The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-19 00:00:00

AN UNCLE AND 1118 NIECES.

A scene of a most remarkable nature, partaking
as much of the serious as of the ludicrous, and not
a little of both, occurred at Granton on Saturday
evening last, some short time before the departure
of the 7.20 train to Edinburgh. In the course of
the evening two well-dressed and respectable look-
ing ladies arrived at Granton in company with a
gentleman who was evidently considerably the
worse of drink. They entered a house together,
where it is said they had some stimulants. They
conducted themselves, however, with the utmost
propriety, no suspicion being attached to the con-
duct or motives of either; they were, in fact, about
to leave, when it was discovered that the gentleman
had a considerably well-filled pocket of bank-notes,
and that the elder of the young ladies appeared to
be particularly solicitous as to how she could get
" her uncle to the train safely with so much money
in his possession." Doubts were immediately in the
minds of some present as to whether " the uncle"
might not be in this case, as in many others, a vic-
tim to the over-zealous attention of his " nieces."
These doubts were at once resolved by the appear-
ance of a Herculean-looking carter or porter, who
seemed to know the gentleman and those in his
charge, the former well, as was evidenced by im-
mediate and undoubted recognition ; the latter in
such a way as to justify him in at once ordering
them to move off. The " nieces" insisted on their
right to look after their " uncle," and charged the
carter, as he may be called, with five or six other men
who had just come up, with an intention to rob him.
The carter, on the other hand, with those in his com-
pany, all of whom seemed to know him, insisted that
the nieces were females of questionable character be-
longing to Leith or Edinburgh, and that their
object was to deprive "the uncle" of his pocket-
book. In a few minutes a considerable crowd col-
lected, and a desperate scuffle took place as to who
should have charge of the gentleman. While the
battle raged " fast and furious," it became all the
more clear that the porters and people were right,
and "the nieces" wrong; nevertheless, the ladies
fought like heroines, again and again secured their
victim, and probably would not have left him, had
not a huge porter or dock labourer-0 horror of
horrors ! how shall it be stated, or how can it be
believed?—finding all ordinary efforts of pushing
back and driving forward the most obstreperous of
the females utterly unavailing, laid her as coolly
and easily over his knee as he would do a four-year-
old child, and there and then, amid roars of
laughter and " Serve her right," administered a
castigation such as only the naughtiest children
are accustom-d to receive. The effect was marvel-
lous. The fiendish excitement of the brain seemed
all at once to be transferred to another department
of tile system ; the outraged female ran off in hot
haste to the police barracks to secure the assistance
of which she stood in need ; and her sister, or
associate, under threats that if she did not move off
as quickly, she would be " skelped too," followed
her as rapidly as she could: On their return with
the police, they gave in charge several persons,
who were not taken up, and finding the train in
waiting, they bolted off, leaving the gentleman
with the parcel of bank notes in the safe keeping
of his friends.—Valedonian Mercury.

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TILE CIIAMPIONSHIP OF TUE THAMES.

An event of much interest to the admirers of
aquatic sports came off yesterday. A grand scull-
ing match for the championship of the Thames
took place between two experienced boatmen named
Chambers and White. Chambers, a Newcastle-

upon-Tyne man, about a twelvemonth ago success-
fully contested the championship of the
Thames
with Henry Kelly, one of the best men on the
river. Since then he has enjoyed his proud pre-
eminence on the usual condition that he should

hold himself open to accept- the challenge of all
corners who may think that by their superior
strength and dexterity they can assert a better
title to it. It was felt to be only due to the repu-
tation of London that the stranger who had thus
carried off the distinction so much coveted by its
watermen should at least not be suffered by them
to wear his laurels uncontested. Hence the corn-

petition of yesterday, on which was staked in addi-
tion to the honorary guerdon which may be termed
the blue riband of the river, the more substantial

prize of £4OO in hard cash. A reward so great
and so tempting might well provoke a keen struggle
and stout rivalry; and those who had handsomely
subscribed to offer it naturally looked for a splen-
did exhibition of aquatic prowess and skill. How
far this anticipation was realized will presently be
seen. _ _

The men were to test each other's prowess in the
handling of those fragile wager boats which excite
the wonderment of unsophisticated country cousins
on their first voyage above Westminster-bridge;
and the race was to extend from a point near Put-
ney-bridgo to the " Ship" at Mortlake, a distance
of some 41 miles. The match was fixed for 4 o'clock,
long before wh;ch hour, notwithstanding the very
unfavourable state of the weather, the banks of the
Thames in the vicinityof the starting place swarmed
with eager spectators of both seies, while the river
itself was almost literally alive with steamboats
and every description of smaller craft. Putney-
bridge, too, was covered with a dense concourse,
which gave much additional animation to the scene,
and made even that most hideous and unsightly of
structures look picturesque. Expectation was at its
height when at 4 o'clock the competitors presented
themselves in their wager boats, stripped, as it is
termed, " to the buff," i.e., from head to waist, and
their appearance was the signal for enthusiastic
cheers from their respective supporters. The men
looked fine, healthy, and muscular fellows, pretty
equally matched iu point of age and weight. Each
competitor had an eight-oared galley in attendance
upon him, besides a river steamboat to accompany
him throughout the race.
Before the race began the betting was 6 to 4 (and
during the contest 3 and 4 to 1) in favour of Cham-
bers. At the appointed signal, it being then near
high water, the men started in gallant style, and all
was indescribable bustle and excitement. At the
outset White seemed to use his sculls more swiftly
than his opponent, and gained a trifling and mo-
mentary advantage. Up to the end of the first quar-
ter of a mile there was hardly any perceptible dif-
ference between them. Soon, however, the superior
ease and vigour of Chambers's rowing sent him
ahead of his antagonist, and the strength and neat-
ness of his strokes were the theme of general com-
mendation. At a distance of 400 yards from the
starting post the Newcastle *tan had the decided
advantage, which he managed steadily to increase,
and though White evidently laboured hard to con-
tinue the struggle, and put on an occasional " spurt,"
his backers began to have serious misgivings."
All this while a fleet of river steamboats, filled
with the excited partisans of the rival oarsmen,
was following close upon their track, warmly
urging them to keep up the contest, and encourag-
ing them by their cheers. Indeed, so hotly was this
chase pursued that the steamboats, now ahead and
now abreast of each other, again and again came
into rude collision, and at one time it seemed as if
some fearful accident must inevitably ensue. Strange
to say, however, by dint of apparent miracles of sea-
manship, nothing worse occurred than those dull
bumps against each other's sides which Thames
steamboats are as much made to receive as to carry
their passengers. At this time Chambers, having
taken the lead in the race, never for one moment
allowed his opponent visibly to diminish his advan-
tage. After the first half mile had been completed
the match was virtually at an end. Chambers was
about a dozen boats' length ahead when he passed
Hammersmith-bridge, where he was lustily cheered
by the assembled thousands. The relative position
of the two rowers was maintained with little or no
variation through the remainder of the struggle,
and when the gun announcing the arrival of the
twice victorious Chambers at the goal was fired
White was manfully but vainly labouring a dozen
to 15 boats' length behind. The contest did not
occupy more than 25 minutes. All Mortlake had
turned out to see the termination of the match, and
the weather having by this time cleared the spec-
tacle at this point was a brilliant one. The winner
was vociferously applauded.
Of course, the scene was not without its ludicrous
incidents. The tide was unusually high, and many
adventurous youths, in their eagerness to perch
themselves on some " coigne of 'vantage,' had
nothing for it but to wade nearly up to their arm-
pits, with no inconsiderable chance of a wore fate
in their endeavours to regain terra firma. While
the main event of the day was proceeding, too, the
equestrians, who lined the river's edge in great
numbers, seemed to he running a companion race
on their own account, their racecourse being neither
exactly on the dry land nor in the water ; and
their eccentric feats, inspired by an unhappy desire
to emulate the speed of crack oarsmen on their
own element, in not a few instances brought the
ambitious riders and unlucky bystanders to mani-
fest grief.