Star.
London, England, 1825-03-31 00:00:00

BORDER GAMES.

Thursday, the great annual match at foot-ball was played an the
lands of Mount Benger, in Ettrick Forest, accompanied with all
the usual rural and athletic sports. The day being fine, there was
a grand turn-out of honest men and bonny laud. The prizes being
all superfine blue bnonets, thr envied possession of each was con-
tested to the I. et, and the coin terors in each game were booked
as follows :

The leaping was won by one of Mr. Bryden's shepherds, of
Crosslee. The distance that be reached on a level plaid was et-
actly 41 feet at hop, step, and leap; an Radek man.
The first race, of 640 yards, was won by Robert LaidlaW, shep-
herd in Chapelbope ; a Yarrow man.
The second foot races the same distance, was won by Andrew
Burnet, shepherd to Sir James Montgomery; a Tweeddale man.
The putting of the stone was won by Robert Pringle, from
Wilton; a Tiviotdale man.
The first prize for wrestling was won by Frank Armstrong,
from Roberto° ; a Tiviotdale man.
The second was won by Alexander Frater, blacksmith, the same
lad who won the first last year. lie did not enter the lists the first
time, on purpose to let an acquaintance of his own win, whom Arm-
strong threw at the very first. The latter is manifestly an excellent
wrestler, but the smith appears to be much the stronger man of the
two; and though there were 32 entered the lists, he won, as on for-
mer occasions, with perfect ease. The champion in whom Yarrow
trusted most was thrown each time. Frater has left Yarrow
this year.
The sack race was won by George Best, a Yarrow man ; but it
is an actual fact, that he had taken a hint from Tenant's Anster
Fair, and ran with one foot out. It was, however, deemed such
grand sport, that no objections were made to the trick.
Then came the foot-ball match. There were thirty chosen men
from F.ftrick and thirty from Yarrow, stripped against each other,
and after a severe and deadly contest, the men of &trick won.—
The second game commenced,andwent on for an hour with unabated
ardour. The ball was all the while leaning to the men of Yarrow's
side, but the advantage waa not great, when, behold! the ball burst.
A shoemaker was instantly got to repair it ; but in the meantime
a quarrel rose between the competitors, and ran so high, that it was
evident a general battle was on the eve of commencing. It was
therefore rendered expedient th cot the ball in pieces, which was
done and the strife ended. Of course &nick claims the honours
of the day.
The great game of the hard-ball closed the sports of the day. The
halls were a mile and a half separate; the number of players about
500, and after a hard-contested game, the F.ttrick men won. The
ball was thrown up a second time, and after a terrible contests
which lasted until the dusk of the evening, the Yarrow men won
the game; and there not being light to play more, the honours in
this case were equally divided between the sister streams.
The sport was excellent, and conjured op many pleasing images
of "the days o' langsine ;" and thet e being tents on the field, and
plenty of good things of this lifegoing, all was life, joy, and hilarity.
Upon the whole, the prizes have rather leaned towards the Border
this year, to the no small regret of the Flowers of the Forest.

The mania for speculation has spread across the
Channel : one instance of it is characteristic enough.
A Company has been formed at Paris to convey indi.
viduals from thence to Rheims, and back again, finding
carriage, lodging, b lard, and a seat in the Cathe-
dral to see the Coronation—and all for 1,000 francs—
Forty Pounds.

The terms of the Danish loan, which came into the
market yesterday, to the subscribers are—to pay 751. in
money for 1001. S per cent stock, on which an instal-
ment of Si. is required on the 31st inst. and the whole
of the payments are to be completed by the 13th of
Octobor. The first dividend becomes due en the 30th
of September, and a discount of 4 per cent. is offered
for payments made in full.

The French have, it is said, required of the Spanish
Government to name a certain number of engineers,
who may, conjolndy with French engineers, proceed to
complete a plan of the territory between the Prn nners
and the Ebro. The demand has excited very consider-
able alarm. The answer of the Spanish Director•
General of Engineers (consulted on the occasion by the
Government), was not favourable to the pretensions of
the French.—We do not wonder at it.

A large and opulent village, near Chartres, in France,
was nearly burnt to the ground on the night of the
21st. The 20th inst. the village of Taman:, near Dole,
was reduced to ashes in less than four hours; 110
houses were burnt ; 800 persons are reduced to mitery
in consequence of this dreadful event. The loss in

merchandize, cattle, &c. is estimated at 600,000 francs.
Tun &me Ecmpr.—The Anniversary of this
battle was celebrated on the 21st, at Galway, by the
Officers now quartered in that town who were pres•ot
is the battle. They assembled, decorated with their
Egyptian medals, &c. at six o'clock, where a sumptuous
dinner was provided. The presence of the Highland
Piper, belonging to the First Royal Veteran Battalion,
who at the time of the battle was attached to the 92d
Highlanders, and performed on his national instrument
during a charge made on a column of the enemy by
that gallant corps, gave an additional interest to the
scene. The second hero who made his appearance on
this occasion, was the Orderly Serjeant to the late Sat.
JOHN STSIVART, and sow serving in the First Veteran
Battalion. The company separated at a late hour.
The project of a canal from Havre de Grace to Pa. is,
has, it is said. received the Royal sanction, and a great
English capitalist has offered to provide one million
sterling towards its construction. It is proposed that
this canal shall be 27 to SO feet in depth, and of cor-
responding width, and that a very large ba.in is to be
made in Paris. Should this work go or., it will neces•
sarily set aside the project of a rail•way from Havre de
Grace to Paris.
Last autumn the quanety of wine produced in the
Crimea was uncommonly great, so that the prices
are now very low. In order to promote the cultivation
of the vine in that country, a society of merchants has
teen formed, who are endeavouring to raise a large
capital in shares. •

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