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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1992, 23 September 1869, Page 3

Ladies’ Velocipede Race.—At the velocipede races at the Western Cricket Ground at Ballarat recently, about 2000 spectators assembled, the -‘ladies’ race” being the attraction. Apropos of this event, the Courier writes, the ladies’ race was a farce throughout, and not a delicate or even hnmorous i farce either. We shall never desire again to witness “a lady ” seated on a tricycle, and with arms and legs alternately extended, working away as though for bare life round an arena, followed by a crowd of ■mall boys and jeering men, and being made the laughing-stock of two or three thousand •pectators. This was the nature of t c much talked of “Ladies’ Velocipede Raic.” There were four entries, but one female put in an appearance. The vehicle which she selected was a wooden tricycle, having

treadles for the feet, and two levers to he worked by the arms, by a backward and forward motion ; the steering was done by the back-support, which moved from side to side at the will of the operator. When the laity was mounted she set off at what we may describe as a hand (and leg) gallop, and thus she worked her way by the sweat of her brow, and in the most inelegant fashion, round the 440 yards arena. Small boys and big men followed in her wake, and laughter, shouts, and jeers accompanied the heroine. Her arrival at the goal brought to an end the first, and we hope what will ,be the last, of such exhibition in Ballarat. Importation of Flour. —lt is estimated by a South Australian journal that the impnrta'ion of flour that will be required for New Zealand before next harvest will he 11,518 tons.