The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-12 00:00:00

AQUATICS.

ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB REGATTA.
The three races of Wednesday—the Club prize of £5O for
cutters and yawls, the Club prize of £5O for schooners and
yawls, and Mr. Kennard's prize of £5O for schooners—were
not completed in either instance by sundown, and all three
will therefore have to be sailed over again, in addition to
the second race of the cutters for their £5O prize, which is
fixed for this morning, weather being suitable. The Royal
Yacht squadron were particularly fortunate in having fresh
steady breezes on their days of sailing, so that each match
was finished within the prescribed time. Tho Royal Vic-
torians have, on the contrary, been particularly unfortu-
nate in having on their sailing days light and unsteady
winds, which has given in the first week of the regatta
four unfinished races to be sailed over again, one of which,
that between the Circe, Intrigue, and Flying Fish, has
already been attemstetgtwice. We would suggest to the
commodore and sailing committee whether it would not
be advisable to shorten the course by substituting the
Warner for the Nab at its eastern end, or deducting a
similar distance at its western end, so as to avoid these too
probable failures of vessels to complete two rounds of a
somewhat long course before sundown, at a period of the
year when light winds might be expected to be the rule
rather than the exception. Are the races round the Owers
and the Isle of Wight on the 17th and 18th inst. to be com-
pleted on each day by sundown, and, if so, what provision
have the committee made for a breeze ?

The state of the markets for the precious metals
is thus described by Messrs. Mocatta and Goldsmid :
—" Sales of bar silver have been effected to a mo-
derate extent at 60d. for Bombay, and the present
mail takes out about £120,000. The demand is not
very active, but the market being now entirely
bare we view it as being firm at the present rate.
Mexican dollars continue to improve. The last
China mail took out over £lOO,OOO, and purchases
to some extent have been made both from here and
via Marseilles for shipment by the next opportunity.
The nearest price is 60d., and the dollars just
arrived by the French steamer will probably realise '
this quotation, or very near it. The amounts which
have come forward lately have not been large, but
the parcels which have been held back for the last
few months are being gradually disposed of, though
it may still be some time before they entirely disap-
pear. The arrivals of gold have been unimportant, and
with the exception of the moderate amounts ex-
pected from Australia and California, there is pro-
bably little on its way. The Brazil steamer took
out about £130,000, chiefly in sovereigns, and no
doubt gold finds its way through private channels
to Spain, but generally speaking there is very little
inquiry for exportatian, and, the decrease in the
bullion in the Bank is chiefly caused by the wants
of the harvest."

VISIT OF TIM FRENCH FLEET TO SPITHEAD.-At
a public meeting held at the Guildhall, Portsmouth, 'the
Mayor,, Mr. R. W. Ford, in the chair, numerously attended,
*resolutions were proposed and carried unanimously to invite
the officers of the French fleet, on its arrival at Spithead,
to a public banquet and ball, and in addition to the above
an entertainment be afterwards given to the seamen and
marines of the French fleet. A committee was appointed,
with power to add to their number, to co-operate with the
committee of the town council in carrying the resolutions
into effect. A vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the
proceedings.

THE GAME LAW.--Last year there was an in-
crease of 479 offences, compared with the preceding year,
against the game laws. The number last year was 10,117,
of which 8,527 for was trespassing in the day time in pur-
suit of game ; G 74 night poaching and destroying' game
26 illegally buying or selling game,. and 190 offences
against the Poaching Act of 1862.