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27th. Ascended the Musa mountains by a flight of steps behind the convent, and found it almost worse work than 'the slide.' It is quite equal to an hour's work at the treadmill, but we are now getting into fair training, and never stopped to draw breath till twothirds of the way up. A short distance up is a pretty little spring called Moses' well, the water kept icy cold by a large overhanging rock, and round the edge of the water a circle of maiden hair fern, with its delicate green, which called forth exclamations of delight from wanderers whose eyes had become weary of barren rock and desert. It is, I believe, the only place in the peninsula where it grows, and it looks a very emerald beyond all price.

Not long after getting back to camp we had great excitement hunting a hyæna. Some Bedouin told us one was coming down 'the slide,' so we all turned out. Unfortunately, the guns were out or unloaded, so every one seized what he could. I got a big stone, the men their surveying poles, and away we went, but the pace was too heavy. I got within about 25 yards of him, but after throwing my stone and missing had to give it up for want of breath. I never saw an animal shuffle along the ground in such a slovenly manner before.

28th. Out with Palmer to Wady Bostan, and ascended to its head; afterwards ascended the Bostan range where we spent the day erecting four cairns on the high peaks. This nearly finished our labours. We had nine hours of good hard mountain work, and yet I came into camp quite fresh, so great has been the effect of a few days training.

29th. After service, up to the convent and spent a good part of the afternoon under the shade of the trees in the monk's garden.

30th. Presented a copy of the Jerusalem maps and photographs to the convent, with which the monks were greatly pleased. One of them had been to Jerusalem and recognised most of the photographs, otherwise the maps and letterpress would have been a dead letter to them. The poor monks are the most uneducated set of men I ever saw, but they are very kind and obliging; though most of them have spent many years here, there is only one who has any fair knowledge of Arabic, and he can only just read it. Most of their time seems to be spent in sleeping and attending service. In the afternoon I ascended a curious peak, Gebel Ghubsheh, and in the evening we had the most glorious full moon giving the finest effects; one side of the valley was in deep shade, whilst the wild peaks on the other were bathed in the brightest moonlight, every detail coming out sharp and clear as if the electric light had been turned upon them. The effect was quite a stage one, and as somebody

remarked, one might almost expect to see a troupe of ballet dancers come tripping down the bright slope. When the moon cleared the hills, the light was so brilliant that I could easily read my bible.

TH

The Races.

Friday, May 7th, and Monday, May 9th.

`HE weather, which changed about to a degree painful to the souls of all Cheltonians, gave us no ground for well-founded hope of two fine days in succession, but the first of the two fixed days was, in respect of weather overhead, all that could be wished. The Saturday, however, maintained its reputation by being thoroughly wet and disagreeable, and racing was an impossibility. The Races fixed for Saturday were therefore put off to the first fine day that should come. That day came on the following Monday.

The Stewards of the year were T. Wise, G. Strachan, A. T. Myers, E. H. Watts, and G. N. Wyatt; and they shall be thanked at once for the efficient manner in which they performed their duties, and the many reforms which they introduced.

Once more Mr. Southwood must receive the thanks of the School for his kindness in undertaking the office of Judge; once more must Mr. Porcher be told of our gratefulness to him for the hearty energy displayed in our service as treasurer; once again James Lillywhite must be congratulated on the successful exercise of his qualities as starter.

These duties over, we need not longer hesitate, but hasten to give such notes as may make intelligible the events of the

FIRST DAY.

1.-Short Race. Open. 100 yards. 46 entries.—1. G. Strachan. 2. A. T. Myers and L. Young, æq. Time, II seconds.

The ropes were divided for the first three races in order to ensure level ground to run and throw on; the necessities of correctness must account for this improvement, which must make these events rather uninteresting to the Grand Stand portion of the spectators. This race was run in heats,

First Heat: -1. C. Wood. 2. St. George. Wood won by a couple of yards.

Second Heat:-Strachan and Young came in at a great pace, and breasted

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The Final Heat was run off later in the afternoon and the result was as given above. Strachan won by about a yard and a half in gallant style. Young caught Myers just on the winning post.

2.--(a) Throwing Cricket Ball under 15. 11 entries.-I. C. Young. Distance 74 yards.

Young made a good throw in his third try and beat Mellor, Kemble and Dickson by about a foot.

(b) Throwing Cricket Ball. Open. 19 entries.-1. G. N. Wyatt. Distance 105 yards 2 feet.

Strachan was not up to his previous form and Wyatt's first throw was not beaten though approached. No one else thought it worth while to compete with the cracks. Strachan threw 102 yards 2 feet. 3.-Hurdle Race. Open. 120 yards, with 10 flights of hurdles. 32 entries. This race also had to be run in heats.

First Heat:-Young, G. Bullock, Wildig. A good race.
yard and a half.

Won by a

Second Heat:-Strachan, K. Smith. Strachan won as he liked. Guthrie
came in third, with a chuckle.

Third Heat:-Wood took his hurdles in his own form and won easily.
Harrison was second.

Final Heal:-1. C. Wood. 2. Strachan. 3. Young. Time 15 secs. Wood's inimitable style of hurdle-jumping was too much for Strachan, though the latter made a hot race of it. Harrison was well up, and so was Smith, but Young by a good spurt after the last hurdle passed them on the post.

4.-Short Race under 15. 100 yards. 31 entries.

Heats again.

First Heat-Scovell and Strachan.

Second Heat:-Filgate and Arnott.

Third Heat:-Mellor made a good race with E. Dickson but beat him at last.

Final Heat:-1. R. Filgate. 2. C. Strachan. Time 12 secs. Boyce's was not to be denied: a very good race and a fast one. 5.-High Jump. Open. 23 entries.-I. L. Young. Height, 5ft. 2in. A pole this year instead of the obnoxious string. Wildig, Ramsay, and Young alone appeared, and were knocked out in the order above. Ramsay did 5ft. This was over very soon. Young's style was a little theatrical.

6.—Steeple Chase. Open. 220 yards. 10 flights of Hurdles and 2 wet ditches. 28 entries.-I. Wood. 2. Strachan. Time, 323 secs. There was much excitement about this.

Wood jumped faultlessly,

and won rather easily. Strachan was rather out of it at the start, but came in at a great pace. Harrison, a good third. This race has only been instituted three years; and this is the best time as yet made.

7.-Race for Boys of Junior School.

Dacres, æq. Time, 29 secs.

220 yards. 13 entries.-1. Baston and

8.-Pole Vaulting, under 15. I entry, and consequently no event.

9.-Stone Race. Prize given by the Rev. T. A. Southwood. 37 entries. The first two heats of this race were, for the sake of time, run on Wednesday morning, and caused great excitement. W. Bullock, who ran in very good form, just beat Borrowes by six yards or so; a very good race indeed. Evans third. The second heat was equally exciting, as Hamilton just beat Sim, and Langley was third. The Final Heat was run on the regular day, and was also a good race: Bullock led by a quarter of a stone for the greater part of the race, Hamilton and Borrowes running equal. Hamilton ran most thoroughly gamely, and neither Bullock nor Borrowes were equal to withstanding his final effort, and he won, running strong, by 15 yards. People say Bullock was overtrained, and the race looked rather like it: he was very unfortunate at the end in dropping his last stone outside the basket, which lost him second place. Yet praise be to Borrowes, who ran sturdily throughout.

1. Hamilton. 2. Borrowes. 3. W. Bullock. Time, 14 min. 32 secs. 10.-Race for Members of the Rifle Corps. Prize given by Hon. Captain. 1. Ellershaw, who won pretty easily.

11.-Throwing the Cannon Ball. Open. 23 entries.—1. Strachan. Distance 29ft. 9in.

This was exciting. G. Bullock began very well. Vance then made a very big throw indeed, which seemed for some time to be the winner, but Strachan pulled himself together, and at his third throw got some little way past anybody's, and won amidst plaudits. The distance is two feet more than Strachan won with last year. Browne, we hear, had a bad shoulder, which, perhaps, might explain the size of his arm.

12.-Trowser Race. Open. 100 yards. 16 entries.

W. Bullock and Nicholls won a hard race from Wyatt and Wood, who had not been securely tied. Time, 15 secs.

13.-Steeple Chase under 16. 440 yards. 17 entries.-1. Blandy. 2. Timms. 3. Hepworth. Time, I min. 22 secs.

Perhaps the distance was a bit too long, and exhaustion was the consequence. The all-receiving ditch got its full share. Blandy, who won the steeple under 15, last year, was only eight seconds longer in doing it then than now. Timms and Hepworth were

second and third in the steeple under 15, last year, which is a little

strange.

14.-Flat Race.

Open. Half-mile. 39 entries.-I. Harrison. 2. Gibson.

3. W. Bullock. Time, 2 min. 14 secs.

Harrison won in gallant form, but Gibson was not far off, coming with a game spurt. Bullock, a good third.

15.-Race under 14. 350 yards. 19 entries.-1. Barton. 2. Sclater. 3. Williams. Time, 513 secs.

16.-Wide Jump. Open. 21 entries.-I. C. Wood. Distance, 16ft. 6in.

Wood, Myers, and Strachan were very close together, but, finally, Wood won by a little. We ought to get a longer jump than the distance done: we are behind other schools in this.

17.-Flat Race. Open. Two miles. 35 entries.-I. Hopkinson. 2. H. Porter. 3. F. Evans. Time, II min.

There seemed to be doubt among the runners when they were to leave off this occasioned much annoyance, and it is possible that the result might have been different had not this unfortunate though common mistake taken place. There was a hot race home, but Hopkinson, who led for some time, finally shook Porter off, and won by about four yards, Porter being some little way before Evans, who ran in beautiful form. For some time Guthrie ran nearly as fast as he talked.

No Boarding-house Steeples were allowed after this first day's racing. All through Saturday the stand, the hurdles, the ditches, the whole apparatus stood sorrowful in pouring rain, but on Monday business was resumed to the following effect.

SECOND DAY.

Though on Sunday afternoon the rain returned with no small vigour, and continued with vehemence throughout the night, on Monday morning the sky looked so hopeful that, trusting to the well-known drying capabilities of our ground, and yielding to human nature which snatches at the enjoyment of the moment, our Stewards, on consultation with the higher powers, determined to continue the races on that afternoon. And we believe the determination was right: for though showers of pretty heavy rain appeared at intervals, on the whole the afternoon was pleasant enough and the ground not intolerable underfoot. The races again began punctually with

1.-Cricketers' Race. 100 yards. Prize given by James Lillywhite.-I. Strachan. Time 11 secs.

This race was very like the Scurry, but did not require so many heats. The first of these included all those who had been tried for

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