The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-25 00:00:00

PRICE 4d.
ST A MPED sd.

tise more largely. They would be glad to receive
suggestions for the extension of agencies throughout
the country.
A vote of thanks to the chairman and the other
directors terminated the proceedings.

Canterbury 11311.

-~- ----

A highly characteristic Irish ballot, called the 'gray-
makers' Ilun," has been produced at the Canterbury It,ll,
and will probably have a. long awl primp-roux run. The
veteran name of Oscar Byrne is a guarantee that anything
of the kind is sure to be -full of point and animation:
whilst Mr. Gates, the scenic artist, is not likely to fail in
the pictorial accessories. Tho "running" of the hay-
makers must not be confounded with the flight of Fenians,
or the movements of a military " flying column." They
aro haymakers pure and simple, guileless of politics, but
with an unquenchable desire to dance, sing, cry " Och !"
shillelagh each other's heads, and make love to their lasses
in true Irish fashion. Before a very pretty set scene on
an Irish farmer's estate (?), with admonitory beehives in
full activity to suggest the policy of industry, the hay-
makers, male and female, appear in choice Hibernian cos-
tume, and dance and sing a variety of national dances,
to music of so exhilarating a character that it communi-
cates a strong desire in the audience to dance also. There
are two gifted personages amongst the haymakers, who,
in sporting phrase, "make the running" and sing es well
as dance, both lady and gentleman doing justice to Ireland
in a very conspicuous manner. The ballet terminates in
what is technically known as the "Haymakers' Run"—,
that is, a dance, in which the dancers, male and fomal
weave themselves into a perfect human Maze. Eighty
people seem to tio themselves into a knot and release
themselves again, but how they do it is only known to
themselves and Mr. Oscar Byrne. Tho ballet is invented
and worked out with artistic taste and spirit, and the corps
de ballet throw all the necessary fire into their evolutions.
Contemporaneously with the production of this sprightly
novelty is the completion of the redecorations of the hall
by Reynolds, the builder of the Canterbury. The interior
now presents a rich appearance, and the new proscenium
sets off the stage admirably. Indeed the several halls—
ants-hall, concert hall, picture gallery, supper hall, &c.,
constituting the "Canterbury Hall"—have been brilliantly
redecorated, much to the credit of Mr. Charles Morton, the
managing director.

PIGEON SHOOTING.

GUN CLUB.

On Saturday last the members of this very flourishing
club held a meeting on their shooting-ground at Shep-
herd's-bush. Six one sovereign sweepstakes wore shot off
under the following conditions, viz., five birds each, ex-
cept the last sweep, which was three, and the winners to
go back one yard.
In the first sweep Mr. Hambro, 27 yards rise, won by
bringing down all his birds in fine style. Mr. Brodie, 25,
and Mr. Payne, 26}, in the seeond sweep divided, both
succeeding in killing all their birds. In the third sweep
Major Longley, 23, and Mr. Ifain'wo' 28, each missed one
out of five, when they shot it off bird for bird ; both killed,
and they then agreed to divide. Mr. Rudd, 26, and Mr.
Blackbourne, 23i, divided the fourth sweep. The fifth
was one by Captain Ricardo, 264, who only missed one of
the five. The sixth, at three birds each, likewise fell to
the lot of Captain Ricardo, who killed all three.
It may hero be stated that Viscount Stormont has ac-
cepted the presidentship of the club, and the committee
have added to their number. Sir 11. Pottingor, Bart. ; Sir
Gilbert East, Bart. ; Major Longley, Capt. R'cario, and
Capt. Fredericks, and 15 fresh members have been elected
during the past fortnight.
A great amount of betting took place on Saturday, in
most instances in favour of the gun. A great wally entries
have already been made for tho Aristocratic Sweepstakes,
to take place on May 16 and 17.

THE CAMBRIDGE CP.EW.—Few university crews
have had such difficulties in the way of bad weather to con-
tend against as the present ono, for up to last Thursday
there had not been a single fine day for a considerable time,
but every day blinding snow, sleet, or rain. This was very
unfortunate, for rowing is not the nice exorcis a for cold
weather that people would give it credit for being, since the
muscles of the arm get stiffened by the cold, and cannot
perform their functions properly; while the hands, not-
withstanding the hard exorcise, nevertheless remain so cold
that they can scarely hold the oar tightly. Hence the May
term is the time for rowing. The amount of perspiring which
a man who works properly then undergoes seems to have
the same effect on his muscles and limbs as the oil with
which the ancients used to anoint themselves had on them
when going infer any exercise. When, therefore, to the cold
a driving downfall was generally added, it can be imagined
that the boat has not been rowing under the most favour-
able auspices. Tho crew have, however, manfully faced
the element; and no weather has been severe enough to
prevent them from having the amount of rowing which it
now becomes so necessary for them to have. It has been
suggested with great propriety that the race should be hold
on Friday, April 12, instead of on Saturday, as it would
allow country parsons an opportunity of reviving old feel-
ings and associations, by going to the race, a thing which
is now impossible, as they are not able to return to their
charges in time. The athletic sports are fixed for Friday,
which is a difficulty, but they might possibly be deferred
till Saturday. We hear that the race is to take place at
welve o'clock.—Cambridge Independent.
Major Elwon was at Newmarket on Saturday, and
made arrangements for Plaudit to reach there during the
present week to be trained at that place for his Two
Thousand and Derby engagements.
THE HORSES AND HOUNDS MATCHES.—These matches
aro to take place at Windsor on Friday and Saturday
next, March 29th and 30th. These novel matches will
form a portion of the programme (ono match on each day)
at the Old Windsor, 14th Hussars', and Royal Hunt
Steeple Chases.
Mr. Pryor reached Newmarket on Thursday evening
on a visit toThe Rake.
WIIOLESALE PIGEON STEALING.—During the last
week the pigeon stealers have been making a general raid
th.oughout Tadcastor and neighbourhood. One person at
St utton has lost nearly 300; one at Tadcaster, 180; another
at Tadcaster, 200 ; and another at the same place upwards
of 150. Several other. attempts have been made, but as yet
without success.—Yorkshire Gazelle.
SOCIAL EQUALITY.—Ina letter to the Indianopolis
Journal, in reference to some recent troubles in that city
on account of the attempted exclusion of coloured people
from his lecture, Frederick Douglass thus sums up the
whole question of "social equality :"—" You represent me
as demanding social equality for the negro. I must ask,
Is this quite fair ? What is social equality ? Does it con-
sist of being in the same hall, and on the same floor, lis-
tening to the same lecture ? Do you regard every man as
socially equal with you because you are on the same floor
at church, market, hall, or elsewhere ? Do not character,
wealth, and intelligence control the matter of social rela-
tions ? When we meet in a public hall do not wo meet as
citizens, as the public, rich and poor, noble and ignoble,
standing upon a common footing ? And is not this well ?
rut is it not quite another thing to force me into associa-
tion with all I meet as equal citizens in street or hall ?
My parlour, and my table, and my hand are my own, and
I can choose my own friends and associates, and you have
the same right; but when you go into a public ball you
venture beyond your parlour limits, and your right ends
where that of another man begins."
THE VALLEY OF TILE AMAZON.—In one of the
lectures which Professor Agassiz has just been delivering
before the Now York Association for the Advancement of
Science, he gave a sketch of the geological constitution of
the basin of the Amazon. Ho proclaimed the table-lands of
Guiana and Brazil the oldest part of the South American
continent. He considered the geological construction of the
North and South American continent to be strikingly
similar. The islands of Canada from the coast of Labrador
. to the Rocky Mountains wore at ono time tho only part of
North America in existence. At a later period rose the
Alleghenies, and subsequently up came the Rocky Moun-
tains; so that the North American Continent was built up
by three groat geological occurrences. So it was with the
continent of South America. The manner in which these
upheavals have taken place is well understood by geolo-
gists. While the earth was cooling the crust contracted,
the same as a hot iron contracts while cooling. As the
cooling and contracting, process went ou, the earth's crust
shrivelled and folded itself, thereby forming all sorts of
irregularitiem. As the waters of the Pacific once washed
the western basin of the Alleghanies anterior to the up-
heaval of the Rocky Mountains, so the table-lauds of
Guiana and Brazil at ono time formed the only portion of
the continent of South America, prior to the upheaval of
the Andes ; and thus the valley of the Amaze \W IR' ow
remote period but a great strait be teen tfifti'
islands formed by these table-lands of Guiana
and Brazil. Tho present appearance of the valley of the
Amazon, however, is not due merely to these upheavals,
but it has been greatly modified by other causes such as
washing, abrasion, changes of the seasons, ; rains,
frost
freshets, and another still more powerful agent
than all th
others, the glaciers. The present configuration of South
America, like that of North America, is owing to the
action of immense, fields of ice. Throughout the whole
valley of the Amazon there is one uniform sediment— a
sediment of comparatively recent date. This sediment or
deposit was at one time 1,000 feet above the level of the
sea, but now it has been mostly washed away until nearly
the whole valley is but one vast plain, scarcely rising above
the ocean's level. Still there are hills remaining—the
monuments, as it were, of this vast deposit or sediment,
showing beyond a doubt that the whole basin was once
' filled with it.