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OTIIR DUVIl'M J'BIKCH'-IBOWIL.
To the Editor of Bcll'» Life in Victoria.
SIB,— Can you give the date of Bridges'* lido down
tho Devil'a Punch-howl at Brighton? Tho memories :
of old men are treacherous, but not often in respect ot
occurrences of their juvenile days. I have a strong im
pri-88inn that thero is an anachronism in this part of ,
O-ibaldeston's memoir, nnd that this ma.l exploit did not
tnka place till long after; I moan bbvomI years after tho
timo mentioned. Mv first visit to Briuhton waa in 1815.
nnd I can well recollect that Bridget's descent into tha
Punch-bowl was then tho subject of conversation; so
much so thit I went to tho spot merely to judso of its
practicability, and descended it myself, though with groat
dution. According to Jinily'o Magazine, .Bridget per
formod tho feat beforo 1805. It may have been so, but
it docs not seem likely that tcnyenra afterwards it would
still have been tho annject of common conversation. I
should ubserva that Bridges descended at speed ; so at
leaat it was reported ; excopt at speed, there was little . ,
ornodnnger with aateady horao. A much bolder feat
than this was accomplished a fow years previously, by n.
gentleman wh.se grandson is now in Melb urne: to show
tho steadineaa of hia horse, aa well an hia own nerve, he
sllded down— for to walk cL-wn was simply impoaaible—
the chalk cross at White-leaf, on tho Chiltern lulls, ia
Buckinghamshire. This is adoslivity of thirty feet at
an an«loof.uboutaOdegrcea. iThob.or.-e sfid down on
his haunobee, with Mr. Grace in the: saddle, a thorough
sportsman of thn old school. ' VICILLAKD.
18th May, 18C1. .
V S. ' It should ho observed ' that thore i» a great: ?'
difference in the angles of dea.'ent into: tho Pui'chrbowl;
at one point it is almost perpendicular; lut nt the point
I descended cautiously and which waa said to bo tha
place at which Bridges descended at fperd, it could
scarcely exceed 20 degrees'; to tho bi-st of my rerollec
tion the length of the descent would be about for;y feet.
Yass and BunnowA Jockkv Ci.uns. — A Jockey
Club-is being established at each of theie towns,
Fi.YlNO Jm— All lovern «f the turf will join with us
fn lamenting th« untimely into of Flying Jib, ono at '
the fastest anil gameet horaca evor bred in the colony.
We noticed last week that Mr. I.nnj; was vory san
guine that hia valuable favourite would, ere long, ba
able to join his companiona at their exercise, but whilst
his hopes wero being increased, the poor horso on Thurs
day evening reared from his slings, ell tmk.vunls and
broko his thighbone, To keep iho pour animal linger
ing in his pain wera only inhuman, nnd si Mr. Lang
ordered him to bo destroyed at onco Wo shall give
further particulnm of this melancholy aoc'uleut next
week, as well us a history of tho Flying Jib's career.
Yass Racks (N S.W.)— This meeting took place on.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday week. On tho lirst
day tho Mnidi-n Plato full to Tinker; tho Members*
Purse lo Pr-lhim; the, Selling Stnkvs to May Kly; and
tho Hurry Scurry to Sydney. The, second' -lav com
menced with tlui'Triil Stakes, which wus carried off by
Shylnck; a Hurry Scurry was won by Rvdm-v; tha
llurdlo Raco tell to Wood and Water Jwyj'aml a '
sreond Hurry Scurry to Lightning Despatch, on the ' '
Friday, ran off with tho Ladies' Pur-e; Samson beat
Despatch ami Sydney fnr tho Town l'liitej . i o Yass
Welter wna won' by Pelhain ; and the Consolation by
Trump Card.
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