The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-09 00:00:00

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIAJION.

The great week of the Volunteers terminated on
Saturday, and ended with a brilliancy on , inferior
to that of its opening day, which was grit ed by the
presence of the Queen. In all public gatherings
that extend over se feral days some of them are
marked out for particular distinction : Epsom has
its " Derby," and Ascot its " Cup." Saturday was
the " Queen's Prize" day at Wimbledon, and drew
from London a greater number of spectators than
had been seen on the ground since the inaugura-
tion. On the Putney road there was a continuous
stream outwards of carriages and equestrians; at
the Waterloo station these was again a crush, con-

fusion, and a succession of very bad quarter hours
to be passed by the public before they could dis-
burse their cash for tickets. The impediments the
railway authorities put in the way of those who
come to them money in hand are sometimes singu-
larly perverse ; but with a week's practice the dif-
ficulties were brought to perfection on Saturday at
the Waterloo station. Every "one and return" is
fixed at a sum that in nine cases out of ten requires
change to be given from two shilling or half-a-
crown ; and one clerk at. one small window was
the receiver and payer for the whole rush. With
the least foresight and arrangement these scenes of
mobbing and scrambling, disagreeable to the strong,
and really dangerous to the weak, might be avoided.
But, as usual, the public endured, paid, and at last
got to Wimbledon. The half-holiday hours of Sa-
turday liberated the city for a run down ; and Rot-
ten-row transferred itself for that afternoon to the
common. Cavaliers and Amazons were cantering
across the ground in every direction, and during the
last two hours of the contest for the Royal prize
the competitors were fenced in by a semicircle of
spectators, horsemen, and carriages, two and three
deep. As a spectacle, the last firing of the 40 at
the 1,000 yards' range was precisely the same as
that of all the other matches, which during the
week drew but a small group of observers round
the champions. But the value of the stakes always
increases the interest of the game, even to bystand-
ers ' • and the £250 depending on one keen sight
and steady hand was also the first Royal gift for
such a purpose—certainly for two generations. It
was a revival of an emulation fimiliar to the people
in olden times. Our ancient royalties were gi.acious
to marksmen. " Old Double" could put in his shaft
at twelve score, and "John of Gaunt loved him
well, and betted much money on his head." The
same point of the great wheel may be coining round
again. The difference will be of weapon only—not
of spirit, nor of skill.
The arrangements on the ground on Saturday
were the same as on the preceding days. The
Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary were
present during the afternoon.
The competition for the Queen's prize of 1250
and the gold medal of the Association was restricted
to Volunteers ; the 20 winners of the -Whitworth
rifles given by the Association, and the 20 second
best shots of that contest, now contended between
themselves for the higher distinction. The distances
were 800, 900, and 1,000 yards, each competitor
firing five shots at each. No artificial rest for the
weapon was allowed. Of the 40 qualified four with-
drew ; the remaining 36 were placed as follows :
Points.

Ross 7th North York 24
Fending ...-. .. 4th Flintshire
Williams 2d Bucks .. 20
Tinley 2d Lancashire
llidton id Manchester
Jenkins
Blackburn .... Edinburgh
Baker
Henry Edinburgh l5
Cowan .. Lanark H
Plaskett
Potter
Sandford St. George's
Gosnald
CuHinson 6th North York l2
Lawley
Wylie
Phillips
Marryat
Caiger 2d Middlesex 9
Cocks
Owen
Marshall
Burg
Jackson .. 32d Kent 7
Fenton
Pout
Batty
Johnson
Howard
May sth Sussex ... .
Sharp
Brooks .. 12th Middlesex
Wood
Russell . . Edinburgh 1
Beard .. Edinburgh 1
The firing commenced at 9 a.m., and had finished
for the two first ranges before the greater number
of London visitors, in tie afternoon, arrived. It
was the firing at the longest, and most trying range
of 1,000 yards of which most of them were witnesses,
Mr. Ross, the winner of the grand prize of the whole
contest, is a very young man ; his style of firing
was remarkably quiet and steady.
The second match of the day was for the Duke
of Wellington's prize of £5O; the conditions five
rounds at the 1,000 yards' range. This contest was I
also decided early in the day. The winner was
Lieut. Archibald, 33d Regiment, an instructor of
musketry. But he was very closely pressed by M.
Knecht, one of the Swiss; they each made three
points, and on the deciding shot of the tie Lieut.
Archibald won. M. Knecht was awarded as a
second prize a watch given by Mr. Bennett, value
30 guineas.
In return for the prize Whitworth rifle, offe-LTd
by Mr. Fairbairn for the competition of the Swiss
only, they had given a Swiss rifle, to be fired for
only by Volunteers, but excluding those who were
entitled to compete for the Queen's prize. This
match completed the list of Saturday. It was
gained by Mr. Dear, 9th Middlesex, who in five
rounds at 500 yards made seven points.
At 6 o'clock several of the Volunteer companies
from London and the suburbs marched on the
ground with their bands, and closed the proceedings
of the week with more military " pride and circum-
stance" than had even marked their opening.
To-day the scene will shift to the Crystal Palace,
where all the winners will be assembled to receive
their prizes. They will be distributed by Mr. Sidney
Herbert, the president of the association. Every
arrangement has been made to render the occasion
worthy of the great week, that, opening with the
presence and sanction of the Sovereign, will be
closed with the seal of official approbation.
We are requested to state that it was Lieutenant
Lacy, of the 12th Regiment, and not Capt. Lacy,
of the 33d Regiment, who won the Prince Consort's
i prize on Friday.