horses as we see them year after year brought out, and then consider if you could have commanded such a sight as that thirty years ago; the best and purest bred horses in the world, possessing courage, strength, and speed beautifully combined, and all in the highest degree of excellence. People talk about weedy jades, with ten or eleven stone on them, going just one spin of four miles or so, when the good old English hunter would have dropped suffocated before he could have gone one mile at such a pace as these "jades" make it; while as for a succession of work the modern would wear the ancient out two or three times over. If any breed of animal has improved within the present century, it is the English hunter; and if any has multiplied, it is this kind of horse. For one man that went to meet hounds in 1800, perhaps a hundred go now-for one man in a field that rode to hounds then, twenty ride now there are far more men keep hunters, and far more ride them— hounds go faster, and horses go with them. If, under these circumstances, the English hunter has decreased and degenerated, it is beyond our "ken" to account for it. That the £30 premium from the Royal Agricultural Society has, or ever will have, much share in effecting this progressive advance, we do not believe. Indeed, we think the members of the Society themselves look on it with far less interest than they do to the prizes in other classes. The improvement in the horse comes direct from the Turf, and wellintentioned Mr. Cherry, in his care to avoid a purely imaginary evil, would have taken precisely the surest means for making it a real one. The well-bred horse can scarcely ever be properly estimated in the showyard his province not being the putting on fat in proper places, or exhibiting a fine woolly coat, takes him rather out of the line of the judges; besides, with no animal is "like begets like" more uncertain. Meteor, son of Eclipse, was a mean-looking little horse, not within an inch or two of fifteen hands, and he got some of the finest and largest stock ever seen. Such instances, or vice versa, might be repeated to almost an unlimited extent, all tending to prove that the " Show" and "Go" do not here approximate. About the safest mark in breeding from the thorough-bred horse is pedigree; but this has, we have heard, had but little consideration from the judges selected to pick out the winner at the great July Meetings; in fact, in some of the early lists, while dam, grandam, and greatgrandam of short-horns are given ad infinitum from the Herd Book, the name of the sire or dam of the best horse has been altogether omitted. To afford our readers some idea of the class of horse that Jack Tar may have had to contend with for his honours, we have gone over the awards from the first year's show at Oxford, in 1839, when, we remember, not one of the exhibited was thought worthy of the prize: the following year, at Cambridge, it was paid to Mr. J. Reynolds, of Wisbech, for his eight-year-old horse; but as neither name nor pedigree are added, we are unable to say what horse this was. In 1841, at Liverpool, no such class is mentioned; so that we lead off with our illus tration of the sort. 1842. Bristol.-Jack Tar, by Emilius, out of Sheldrake, by Scud. 1843.-Derby.-Johnny Boy, by Jerry, dam (Beeswing's dam), by Ardrossan. 1844.-Southampton.-Horse by Langar, dam by Cervantes. 1845. Shrewsbury.-Clarion, by Sultan, out of Clara, by Filho da Puta. 1846.—Newcastle.-Newsmonger, by Voltaire, out of Cyprian, by Par tizan. In 1847, at Northampton, we can find none mentioned. Of all these, none came more in character with the exhibition at which he appeared than Jack Tar. It will be seen, from his portrait, that the ele gance of the thorough-bred horse is but little marked in his appearance; indeed, he rather presents that plain useful sort of front we can fancy striking so home to the hearts of the agriculturists. As still, though, he also appeared on the turf, we shall conclude our notice with the particulars we usually add concerning all the high-mettled that honour our pages. PEDIGREE. Jack Tar, a chesnut horse, bred by the Duke of Cleveland in 1827, is by Emilius, out of Sheldrake (sister to Sailor), by Scud, her dam, Goosander, by Hambletonian-Ruby, sister to Rebel, by TrumpaterEmilius, by Orville, out of Emily, by Stamford, won the Derby, and was about the best stud horse ever known, getting more and better winners than any two horses of his day. Sheldrake was remarkable neither in the stable nor the stud. PERFORMANCES. In 1830, we find the Sheldrake colt, then three years old, first appearing as the property of the Marquis, afterwards Duke of, Cleveland, at Newmarket Craven Meeting, where he ran second to Lord Exeter's Augustus, for a Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each. Mr. Wilson's colt by Middleton also started. At the first Spring Meeting, ridden by Chifney, he won the Spring Underley Stakes of 100 sovs. each, beating Mr. Cooper's Prima Donna colt. At Epsom he was not placed for the Derby, won by Mr. W. Chifney's Priam, Sam Chifney having to give up his seat on the winner to ride him. At Stockbridge, having passed into Mr. Shard's hands, he was not placed for a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, won by Mr. Delmè Radcliffe's The Colonel. At Salisbury he ran third and last for the Wiltshire Stakes; won by Mr. Bigg's Tyke. In 1831 he only ran once, when he was not placed for the Borough Members' Plate at St. Alban's; won by Mr. Isaac Day's Busk. The Sheldrake colt never appeared in public after this till, as Mr. Hillyer Reeve's Jack Tar, he carried off the £30 at Bristol, and in commemoration of which his portrait was taken. The horse is now, we believe, gone abroad, but he covered for some seasons at low prices in the neighbourhood of Swindon, and is the sire of Bird's-eye, Betty Lop, and that tolerably good cocktail Master Tommy. horses as we see them year after year brought out, and then consider if you could have commanded such a sight as that thirty years ago; the best and purest bred horses in the world, possessing courage, strength, and speed beautifully combined, and all in the highest degree of excellence. People talk about weedy jades, with ten or eleven stone on them, going just one spin of four miles or so, when the good old English hunter would have dropped suffocated before he could have gone one mile at such a pace as these "jades" make it; while as for a succession of work the modern would wear the ancient out two or three times over. If any breed of animal has improved within the present century, it is the English hunter; and if any has multiplied, it is this kind of horse. For one man that went to meet hounds in 1800, perhaps a hundred go now-for one man in a field that rode to hounds then, twenty ride now there are far more men keep hunters, and far more ride themhounds go faster, and horses go with them. If, under these circumstances, the English hunter has decreased and degenerated, it is beyond our " ken" to account for it. That the £30 premium from the Royal Agricultural Society has, or ever will have, much share in effecting this progressive advance, we do not believe. Indeed, we think the members of the Society themselves look on it with far less interest than they do to the prizes in other classes. The improvement in the horse comes direct from the Turf, and wellintentioned Mr. Cherry, in his care to avoid a purely imaginary evil, would have taken precisely the surest means for making it a real one. The well-bred horse can scarcely ever be properly estimated in the showyard his province not being the putting on fat in proper places, or exhibiting a fine woolly coat, takes him rather out of the line of the judges; besides, with no animal is "like begets like" more uncertain. Meteor, son of Eclipse, was a mean-looking little horse, not within an inch or two of fifteen hands, and he got some of the finest and largest stock ever seen. Such instances, or vice versa, might be repeated to almost an unlimited extent, all tending to prove that the " Show" and "Go" de not here approximate. About the safest mark in breeding from the thorough-bred horse is pedigree; but this has, we have heard, had but little consideration from the judges selected to pick out the winner at the great July Meetings; in fact, in some of the early lists, while dam, grandam, and greatgrandam of short-horns are given ad infinitum from the Herd Book, the name of the sire or dam of the best horse has been altogether omitted. To afford our readers some idea of the class of horse that Jack Tar may have had to contend with for his honours, we have gone over the awards from the first year's show at Oxford, in 1839, when, we remember, not one of the exhibited was thought worthy of the prize; the following year, at Cambridge, it was paid to Mr. J. Reynolds, of Wisbech, for his eight-year-old horse; but as neither name nor pedigree are added, we are unable to say what horse this was. In 1841, at Liverpool, no such class is mentioned; so that we lead off with our illustration of the sort. 1842.-Bristol.-Jack Tar, by Emilius, out of Sheldrake, by Scud. 1843.-Derby.-Johnny Boy, by Jerry, dam (Beeswing's dam), by Ar drossan. 1844. Southampton.-Horse by Langar, dam by Cervantes. 1845. Shrewsbury.-Clarion, by Sultan, out of Clara, by Filho da Puta. 1846.-Newcastle.-Newsmonger, by Voltaire, out of Cyprian, by Par tizan. In 1847, at Northampton, we can find none mentioned. Of all these, none came more in character with the exhibition at which he appeared than Jack Tar. It will be seen, from his portrait, that the elegance of the thorough-bred horse is but little marked in his appearance; indeed, he rather presents that plain useful sort of front we can fancy striking so home to the hearts of the agriculturists. As still, though, he also appeared on the turf, we shall conclude our notice with the particulars we usually add concerning all the high-mettled that honour our pages. PEDIGREE. Jack Tar, a chesnut horse, bred by the Duke of Cleveland in 1827, is by Emilius, out of Sheldrake (sister to Sailor), by Scud, her dam, Goosander, by Hambletonian-Ruby, sister to Rebel, by Trumpater Emilius, by Orville, out of Emily, by Stamford, won the Derby, and was about the best stud horse ever known, getting more and better winners than any two horses of his day. Sheldrake was remarkable neither in the stable nor the stud. PERFORMANCES. In 1830, we find the Sheldrake colt, then three years old, first appearing as the property of the Marquis, afterwards Duke of, Cleveland, at Newmarket Craven Meeting, where he ran second to Lord Exeter's Augustus, for a Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each. Mr. Wilson's colt by Middleton also started. At the first Spring Meeting, ridden by Chifney, he won the Spring Underley Stakes of 100 sovs. each, beating Mr. Cooper's Prima Donna colt. At Epsom he was not placed for the Derby, won by Mr. W. Chifney's Priam, Sam Chifney having to give up his seat on the winner to ride him. At Stockbridge, having passed into Mr. Shard's hands, he was not placed for a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, won by Mr. Delmè Radcliffe's The Colonel. At Salisbury he ran third and last for the Wiltshire Stakes; won by Mr. Bigg's Tyke. In 1831 he only ran once, when he was not placed for the Borough Members' Plate at St. Alban's; won by Mr. Isaac Day's Busk. The Sheldrake colt never appeared in public after this till, as Mr. Hillyer Reeve's Jack Tar, he carried off the £30 at Bristol, and in commemoration of which his portrait was taken. The horse is now, we believe, gone abroad, but he covered for some seasons at low prices in the neighbourhood of Swindon, and is the sire of Bird's-eye, Betty Lop, and that tolerably good cocktail Master Tommy. THE FISTIC TOURNAMENT-1847. WITH A FEW REMARKS UPON THE PRIZE-RING OF THE PRESENT AND PAST TIMES. BY LORD WILLIAM LENNOX. "Ingenuas pugni didicisse fideliter artes, "The faithful study of the fistic art From mawkish softness guards a Briton's heart." Comic Latin Grammar. "There is but one other point to which I would more particularly call your attention; for while we sympathize with the misfortunes of those in our own immediate circle, we must not lose sight of the distresses of our brethren in Ireland and Scotland. From these oncehappy lands we have enjoyed the pleasure of witnessing the gallantry of their heroes. From the former, the deeds of Dan Donnelly, Jack Langan, Simon Byrne, and others, are still familiar to our recollection; while our memories are equally alive to the bravery of M'Kay, M'Girty, Robinson, &c. These countries are now groaning under the horrors of pestilence and starvation; and I am sure I need not impress on the minds of British boxers the duties which these cries impose upon them. You have ever been prompt in the hour of afflic tion, whether at home or abroad, whether from public or private calamity, to stretch forth the hand of charity; and I would fain hope that the present occasion will not be lost by you in employing your hands, with heart and soul, to assist in alleviating the affliction of our Irish and Scotch friends." So spoke the commissary-general of the prize-ring at the opening of the pugilistic session, and in words that, for truth, justice, and sincerity, could not be equalled in that arena for senatorial gladiatorship, St. Stephen's. This appeal to the "knights of the knuckle" was followed by one from the editor of Bell's Life in London to the readers of that truly independent and admirably-conducted journal; and it is one that does such infinite credit to the heart and hand of the talented writer, that we cannot refrain from recording it in the pages of the sporting literature of the month: "Twenty-five years have elapsed since we took in hand the helm of our staunch steamer, Bell's Life in London;' and amidst the vicissitudes to which we have been exposed, thanks to the excellence of our crew, and their consistent energies on all trying occasions, we ride triumphantly on the waves of public opinion, with our 'steam well up,' and our machinery' in matchless condition. Of the manner in which we have managed our 'craft,' our 'log' affords the best evidence; for there we find registered that the weekly average of those kind friends journeying with us for the last twelve months amounts to twenty-five thousand four hundred. This is a |