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25th. A pleasant quiet Christmas Day, with thoughts of home and loved ones at happy English firesides. Saloo distinguished himself by decking out our tents with olive branches from the Convent garden and providing us with a famous dinner, in which Ibex played the part of roast beef and our pudding was a bonâ fide one prepared by fair hands in England. Our good friends the Monks are growing very familiar, and we are beginning to get some insight into their ways. Sometime ago Holland met one of them hunting for Ibex with an old blunderbus, which must have been the original blunderbus first invented, and to-day we had a pressing request for a piece of ham from one of them and a bottle of rum from another, rather strong for men who have sworn to eat no meat and drink no spirit—but as our friend Takolos explained the vow extended no further than the walls of the Convent, and we found out the secret of a certain little house in the garden where savoury morsels are prepared for not unwilling mouths.

26th. In the evening to visit a Bedouin Camp. The tents were poor compared to those of the Bedouin of Palestine ;-and goats, children, and parents seemed to form a sort of happy family.

27th. Sunday. We had a visit from some of the Monks, who took very kindly to eau de vie, and were highly pleased with the entertainment set before them, especially with the black currant jam, of which it was broadly hinted that a present would prove acceptable.

(To be continued.)

Ο

Wimbledon, 1869.

N Tuesday, July 13th, the day on which the competition for the Queen's Prize was brought to a conclusion, the Public Schools' Match was also decided. This competition was established in 1861, in which year Rugby, Harrow and Eton competed, Rugby winning with 91 points. In 1862 Marlboro' was added to the three competitors of the previous year, and Harrow was first with 234 points.

In 1863, Winchester and Cheltenham put in an appearance in addition to the four schools above mentioned, Eton winning with a score of 230.

In 1864 the same six schools tried, and Harrow won with 226. In 1865, the same schools being entered, Harrow again won with 216.

In 1866 Winchester did not enter, and Harrow beat the other four schools with the large score of 256 points.

In 1867 a new claimant for honours appeared-Rossall; when Harrow was for the fifth time victorious with 244.

Last year the same seven schools entered, Eton, with 248, winning for the second time.

This year the number was increased to eight by the arrival of a team from Derby. The day was one of the warmest of the season. A perfectly clear sky, with an almost tropical sun, rendered the prospect before the heroes of the day rather arduous than enviable. In the afternoon a slight wind sprang up, but it hardly appeared to temper the tremendous heat.

At a quarter to three the School Elevens were paraded in front of the Council Seat,' in order that the captains of the different trains might draw lots for targets. The shooting commenced at three o'clock. Shortly after that hour a large and fashionable concourse of visitors was attracted to the common. Each of the eight

schools had its friends among the fair as well as the sterner sex. It was difficult indeed for them to restrain themselves from applauding good shots, but as this would be the height of bad taste, and interfere with the shooting, quiet and order were maintained. Harrow, Eton, Marlborough, Cheltenham, Rossall, and Winchester used the five-grooved naval rifle; Rugby and Derby the long Enfield.

As will be seen from the score, Harrow was slightly a-head at 200, and at the other range still further increased her lead, finally winning with the unprecedented score of 268.

We are unable to give the individual scores of the other School Elevens, but we append that of our own.

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From this, it will be seen that our shooting was almost uniformly good at 200; but at 500 it certainly was below the average.

Immediately after this followed the Competition for the Cup, annually given by Earl Spencer, to be contended for by the best shot in each of the Elevens in the First Stage, and to become the property of the winner.

Sim, our representative, has obtained for himself and the College very great honour, by the splendid way in which he carried off the Cup. Five bull's-eyes running are not often made at our own Butts, where rarely anyone appears to look on and criticise, but when made, as they were, with the eyes of some hundreds fixed on him, Sim's shooting is indeed praiseworthy. He led from the first, although Bruce, who last year won it for Eton, did his best to win again this year, and was a good second.

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* In the place of Sergt. Ellershaw, who was unavoidably absent

Total.

27

26

25

24

19

19

18

16

16

14

almost low the

As yet, the gods have been against us for the Ashburton Shield, but not so, it would seem, as regards the 'Spencer Cup,' for Thornton, Collier, and Sim, have each in turn taken one, while Eton and even Harrow can only claim two each, and Winchester but one.

On the result being known, the winner was 'hoisted' by an enthusiastic body of old and present Cheltonians, and carried in triumph through the Camp to that part apportioned to the Victoria Rifles, who, as last year, most hospitably entertained the different Elevens at Dinner.

The Cups presented and won last half-year, were following:

THE CHALLENGE CUP.

Ensign Sim

the

he Cup he best ome the

and the carried

at our criticise, ds fixed

om the

is best

A CUP GIVEN BY CAPTAIN BAINES.

Points.

28

This was for the highest aggregate score and attendance at position drill, and was won by Corporal Oakes.

Captain Porcher also gave a Cup, to be shot for every Wednesday, the winner to hold it for the ensuing week or weeks, according as it might happen; finally to become the property of the most frequent winner. Won by Sergeant Neville.

THE EX-CAPTAINS' CUP.

Shot for on the last day of the half-year, and won by Sergeant Ellershaw, with a score of 30 points.

Tot.

24

21

18

18

15

A. ELLERSHAW, Capt.

The Cricket of the College.

I

hope the readers of the Cheltonian will allow one who is not a cricketer to make a few remarks on the Cricket of the College. I take for granted Mr. F. R. Price's letter of last month. His suggestions must strike every one as excellent. But they seem to me to need enforcing by additional considerations.

I have had occasion to be in the Play-ground from time to time since Cricket came in this year, and the thought which has

always struck me has been-not 'what poor cricket this seems to be,' but 'where is the College?' I was aware that 40 or 50 went over to Tewkesbury, and a still smaller number to the butts. Then there were the bicycles-and the College library. But after making allowances for all these—and for the infants in the lower part of the Junior-there still seemed to me 500 or at any rate 400 to be accounted for—and yet I never could count more than 200 in the Play-gound-very rarely indeed 150.

To put it shortly, I am persuaded that, as things stand at present, when Cheltenham plays Marlborough, a school containing not more than 200 cricketers is playing one containing nearly twice that number. I am quite certain that such would be the case were Cheltenham to play Rugby-and yet all of us here must ardently desire that when that happens we may win. It seems to me a great pity we should not play Rugby and Marlborough in alternate years but I hope for our own sake, we shall not do so till more of us play cricket.

And now who is to blame in this matter? most certainly not the fellows as individuals. The great majority of the fellows are more sinned against than sinning. They have not enough opportunities nor sufficient motives to induce them to play.

There seem to me to be two main causes of this. First, the utterly unfit condition of the greater part of the play-ground-or at any rate of the greater portion of that part which is not reserved for the Eleven. Secondly the want of organisation in the houses themselves, both with reference to forming elevens, and to making arrangements for ground with other houses.

The houses, like the School, are full of public spirit: full of energy: and above all, as far as I can make out, very free indeed from divisions and feuds both with one another and within themselves. But this readiness wants leaders and authorities to turn it into action.

But as I said the play-ground is the first thing. It seems to me that, according to Mr. Price's suggestion, 'ends' should be limited to short play-hours, 12.15—1; and 1.45-2.30 and 5-6 on whole school-days. And the proper place for ends seems to me to be a strip of ground thirty yards wide running entirely round the play-ground-a portion of the play-ground which is at present neither used nor fit to be used.

This would involve the introduction of nets to prevent the ball going through the railings--but play at the nets being limited to the above hours, the fielding in the College need not suffer. Think what a number of nets might be put up parallel to the Sandford Road.

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