het me out! I'm up to the arm-pits, man.' "Tam-reach me your han I'm up to the chin! How in a' the world am I to get out?" Venting every two minutes, the otter once more retraced his steps, the whole twelve couple straining every nerve of their swimming powers to reach him-Cruel and Crystal keeping within a yard of his brush, and ready every time he vented to mouth him; but the moment they made a grab, down he was like a shot, and in this fashion he reached the other end of the lake. While this was taking place, the noble huntsman had got hold of a boat, and made for the small island, which he had scarcely reached when the otter showed himself close to the boat. Just at this period of the sport, a water-spout burst over the many hunters, and the thunders and lightnings of heaven hung on the lake with loud and alarming peals. The fair sex of course had to fly for shelter; but the Duke and most of the sportsmen continued with the hounds, close on their prey all the time. It was not, however, until after three hours' hot pursuit that this game animal fell before the pack, his who-whoop being sung by hundreds who had remained to see the finish-a glorious one indeed! Banks of the Almond, Oct. 22, 1852. TO WILLIAM SELBY LOWNDES, ESQ. SIR,-I beg to address you respecting an article headed " Fair Play is a Jewel," which appeared in the Sporting Magazine of June last. In vindication of your character, which is assailed in that article, and (to that end) for the purpose of ascertaining who is the author, you have proceeded against the publisher. It is with regret for the fact, and not merely in apprehension of the consequences, that I admit I am the author. It is with regret too I add, I have written that which is untrue. I admit fully and unqualifiedly and I desire this to be understood-that as to so much of the article as consists of matter of assumed or of alleged fact reflecting upon yourself or any of your family, or upon your conduct as a gentleman, it is entirely untrue, and without any semblance of foundation. As to the rest of the article, I cannot but unfeignedly admit it to be most unjusti fiable and ungentlemanlike; and I give you the fullest power to make this apology known in any quarter you may think proper, entirely at your own discretion. And I engage that a copy of this letter shall appear in the next number of the magazine, in all respects as prominently as appeared the article itself; although, by your permission, I shall subscribe that article, not with my own name, but with that which is assumed at the foot of the article itself. Upon your learning that the prescribed terms have been fulfilled, I request you to give directions to stop all further proceedings. Oct. 1, 1852, I am, sir, Your most obedient servant PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS. "We belong to the unpopular family of Tell-truths, and would not flatter Apollo for his lyre."-ROB ROY. After naming the debût of Miss Hickson at the LYCEUM, the production of Mr. Marston's new play at the PRINCESS's, and " Box and Cox Married and Settled" at the HAYMARKET, there remains nothing to dwell upon at any of the theatres. It is true that DRURY LANE has been opened, and closed again directly; but that's nothing new, for seasons at that house are nearly as numerous at Australian craft, or as rich old uncles on the stage. The public's old favourite, Mons. Jullien, must make haste and put his house in order, and commence his season of "Promenade Concerts," when there will be ample assurance of bountiful return for small disbursements. Besides, under his management, there is never the chilling and gloomy spectacle of a vast building like Drury Lane being in an inglorious state of emptiness. November nights sans Jullien's Concerts would be just as reconcileable as the ninth of this month is to the Alderman without the Lord Mayor's customary feast. Make haste, then, M. Jullien, and restore harmony within the walls of Old Drury. With the exception of the trifle from the French, "A House out of Windows,' the entertainment at the Lyceum consists of a selection from old favourites. The most prominent being Mr. Planche's "Golden Fleece," in which Madame Vestris sustains her original character. It is questionable policy this system of resuscitation, especially in an instance like the present, where the time and opportunity for the many smart and pointed allusions, which sparkle throughout, are gone. If Mr. Mathews has sinned, how much more so has the lessee of the Haymarket and Adelphi! for at those theatres the antique is studied, and only the antique; the exception being the second edition of "Box and Cox" at the former, and that certainly does not in any way differ from continuations in general. Of the many dreary, musty, old comedies brought forward on the same stage, it is merely necessary to refer to "The Road to Ruin," which serves to introduce Miss Rosa Bennett to a London audience, who at all times greeted her sister, Miss Julia Bennett; and certainly the good opinion formed of the absent favourite is likely to be shared by the present one, who has many requisites for comedy, which, in common fairness, should be exercised in some more novel character than Sophia. At the other house-the hole in the wall in the Strand-the lovers of excitement and crime muster more strongly, perhaps from the food being of a stronger kind. There is, as an ancient philosopher ob served-no matter who-no accounting for taste, or, more properly speaking, the want of it; accordingly, who will marvel at humanity herding together in a more intolerable condition than cattle on railways, in an atmosphere that fails not to deal around its pestiferous poison, to the painfully elaborated enunciation of Madame Celeste in the "Green Bushes," and thievish slang of "Jack Sheppard"? What is the Board of Health about? and, oh! where-and, oh! where-is the Lord Chamberlain ? Now, there is some fun to be met with at the STRAND THEATRE in listening to the African Troupe, the most mirthful part of the entertainment being the Nigger's description of "The Bohemian Girl," which certainly eclipses the original, whatever Messrs. Balfe, Bunn, and Harrison may think. In addition to much that is amusing at THE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION, there will be found no inconsiderable share of the instructive; although there may be those who, instead of subscribing to the philosophy, of "The art of preserving provisions," incline to the opinion that the great art is in first procuring provisions, and then assuredly not to preserve. NOTES OF THE MONTH PAST. It is with very sincere regret that we have to announce the death of Mr. Vincent Dowling, which took place on the 25th of October. Mr. Dowling, who was in the 67th year of his age, was well known as the editor of Bell's Life in London, an office in which it may be said with every justice that he gained the respect of all who knew him. Few in so trying a position could have preserved so high a character for integrity of purpose. In dealing with the eccentricities of the Ring, a department of the paper more particularly under Mr. Dowling's own superintendence, he evinced extraordinary tact and temper, doing wonders to maintain a not generally popular nor very grateful branch of British sports. The decease of Mr. Clement, the proprietor of Bell's Life, preceded that of its editor only a few months; while it was only in our last number that we had to record the death of Mr. Chapman, the editor of the Sunday Times. The obituary of the month further includes Mr. Henry Angelo, on the 14th, at Brighton, in his 72nd year, a gentleman well known as the most accomplished and elegant swordsman of his time-and his reign was a long one, too. Also the death of Kennedy, the champion of Highland sports, hammer throwing, caber tossing, and such athletic feats; and in another line the who-whoop of Edward Ellum, or "Ned Allen," for nearly half a century head whip and huntsman to the father of the late Duke of Grafton ! While regretting the loss of so many good men, we may mention the sale of the late Mr. Fielding's hunters at Hyde Park Corner, on the 18th. "A dead man's stud always sell well," and these are thought by good judges to have reached quite their value. priced : They were thus THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THAMES.-Combes not "being satisfied,” was treated to another trial with Coles on the 14th, over the former course from Putney to Mortlake, but all to no purpose; the young one never gave him a chance, and won much easier than on their first encounter. On the course, as well as the river, age has had to succumb to the vigour of younger men, Jackson, the champion of pedestrianism, having been beaten after a close race by Levett, a runner hitherto not so well known. Lord de Blaquire's challenge in the Times to match "the America" against anything we have, has been accepted by Lord Londesborough, as well as by one or two other owners of yachts, but nothing we believe has yet been settled. The two following "extraordinary shots" are worth preserving. We don't at all dispute the miraculous in the second, although one or two of our Ramrodian friends consider it "hard to beat :"-One day during the past month, Mr. Palmer, head park-keeper to Earl Fitzwilliam, Wentworth Park, accompanied by his son (his under park-keeper), was out for the purpose of killing a stag. The son shot a stag at full speed, the ball entering behind the ear, passing along the neck bone through the stag, and then entered the head of an old buck which was following the stag. What makes the shot remarkable is that the buck was at from ten to fifteen yards behind the stag in rather an opposite direction. That of course was accidental; but here is something a little more determined :—Mr. J. F. Malins, of Chipping Norton, Oxon, undertook for a wager, a few days ago, to lay a gun (a double-barrelled one) on the ground, throw up two small apples in the air at once, then turn head over heels, pick up the gun, and hit both apples right and left, before they fell to the ground, once out of six times. He performed this extraordinary feat the second attempt, and consequently won his wager. STATE OF THE ODDS, &c. SALE OF BLOOD STOCK.-By Messrs. Tattersall, in the Second October Meeting; the property of Mr. Angerstein—a sale interesting as showing the amount of esteem in which close crosses of the Arabian are now held: HORSES IN TRAINING. Waverley, b. c., by Dromedary, dam by Vanish, 3 yrs. Ravenswing, b. g., by Gibraltar or Alarm, out of Apricot,3 yrs..... BROOD MARES. Doctrine, b. m. (bred in 1844), got by The Doctor, out of Bay Bay Araby, sister to Dromedary (bred in 1836), by Camel, dam by Bay Roan Mare (bred in 1848), got by Dromedary, out of Nightcap; Saba, sister to Bay Araby (Doctrine's dam), bred in 1844; covered Sakara, b. f. (bred in 1850), got by Ion, out of Saba; covered by YEARLINGS. Mookadder, b. c. (own brother to Sakara) Mas'hara, b. c., by Bentley, dam by Dromedary, out of Nightcap.. FOALS. Sahar, b. c., by Jericho, out of Bay Araby Sahara, b. f., by Jericho, out of Doctrine.. STALLION. Ninus, by Dromedary, dam (Frantic's dam), by Mulatto, out of (XX, or Double Cross, is by Liverpool, dam by The Exquisite, out of Dromedary's dam, by Sultan.) The mares on the following Monday, at Hyde Park Corner : Apricot (Ravenswing's dam) by Sir Hercules, out of Preserve; 53 Brown Mare, got by Sir Hercules, out of Lucy Banks; covered by 40 Ayesha, by Dromedary, her dam by Vigo, out of a Marengo mare .. 20 17 Ameer, a brown colt foal, by Lanercost, out of Pan's dam ... 15 13 Brown Mare, Pan's dam, got by Dromedary, her dam by M'Adam ; ... 10 Grey Mare, got by Marengo, by Partisan, out of Vanity; covered by 7 Mr. Kirby has sold Van Tromp to the Emperor of Russia for 2,000 guineas, and the horse has left this country. It may be remembered that he joins Peep-o'-Day-Boy also in the Emperor's service. Harpsichord has been sold to go to Germany; and Timid Fawn to Mr. Morris; Azaël, in the Second October Meeting, to Mr. Elwes, for 1,500. The stallion Harkaway is advertised for sale by private contract, "on terms which, it is deemed, will render him a highly-profitable investment." Lord Zetland's horses have arrived at Osborne's stables at Middleham, where they will stand under the especial care of George Abdale. His lordship's late manager, Atkinson, has left Ashe. Mr. Mare has engaged George Bloss as his private trainer. In the obituary of the month we have the death of Mr. Bowes's brood mare Emma, by Whisker. She was the dam of two Derby winners, |