The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-31 00:00:00

THE DOWNS.

_ .
The coup d'ceil of the racecourse is indescribable.
One may commit to paper accurately enough the
description of particular groups, or of individual
features in the giant display ; but the field of ob-
servation is so immense, so varied, and so peculiar,
that essays might be written upon it, and yet
the theme be far from exhausted. Mounting
the hill which leads to Tattenham-corner be-
fore any general view of the ground is obtained,
the senses are first arrested by a confused and
excited hum of voices which might almost lead to
the supposition that the fate of England's greatest
annual race was at that instant being decided. This
impression is corrected a moment later when the full
grandeur of the scene bursts upon the eye. A gigantic
amphitheatre, in which the formation of the ground
supplies the place of architectural elevation, is alive
with human beings. A swarm of humanity of all
grades, of all ages, and of all conditions, covers the
ground for miles. Thousands are couped up there
in the Grand Stand and its satellite enclosures ;
tens of thousands are roaming far and wide over the
turf, moving restlessly to and fro, and, like the sea
—the great original type of perpetual motion—now
covering particular points with a wave, and now with-
drawing and leaving them bare. The barriers of this
flood arc the ranges of carriages which surround
and keep it on every side—broader and deeper
and more formidable barriers this year, because
the tide itself is greater. There, in the very centre
of the surging, heaving mass, is a plot of high ground
—an island we may call it, "full of strange noises,
sounds, and sweet airs." Carriages are here in my-
riads,
tents in scores--the custodians of Aunt Sally,
Ethiopian and other serenaders in troops, all eager,
excited, and clamorous. The course itself is like a
revolvingkaleidoscope, always presenting some vary-
ing outline or new combination of colour. Standing
out boldly as the most prominent feature is the Grand
Stand, which contains an array surpassed by few, if
any, in the world, for wealth, position, and influence.
Culled from the choicest nurseries of England, and
also placed in those galleries which rise tier above
tier with semi-theatrical effect, are hundreds of fair
flowers, some already enshrined, and many more
deserving enrolment, in the latest edition of the
" Flowers of England."

The betting men were, as usual, numerously re-
presented ; but amongst the more respectable were
a large numbers of "welchers" and skittle-sharpers,
who live on the credulity of the country visitors to
the Downs. Gladiateur was the ruling favourite,
closely followed by Breadalbane. Oppressor and
Longdown were also very firm in the market, but
the greatest alteration was in the case of Wild
Charley, who, from 100 to 3 offered yesterday,
came to 9 and 10 to 1, taken freely.
The railway route via London-bridge and Vic-
toria and the South Western was as usual exten-
sively patronised, and so admirable were the arrange-
ments of the two companies, that a fabulous number
" empties," were em-
ployedwithout the slightest
o f
accident"specials," e
throughoutcoi ar s
n, '
smhi
at
ph r
theet returning r n
dayng

SEVERE GALE AT LIVERPOOL.--A gale of unusual
severity swept over Liverpool on Monday night up
to an early hour yesterday (Tuesday) morning. The wind,
which was accompanied by heavy showers of rain, blow
generally S.\V., and at times in such terrific squalls as to
threaten the safety of some ferry buildings. The damage
done to the shipping in the river was trifling, but to that
outside the port we are at present ignorant of, with this
exception, that the pilot boat No. 7, which towed a derelict
brig into the river, reports a very heavy sea running out-
side, and that several large vessels were hanging on to the
tug-boats which had towed them out to sea the previous
day. On the Welsh coast the telegraph lines were broken
down, and all communication between Hibbre Island sta-
tion westward bas been entirely suspended,