The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-09 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER—FRIDAY EVENING.
The general opinion mentioned on Tuesday evening, that
Launcelot would win, was only falsified by the performance
of the admirably-named horse, " Little Wonder," for he
stands only fourteen hands two or three inches ; and the sur-
prise here was " prodigious." He has often been talked
about, but seldom backed. Some 200 to 5 were laid against
Forth's two, and 25 to 1, to a small sum, laid very late on
Wednesday night against him and the Gift colt. As a public
winner, he will be very bad for the Manchester market, but
a splendid one for many of the fieldsmen, who have laid
against so many horses, and had Little Wonder without a
friend to take the copious odds which they would have laid
against him. Two or three gentlemen " throw in" for up-
wards of ten thousand pounds at all events--such is the
rumour. Betting flat, at the following prices :

TH*.• MANCHESTER CUP.
4 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Bellona (offered)
6to 1 „ Mr. Hestltine's The Shadow (offered)
6; to 1 „ Colonel Cradock's The Cripple (take 7to 1)
7to 1 „ Mr. Collett's The Dean (take Bto 1)
Bto 1 „ Mr. Ramsay's The Doctor (tk)
10 to 1 „ Mr. Bell's La Sage Femme
10 to 1 „ Mr. Haworth's Fair Louisa
11 to 1 „ Mr. Loy's Arrarat
11 to 1 „ Lord Stanley's Imogene.
This cup, which, we believe, is the only piece of plate to be
run for at our races, next week, is to be furnished by Mr.
Thelwell, silversmith, St. Ann's-square. It is not quite
finished; but is expected on Monday, and will doubtless be
displayed, as has been customary, in Mr. Thelwell's shop, on
that and following days. We understand that it is a very
handsome silver vase, the stem supporting the cup being
composed of a group of wild horses. It is about 20 inches
in height ; is capable of containing about four quarts ; weighs
150 oz. ; and will cost about £l2O. On opposite sides of the
vase are two shields, one of which is inscribed " Manchester
Meeting, 1840 ;" the other is to receive the names of the
stewards of these races. This piece of plate will be contended
for on Friday next, the third day of the races.

The Queen Mab has brought a full cargo of 540 tons, con-
sisting chiefly of tea, and realising a freight of £3,400. She
sailed in company with the John, for London. The Thames,
for London, sailed on the 20th February, and passed her on
the 29th, in Java. The Royal Saxon had discharged the
cargo taken in at Whampoa, and was reloading at Tonkoo
for England. The Penang would sail about the middle of
March, for Liverpool. The Heroine, the Eliza Stewart,
the Earl of Balcarras, the Abercrombie, and the Robertson,
were loading for London. The Manilla and the Countess of
Huntley for Manilla. The Earl of Clare, the Caledonia, and
the Charles Forbes, for Singapore and Calcutta. Liberator,
for Calcutta.

. BRANDY AND SALT.—We have just been informed of a
striking instance of the curative effects of this simple remedy.
Mr. Simpson, a respectable tradesman, residing at Great
Yarmouth, was seized, about a mouth since, with a paralytic
stroke, which deprived him of the use of one side. His son,
who resides in Liverpool, on hearing the afflicting news, sent
home one of the pamphlets on " Brandy and Salt." The
remedy was applied externally, -and taken inwardly, at the
son's suggestion; and Mr. Simpson, whose life was despaired
of._three weeks ago, is so far recovered.as to-be-able to attend
to his business with his accustomed punctuality.

TUE BOTANIC GARDEN.—The Committee having decided
that • the Garden should be accessible to the public gratu-
itously on two days of the week, it was yesterday opened
for that purpose, for the first time. The attendance was
numerous, and, we may add, very respectable. There passed
through the grounds about 3000 persons, all of whom ap-
peared to he highly
.gratified.. Amongst them were some of
our wealthier citizens and their families. The public days
are Monday and Friday, from one o'clock to eight.
DEAFNESS CURED.—Our readers, have no doubt, observed
several notices of cures performed by Mr. Swift, aurist and
surgeon ; one has been communicated to us, which having
occurred in York, gives it a greater degree of interest. Mr.
Ward, of the Turk's Head, in the Shambles, having long
laboured under that unpleasant malady, a confirmed deafness,
for which he had tried the best advice but in vain, at length
put himself under the care of Mr. Swift, who, in the course
of five weeks, restored him to the full enjoyment of the sense
of hearing, and he is now capable of answering the slightest
whisper.—See Advertisement.
FARMER'S FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE INSTITUTION.—
The Bill for establishing this Institution was read a third
time in the House of Commons on Friday night, and passed.
FISHING EXTRAORDINARY.—It will be in the recollection
of such of our readers as are acquainted with the localities of
Toxteth-park, that in the grounds belonging to Park Cottage,
near the top of Mill-street, the residence of Francis Jordan,
Esq., there was for many years a pretty large pond, railed in,
and well stocked with fish. A portion of this ground, includ-
ing the greater part of the pond, was recently sold for build-
ing upon, the town in that direction being on the increase.
That portion of the pond and the land which were retained
by Mr. Jordan were fenced in with boards, leaving that sold
accessible to the public. In the progress of building, quan-
tities of rubbish and broken sandstone were thrown down
from carts into the pond, so that it became gradually dimi-
nished in size. On Wednesday last it appeared to be only
about forty feet long, and was narrowed to from twelve to
fifteen feet. On the afternoon of that day some workmen
and boys in the neighbourhood discovered, for the first-time,
that the little that remained of it was swarming with fish of
various kinds, and they set to work to catch them as they
best could. Much of the water in the pond had been drained
off; but it was still too deep to admit of wading through it.
Long sticks, canes, and fishing-rods, with large hooks tied
to the end, were put in requisition—also plasterers' rakes and
other instruments. The success of some of the parties in-
duced others to join in the sport, and the banks soon became
lined with fishers and spectators, young and old. At the
bottom and sides of the pit there was a considerable depth of
black silt, the accumulation of years, and the commotion
made soon turned the water to an inky blackness, which pro-
bably sickened the fish, and rendered them an easier prey.
A vast number of eels were hauled out, some of them about
I lb. in weight. Carp, some weighing from 4to 6 lb., were
also landed, amidst the shouts and cheers of the friends of
the successful anglers. The enthusiasm at length became
general, and many boys, who had no rods or sticks, pulled
up their trowsers, or took them off, and wading in a little
way, watched every movement of the water and silt, and
caught eels, dace, &c., with their hands, or shuffled them out
upon the banks, amongst loads of mud. These adventurers
occasionally stuck up to the knees in the black deposit, and
there remained, unable to extricate themselves, and exposed
to roars of laughter, till some, more good-natured than the
rest, held out sticks to them, and forked them on shore. It
was laughable to see these urchins take the water with clean
white legs, and come out as Win Hessian or Napoleon boots,
that rivalled in blackness and gloss any thing that has ever
been achieved on leather by the redoubtable Day and Mar-
tin. One female caught, in the part of the pond yet enclosed,
five large carp and a number of dace. A boy, with a rod and
hook, took as many in the other part, and the quantity of
eels secured was immense, probably not short of a hundred
weight and a half. At length the shades of evening put a
stop to the sport, and the successful and delighted " mud
larks" retired to their respective abodes, in full anticipation
of feasting abundantly on snig pies.

SUDBURY ELECTION.--This election took place on Friday
last, when George Tomline, Esq., of Riby, Lincolnshire, a
staunch conservative, was nominated as a tit and proper per-
son to represent this borough in parliament. The mayor
having inquired if the electors had any other gentleman to
propose, and receiving no answer, after waiting the customary
reasonable period, declared Mr. Tomline duly elected.

MR. WALKER'S LECTURE ON ASTRONOMY.—We had
last night the gratification of listening to the first of the course
of three lectures now delivering in the Liver Theatre on this
interesting subject. The lecturer, by means of the concave
orrery, which is his own invention, and which he exhibited
at the close of his address, and by his familiar mode of expla-
nation, contrived to render this sublime science intelligible
to those who never before considered the subject. The two
concluding lectures will he delivered this and to-morrow
evenings, and the course will be repeated on the three last
night's of this week. We were sorry to see so little interest
excited in this ennobling and heart-stirring subject. The
house was almost empty.
DREADFUL FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE IN LONDON.—
On Saturday morning, about half-past one o'ciock. the
metropolis was visited with another awful and calamitous
fire, again attended with appalling loss of human life. The
scene of this melancholy catastrophe is Ivy-lane, Newgate-
street, but a short distance from the ruins occasioned by the
late conflagration of Messrs. Johnson's printing establish-
ment, in Paternoster-row, which took place a few months
since. This fire broke out on the premises occupied by Mr.
Price, bookbinder, situated in Ivy-lane, adjacent to the
eastern entrance of Newgate-market, consisted of a three
story brick building, the property of Mr. Barnes, of Pater-
noster-row. The whole of the building was destroyed, and
some of the adjoining premises injured. The wife of Mr.
Price and four of his children perished in the flames. An
apprentice boy almost miraculously escaped, and Mr. Price's
youngest child an infant, was also saved. We shall probably
find room for further particulars in our neat, as the inquest
was held yesterday.
BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET.—OUT sugar market has again
i
become rather bare of samples, and former rates have been
the
firmly supported for all descriptions. Two veselsfro
West Indies, with about 1000 casks, have arrived since our
last.—Bristol Standard.
voyFargnemfrotl,iie,
srta.p
jidoiltiyrcso,fi\triiewe
BArumenrsiwcaicnk,sttoeamNe-bwoaltso,rkt,he
is
now made in sixty hours.
The police-clerks in Col. M'Gregor's office, Dublin, are
paid £l,OOO a year.