The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

SPORTS AT IN FERARY.

In these days, when sham Fenians have made
that ancient and venerable name a term of reproach
throughout the woild, it may interest your readers
to learn how genuine Fenians of the old breed oc-
cupy their leisure in their native laud. According
to all Gaelic traditions, Campbells, and many other
families of their stock. who live in Argyleshire and
elsewhere, descend from Diarmid O'Duiblme, who
was the nephew of Fionn, who was " Righ na
Feinne," king or leader of those ancient Fenians of
whose exploits and adventures all Celtic tradition
in Scotland and Ireland is full. On Friday, the 3d
of January, a picked body of dwellers on the banks
of Loch Lyue met to play once more the game
which Cuchullin and Oscar Diarmid and Fionn
used to play in the olden time. It was to be a
peaceful battle between dwellers on opposite
sides of the beautiful loch, and the men were headed
as of yore, by the gentry of the old country which
they love so well. The Cowal men were headed
by George Callander of Ardkinglas, and his guest,
Mr. Maitland ; the Inverary men by Lord Archi-
bald Campbell and his brother, Lord Walter ; and
39 picked men on each side made a total of 82.
The ground chosen has seen many a sturdy fight.
For untold time the old grey stone, which stands
in the green turf among the old trees, beneath the
Castle walls, has been the gathering-place of the
district in peace and in war. For hundreds of
years a shinty match has been played beside the
old pillar at the New Year; but this was some-
thing more important than usual, and the excite-
ment was in proportion. Lords and labourers,
Volunteers and their officers, farmers, burgesses,
fishermen, shepherds, tradesmen, all armed with
shinties, clustered about the old stone ; stripped to
their work, while spectators clustered under the trees
and hung in clumps on the turf slopes wherever a
view of the coming battle could best be obtained.
In that bright, clear, frosty morning it was some-
thing to stir the blood of old and young to see men
who hang together as these do, gathering for mimic
fray, where their fathers had gathered time out of
mind, and the sight brought out many an old me-
mory carefully preserved by the old race. There
was Macarthur, a tenant whose ancestors have held
the same farm for 500 years, who was proud to say
that one of his people had preserved the Argyll title-
deeds when theAthole men made a stable for horses
of the castle of Maccalain, his chief. There was
Munro, whose forbears had held the farm which he
now holds for the same time ; and many of their
stamp leaned on their sticks and told their old-world
histories to all who cared to hear. But the players
had other work in hand. At half-past 11 the ball
a block of birch root cut out with a knife, according
to immemorial custom—was thrown up by the
umpire, between the two leaders, with the old battle
cry of " Cothrom and Feinne"—Fenians' opportu-
nity—which stands for fair play—and at it they
went, as if they were fighting for dear life, instead
of barren hsnour. The goals were two pairs of
flags, 12 yards apart, and the distance from goal to
goal was about 450 yards. For more than an hour
82 men ran after the birch ball, and smote it and
each other, and shouted and cheered, and worked
for fun and fame as no men ever worked for pay.
Hugh Brodie, a farmer on Ardkinglas, about 80
years of age, acted general on one side, and Willie
Mackenzie, ground officer, who is nearly 70,
marshalled the Inverary men. With white
hair streaming in the, wind, and clear bright
eyes glittering in the sunshine, they rushed
through the melee, shouting their orders, and
praising those who did well ; while the young
leaders plunged into the thick of the fight, and
did all they could to win. The judges and the um
pire did all they could to follow and see fair play,
and they, too, bad to keep moving. Many a hard
blow was given and well taken ; many a man rolled
prostrate and rose again with honourable scars ; but
at the end of the first hour the whole party were
still fit for work, and Inverary had gained one goal.
Now came a pause, and the heaving of deep chests
showed how hard the work had been. Inverary
now struck off from between the goals which they
had won, and the game went on very keenly for
another hour with varying success and manycasual-
ties. Lord Archibald was partially stunned by a
blow on the head. Lord Walter had his upper lip
split by the wooden ball. George Fergusson, clerk
in the Chamberlain's-office, lamed in a previous
game, was forced to give in. Dugald Mackenzie,
son of the Inverary general, got two very bad
blows on the mouth from shiuties, and, being asked
if he meant to retire, declined with strong language.
Two Ardkinglas men, names unknown, were con-
siderably damaged ; and many others had hard
knocks, of which they took small heed. At last au
Ardkinglas man caught the ball in his hand in the
first hop, threw in through the goals, and so the
game was made even at the end of the second hour.
Ardkinglas now struck off, and. by good luck and
right good play the Inverary men won the third
goal in about five minutes, and gained the day.
And so this mimic war ended in perfect good
humour; the players were entertained at the
inn, and drunk many toasts, after which the
pipers struck up, and many reels were danced on
the road. The two leaders danced with their
aged generals, who showed that years had not ex-
tinguished their youthful fire. The judges danced
with the umpire, the rival players with each other,
young maids and matrons of mature age joined in
and danced with boys or old grandfathers with
equal joy ; and so the fun went on till the bell of
the little steamer warned the Cowal men to depart,
and away they went, cheering and happy, to tell
their friends at home of the glorious shinty match
at Inverary. And as they went the setting sun lit
up the grand old hills and woods with glorious
colours of orange and purple and green and gold,
and the smooth loch mirrored a scene of beauty that
many will remember as long as they live. Surely
this kind of Fenian play is a good school for stout
soldiers, and better than treason-felony and Greek
fire.—Glasgow Daily Herald.

THE POISON OF THE COBRA.—Our readers will
recollect that some interesting experiments have
lately been made in India relative to the action of the
poison of the cobra, by Dr. Shortt. This gentleman,
having regard to the numerous lives that wore lost an-
nually in India from the bite of this snake, was mainly
anxious to discover some antidote for its poison, ,and set
about testing its various remedies in repute for that ob-
ject. After much expense, and no little risk to himself,
he has found that all are valueless. Still, thinking that '
some effective agent might bo known to the natives, he
offered a reward of 500 rupees for its production, stipu-
lating that be (Dr. Shortt) should find the cobras and
conduct the experiments, which were to be three in num-
ber. The prize still remains unawarded. Recently Dr.
Shoat has received a communication from Sir T. Madava
Row, the Dowan of Travancore, intimating that his
Serene Highness the Maharajah has taken much interest
in the question, and begs to offer a reward of 1,000 rupees,
under such conditions as Dr. Shortt may think desirable,
to the person who can produce a remedy, and satisfy him
that it is effectual against snake bite. The prize, there-
fore, now amounts to £l5O. The discoverer, whoever he
may be, will servo the cause of humanity greatly ; and
this announcement, we hope, will awaken an interest in
the question that may lead to some satisfactory result.
Dr. Shortt has been good enough to say that he will be
glad to facilitate the conduction of experiments (or to re-
ceive any suggestions thereon), and that he will consign to
us, for the use of any gentleman disposed to investigate the
question, heads of cobras, uninjured, preserved in spirits or
simply dried, or in any other way that ni.Jy be desirable ;
and, should we advise it—the idea is exceedingly unplea-
sant, but if science demand we must obey—he will send
one or more cobras themselves for experiment, on our be-
ing satisfied that every precaution will be taken to prevent
the likelihood of any accident occurring. Certainly never
were conditions more favourable for experiment, ugly
though it may be. We therefore hope the result will be
the discovery of an antidote to a poison which kills so
many human )sings ®very year.—Lancet.