fearful
punch from the latter s right hand; so
and another heavy fall for King. Notwithstanding
this throwing advantage Heenan seemed tosshow nearly as
'm sharp hitting,
all
e
much distress as King.

15. It was now plainly seen that the rate of going Wag
telling powerfully on both men. Heenan showed unrnia:
takeable symptoms of uncommon rapid "travelling," and
the balance, notwithstanding all his wrestling good luck,
was beginning to draw against him. In this round both
men went as if at parish ball practice. After some long
swinging raps on each side, Heenan shot out his right
hand with such terrific effect that King actually staggered
and reeled like a drunken man from the force of the blow,
ultimately falling into oue of the seats in his corner. It was
thought that he had turned tail, and would not face the
storm again. This,was the first genuine knock down blow,
and it certainly sounded and looked like something strong
enough to shake the foundations of any structure in the
shape of humanity. Immense cheering then must have
made the adjoining valleys reverberate in echo.
16. In this round Heenan began to show that fortune
1 savage
round struggle.the
7ln this
was gliding fast from him. He came up with a dreadful
fromey a
e after
liotvheer lasthis f
round,
Kingwhilstwente blood 1 oiond
nflowed
some copiouslymn
re
country practice ate naturel, when King sent him down
alter
the frantic enelirgesynof excitement became so tremendous
that all regulation about inner ring, or any ring, was swept
to the winds, Men rushed madly about and yelled with
despair. King's huge Cyclopean
sudden successful shoulcilleir bits with blows about
His eye was in a frightaft
had--especially the temples—so
swelled up the parts
state, as King had made several
he begun to look in a sad plight.
latter etood well behind his his right upon it. The
theca live the life of itodlewnehsisc.h
fist, and he certainly did not let
he
became so exasperated at
had been welcomed and
too looked scooragehi
t in to batter the enemy
KweingeZedd his
firremu'estombe-
the awful huggings
by
treated, that it could be seen lie,
to pieces. As he faced his man, be
gone
able
st
to
pinryesnasecolttolital,tetro
thissay tdosyhi.msHelef
seemed extremely doubtful whether h© woualr.
"toe" again to the call of the referee. But he ;ley
won-
derfully, and so raised the expectations of his fr.:Zddesxetihtat
the people swayed to and fro in a dreadful state of
ment. From tbis to the 24th and last round, one was so
much like the other and so short that it would be utterly-
impossible to detail them. King went ahead in a perfect
gallop, and on time being called for the 25th round, the,
sponge was thrown up by Heenan's seconds in token of his
defeat. He was dreadfully punished, and should never
have been permitted to have passed beyond the 21st round.
The cheers that made the "welkin sing" were such as
cannot possibly be imagined. King presented no visible
marks of punishment except the "mouse on his eye."
Thus ended this great contest, in 24 rounds, occupying
35 minutes, and a braver one was never fought.