The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-09 00:00:00

THE ASCOT VASE DAY.

Whatever may occur elsewhere, Ascot will not be "dis-
established." The Heath, which is immortalised on the
canvas of Sir Francis Grant (who is, we hear, about to
paint Mr. Anstruther Thomson, on Iris, for the Pytchely
Hunt), as the scene of the "Meet of the Royal Buck-
hounds," is still the very Almacks of the racing
" upper ten," and if the fashion does not descend, as in
the days of the Regent, to promenade on the Course
between the races, it is still to be found in the boxes
or•on the lawn. Each year the long stand and enclosure
line seems to lengthen out, and the added money has
swelled to upwards of five thousand. The booth men say
that they have annually to pay more per foot, and they
were congratulating themselves that the elements were
kinder than at Epsom, "when the rain swept in at the
side of our booth, and washed us out for evermore."
Kost of them let off their front age to the list-keepers ;
and if the booth proprietor did not "skin the lamb"
in his lets, in one -or two instances he had evidently
been killing his own lamb, ready for his customers
on the Cup Day. The four-in-hands, among which
the Duke of Beaufort's and Earl Macclesfield's
were conspicuous, numbered pretty well in the old spot,
and so did " dogcart, buggy, phaeton, curricle or
tandem ;" but the roads were deep in dust, and many of
the horses could hardly raise a trot for the avenue as they
toiled along the Heath and through the side bars to their
position. There was rather a lack of amusement on the
Course. Improvisatorcs were scarce, and Jimmy, who
"does the donkey to please the aristocracy, and not the
common people," was absent. Minstrels sang " Ten
little Nigger Boys" and " She loved a Barber ;" but
the old Ascot humorists, with their cocked hats,
their eye-glasses, their parasols, and their salientrepartees
were wholly lacking. The royal party arrived soon after
the saddling bell had rung for the Trial Stakes. Lord
Cork, as Master of the Buckhounds, led the way, with
the silver couples across his shoulders, on a beautiful bay '
with a white face, which might, from its look, have been
Orlando, and Harry King, the huntsman, followed on his
brown, with Bartlett, the first whip, at his side, and two
more behind. Three open carriages, each drawn by four
bays, and with outriders on bays or chestnuts, and then two
small carriages with grey ponies and outriders mounted to
match, formed the cavalcade. The Princess of "Wales was
dressed in mauve, like three other ladies of her party,
which made her identity at times rather difficult to the
crowd, who took a protracted survey as usual in front of
the Royal Stand.
Old Honesty declined the Trial Stakes, for which a
, Thormanby—Griselda colt, carrying "an infant," who
made up his 6st. lib. with nearly 3st. of saddle and saddle
cloths, ran last to Sir Joseph Hawley's Vagabond. Very
different luck awaited the Thormanby blood in the Bien-
nial Stakes, which Fordham—fresh from Paris, and the
stumble which cost him three lengths and the Grand
Prix with the Drummer—won on a nice colt of Mr.
Bevill's. Mr. Bowes, who has only won £75 so far this
season, started Nobleman, who has good promise about
him, but could not live up the hill with the leaders.
Countryman bears very little resemblance to his brother
Rustic. Mr. Johnstone brought out rather a nice-looking
Glengarry, by Blair Athol, bandaged in both fore legs, as
many of the horses were. The Vedette colt had no looks
to recommend him, and Stanhope, although rather
slight in his make, was full of quality. A handsome
silver flagon was the Royal Vase of the day. Thorwald-
sen bad evidently been " well slipped into" on Middleham
Moor since Epsom ; but Tom Dawson again ran him in
blinkers, and kept him so far away from the others when
he was saddled, that the Epsom privacy would seem to
have been on his account rather than Pretender's. He
still bears on his off hip traces of the slight injury
which he received in the railway box when be first came
south. St. Mungo seemed short of work, and "broke
out "as he went down to the start. Hence we doubt
his chance of winning ; but below the distance, the sinews
of his off hind leg gave way ; and Jeffrey rode him past
the post and then instantly jumped off. It was all the
poor black could do to limp away, as he could barely put
his toe to the ground, and departed like a dog on three
legs. Thus ended the career of perhaps the finest three-
year-old stayer of the year. Thorwaldsen ran very
straight and well, and if he is fifteen hands high it will be
the outside. The 51b. penalty enabled Wells to ride
Pero Gomez for the Prince of Wales Stakes, and so
great was the prestige of that colt's name that even £l,OOO
added, and money for second and third, failed in tempting
more than four to face him. The Derby second looked
well, but still his big quarters, as Will Chifney warned
George IV. when he thought of buying The Colonel to
win the Cup, were certain to tire up the Ascot hill. And
so it proved when he came to race with Martyrdom, and
a report went round that Sir Joseph had been hit for
nearly £lO,OOO. Thus, the unfortunate Sunday trip with
The Drummer only ends in his being beaten a head. and
flinging away a very fine chance for this rich nrize.

Newspapers in China are circulated from hand
to hand after being copied by clerks. It is now proposed
to establish an extensive press and type foundry at Suchow,
and adopt the foreign mode of printing.

ANOTHER ARREST IN CORK.—News from Cork
4tatea that on Tuesday William Johnson, a printer, not
of Cork, decently dressed, was arrested for circulating
seditious letters and placards amongst the soldiers in the
streets. The documents were for the most part fanatical
rhapsodies. The prisoner has been remanded pending
inquiries. The affair is believed to be an insane freak.
THE TRAGEDY NEAR HARROW.-011 Tuesday
Dr. Diplock held an inquest on the body of Bethiah
Midson, who was shot by her husband on Sunday last
under circumstances which have been already reported.
The evidence already given was reproduced, with the
%ddition that the cause of quarrel on this particular
occasion was that the prisoner had not got up early
enough in the morning to please the deceased. The
jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter against Lewis
Midson.
DEATH UNDER REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.—
Mr. Johnson, coroner, of Stockport, has held an inquest at
the Stockport Infirmary on the body of George Vaughan,
17 years of age, under the following circumstances :
Deceased was a hatter, and on Thursday he cut his finger
with a knife. He was advised by an overlooker to put it
into a cistern of cold water. He did so. In an instant he
tumbled headlong into a cistern of boiling water, eighteen
inches deep, used in the preparation of hat bodies. It is
supposed that the sight of the blood caused him to faint.
He died on the following day.
THE PUBLIC lIEALTII.—Last week the annual
rate of mortality was 22 per 1,000 in London, or two
lower than in thirteen other large towns in the United
Kingdom. In the metropolis there were 2,100 births
and 1,355 deaths, the latter being 47 over the
estimated number. The deaths from zymotic diseases
were 285, the corrected average number being
309. Three persons died from smallpox, 24 from
measles, 62 from scarlet fever, three from diphtheria,
89 from whooping-cough, 15 from typhus fever, 15
from enteric fever, 6 from simple continued fever, and 22
from diarrhoea. The mortality from scarlet fever was
greater than in many previous weeks. The deaths of
children under five years of age numbered 532. The
mean temperature during the week was 53'3 or 31 below
the average. Between the highest day and the lowest
night temperature there was a range of more than 38
degree.J•