The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-11 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

LAST WORDS ABOUT WOLVERHAMPTON.
The racing at Wolverhampton on Tuesday was chiefly
remarkable for the defeat of Wild Huntsman in the half
mile encounter for the Chillington Stakes. At the half
distance he appeared to be winning easily, but Corin
" rushing it" at the stand when Marlow had apparently
done riding,
j ju't won on the post by a
rnoeck. The pa-
tience and judgment with which Aid cft rode Corin,
elicited much deserved commendation. The victory of
Wild Huntsman had been anticipated as a certainty,
and his defeat sorely discouraged and disappointed his
partisans both for this event and next years Derby.
The Patshull Handicap was carried off by Master
Slender, who is now the property of Mr. Sparrow, a
gentleman who has cordially co-operated with the race
committee in promoting the success and prosperity of
the meeting. In addition to the stakes, he won a " nice
little sum" also in bets. He backed his horse, too, for
the Cambridgeshire Stakes at 2000 to 40.
Wednesday's proceedings were comparatively unin-
teresting, and the attendance of book makers was very
scanty. The sport at Reading and North Stafford-
shire possessing " mettle more attractive." Throughout
the day no incident of either a novel or important cha-
racter occurred to relieve the dullness which prevailed.
The announcement of the death of Lord Warwick
occasioned much regret. Grief and Balloon were, of
course, disqualified for their engagements, and the sport
was in consequence materially diminished.

Before closing my comments on the Wolverhampton
meeting, I willingly bear testimony to the energy and
zeal displayed by the race committee, which was this year
strengthened by the accession of several working -e
mem-
bers. Many plans are under consideration, which, if
properly carried out, will tend considerably to improve
the character of the meeting. I should, however, ear.
nestly urge upon the race committee the policy of con-
fining the sport to two days.
I have purposely avoided discussing the programmes
of the Reading and North Staffordshire Meeting. No
trustworthy information was to be obtained respecting
the events to be decided, and so studied is the mystifica-
tion invariably adopted at the "gatherings" of their
class, that it is impossible to ascertain the probable
starters, until the competitors have mustered at the
post ; even then, the intended animal is not always
" comeatable."
The York Meeting now almost exclusively occupies
the thoughts of the betting brotherhood. Still specula-
tionevents has been marked by little
activity. itsiP
Onprncal
Saturday, I will endeavour to calculate
the chances of the competitors for the Ebor Handicap.
Much surprise has been occasioned by the publication
of a letter from " Ringleader's Solicitor," stating that
legal proceedings are still pending relative to the Bath
Steeplechase. The action, however, must now be con-
sidered most vexatious, and, perhaps, something worse,
as it is notorious that certain parties connected with
Ringleader have received about Forest Lad, but refuse
to pay about Ringleader !
August 11.

A FRESH MAN.

THE ISTHMUS OF DARIEN.

The following is the translation of a letter on this sub-
ject, addressed by Baron Alexander Von Humboldt to
Mr. Lionel Gisborne :

Sir,—l trust you will excuse the oldest among the
travellers in both the tropics of America and the steppes
of Siberia, for having so long delayed to thank you for
the information I derived from your interesting journal,
&c., on the junction of the Atlantic with the Pacific.
The position I occupy in this country, and the ardent
desire I feel to fiuish, before my death, some scientific
works which I bad the imprudence to begin, consider-
ably interrupted the even course of my correspondence.
I therefore hope that I shall meet, on your part also,
with that indulgence which your countrymen have shown
me during so long a period.
I have not been beyond the Rio limo, which lies east
of the mouth of the Atrato. It was at the time when I
left the island of Cuba, on my way to Lima, by Bogota,
Quito, and the river Amazon, for the purpose of observ-
ing the passage of Mercury through the solar disc. I
was then on friendly terms with a very intelligent mer-
chant, Don Tynacio Tombo. of Cartagena, in America;
and I recollect that the Casso (treasury convoy) of
Guayaquil was then on its way to Europe, by the road
from Cupica to the Atrato, which was first opened by
the Biscayian pilot Poguerache. Knowing geologically
the interruption of the mountain chains, and the depres-
sion of the range in the eastern part of the Isthmus, my
attention has remained fixed, during this last half cen-
tury, on the Bay of San Miguel, and the route from
Cupica to the Rio Napipi.
Owing to my friendly relations with General Bolivar,
I obtained through him the first line of levels across the
Isthmus of Panama. Ever since the subject has not
ceased to occupy my mind, as the various works and
maps which I published since 1810 and my correspon-
dence with various statesmen will testify. But all my
striving and urging only led to imperfect trials ; and
projects calculated for a line to the west of the meridian
of Panama and Portobello, none of which ever gained
my confidence. I had, however, the gratification of
seeing my views honoured by an eminent member of her
Britannic Majesty's Navy, Captain Fitzroy. (Journal
of the Royal Georgian Society, vol. 'xx., 2.) The in-
crease of human knowledge, and the immense progress
of science, arts, and industry among the western na-
_ tions, have given us powers which only call for appli-
cations.

Everything depends upon energy and perseverance.
I therefore congratulate you, sir, and your courageous
friend Mr. Cullen, as well as Sir Charles Fox, Mr. Hen-
derson, and Mr. Brassey, for having given your names
to so noble an undertaking. I have always considered,
firstly, the opening of an oceanic canal without locks,
and secondly, the cut at Huchnecoca, in the valley of
Mexico (which is on a comparatively smaller scale, as
may be seen from the map and section published), as
two events calculated highly to improve the relations
between the different families of the human species. In
fact, such a work as the one you contemplate will bring
Eastern Asia nearer to the nations of Europe and Ame-
rica. It will render the whole globe more easy to be
travelled over ; this little globe, of which Christopher
Columbus, in one of his letters to the Queen of Spain,
said—" El mundo espoco."
It will facilitate the diffusion of productions, espe-
cially of precious metals, of which the relative value (1
to 15 5-6) would change too suddenly without this "per.
meability" of the world.
As early as the discovery of the new continent, civili-
sation had spread, in a direction from north to south,
over those portions of America which lie opposite to
Asia, those on the European side being then occupied
by barbarous hunting tribes.
The finest harbours, the most precious products, are
likewise found in the west.
Even the currents of the air, by their direction, con-
tribute towards the preponderance of West American
power over the rich countries of Asia. The increasing
importance of the west coast of America promises to
balance, at some future time, the surprising progress of
the Atlantic States, provided the western States keep
themselves free from that hideous disease—slavery of
coloured people.
Indeed, sir, I feel the most ardent wishes for the
happy success of this oceanic canal. The attention
which the public of the two continents bestow already
upon your undertaking, will increase as soon as you
will be enabled, assisted by farther explorations, and
a survey extending over all details, and carried on
by a great number of expenenced men, to publish, on
a large scale, maps and sections of the line fixed
upon between Puerto Escoces and the Gulf of San
Miguel. The changes
which the success of the under-
taking is sure to effect in the international commerce of
the world, will only disturb such people as in the nar-
rowness of their views oppose themselves to the natural
and providential course of events, and shed tears over
the unfortunate discovery of America. The Rioafliturra.thne:
(Tehuan-
tepec), weitth iwthsiephostal gpeutbolisteed Riothe Cfihrsimtamlapapa creeh
itineraries discovered by me in the archives of the Vice
Kingdom of Mexico, will always be of greatimportance,
a xl
mareco , w e
ia
z has
—a
lakeall the appearance
the
u n United
o d
States,i scn ; o
owing to its position opposite Louisiana, in the
he
becoming
Theuna-
ture of the soil, however, does not allow great works to
be carriedeles
impedingoutintb anatlyocality ; besides, you know the
d ult iffi canalisation or rectification of
rivers of great length, and the great variations of the
volume of water, as in the river San Juan. But a rail-
way would be a great advantage to the southern states.
The great interest which every one at the present time
takes in the canalisation of the Isthmus, recalls a similar
fact to my memory, reminding me of the sudden interest
created by the discovery of guano. I was the first who
brought guano to Europe, of which Klaproth and Vau-
quelin published au analysis. During forty years I
preached, but always in vain, the usefulness of this sub. -
stance, and in vain did I recommend its employment r
fertilising the fields in Europe. But it is only 15 or:.
years since it has at last become a great article of co

merce.
I beg of you, my dear sir, to present my
kind remem-
brances to the excellent and able Mr. Petermann, and
to, &C., ALEXANDER VON EV3fROLDT.
P.S.—I am not surprised at the differenncestatement between
the level you found at Turbaco, and my ow.
To this, however, I had prudently added
" doubtful ba-
rometrical observation." (See my Reeueil d'Obserrutions
Astronomiques et de Mesures
in
Parantetriques, vol. i. , p.
229.) The fact that the gas issug from the little vol-
canoes at Turba,co is inflammable in its natural state
has already been communicated by Col. Acosta (Journ
~
p. 6.5). It appears that the gaseous fluid which issues
from the salses is not the same at ail times. I find 1-11
my journal, that in 1801, the flame of any burning T
stanc thrown P was suddenly extinguished on being sub-
into
a bottle containing air from those little vol
gas emitted wouldambufart
im
rot also, in the mud volcanoes in th e ishnd of canoes' Par-
found only azote, although the
at other tes. (See my Relation llistorique, vol. xv
c. 29, pp. 367-371.) .9

NEW CHURCH AT DROCKLEY-HILL PARK, FOREST.
HILL:—The Conservative Land Society has reserved a
portion of land, on the summit of the Brockley-hill Park
Estate, near the Crystal Palace, for the site of a new
church. Subscriptions for the endowment have been
already promised by many shareholders. The proposed
church will be surrounded by an ornamental garden,
with walks, shrubberies, &c., for the special use of the
allottees on the terrace, which commands one of the
finest views in all Kent.
DEPARTURE OF THE PACIFIC.—LIVERPOOL, WEDNES.
DAL—About three o'clock this afternoon, the United
States mail steam-ship Pacific, Capt. Ezra Nye, sailed
from the Mersey for New York, with the usual mails
for the United States and British possessions in North
America, 170 passengers, and a large and valuable
cargo of merchandise on freight.