The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-26 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CAPTAIN SMITH'S MATCH.
This match for 200 guineas, to ride ten horses 100 miles in
eight hours, took place on Monday, Over a ten-mile piece of
ground at Kearsley, Hants.. The Captain rode about 12 stone,
and had trained for the match, which was done as follows
min. sec. min. sec.
lit ten miles • . 42 18 7th ten miles . 37 8
2d ditto . . 39 27 Bth ditto . . 42 12
3d ditto •. . 44 20 9th ditto . 44 14
4th ditto . • . 48 12 10th ditto . . 47 20
sth ditto . . 52 18 . •
--
6th ditto . ~ •• 35 10 • Total . 7h. 12m. 395.
THE 62 MILES .A
-DAY MATCH FOR TEN DAYS.
Mr. West the Pedestrian, completed his sixth day's labour
on Monday night, in the neighbourhood of Wells, Somerset-
shire, and notwithstanding. the wetness of the season he is fresh,
and backed at 6to 4to win. He went the first day to Win-
chester, and from thence to Exeter; traversing a day's journey
towards London, from thence back to Honiton, Devon, and
across the country into Somersetshire. While travelling he
does five miles -an hour with case to lutiiself, and at intervals
takes a swinging lunge 50 or 100 yards. He purposes finishing
near London.

SHOOTING MATCHES. •
A Pigeon Match, at eleven birdS each, took place on Mon-
day, on Southall Flat, between Means.- Tate and Harris, from-
Suffolk, against Messrs. Dove and Harrison, from Ilerts, for
tiftrguineas aside. The following was the result :—Tate and
his Coadjutor killed seven ; Dove killed nine, and his partner
eight, which made it a tye. A second match took place, in-
stead of drawing the stakes, when Harris killed nine, and Tate
eight. The opposing parties killed eight each, and lost the
match by one. Tate challenged Harris to -shoot at fifteen
birds each, for half the winning money, which was accepted.
Harris killed twelve birds, and his adversary ten, and the
sports closed.

Madame CATALANIN second coneert, in the
Assembly Rooms, last night, was crowded to ex-
cess with all the rank, beauty, and fashion of our
metropolis. In the course of the performance
the power and compass of Madame CATALANI'S
voice had their full scope, and excelled, in our
conception, all her former efforts, great as they
were : She at once delighted and electrified the
audience. The other performers were eminently
successful, and highly applauded in their re-
spective parts, and the whole went off with great
spirit.—(Edinburgh Courant, Dec. 22.)
The Egyptian granite columns presented by his
MAJESTY to the British Museum, are now re-
moving from the Court-yard in the front of the
' building, to make room for the pedestal on
which the statue of the late Sir Jos cm BANKS is
to be placed.
Mr. W. WILLIAms has given 2000 pounds
weight of beef, and a proportionate quantity of
bread and potatoes, to the poor of Weymouth
and. Melcombe Regis, for their Christmas-day's
dinner.

CHRISTMAS DAY IN Sr. G ILE s's.—Yesterday a benevolent
friend to the Irish poor most plentifully supplied the children
of the Irish Free Schools in St. Giles's (between two and three
hundred in number), with a dinner of good old English fare,
roast beef and plum pudding, at their school house, 25, George=
street, St. Giles's. It was pleasing to see the joy and gratitude
expressed in the countenances of these happy little ones whilst
partaking of their welcome .meal, on witnessing the attention
paid to mem by their kind friends and supporters, who laying
aside their distinguished rank in society, even themselves en-
joyed " the luxury of doing.good,"/ by personally waiting on
these helpless and hitherto friendless children of the natives of
our sister country. We sincerely wish the example may be
followed by the affluent, particularly at a season of, the year
when much want generally prevails among the numerous classes
of the Irish poor in St. Giles's, and in whose behalf we,rejoice
to find that the Governors of the above-named Institution are
particularly interesting themselves.
Monday, before noon, a beautiful rainbow was
seen extending its brilliant arch over the West
Of the Metropolis. This appearance, so unusual on
the Eve of Christmas,. excited general attention.

ANECDOTE.-Iwo maid servants were once
sent into the theatre at Vienna, when Velutti
was to sing, to keep places for the Italian Opera.
On account of the illness of the singer, a German
piece was substituted, which induced the family
to stay at home and let the girls remain. When
the play began, one of them exclaimed, with
astonishment, " flow is this ? I now understand
Italiae all at once, as if I had learnt it."
Thursday morning the Right Honourable the
LORD PRovosT received a respite, during his
MAJEsTy's pleasure, for Donald Rankine, lately
from Inverary, now under sentence of death for
robbery.—His Lordship condescendingly com-
municated the welcome tidings personally to the
poor crimival.—(Edinbyrgh Courant, Dec. 22.)