The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-18 00:00:00

The National Rifle Association.

WIMBLEDON COMMON, Wednesday Evening.
The final contest for the Queen's Prize having
been decided yesterday, attention was to-day
directed to the other important competitions that
yet remain to be disposed of, some of which had not
even begun. In the early part of the morning the
common presented the same dirty and slushy ap-
pearance as on former days. Soon after 12 o'clock
rain fell heavily, and before many could reach the
nearest tents they came in for a thorough drenching.
At this time the Belgians were firing for their prizes
at the northern ranges, and went on just as if
the most genial sun was shining over their heads.
There was a great number of Belgians on the ground
in addition to those who were shooting, and as a
graceful compliment to England every man wore a
rosette or band, in which the colours of the union
jack were combined, immediately under the medal
that was presented by the Prince of Wales to every
One on Saturday last.
The prizes given for the Belgians to compete for
this day, at 150 yards, were as follows :
A piece of plate, given by Messrs. S:uallpage and
Son, value £5O.
A Reilly small-bore Rifle, in case complete,
of Oxford-street,
given by Messrs. Reilly and Co.,
value £25.
A Cup, given by the Gunmakers' Company o
London, value £2l.f
iginveifine bAyssociation, value
Mr. Steward,
A Binocular Glass,
optician to the Nations
were to shoot 'vas left
conditions under which they
£5 103., and four purses, each containing £5. The
but the arrangements for the
tioi'ij tothemselves,e
Mr. Townshend, who has
Belgians during their stay.
sehnotnYgw er
Charge of the .Bead e
by
Soon after l O'clock the weather cleared, and the
sun shone forth splendidly, but the wind was ex-
boisterous, and very materially interfered
•cwlntlfflYeaccuracy of shooting. There was a toler-
ably good sprinkling of visitors on the ground.
The programme for to-day consisted of the se-
cond stage of the Albert Prize, being for a cup of
the value of £lOO, and the Gold Medal of the Wes-
tern India Rifle Association. Seven shots each at
800, 900, and 1,000 yards.
The Rifle Oaks was also continued throughout
the day.
The most important item on the programme of the
day was the Chancellors' Challenge Plate, value
£lOO, presented by the Duke of Devonshire and
the. Earl of Derby fcr annual competition between
the volunteers of the Oxford and Cambridge Uni-
versity corps, eight competitors on each side, seven
shots each, at 200, 500, and GOO yards. The ful-
-1 lowing were those selected to represent the different
universities : —Oxford : Lieut. H. Koili, Sergeant
Blackburn, Sergeant Winner, Private Ward, Cor-
poral Mason, Privates Holmes, Carslake, and
Reeves. Cambridge : Hon. J. Bouverie, Hon. J.
Gordon, Hope, Lambert, M'Kerrall, Rein, Roe, and
Tomlinson.
The other competitions were merely continua-
tions of those already begun.
A rather anomalous incident occurred to-day at
the breech-loading competition at the 200 yards
range, for the Duke of Cambridge's prize. Alr.

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Dawes, who is the inventor , th - arm n- -"'", tititie
re my
of cartridge, has some very a ,ior_rinDtalliel)eti.r..
fire cartridges on the ground, anthkwithrivhilS the
very best practice has been made, as they never
miss fire, but which frequently takes place with the
" Boxer." In one case a man, out of 24 rounds,
with a Carter Edwards rifle, had no less than 13
miss-fires, but that does not apply to the cartridges
above referred to, for in the three minutes' compe-
tition no miss-fire or sticking in the chamber of the
barrel has ever occurred. This day, however, on a
competitor going up to the 200 yards range to fire
with a Government Snider and I)awes's cartridges, he
was I.revented from doing so by the officer in com-
mand, who said that he had received strict orders to
prevent the Government rilld being fired by any
other than a Boxer cartridge. The effect of this will
be to exclude the best cartridges, and to substi-
tute those that in many inAances have failed, and
this is of the utmost important; when the prize de-
pends upon the rapirFty of firing, and which is limited
to three minutes. The Wimbledon meeting is gene-
rally:supposed to be the place where all improvements
in rifles and cartridges are broug! forward, but by
this regulation what has proved itself to be one of
the best things in cartridges is excluded.
The Bishop of London and Mrs. Tait visited the
camp this day, accompanied by several ladies and
gentlemen, and partook of refreshments in the ram
tent of the First Surrey; after which they were taken
to the firing points by Colonel Macdonald, the com-
manding officer of the First Surrey, and for which at-
tention they appeared much pleased, and expressed
their gratification at the kindness they had received,
In the 17- ych-loading competition to-day the
Ma:, •• - . at had recorded as his three minutes
score the extraor4Anary number'l4 92 marks. The
matter led--to:an fuvestigationi and as the markers
had given him credit for 29 shots, and only 2G could
be found on the target, the Master of Lovat'Ef seem
was cancelled.

A notice was issued to-day stating thatit had been
ascertained that volunteers were in the habit of shoot-
ing in wrong names, and it was stated that if it was
detected the persons so offending would not ba
allowed to take a prize, and would be disqualified
from shooting again during the meeting.
At the 200 yards of the breech-loading corn.
petition, at a late period of the day, Sergeant
Pace, of the 12th Kent, made 80 points in
three minutes with a Snider rifle, thus
_tying Mr.
Bird, of the 26th Kent, who made a similar
number, but the highest score of all was made by
Mr. Farquharson, with a Henry rifle, who made 92
points. Sergeant Dunlop made 79 with a Henry,
Mr. Holland made 75 with a Witney, and Gostege
made 75 with a Soper.

THE REVIEW ON SATURDAY.—The following offi-
cial memorandum has been issued :—" The force
will assemble on the ground of the National Rifle
Association at Wimbledon as soon after four o'clock
as possible. Corps arriving from Wimbledon will
enter the inclosure by the southern gate ; those
arriving from Barnes and Putney by the northern
gate. No corps will be admitted after 5 p.m.—
GEORGE ERSKINE, Colollo.—War-office, July 17."

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS, Tuesday.

The society continues to work steadily on in all
departments of its varied operations. The trials of
portable engines are still not fully completed, but
the trials of fixed engines are fiuished. As regards
the latter the six competitors were Messrs. Tuxford
and Son, the Reading Ironworks Company, Messrs.
Clayton, Shuttleworth, and Co., Mr. J. J. Rawlings,
Mr. ',II. Kinsey, and Messrs. Deacon and Wood.
With an allowance of 141 b. of coal for each nominal
horse power, and with steam at a pressure of 801 b.
per square inch, Clayton and Shuttlewo. rth's engines
ran 3 hours 9 min. ; Tuxford and Son's, 2 hours 22
min.; and the Reading Company's, 2 hours 261
min. All the double-cylinder portable engines have
now concluded their first trial. Messrs. Clayton
and Shuttleworth's 15-horse power engine ran four
hours 421 minutes; Messrs. Ransoms and Sims'
15-horse power engine, three hours 43 minutes ; and
Messrs. Tuxford and Son's 14-horse power engine,
three hours 18} minutes. Fourteen of the single-
cylinder engines have now been tried a first time,
and six more were to be tested yesterday. The
programme this year provides that each portable
engine shall be run a second time with theresistance
of the brake increased 50 pet cent. ; but the trials
have thus far proceeded so slowly that the stewards
ttshrihatin secondoaveulesl
apn
although
place.ihi
deemed
oel oue gms
hht
ehodettli
lhetddexlevl
esbsii
effectrpvt
eoeosr exhibitors
ootwlprvioNelv
di::
ott efgoororr thewos,
0:1
ifienwtrehis
with
hort trialtthhheeer
of course, be to
delay the awards of the prizes.
The horse show is a local one; indeed, of the
whole 260 horses shown, 123 come from Suffolk,
while the adjoining county of Norfolk contributes
also a considerable contingent. There is no re-
flection upon the show for this, as some of the
best horse stock in England, especially as
regards agricultural horses, is produced in Suffolk.
The Viceroy of Egypt during his visit to the show,
lingered for half an hour by the ring at which the
horses were tested, although it rained heavily all
the time. Among the thoroughbred stallions, Cap-
tain Barlow's False Alarm, and Mr. Donald's
Scottish Chief, which took the first and second
prizes, were especially deserving of notice. False
Alarm received recently the thoroughbred prize at
the Essex Agricultural Society's meeting, but was
passed over a few days later at the Society's meet-
ing, to the surprise of many. lie is a very hand-
some " crack," bred by Lord Spencer at Althorp.
Captain Barlow again came out strong in the brood
mare class, with his well-Lknown
alsinghams mare SilverlocksSouth-
In the sheep classes, Lord W
downs are as elegant, if as small as ever, and
they made an excellent figure in the prize list, a
result not to be wondered at, as his lordshipority
's
steward (Mr. Woods) is reputed an auth
on the breeding and management of sbhieneapt.i
long-vroolled sheep, formed by a com
be becoming larger and larger every year. The
Lincoln, Leicester, and Cotswold blood, appeaorsnTtioloef
Ox-
ford Cots Dwoolivdsnspr(oopbetraituneadkeoari
The
ewes with Cotswold tups) come out strong.
yispblyayc,roassudingth
De
onShropshire Downs appear to have more of the Down
gfiinnea ldl
cut about them than the Oxford Downs. There is •
a class or two of black-faced Suffolks, but the breed
does not appear to be making much progress in the
county. Suffolk, if not very strong in sheep, has
acquired a certain reputation in pig breeding, the
exertions of Messrs. Stearn, Sexton, and Crisp
having been most successful in this particular.
Nevertheless, they have been encountered by Mr.
Duckering, of Lincolnshire (who has of late ob-
tained a large measure of success), Messrs. Howard,
of Bedford, and others. Suffolk formerly possessed
only a breed of white pigs, but it has gradually esta-
blished a black breed, which now enjoys a deserved
reputation.
The show of poultry is large, and represents
almost every district in the kingdom.
The Royal Horticultural Society has commenced
to-day an exhibition of great beauty and merit,
near the interesting Botanic Garden, maintained
by the elite of ,darnßury the ruins of the great
Abbey of st. Edmun. In one circular tent there
was a magnificent collection of exotic and other
plants arranged with great taste. In an adjoining
tent, of considerable length, there was a more mis-
cellaneous collection of flowers and fruis,presenting
senses. This exhibition, which will be continue,
..1
everything calculated togratify and enchantitth.lil;
eenhouse plants, Ftr.
eliindm vines,aosyn,
cg,sti:cotopxrneio:sci)easrhsies:.egp
bunchesgercoups of o f,g
rfaopl
ja:nod:fe,lso,peeanrg_
pine-
plants, fuschias, stove or gr
n
garden plants, heaths,
apples, orchids, native and exotic ferns, lycopods, pot
goniunts, bedding plants,
tunias., verben as, delphiniums,pen-
and garden products of every
tames apricots, flag cherries,
S strawberries,description;toilisealy"nothing of horticultural imple-
ments. The wind was so boisterous this morning
that one of the tents was partially upset, and some
valuable cacti were damaged in consequence. The
has been of a chequered
weather generally to-day
character, more rain falling this afternoon. "

/THEATRE ROYAL DRURY-LANE.
Sole Lessee and Manager. Mr. F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, THAT RASCAL JACK. Messrs. J.
Rouse, J. Neville, C. Warner ; Mesdames B. Aleyne, C.
Thompson.
To conclude with T RE GREAT CITY. Messrs. C.Warner,
F. Morton. J. Fitzjames, F Villiers, J. C. Cowrer, W.
M'lntyre, J. Rouse, J. Irving, J. B. Johnstone; Mesdames
M. Robertson, R. U. Le Thiere, C. Thompson.
Commence at Seven.

11.1-IEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET,
Sole Lessee and Managsr, Mr. BuckstAte.
THIS EVENING, I'ETEK SMINK.
Fo lowed by. THE COQUETTE. Messrs. Howe, Comp-
ton, Gordon, Vincent. Weathersby, Coe, ; Mesdames
Sedgwmk, Matthews, Lewin, eze.
Alter which, WHO WANTS A GUINEA. Messrs. Buck-
stone, Howe. Chippendate, Rogers, Compton, Clark, Kendal,
Braid, Gordon, White, &c.; Mesdames Burke, .iathews,
I,aw-, &o.