NOTICES.

Observer, Volume v, Issue 115, 25 November 1882, Page 174

NOTICES.

/Secretaries of all kinds of Clubs for tlie promotion of out-door sports will confer a favour by commuiueating any items of interest connected with their sport, game, or pastime; more especially with respect to coining events. Short slcetches of sporting or pleasure excursions will be welcome, and questions on all matters connected •with sports will be gladly answered. All communications must be addressed to The Editor.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS,

Habd Case. — I find on careful enquiry that you have no remedy, as clause 29 of the Harbour Regulations distinctly states Jihat " All vessels anchored withinthe limits of the port must carry a riding light from sunset to sunrise or be liable to a penalty -not exceeding £20." Of course, so long as no question arises, the Harbour authorities overlook aucli slight lapses as our pleasure fleet not carrying lights. But they lie so unprotected at their own risk, and are also liable for any damage sustained by any vessel running into them. — I hear that Hulston, who is to run Pickering after Xmas, is matched to run Woods, of Wellington, three distances on the 23rd December for £100. — The North Shore Regatta Committee gave the second prize in the yacht race for crafts under 4 tons, to the Hattie May, and considering that the Hattie never attempted to go the course and yet was .badly beaten by the Truant (Sanderson and Moore), it is hardly likely that the latter crowd are going to put up with such an oversight. — It was no credit to Auckland and Auckland cricketers that the Australian Eleven, who have so nobly sustained the honour of these colonies in England, should be allowed to pass through here without any sign of recognition or welcome. One would have thought that at least they might liave been asked to wine at the Northern Club. Where was Josiah ? • — 'The rain on Saturday put the set on nearly all the proposed cricket matches. It is very unkind of the clerk of the weather to act as he lias for the last three Saturdays. Just when young Auckland has wound itself up for a jolly half -holiday, down comes the rain and upsets the contract. There would probably have been ten matches on the Domain ground alone to write about but for the sudden and heavy downpour of rain. — My Gisborne correspondent informs me that a match has been made for £20 a side, between Ted O'Hare (once champion of Auckland) and McNeil, the smartest local ped. The match is to be run on the 9th December. Six pounds has beon put down as a deposit. The distance is 150 yaids, the former to receive 7 yards start. The challenge was thrown out by Mac more in a joke, not thinking it would come to anything. Both men are being backed for small sums. — The race for £20 a-side between the 20-foot boats Madge and Gertie was easily won by the latter on Saturday last. The wind was very nearly a " soldier's hurricane," and the race, as a test of the relative speed of the boats was an utter failure, as first one and then the other was becalmed, and it was the one that got most puffs that got first, and not the best boat. There will be plenty of money behind the Madge on a reasonable sailing day, should she and the G-ertie nieet under such favourable circumstances. — That grand scientist, Jim Mace, undoubtedly the best boxer in the world, arrived here on Tuesday last en route to America, where he is matched to box Sullivan, tke " Boston Blower," by which name lie is becoming known. I have little doubt but that Mace will be well able to stand the stated time in front of Sullivan, as his science is the best ever known, and he can stand a punishment and give one, too. Mace is accompanied here by Slade, the Southern champion wrestler, and it is intended that two or three athletic exhibitions shall be given by the party before Mace's departure, which is fixed for the sth October. — " One of them" informs me that our representatives for the most part suffered severely from mal de mer till nearing Wellington, when most had recovered their wonted health and began to make their presence felt at the dining-table. Grill and Gardner came off well all along, not being sick at all, but young Jack Arneil, Barton, Dufaur and Blair suffered terribly and were very much used up for the first few days. Our boys would commence their first match at Dunedin on Thursday, too late for me to make any remarks thereon, but I fully expect to hear (if they have anything like a spell after the sea voyage) that they have won it. A team like the Eleven of Auckland is not beaten every day, you bet! — A good deal of comment has been caused by the way one boat (a non -contestant) will get just to windward of another who is racing, and " blanket" her so as to prevent her getting the full benefit of the breeze. On Saturday the Smile acted in this objectionable and unfair manner, and another and more flagrant case was a late one in which a 13-foot boat carrying a 17-foot boom and sail to match and consequently requiring careful handling, was, while racing a 15-foot boat, unfairly shepherded by a wellknown 20-footer, which, repeatedly bore down and compelled the little craft to keep away, and eventually purposely fouled her long boom with the view of damaging it or the sail and so preventing the boat so obstructed from winning. There ought to be some rule in our regatta clubs which would disqualify a boat that was so disgracefully misused from ever competing in the races, of the clubs. — I have received a letter from Mr Dewes, Hon. Sec. of the Cricket Team Selection Committee, enclosing another from Mr J. W. H. Wood, which refers to my notes on the team, published last week, and denies the truth of some of the statements in this column. The only point in which I can see that my version differed from Mr Wood's own is that Mr Wood says, anl Ur

Devr» , bears him out, that the Waikato men did not, as stated, say. they would not come down for practice, but would be down a week before the departure of the team. Now, I submit that Mr Wood's statement and mine are so nearly alike as to render his correction a mere quibble. For a week meant really only one ffiateli, or what could fairly be called " practice," with the team, and this was so insignificant that I did not, nor do I yet, think it worth mention as practice. My information was derived from the very best source possible, and was printed almost in the words of my informant, who was in every way qualified to give information on the subject. As to contradicting the paragraph, that is impossible, as Mr Wood has put the seal of truth upon it himself, and fully bears out my statement. — The passing through our town of the return - | ing Australian cricket team puts me in mind of a little anecdote which will give my readers an instance oO the beastly snobbishness our Australian brothers had to encounter on many occasions dui'ing their tour in England. When they were playing their. great match v. Cambridge, past and present, the programmes or mat^h cards were issued in the most insulting style, the English players being all styled " Esquire," and having full initials, as is customary to distinguish a " gentleman" from a " professional" cricketer (for instance, a card or a report would read thus : — C. S. P. Tylecott, Barnes, Dr W. G. Grace, Morley and so on, those without the initials being the pros.), the Australians were not even called Mr So-and-So, but plain Spofforth, Murdoch, etc. A grosser insult or a more brutal way of delivering it could hardly be imagined. Murdoch quietly took one of these cards to the Chancellor of the University and asked him to read it. That gentleman did so, and at once saying, " I see, Mr Murdoch, this shall be set right," called in the offending cards and issued next day a new lot, " Mistering" each player. Out here such, a thing would be called Colonial ignorance, but I doubt if any depth of such could cause so great a breach of etiquette and custom. — On Saturday last the Auckland Cricket Club, having the assistance of such sterling and appi'oved good players as Leader and Dewes, sustained a crushing defeat at the hands of the boys of the Auckland College and Grammar School. This plucky young eleven challenged the Second Eleven of the Auckland Club some time ago, but the cub who happened to be acting for the eleven, snubbed the youngsters, who then advanced a step and challenged the First Eleven in such a determined style as could not be gainsaid, and the match of Saturday was the result. From fi-b to last the splendid bowling and fielding of thu >oys was not to be denied, and the Auckland wictcels fell like wheat before tlie sickle. In the second innings especially, the excellence of the bowling and fielding was proved. A batsman like Dewes being compelled to xolay over after over and the first hit he attempted and started to ran, he was run out before he could get back to his crease, by a bit of return and taking that would shame any crack club in Auckland. I rather fancy that the next club which receives a challenge from these young jewels will not dare to refuse to play them on the ground that they are a " parcel of boys," as I hear one other club besides the Auckland Second Eleven had the ignorance to do. No secretary with a grain of nous would ever behave so discourteously to those lads. Self interest should prevent it, as it is from just such a band of young Aucklanders that our best colts may be expected to be drafted. I most sincerely congratulate my young friends on their creditable performance, especially the Meldrum Bros, with the ball and Recce and Lusk with the bat.