The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-26 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Six o'clock,

GREAT SCULLERT RACE BETWEEN
KELLY AND BUTTLE—(This Day).

(BY ELECTRIC TELKIRAPII.)

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

DEFEAT OF THE NORWICH CHAMPION.

NORWICH, WEDNESDAY.
The great contest between Kelly and Buttle was
finally settled to-day.
At the hour appointed, each man, accompanied
by his backers and friends, took their stations,
and a capital start was effected. Both exerted them-
selves to the utmost. Kelly to maintain the well-
earned triumph he achieved in London, and Battle to re-
gain the laurels he had lost when he was defeated by
Kelly in the late match on the Thames. For some
time it was a neck and neck race, and it was
difficult to perceive which of the men had the
greatest advantage. At one time it was thought that
Battle would ultimately prove the victor, from the cir
cumstance that he possessed a better knowledge of the
course than his London opponent, but as both
men neared the winning point the superiority of
Kelly gradually became apparent. Bottle struggled
manfully throughout the whole of the distance,
but he was competed to succumb to the superior
prowess of Kelly, who won the match by about three
boats' lengths.

At the termination of the contest the victory Kelly
had secured was loudly cheered by his friends, and the
long-disputed question of tite invincibility of Buttle's
prowess was set at rest.

Notwithstanding the severity of the weather the
banks of the river were crowded with spectators. The
postponement of the contest yesterday seemed evidently
to have increased the curiosity of the visitors, and it
was some considerable time before those who had not
witnessed the termination of the match, could be made to
believe that their champion Bottle, who had never be-
fore been defeated " in his own river," had been van-
quished by a "Londoner."

Kelly was decidedly the favourite amongst the metro-
politians ; but Battle had numerous admirers in his own
locality, and his success was looked upon by them as a
" certainty."

NORWICH, TUESDAY.

The second heat of the great match between Kelly,
of the Thames, and Buttle, of the Norwich river, was
to come off this day (Tuesday), between Surlingham
and the upper part of our river. Some doubts had
been expressed yesterday whether the heat would not
be postponed, in consequence of a dispute relative to
the course and the distance—Kelly wishing to avoid
certain tortuous reaches, and being desirous of shorten•
ing the distance-4i miles. Neither of these intended
departures from agreement were sanctioned by Battle or
his friends, who were desirous that the long course
should be pulled, and the strength and aptitude of both
men fairly tried. This morning, however, two courses
were laid down as follows—a toss to be made, and the
winner to choose his ground :
T, H. Palmer and J. Britcher, on the part of A.
Buttle ; and P. Jones and J. Phillips, on the part of
H. Kelly, agree to decide by toss whether the start for
Kelly and Buttle's race shall take place at the Grease-
house, Piumstead, or at the Six-mile Staithe reach, as
near the post where Lett and Buttle started as possible.
If the race start from the Grease-house, to finish just
below Winitlingham Ferry ; if from the Six-mile Staithe,
to fitaish at the upper end of the New Cut.
The right of choice was won by Kelly's friends, who
chose the line from Six-mile Staithe to the upper portion
of the New Cut.

Notwithstanding the severity of the weather thou.
sands went to Thorpe to witness this great struggle,
in carriages, on horseback, and on foot ; but there
were very few boats on the stream. There has been
great discussion both as to the distance and ground,
on the part of the friends of Kelly, who neither liked
the one nor the other. However, at half-past twelve,
both men went to Surlingham, and at one o'clock were
ready to enter their boats. But the umpire, Mr. Owen
Diver, did not appear. When, however, he did arrive
from Norwich, from whence he had brought a number
of spectators, he announced that he could not stay,
having chartered a steamer from Yarmouth to Norwich
and back, and was under the necessity of returning by a
given hour. The consequence was, that there being no
boat in readiness to accompany the competitors with
another umpire, the match was necessarily postponed
until to-morrow (Wednesday), at twelve o'clock, when
the match is announced as certainly to come off. Thou-
sands, therefore, who had been in anxious expectation all•
day, in spite of hail, rain, blow, and snow, returned
disappointed and wet, and not a little, and deservedly,
angry.