win. It was impossible to see what horses were third and fourth, they were all so close together.

The only other race was for the ROYAL HARAS PRIZE of the third class, of 4000 francs, for four-year-old thorough-bred horses and mares, whose pedigree is traced in the French Stud-book; entrance, 400 francs; distance, four kilometres. This was won by Mr. Aumont's Fitz-Emilius, beating the Duke's Old Nick, the Prince de Beauvau's Confiance, and Mr. Fasquel's Tomate.

Thus ended the Chantilly Autumn Meeting. The course was in excellent order; and I, at least, had no reason to complain of the hospitality of the residents. It is true, that I was foolish enough to take a glass of Xeres (sherry) in the enceinte, for which I was charged two francs; but that, you will say, was optional. It is only justice, however, to Chantilly to state, that they are come down very much in their prices. I recollect the time when twenty and five-andtwenty francs a-night were asked and given for a bed.

In returning to the station, we very nearly had an upset. Our coachman, who, I suppose, had been indulging rather too freely in potent liquors, drove up on the side of the suspension-bridge over the Oise; and we may thank our stars (by the bye, those luminaries were shining very brightly at the time) that we did not get spilled into the river. A frightful accident occurred during the day to a gentleman who was driving his wife in a two-wheel gig. The horse ran away, and smashed the vehicle to pieces; and one of the poor man's legs was fractured in three places. The lady fortunately escaped unhurt.

The Paris Autumn Races this year took place on Sunday, the 11th, Thursday, the 15th, and Sunday, the 18th of October, beginning each day precisely at two o'clock.

On the 11th, the first race was for a prize of 3,500 francs, for colts and fillies three years old and upwards; distance, two kilometres; heats. The first heat was cleverly won by Buckle, on M. Aumont's b. c. Premier-Aout, three years old, in two minutes and twenty-two seconds, beating the Prince de Beauvau's Comète, and the Comte de Pontalba's Club-stick-a capital race. Premier-Aout also won the second heat; but, having lingered rather too long on the road, took two minutes and forty-one seconds to get home; and the time limited for this race being two minutes and forty seconds, all the horses were declared to be distanced. Who will say, after this, that time is not an object? There was a considerable discussion as to what ought to be done under the circumstances. The Government officers said that the race could not be run over again on the same day, and that the prize would be given to the poor of Paris. However, it appears that it was ultimately decided that the prize should be run for again on Sunday, the 18th.

For the THREE THOUSAND FRANCS STAKES, given by the Government, for three-year-old colts and fillies, there were seven entries, but only five started, namely, Philip-shah, Miss Waggs, Va-nupieds, Convalescence, and Mr. Courtois's Arthur. This was a capital race, and beautifully won by Elham, on Philip-shah. Miss Waggs was second, and all but neck-and-neck; indeed, many people thought that she was in first. No sooner was the race over, than down poured

a torrent of rain. A boy was run over, in the scramble of getting away, by a carriage containing the fair artistes who daily delight the Parisians with their graceful figures in the poses plastiques at the Porte St. Martin. But fortunately, il en était quitte pour la peur. All those who were not in close carriages were drenched; but I can answer for it that dry clothes and a bottle of Hermitage at the "Trois Frères" set all to rights again, so far as regards one at least of the sufferers.

On Thursday the Duke of Nemours, and a considerable number of sporting men, were present; but the weather was too threatening to admit of many ladies venturing so far as the Champ de Mars. What a difference the presence of the fair sex, as they are most appropriately called, makes on all public occasions! What a contrast between the variety of their dresses, the brilliancy of their eyes, the sweetness of their smiles, on the one hand, and the sombre, heavy mass that a crowd of men make, on the other! The prize of 5,000 francs, for three-year-old colts and fillies, twice round the Champ de Mars, was won by Count Pontalba's Philip-shah, beating Meudon (the winner of the French Derby), Baron N. de Rothschild's Convalescence, Mr. Lupin's Suavita, and the Comte de Morny's Prédestinée. Prédestinée was the favourite, and had been backed to some amount. She got the lead, and kept it until the last quarter of a mile, when Philip-shah passed her, and won by one-fifth of a second. Prédestinée has since been purchased by the Prince of Beauvau for 14,000 francs.

The next race was the ROYAL PRIZE OF SIX THOUSAND FRANCS, for horses and mares four years old and upwards; heats. The first heat was nobly contested by Mr. Weston's Medway, and Mr. Aumont's Fitz-Emilius; but Mr. Aumont's horse came in first by half a neck. Mustapha, the only other horse that started, was distanced. Fitz-Emilius also won the second heat, but only by two-fifths of a second. There was also a trotting match for 500 francs, between Georges, ridden by M. Rioiere, and Ma'm'selle Petit-pas, jockied by M. Mahieux. The young lady proved that, if her steps were small, they were not, as "angels' visits, few and far between;" for she beat her opponent by three seconds.

Sunday, the 18th, was the grand day of the season. The Minister of Commerce and the Prefet de la Seine were present, as was also the Prince of Syracuse. The racing was excellent; and Mr. Aumont-who, it will be seen, won every race-fought well for, and well deserved, his laurels, not to say the 22,000 francs which formed the total amount of the three prizes.

For the 3,500 francs Stakes, which had been run for on the previous Sunday, six horses started-Mr. Aumont's Chourineur, the Duke of Nemours's Scamper, Mr. Fasquel's Vanité, Prince de Beauvau's Comète, Mr. Gibson's Navaez, M. de Pontalba's Clubstick. Premier-Aout, who won both heats on the former occasion, did not run. The contest was chiefly between Comète and Le Chourineur, but the latter was the conqueror.

The GRAND ROYAL PRIZE of 14,000 francs, for horses and mares, bred in France, four years old and upwards (distance, four kilometres; heats), was won by Fitz-Emilius, beating Mr. Fasquel's

The

Tomate, Baron Rothschild's Bonne Chance, and Prédestinée. pace, considering the state of the course, which was one mass of mud, was very severe, the first heat being run by the winner in four minutes, fifty-nine seconds, and four-fifths; and the second heat in four minutes, fifty-four seconds, and four-fifths. Prédestinée did all she could, and was only beaten by half a length. The winner was ridden by young Hurst, a promising lad.

The remaining race was for 4,500 francs, for three-year-old colts and fillies; once round; heats. Won by Miss Waggs. Mr. de Pontalba withdrew Philip-shah, which gave Miss Waggs a great lift, her only opponents being Souvenir and the Duke of Nemours's Vanu-pieds. Both heats were well contested between Souvenir and the winner. It will be recollected that Souvenir was second in the Leger at Chantilly, and might on that occasion have come in first.

The result of the five days' racing (two at Chantilly, and three on the Champ de Mars) was to make Mr. Aumont a winner of five races, Baron N. de Rothschild of four, the Prince of Beauvau of two, and the Comte de Pontalba of three. The Duke of Nemours's horses, entered in the name of the Count de Cambis, not only did not win a race, but not one of them ever appeared to have a chance of so doing. In France betting is not generally carried on to any great extent; it was said, however, that a large sum of money-upwards of a million of francs-changed hands on the 18th, at Paris.

I must now conclude this rather imperfect account of this autumn's racing in France; but before doing so, I hope I may be allowed to take this opportunity of thanking the official gentlemen, both at Chantilly and at Paris, for admitting me to the enceinte, and also for the information they were kind enough to give me.

Great changes have taken place since I last visited this gay scene. Some who used to be the first to join in every kind of sport, have retired from the field; others, alas, are gone to a home from which there is no return. But still I recognized many old faces. Carter is still at the head of the Baron's establishment, and Flatman does his work admirably in the pigskin. Chiffney rides for the Prince de Beauvau, and Hardy and Elham for M. de Montalba. One of the Edwards rides for the Duke of Nemours; but I am not aware that he has now any regular trainer.

I am happy to say that the breed of horses is rapidly improving, and under the auspices of such men as Mr. Aumont, the Comte de Pontalba, Baron Rothschild, and others of their stamp, will no doubt continue to do so; and that they may reap the due reward of their exertions, is the sincere wish of

Paris, October 20th.

A DEVONIAN.

REVIEW OF THE PAST CRICKET SEASON.

Now that the shooting season has come in, that small shot has put an end to the exchanges of ball, that markers are stuck up in trees to chronicle flights instead of runs, that regard for coveys has superseded the interest taken in fields, that shooters cease to be content with wickets for their prey, and (though, as in Æsop's time, men are still the painters) pointers have become of more importance than points-in plain English, now that cricket is over, let us, before we finally lay our bats in their boxes till another year, take a short glance at the most important events of the past season, and see what lessons we may derive from it, and what prospects we may anticipate for the future.

It may be in the recollection of some of the readers of the Sporting Magazine, that in a paper which appeared on the subject of cricket in the number for last March, I deprecated strongly the habit that so many clubs were getting into, of relying for their bowling almost wholly on the services of hired players. I objected to it on four grounds :First, the unfairness of it, as a club which gained a victory by such means was seizing laurels which it had not gathered itself, and therefore had no right to claim. Secondly, the expensiveness of it, which compelled many good players to make it a rule to avoid matches. Thirdly, the absurdity of gentlemen pretending to like cricket themselves, and fancying they showed such a liking by paying others to play for them. And fourthly, and above all, I urged that the custom was wholly uncalled for, as there were plenty of excellent gentlemen bowlers, if they were only let bowl; and pernicious, inasmuch as it deprived the gentlemen bowlers of the practice necessary to keep up their skill. With regard to the second of these objections, the Marylebone Club itself seems to have felt the inconvenience of the expense arising from its use of paid players-an expense amounting in 1845 to the enormous sum of nearly £800, as was stated by Mr. Kynaston at the opening dinner of the club this year; and with a view to lessen this expense, they came to the resolution not, as could have been wished, of discontinuing the practice of employing them at all, or even of employing them less, but they merely determined to pay them less. Even in this I conceive they were quite right, as it must, I think, be clear to every one that the rate at which the professional players were paid (four pounds if their side lost the match, and six if it won) was enormous, and wholly disproportioned to the gains of persons of their station in life in any other possible way. As, however, the new resolutions, in consequence of what subsequently took place with reference to the Gentlemen and Players' Match, were much canvassed and attacked, I will here give them in the words of the committee :

"The committee having considered the subject of the remuneration to the professional players for winning, can perceive no reason for paying the players of

their own ground £1, and players not belonging to their ground £2, in addition to the sum paid for their services; and having also considered the improved rapidity and cheapness of travelling, have unanimously resolved that the following be the scale of payment in future for all matches in London and the country:

"If the player's journey to the ground shall exceed 100 miles, £5; where it shall exceed 50 miles and be under 100 miles, £4; where it shall be under 50 miles, £3.

66

£1;

Players belonging to the ground to be paid as follows: for one day's match, for a match exceeding one day, £2.

"All players on the winning side to be paid £1 in addition to the foregoing scale, except in a one-day match at Lord's, in which the remuneration to the players of the ground shall never exceed £1.

"Umpires and scorers at Lord's shall be paid as usual-the former £2 each, and the latter £1 each. But in the event of a match at Lord's lasting but one day, the umpires and scorers to be paid only half those sums. In all country matches, except those in the immediate vicinity of London, such as Eton, Harrow, &c., &c., when the terms must be matter of special agreement, the umpires and scorers shall be paid a medium price between winners and losers on the foregoing specified scale for professional players."

As the resolutions respecting the payment of the players of the ground at Lord's are not of general interest, I shall pass them over, and address myself to the first and third resolutions only, which caused some discussion from Pilch's refusing to play on those terms in the Gentlemen and Players' match. Of course no one can contest the point that he had a right to do as he liked, and that Mr. Dark's argument, in his letter to Bell's Life, that he ought to play in the match out of gratitude to the Marylebone Cricket Club, some of whom assisted to make up a match for his benefit, by which he got from £200 to £300*, was preposterous. Whatever the payment might have been, he had no right to be compelled to play against his will; still, as the question was discussed-mooted, I believe, in the first instance, by illjudging friends of his own-it can only be argued on the ground of whether the payment fixed in the above resolutions was a fair day's wages for a fair day's work; and this was denied by his advocate, who wrote the first letter that appeared in Bell's Life on the subject, and who accused the Marylebone Cricket Club by implication of grudging those who ministered to their amusement a fair remuneration. Now I do not wish in any way to speak disparagingly of Pilch. I have known him myself for many years, and, if it were not superfluous, could bear testimony to his having been a most thoroughly well-conducted and respectable man; of his skill as a cricketer it is even more unnecessary to speak. But still, let the question be looked at fairly so much is due to the Marylebone Cricket Club, who ought not to be exposed to the imputation of grudging men what they fairly earn. I do not know where Pilch was, but probably within fifty miles of London; if so, the sum he would have received for playing a match which might have been expected to last three days, was £3 if he lost it, or £4 if he won it-that is to say, at the very least, a pound a day for eight hours' employment each day. Now let any one who thinks this an inadequate payment consider for a moment what he could have got by any other means-by his regular trade, for instance. Pilch is, or was, a tailor. I do not mean to object it to him as any reproach, nor to hint in any degree that I am prepared with an eleven able to play ninety-nine Pilches; but could

* Pilch replied to this, and denied that the clear profit to him amounted to more than £80 or £90.