The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-02 00:00:00

VEMENT.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY.
At the Lancashire rifle contest yesterday, not-
withstanding the prevalence of a dense November
fog all over the county, the attendance of riflemen
and spectators was more numerous than on the pre-
vious days. The great object of attraction was
doubtless the shooting for the Lord-Lieutenant's
100-guinea cup, but the large number of entries for
the Benson and Mallett cup, valued at £l2 10s., is
a healthy sign that the volunteers do not regard
the money value of a prize only, the desire to make
a good score being evidently the paramount incen-
tive. The shooting commenced under very un-
favourable circumstances. A dense fog hung over
the ground, and the glimpses of the targets were
only spectral. " Bull's-eyes" were seldom or never
visible at a distance of 300 yards. Later on in the
day the fog became still more dense, and beyond 100
yards objects were very undistinguishable. This state
of the atmosphere necessitated the postponement of
the contest for the Lord-Lieutenant's prize, of which
only the first range was shot off, until the following
morning. The contest for the Benson and Mallett
cup was, however, decided. The remainder of the
day was occupied in shooting for sweepstakes, for
which a large number of riflemen entered, and ex-
hibited superior practice. The "Aunt Sallies" were,
so long as they could be distinguished, in full ope-
ration, one gentleman, said to be an Indian officer,
making beautiful practice with a Turner rifle. His
firing position was somewhat peculiar, but it pos-
sesses the virtue of perfect steadiness. You sit
down on the ground, support the barrel of the rifle
on the left arm, lay the left hand on the right arm,
and drawing up the legs towards the chin, rest the
butt of the rifle against the middle of the right
arm, supporting the toe of the butt, on the right
knee. This position is somewhat acrobatic, and
the performer appears to be carefully hushing his
weapon to sleep ; but when the rifle was brought
level with the object not a tremor could be noticed.
" Bull's-eyes" or " Centres" generally rewarded
the rifleman's steadiness. Volunteers with " big
round bellies," it is advisable to say, need not at-
tempt this feat. In the course of the morning two
of the competing great guns were placed on the
shore ready for the contest on Saturday. The
closing proceedings of the day were painfully
marred by an accident from which Col. Gladstone
suffered severely. He had just leaped his horse
over a drain when the animal got its foot into a
rabbit hole, turned a somersault, and threw the
Colonel. In regaining its footing it placed one of
its hoofs on the Colonel's neck, inflicting a fearful
gash from the ear downwards. The Colonel was as-
sisted off the field, and a surgeon attached to a
Cheshire Volunteer Corps being present, the wound
was stitched up. The Colonel, who was much
stunned and shaken, bore his sufferings with
great fortitude. A carriage being kindly placed at
his disposal by Major Blundell, of Crosby-hall, he
was conveyed in it to the station, and thence to
Liverpool by train. Great sympathy has been ex-
pressed for the sufferer, as he has always been highly
respected. Fortunately, Colonel Gladstone is a very
healthy " subject," or such an injury might go hard
with him. His absence from the ground will be a
source of regret to all the riflemen engaged in the
contest. The following was the result of the day's
work, which included only two events—first, a cup
or purse, value 100 guineas, presented by the Lord
Lieutenant of the county ; and the bronze medal of
the National Rifle Association, presented by that
body. Second Prize—A silver vase, value £2O,
presented by Mr. Henry Greenwood (being the pro-
ceeds of his Penny Programme and Plan of the
Reviews held at Aintree and Knowsley respectively).
Third Pi ize—A rifle, presented by Mr. Thomas
Turner, of Birmingham, to be competed for by Vo-
lunteers of the county. Distances, 300, 600, and
800 yards. Five shots at each range. Entrance,
ss. As has been already stated, only the short range
was shot off, when, on account of the fog, it was
found impossible to proceed with the contest, which
was adjourned till 10 o'clock this morning. The
other event was a cup, value 12 guineas, presented
by Messrs. Benson and Mallett, being the proceeds
of the sale of the " official card" at Knowsley; to
be competed for by any Volunteer whose corps was
present at the Knowsley Review. Distances, 200
and 300 yards. Five shots at each range. Entrance,
ss. For this there were 130 entries and 110 com-
petitors entered the lists. It was won by Thomas
Casson, 39th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers, who
made a total score of 17, making 8 at the 200 and
'9 at the 300 yards' range. The competition could
scarcely be said to be keen, as the next highest score
was 13. At the short range there were 1 ten, 2
nines, 5 eights, 12 sevens, 10 sixes, 22 fives, 23 fours,
13 threes, 6 twos, 9 ones, and 2 nothings. At the
300 yards' range there were 1 nine, 4 sevens, 6
sixes, 10 fives, 18 fours, 16 threes, 19 twos, 14 ones,
and 15 nothings. The total score was 810, giving
an average of nearly 74, to each competitor.

Much emulation has been excited among the
Cambridge University Rifles during the past fort-
night, in consequence of the Vice-Chancellor of the
University, the Hon. and Rev. L. Neville, Master
of Magdalen College, having intimated his inten-
tion of presenting a silver cup to the member of the
corps proving himself the best marksman at vari-
ous distances. About 100 competitors presented
themselves, and arrangements for the competition
were made and carried out under the supervision
of Col.-Commandant Baker, Capt. Burn, and Rev.
J. F. Hardy, 8.D., of Sidney College, secretary.
In accordance with these regulations a trial match
was determined on, to decide the competency of
members to shoot for the cup, such competition to
be confined to those scoring 15 points in the preli-
minary trial. The result was the reduction of the
list to the following :-Ist Section—Shuttleworth,
Caius ; Piper, Trinity ; Hall, St. Peter's ; Great-
heed, Corpus; Pemell, Emmanuel ; Snowden,
John's; Gurdon, Trinity; Bros, John's; Heath,
Trinity Hall ; Hughes, Trinity Hall; King, Tri-
nity : Lee, Emmanuel ; Clowes, Trinity ; Clay, do. ;
Wilson, P. W., do. ; Tarratt, do. 2d Section—Page,
John's ; M'Neile, Trinity ; Washington, do.; Shep-
herd, do. ; Vy vyan, Gains ; Godfrey, John's ; Storer,
Trinity Hall; Steward, A. H., John's; Taylor,
Queen's; Peterkin, Emmanuel; French, Trinity;
Dyson, do.; Buxton, do. ; Steward, P. F., do. ;
Leatham, do. The actual contest took place on the
rifle ground on the Mill-road, on Wednesday and
Thursday (yesterday), concluding between 4 and 5
in the evening on the latter day. There were four
distances, five rounds each, and the score for target
shots was one for the outer circle, two for the cen-
tre, and three for the bull's eye. The Vice-Chan-
cellor was present during the whole of the compe-
tition, and the general interest excited was evinced
by the attendance of numbers of the principal mem-
bers of the University, and the principal persons of
the neighbourhood, including a due proportion of
the fair sex. On Wednesday the firing was at the
two shorter, and on Thursday at the longer dis-
tances. The following are the eight principal scores:
Shuttleworth, Caius, 32 ; Hall, St. Peters, 32 ;
Gurdon, Trinity, 27; Heath, Trinity Hall, 28;
Lee, Emmanuel, 27 ; Storer, Trinity Hall, 27 ;
Peterkin, Emmanuel, 37 ; Buxton, Trinity, 33.
Mr. Peterkin was thus the winner. At the con-
clusion the competitors were paraded in front of
the Magazine, and the Vice-Chancellor proceeded
to the presentation of the cup, which was a chastely
elegant one, of the reputed value of 20 guineas.
The Vice-Chancellor said—" I wish to express the
great pleasure I have had in witnessing the late
trial of your merits which has resulted in the suc-
cess of your friend, and I have more pleasure in
doing this when I recollect the manner in which
the University Rifle Corps has been conducted
from its formation, and the readiness evinced by
11 every member of it to concur in the wishes of
the authorities of the university • and I cannot let
this opportunity pass without doing justice to the
merits of one whom you all highly esteem, Col.
Baker, inasmuch as to the pains he has taken is due
the proficiency you have shown this day. To you,
Mr. Peterkin, I have much pleasure in presenting
this cup as a testimony of my own goodwill, and I
hope that in looking upon it in future years it will
incite you to perseverance in every honourable and
manly course." Mr. Peterkin, having bowed his
acknowledgments, received the cup and retired into
the ranks. The assembly then dispersed after three \