The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-25 00:00:00

ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB.

• The above great club closed its very prosperous yachting
season on Saturday with a race amongst yachts of the third
class, for a prize value £3O, from Erith to near the Noro
Light and back, and although the entry list was small the
sport was good, while the weather was most agreeable for
visitors—
Yacht. Tons. Owner.
Vampire
Satanella l5 ... Captain P. Bennett.
The Queen l5 ... Captain J. W. C. Whitbread.

The Oread steamer had been substituted for the Prince
of Wales, and left the visitors nothing to complain of.
Mr. E. Tatham officiated as commodore for the day, in the
absence of Lord Alfred Paget.
The signal to get ready was fixed at 11.31, and the second
to go away at 11.36 ; wind light from the eastward. It
was a very fine start. The Queen, from her position, took
the lead, followed by the Satanella and Vampire. All were
canvassed about the same time, the Satanella first with her
topsail, followed by the Vampire. The Queen was much
behindhand, and did not set her topsail till she got to the
point. They beat down the Rands, and in the second tack
the Satanella weathered the Queen and took the lead.
Half-way down Long Reach power began to tell, and the
Vampire took the lead of both her rivals, the Satanellahaving
shifted her jib for another one than that with which she
had started, Satanolla carrying a big balloon topsail,' the
Vampire and Queen with working topsails. Near Green-
hithe the Queen shifted her topsail, sending up a jib-headed
one, and here the Vampire showed a decided head of
both, the Satanella being second, and the Queen third.
The Satanella now shifted for a jib-headed topsail, the
Queen drawing up to her, and off Broadness Point the
Queen went by the Satanella to windward, and took second
place, the Vampire being then half a mile a head. They
all beat down Gravesend Reach, the wind freshening, and
the Vampire again shifted her topsail. Off Rosherville the
Alexandra (No. 2) put the Queen about unnecessarily.
They lay through the Hope, and the Satanella appeared
to draw on the Queen. Standing over to the Mucking
Light the Vampire first tacked at 1 hour 47 minutes, with
a lead of nearly half a mile. It was a dead heat through
Sea Reach, and the water rather lumpy. The Satanella
gained, and at low water slack the vessels rounded the
steamer, and anchored midway between the Noro and South-
end in the following order :

H. M. S.

Vampire 3 47 30
The Queen 3 58 20
Satanella 4 2 25

Shortly before rounding the captain of the Orion steamer
altered his course materially, and eased so astiot to hamper
the yachts. - They all set balloon topsails and jibs directly
after rounding, as it was a dead run all the way up. No
change whatever occurred, and they finished as under :
H. M.

Vampire 6 56
The Queen 7 5
Satanella 7 10

Amongst the accompanying craft were the Vigilant with
Lord do Ros on board, Madcap, Gloriana, Pearl, Violet,
and Galatea. Mr. Alfred Cox kindly sailed the Vampire.

PIGEON SHOOTING.

GREAT ARISTOCRATIC HANDICAP AT THE
" WELSH HARP," HENDON.
The last great gathering of the season of the Aristocratic
Club took place on Saturday, in Mr. Warner's Grounds,
and more than usual interest was attached to the meeting,
from the fact that it was the last meeting under the
auspices of Frank Heathcote, Esq. The volunteer review
no doubt made the company less numerous, but the entry
was great, numbering fully 70, and no less than 46 con-
tended. The conditions were as usual. We cannot let
this opportunity pass without paying full respect to the
courteous and efficient handicapper for his willingness at
all Mines to give every information and attention. The
birds sllpplied by Barber were first class, and much spe-
culation took place, 6 to 5, 7 to 4 eventually being the
price, but the " gun" in the aggregate was the most suc-
cessful. The following is a short epitome ;
Yards Birds Total
rise. • shot at. killed
24 C. Hambro, Esq.
281 C aptain Do Winton 'l 1 1 1 1 1 6
.23 P.. "Vivian, Esq 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
25 S. Bateson, Esq. (post entry) 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
21 S. 3. Shelford, Esq 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
25 B. Edwards, Esq 1 1 1 1 1 0 5
241 Captain Burnand 1 1 1 1 1 0 5
24 Sirk. Johnstene 1 1 1 1 0 5
23 Captain Baskbrville 1 1 1 1 1 0 5
Ten gentlemen killed four out of five and retired, five
also following suit, after bringing down three out of five;
twelve doing the same having only scored two out of
four; and eight others having no chance also gave in,
It will be seen by the above score that five gentlemen
tied by killing six birds each, and, as usual, they proceeded
to shoot off, bird for bird. Mr. C. Hambro brought down
his two, thus killing his eight in succession, and became
, entitled to the dot prize of £l3O. Ir. Shelford missed his

first bird, so had to retire ; but Captain Do Winton, and
Mesirs. P. Vivian and S. Bateson having killed one each,
had to shoot off again for second, third, and fourth prizes.
Captain De Winton taking second money (£6O), by bring-
ing down three in succession ; Mr. P. Vivian took third
(£4O), and Mr. S. Bateson fourth (£5).
The betting was very heavy, Lord Hohnesdale being the
favourite, but was out of it at tho fifth shot, having killed
four out of that number.

Many sweepstakes took place for various sums. The
first was divided between Count P. de Gendre and Colonel
Duncan, and the next was won by Count P. de Gendro.

HOUSE OF COMMONS MATCH.
GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION.

The following are set down to contend in the annual
match which is expected to come off in the ensuing week,
at Hendon, between the Government and the Opposition

six a-side :

Government.—Mr. Millbank, Mr. H. Vivian, Major An-
son, Mr. Beaumont, Mr. A. Seymour, and Mr. H. Heath-
cote.

Opposition.—Lord Tiolmesdale, Hon. H. Wyndham, Sir
T. Hesketh, Sir J. Walsh, Colonel Annesley, and the Hon.
T. De Grey.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

A petition from the cow-keepers of London on
disinfectants has been presented to Parliament by
Mr. Ayrton from the cow-keepers of the metropolis
and others, praying for a scientific inquiry on dis-
infectants in connection with the cattle plague.
The allegations made in the petition reveal a state
of things in respect to the way in which the sub-
ject has hitherto been treated by the Royal Com-
mission which appears to be anything but satisfac-
tory. It seems remarkable that with so great an •
array to choose from of eminent chemists, many of
whom are possessed of medical qualifications and
practical knowledge of epidemics, the Cattle Plague
Commission should have employed to report on disin-
fectants—a medico-chemical question—a non-medi-
cal gentleman, and that they should have made choice
of one who is the inventor and co-patentee of a dis-
infecting compound. If the commission had from
the first made up their minds to recommend carbolic
acid and sulphur fumes as the best disinfectants,
they could hardly have taken a more effectual
way of securing such a consummation than by
handing over the inquiry to one who holds a patent
for a disinfecting powder, the only active ingre-
dients of which are carbolic and sulphurous acids.
Any one in the chemical world on learning that
Dr. R. Angus Smith had been charged with the
duty of reporting on disinfectants must have
perceived that those two substances would be
recommended. It is true that the last report in
their favour was drawn up by Mr. W. Crookes, but
that gentleman was named at the suggestion of Dr.
R. Angus Smith.
An admirable opportunity of, elucidating by ex-
tensive experiments the nature of infection and
the practical operation of disinfectants, we fear,
has been lost. To judge from the reports on dis-
infection which have been issued, we should say
that few or no experiments, except laboratory ones,
have been made, either by Dr. Smith or Mr.
Crookes. In the last report an ingenious theory of
the nature of the rinderpest virus has been set up
by the latter gentleman—namely, that it consists
of " vital organised septic cells or germs" (of which
vaccine lymph is the tpye), " which feed on some
of the elements of the blood, and at the same time
secrete a poison to which the symptcms of the
disease may be due." But not a single fact is given
as the bases of this somewhat complex theory. Yet
it is in virtue of these speculations that Mr. Crookes
apparently distrusts the efficacy of oxidizing disin-
fectants, and relies instead on the antiseptics of the
ancients, sulphur fumes and the tar acids.—Medical
Press and Circular.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

NORWICH -SATURDAY.

There was a fair show of wheat at this market to-day,
and farmers were reluctant sellers, unless at such an ad-
vance as restricted business; but in tho sales made an ad-.
vance of from 5s to 6s per qr. must be quoted During the
week we have had more or less partial showers, and the
hay harvest has at present progressed slowly. To-day the
weather is hot and forcing. _

White wheat (weighing 641 b), 60s to 62s ; old red aitto
(weighing 651 b), 56s to 58s; new red ditto weghlng
601 b to 631 b), 56s to 57s ; best malting barley (weighing
621 b to 531 b), 36s to 38s ; rims ditto (weighing 511 b to 521 b),
34s to 365; distilling ditto (weighing 501 b to 521 b), 30s to
32s ; oats, 24s to 26s ; beans, 57s to 39s ; peas (maple), 36s
to 38s per qr. Flour, 39s per sack.