The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-23 00:00:00

DO SHOW AT THE NEW AGRICULTURAL

BALL, ISLINGTON.

Up to 6 o'clock on Saturday evening the arrivals
of the representatives of various distinguished canine
breeds had been so numerous that some idea could
be formed of the magnitude and singular variety of
this exhibition, which has expanded from the num-
ber of 250 dogs—shown in Birmingham three years
since, and then considered an egregious quantity—
to upwards of 1,000 dogs of every size, shape,
breed, and quality, from the toy Maltese to the
great Cuban bloodhound—the tiny worrier of rats
to the hunter and puller down of man. The "music"
in the hall throughout the day from " Brauts,"
" Gellerts," " Boxers," "Leos," " Roses," "Tartars,"
" Vixens," and the like was such as would have
driven any poet but Somerville out of his ears. Nor was
the day without its incidents, as now and then some
mastiff, of panther-like proportions, would slip his
collar, and forthwith " Foigh-a-ballagh" was the
word, and " Clear the way" the cry, until Mr.
Appleby, or some of his 200 "young men from
the country," got the honoured brute back again
into safe keeping. This was occasionally varied
by a fight whenever any two dogs of equal propor-
tions happened by accident to be half an inch too
close to each other, and thus have an opportunity
for deciding which was the better dog without
the intervention of the judges. There were some
remarkable dogs, among which were specially
noticeable a black and white foreign boar-hound, a
dog to be remembered from Snydera's pictures. He
stands mate than a yard high, and would weigh, it
is thought, about 200 lb. Near him are two of De
Saussy's noble St. Reynard mastiffs, the cry and
bowl of which, once heard, will never be forgotten.
There is a mastiff of Lord Kingsdown that looks
every inch a prize dog; and Leo, an English mas-
tiff, and Ringwood, a thoroughbred Cuban blood-
hound, the property of Mr. Boon. Nor should the
secretary's dog Yep be passed over as a curiosity.
He is a Tartar dog, and "right black through, sir,"
for his tongue is black:and his throat inside is black.
Two Newfoundlands, one of them the property of
Mr. Felix, the celebrated cricketer ; three exqui-
sitely delicate black and tan terriers ; a model ter-
rier bitch, for proportion, strength, and beauty; a
grand upstanding English mastiff, clean and
true bred ; a black muzzled mastiff, of fine
colour, sitting up in a corner, and looking like
the celebrated negro picture "Am I. not a man
and brother P"—these, apart from sporting dogs,
are the gems of the exhibition. Of course
we except the Duke of Beaufort's 40 hounds,
which arrived in a carriage drawn by four post-
horses at a late hour—a noble pack, for which their
illustrious owner has declined to receive the prize
of a silver cup, inasmuch as so great was their repu-
tation that other foxhound owners declined to
compete with the Badminton kennel. At the re-
quest of the duke, therefore, the cup stands over
as a rrize for next year's show, his Grace only
reserving to himself the right of entering the same
dogs again. The arrival of the dogs was watched
by a numerous crowd with the same animation as
attends the anticipated coming of some distin-
guished guest aat national festival. This was a curi-
ous sight ; nor was it less so to mark the affectionate
parting, and the painful scenes that took place on
the various masters leaving their dogs for the five
days over which the exhibition is to extend. The
injunctions as to feeding were very impressive, and
in some instances the excellent character given
some dcgs as to temper were singularly in contrast
with their askant looks and well armed jaws at the
approach of a stranger, At the time of closing,
the singers at the Suburban Music Halt in the im-
mediate vicinity must have Enjoyed a sinecure, for
the howling was in full chorus. The decision of
the judges will b 2, given this day, immediately
after which the exhibition will be opened to the
public.

At the recent interview of the directors of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company with the Viceroy of
Egypt, his Highness announced his intention to doublo the
fine of railway between Alexandria and Cairo, in order to
facilitate the traffic through Egpyt to and from the East.
His Highness also stated that he had contracted for the
purchase of a number of locomotive engines en the most
improved models which ho had seen at the International
Exhibition.