CHRISTMAS SPORTS.

West Coast Times, Issue 88, 28 December 1865, Page 2

CHRISTMAS SPORTS.

Tho Christmas Sports for which soino£2so was subscribed, commenoed on Tuesday last, (Boxing Day) undor the auspices of tho Committee appointed for tho purposes ; the most prominent members of which wero Messrs. Braoken, Kennedy, Gibson, and Boscow. Whon tho idea of sports was originated, tho first quostion was, tho ground ; but eventually it was determined that Rovell-streot should bo the "convincing ground." Application was inado to tho authorities for permission to uso tho street for_ tho purpose, and after some little 'permission was granted, as it was obvious that very little business would bo transacted on Boxing Day, tho day of racing, and tho traffio obstructed would bo very trifling. At tho samo timo wo think that a muoh \vorso selection could not have been mado, for tho sand on tbo road was ando deep in places, in addition to which competitors had tho extra hazard of seriously cutting their feet with tho broken glass so freely distributed in this, as iv all our thoroughfares. Fortunately, howovor, no "contretemps" of tho kind occurred, and tho races passed oft* without accident, The veal reason

for holding the sports in Revell-street is obvious ; wo think the publicans would havo dono quite ns well, and tlio races would havo como off a vast deal better had tho beach been the course. As it • was, the races wero a succession of jostles which Is easily accounted for, when we bear in mind that the street in some parts is only 24 feet in . width, and on this the spectators encroached about 18 feet, leaving only about 6 feet for the . real struggle to begin. If numbers of peoplo td constitute a success, the sports were most successr" ful, beyond that wo can say but very little for them. Tho day turned out beautiful, and tho streets were thronged with miners and others from tho outlying districts. A rouletto table was well supplied with enstomers, Aunt Sally found a representative, and an over seven and under seven dice gamo was in high favor with the general public, greatly to the advantage of the speculative proprietor. Still somehow thero was an air of anything but Christmas " abandon" that we have generally met with at colonial Christmas gatherings. It rather appeared as though every one wanted to be jolly, but found it difficult to raiso tho feslal steam, and tho chief business or pleasure of the day seemed_ to be a largo consumption of shilling nobblers. Ono goodfsign was manifest, .viz., an abundance of money, tho only difllculty its possessors apparently found being how to dispose of it in anything like a satisfactory manner. The programme was very slowly got through, and as will be eeen below, only three events camo off during the whole day. As to giving anything like a description of the races it is simply impossible, for ns soon as tho runners were started they were hemmed in by the crowd, and anything more than a passing glance at them was not attainable. The first event was the Handicap Foot Raco of 200 yards— first prize L 6, second prize ji2. In this raco thero were ten entries, amongst them the once celebrated Joshua, who carried off pedestrian laurels some years ago in all the chief gatherings of Victoria. He was, of course, made a great favorito, and the race was considered by the cognoscenti to be virtually" over when it was known that he had entored the lists. It proved, however, on this as on other occasions, that the i favorite does not alwajs win, though he struggled hard for the premiership. In the first heat ho did not run, in the second lie only won by tho i barest inch or two, and it is doubted by some whether it was not a dead heat between him and Gundry, who ran a remarkably game race. In the final race it was Lombard street to a china orange, and had any one fancied Sinclair they might have any odds they chose to ask. In order ' to allow room for tho competition they were divided into two parties, the winner of each race running off for tho first prize. The first heat was won easily by Sinclair, the second by Joshua, and the third by Sinclair by about two yards. Sinclair, wo omitted tp state? hnd ten yards given him, and Joshua started from tho scratch . The Handicap Foot Race of 100 yards brought twelve to the post, and it was won in three heats by Thomas 'Wooljiough, Bashford second. Tho Hurdle Race of 300 yards, over hurdles 3 feet 6 inches high, was next on the list, and there were fourteen entries for it, including pretty well all who had contested tlio previous races. Tho first prize was L 5, the second L 2. As the ground was so heavy as to render it almost impossible for the men to get over tho original height determined upon, it was reduced to 8 feet,— quite sufficient to test th|> capabilities of those running. The race was very well contested, Bashford beating the first division for the JL first heat, Forster made an example of his second set, and finally disposed of Bashford in the concluding heat, thus securing the first prize, Bashford taking tho second. The last event decided was the Standing Leap, prize, L 3. There were several entries, but Ilichard Canavan won easily. The distance cleared we aro unablo to give, ns it was not measured. Thia closed the day's proceedings. .