The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-04 00:00:00

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

. .
The actual business of the Wimbledon meeting
commenced yesterday; the. Volunteers hegantheir
work at 9 o'clock,,and co4inued:tia.l4B.l•
filek
The littie..kiifieihiltitiidtrittilfttiture
of the Queen on Monday was no more than an open-
ing essay, the preface to the volume, or the light
skirmish before the battle. The duties of the day had
also somewhat unfitted the competitors for the con-
test.; they had been under arms for many hours,
and engaged in keeping the ground. Yesterday
there was not only more firing, but it was much
better, as the returns-prove. The number of volun-
teers who have entered themselves for the match is
331 ; on Monday afternoon 320 took part in the
firing, there being a few absentees. Only three
took honours, but yesterday has produced a much
longer list of the skilful.

The first prize contended for was one given by
the association-20 Whitworth rifles, one to each
of the best 20 shots, and a silver medal in addition
to the best shot of the 20. This band of victors
will be entitled to compete for the Queen's prize of
£250, and the honour of being admitted to the
same competition is also extended to the 20 next
best shots to those who win the rifles. The prize
weapons lie side by, side in a tent for inspection ;
they are fondly handled by amateurs, and curiously
eyed by the less appreciative. The shooting for
these prizes occupied the volunteers the whole of
the day. The conditions were that each competitor
was limited to five shots at each range, of 300,500,
and 600 yards. The rifle used was the Enfield, of
the Government pattern of 1853. At the range A
(of 300 yards) the target was 6 feet by 4, with an
8-inch bull's-eye and 2 feet centre; at ranges B
and C (500 and GOO yards) the target was an exact
square of 6 feet, with a two feet centre, and no
bull's eye. All ties in the competition at these three
ranges arc decided by those who have scored equally
firing one shot each at the longest distance-600.
The following list of the volunteers who made the
greatest number of points for this prize and on
these conditions gives the result of the firing, which
did not close till past 5 o'clock, The number of
points include all that were made at all three
ranges :

Baker—Bristol ..
Gibbs—Bristol
La wley—Derby
Howaid—Essex
Blackburn—Edinburgh ..
Henry—Edinburgh ,
Wood—Edinburgh
Russel—Edinburgh
Fielding-4th Flintshire
Owen-2d Glamorganshire
Jenkins-sth Glamorganshire
Burgh-10th Gloucester • .
Tinley-2d Lancashire
Pant-sth Kent
Heaton-sth Manchester
Jackson-32d Kent .. ,
Caiger-2d Middlesex
Cowan-Ist Lanark ..
Wylie-Ist Lanark ..
Marshall-Ist Lanark
Fenton-9th Middlesex
• •
Cocks-11th Middlesex , .
Beard-4th' Surrey
May-sth Sussex .. • .
Stearn-6th Suffolk ..
Sharp-9th Sussex
Phillips-Ist Shropshire
Collinson-6th North York ..
Ross-7th North York
Bainbrigge—lst West York ..
Batey-9th Surrey
Potter-sth Surrey ..
Sanford—St. George's ..
Johnson—Victoria Rifles
Placket-21st Middlesex
Williams—Bucks
Turpie—Derby
Coulbourn-Ist Lanark
Dear-9th Middlesex
Bridgeman-9th Middlesex ..
Cleaver-23d Middlesex • .
Gosnell—lst Norfolk
Cripps—Oxfordshire • • ..
Murray—Perthshire . , , •

.. .. 14 points.

.. .. 13

.. 13

ell ••

.. 1.4
.. 13

.. 14

.. 14

.. 13

.. 13

.. 14
.. 16
.. 13
.. 17

.. .. 13
.. .. 13

.. 12

.. 12
.. 12

.. 12

.. 12
.. 12

Lyster-9th Surrey ..
Brookes-12th Middlesex
Marriott-Ith West York

.. 12

Pipon—ith West Sussex

.. 12

The ties in this list will "shoot off," according to
the above condition, to day ; the highest ties are
safe, as far as the prize is concerned, but must de-
termine their place in the order of honour; five of
the 13 who have each scored 12 must be added to
the list of higher numbers to make up 40.
For " all corners of all nations " there are four
separate series of prizes, increasing in value from
£2O to £5O according to the distances, seven sums
of £2O for the best seven shots at 200 yards ; £3O
each for the best seven shots at 300 yards ; £4O
each for the best seven at 500 yards ; and £5O each
for the best five at 600 yards, with the Army and
Nary Gazette prize of £2O, and rifle given by Mr.
Egan to the other two. Only the prizes of the first
two ranges, 200 and 300 yards, were decided yes-
terday. The Swiss were, of course, competitors in
this contest. Any rifle was used, provided it did
not exceed 101 b. in weight, and had not a hair
trigger.

Tile following were the highest scores made at
200 yards:—
Newman—Royal Marines .. 12 points.
Ross-7th West Riding, York 11 „
Peter—Switzerland .. .. . • 11 1/
Chesser—Switzerland 11 /I
Johnson—Sherwood Foresters 10 „

Mauler—Switzerland .. 10 ~
Collins—Victoria Rifles 10 I,
Prince—St. George's .. .. 10 ~
Thorel—Switzerland 10 „.
Thoman--Switzerland . • 10 ,/
The following were the highest at 300 yards :
Ross—West Riding .. .. 9 points.
Nourisson—Switzerland 9 )1
Ingram—Glasgow
Sergeant Wilson—llytho
Forbes-2d Derby
Sergeant Dillon—Hythe
Colonel Lindsay—St. George's..
Captain Marriott—West York
Heil—Switzerland
Jackson ,
Knecht—Switierland .. • . .. 8 ~
The ties of the " all comers" will also be deter.
mined to-day.
The Swiss Deputation use the Enfield rifle, not
exactly from choice, but in consequence of an un-
toward accident that befell them when crossing
the French frontier on their way to England. The
French Custom-house officials seized and detained
the rifles of the travellers, though they had taken
the precaution to provide themselves with a certi-
ficate from the French Consul-General in Switzer-
land, stating the reason they were carried, and the
object of the journey. The French officials were
probably suspicious of Swiss arms at the present
juncture, for no remonstrance availed anything,
time pressed, and the Swiss Deputation arrived
without their rifles. They believe that had this
rigorous seizure been made known to the Emperor
an immediate order would have been telegraphed
for the delivery of the rifles ; but the communica-
tion could not be, or was not made, and
wea-
pons that should have won renown at Wimbledon
are sleeping ingloriously in the French Donnie.
The reason why the Swiss appeared on the ground
on Monday without arms is thus very sufficiently
explained. It is a general impression that the

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