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THE CALEDONIAN GAMES.
Our illustration will convey to readers at a distance
a much more vivid idea of the annual gathering of Cale-
dbnians, for the celebration of their national sports; than
the most labored description. The scene of this festive
concourse was' the Cricket1 Ground in the "Richmond
Paddock,, near Melbourne,, and the sports- v'ere kept up
for three days, in the presence of from 8,000 to 10 -000-
spectators.. Boxing-day witnessed the commencement
of the games,, and they were brought to a conclusion- at
the end of the Christmas week. The Highland costume
was not so prevalent' as in' former years, but the High
land spirit an imated; the competitors and some- of the
feats of strength and skill: performed1 were worthy of
Gow Chrom, and' were watched and applauded by
beauties who 1 could vie with the fair maid of Perth; In
vaulting with: the pole, M'Kelvey bore, away the palm,
flying over a bar 8 feet 6 inches high, without touching
it either witli his person or his pole. Peter Cameron,
took the first, and Angus Cameron the second prize for-
throwing the heavy hammer, the distance to which it was
flung: by the former being 73 feet 3 iuches, and by the
latter- 70 feet. The heavy stone of 21 lbs was "put" 27
feet 8 inches by Donald Waylan, and 27 feet 4 inches
byDbnald Cameron, who took the first and second prize
accordingly. In foot-racing, M'Kelvey was adjudged
first honors, and Mason second. Some excellent High
land dancing" wound up the first day's sports.
On the second day, the proceedings opened with a flat foot
race for 150- yards; when M'Kelvey, the winner of the preceding
day; had to yield1' liis' laurels1 to Mason, who, though hard
pushed; kept-ahead throughout; A strathspey next came off,
but no prize was- awarded' at the ; time. Subsequently the
dancers in this and the Reel of Tiilloch were aitowecPto divide
.the prizes between thein. A flat race in Highland costume,
twice round -the course, which had originally intended for a
hurdle1 race, succeeded; For" fully tWo-ithirds' of the- race"
Robinson kept- ahead well, hut ' he- was:- unable to continue- the-
pace; Matthews passed him,- and1 was" in-- turn caught'" aikP
passed by Campbell; a very-young many who is evidbntly 'good
at - long' distances: At ' putting.- the light' stone;; Waylan, the-
winner1 of the day- before at putting the heavy stone, won
' again; and -threw: thirty-six feet one'1 and' an' eighth inch', a dis-
tancei of more than a foot greater than that' reached last year.
Ai foot'raee between one man- carrying another- on his back for
fifty yards, and one man unencumbered, for 100 yards, Avhich
followed, resulted in the weight carrier winning by a short
distance, although Mason was his competitor. In vaulting with
the pole, M'Kelvey; the winner of ' the day before, cleared, eight :
feet four and a-half inches with ease. The only other events
of the day worthy of special notice Were a Basket race with:
eggs, and some quoit matches, There were a large number
of boy's races , But tlie most comical of all was a wheelbarrow
race, tlie wheelers being blind-folded'.
On the third day the sports consisted principally of military
exercises — Sword and bayonet practice, lance exercises, fencing;
with Broad and small sword were Highly appreciated front the
earnestness sf tlie combatants, wlio gave and- took their blows
with gusto. Bayonet practice was exemplified' by a detach
ment of tlie Collinwood rifles, wlio gained great applause for
the dexterity of their movements, and acquitted' themselves
creditably when afterwards opposed fo Mounted' Volunteers
armed witli the swdrd. A detachment of "the Naval Brigade
exhibited the cutlass practice armed with single sticks to avoid
tlie possibility cf accident. Tliere was some fencing with the
small sword, but' tlie competitors were of third rate talent; and
and only served to fill up an interval. Tilting at the ring and
cavalry post practice served to display the dexterity with which
tlie sword and' lance could' be handled. Ror the Cumberland
wrestling there were twenty entries, and after- a protracted!
contest tlie prizes were awarded to — Win. Robley lot or a: cup;
Win. Potts 4/: Tlios. KidSon 2/. A. M'Doualq'2/, 'William
Beadle 1/i W. Toungliusband 17! A foot' ball match was
played. by the members of the "University Root Ball Club,, and
gave rise to some amusement from1 its prolific creation of ac
cidents. Vaulting, with tlie pole was; i'mprovi sed'at the request
of some persons' desirous of essayingtheir- skill j. and the highest
vaulters were declared to be Mr:. Potts, 7ft llin,, and1 Mr:
McDonald: 7ft 1 pin. Tlie Sports wound up with a grand HTgli-
land'reel.
The sixth anniversary of the Comun-na-Reinne, or Geelbng
Caledonian Society, came off on New' Year's Day; and cdUr
sidering tlie number of people attracted1 to Melbourne to wit
ness the famous cricket match, the society no dbubt congratni- '
lates itself on the amount' of j) atr onage w hi cli it' then received'.
The number of persons on' tlie ground catinot have been under
5,000: There were numerous men and boys in the national
costume, the dresses of tlie former being many of' them of a
rich and expensive description. The weather, too, was' all
that could be desired, and everything passed off' most success
fully. The following;, among others, were successful com
petitors in the games: — Putting the heavy stone of 21 lb.,
Dbnald Cameron,,. 28 feet- 7 inches,, first prizC ;; P. Nayl'or,.27
feet 6 g inches, second prize. Shantreus : first prize, Alexander
Clarke ; second ditto, James Clarke. Throwing the heavy
hammer: first prize, Duncan Macinty-re, 69 feet- 7 inches;
secpnd do, Angus Cameron, 63 feet 9 inches. Piobaireachd :
first: prize,, Lachlan Robertson, Geelong; second; do;, Allan
M'Donald, . Moorabool; Standing high leap :: first- prize, ,Douald
Cameron, a youth,. 3 feet 1-li inches. Tossing, the caher: first
prize, & Anderson; second do., G. M'Naugnton. Running
lbng1 leap:- first prize, Albx. M'Ciillum; 15' feet: Bfest1 dressed
Highlander:, first prize, J. S. Hume, Melbourne5 Best -dressed
boy: John Horne, Geelong. During the games the Rev:- J.
Love presented the educational prizes awarded by the society
to the successful competitors, complimenting them on the
honor tliey had merited, and urging tliem to renewed exer
tions.
The fourth annual gathering of the Highland Society of
the North-Western Province took place on New Year's Day,
at the Cricket Ground, Maryborough. The weather was clear
and bright, and the shops in the town were all closed, most of
them having written on their shutters " 1862." By two or
three o'clock in the afternoon, the concourse of people must
have amounted to four thousand. At this competition James
Anderson and Thomas Kerr gained the prizes for putting the
heavy stone, they haying thrown it 27 feet 2| inches and 27
feet 11 inches respectively. Peter Cameron gained the prize
for tossing the caher. The prize for reels and' strtlispeys fell
to the lot of Angus M'Donald. In throwing the heavy
hammer, a contest which excited great interest, William Kane
threw 71 feet 8 inches. Pollock 69 feet 7k inches, and P.
Cameron (the champion thrower) 68 feet 1 inch. The two
first were therefore awarded the prizes. There were ten com
petitors for the prize for the best dressed Highlander, which:
was awarded to John Lorn M'Dougall, who was elegantly
dressed in the costume of liis clan, including the brooch of
. Ldrn: The prize for the Highland Rling was awarded to
Kenneth M'.Leod, as the best among f bur competitors/
The North-Western Gathering at Castlemaine took place on
tlie 1st and 2iid of' January. Upon no .other occasion, it was
said/have the sports been of a better class, or the parties' con-
tending ever better able to do justice to the occasion. In .
throwing the stone, Tliomas Amos Avon the prize after a hard
struggle with James Ross: Janies Ross, the champion of last
year; won the prize for1 tossing the caber; neither of liis com
petitors being able to come up to him. Andrew Mae;made
"9' feet 9 inches at the standing- long leap; and Avon tlie prize.
" John Rowe beat his antagonist, Charles- Dale, at the running
high leap, the former making- 5 feet 2 inches. In the standing
high leap, Andrew Mac and John Ilarle divided the prize, John
Rowe having to Avitlidnvw, having injured his leg early in the
contest. Height jumped, 4 feet 2 inches. In .tilting at the
ring Mr. Watson took the ring- three times, and gained the
prize, a splendid gold mounted whip.
The Caledonian Games at1 Sandhurst were also held on New
Year's Day. The attendance was greater that on any previous
occasion. The occasion Avas made a holiday, and, says the
Bencligo Advertiser, there Avere about 7,000 persons present.
In selecting the programme of games for the first day, the
committee very judiciously avoided the strict nationality
whibli characterised the first1 day of the last gathering, and
. instead of' the sports being altogether' Caledonian, the public
Avere entertained by the introduction of foot racing; running
in sacks, tilting at the ring, &c., and for the first time on
Bendigo, the now fashionable game of Aunt Sally was intro
duced, and during the day the amusement Avas very exten-
sively patronized; The music, too Avhich Avas provided for
enlivening the proceedings, was not confined to the national
bagpipe, but the Sandhurst band were stationed at the grand
stand, and performed at intervals during the day. Some
dozen or fifteen gentlemen appeared in the tartans of their
respective1 clans: Tlie ffkt prize, for throwing the heavy
hammer1 of' I®-'lbs.-fefl''tb-;tlfo-lbt off' P.' Haggart; who threw it
;.9'5 feet; or.- ten feet less- tlian lie- did last year, when he accom-
iplished the " Douglas- cast" of 105 feet; Haggart, also, was
;ithe onl one who succeeded'' in ' throwing the caber fairly over.
iThe first'prize for marches- and strathspeys fell to Charleson,
the 'second to Rdar:'
A'C Ballarat; the1 Caledonian Games Avere held1 on New
Year's Day, and the Star reports that never was there a'more
successful gathering. Early in the morning the cars began to
ply to and fro, and groups of people, among whom the Scottish
bonnets and tartans Avere very frequently to be seen, lined the
road ill 4he direction of the grounds. The procession of the .
Caledonian Society did not begin its march till an hour or

more, after the appointed time. About ten o'clock the proces
sion began the march from Stewart's Family Hotel, Main-
road. Pipers in costume headed the procession, followed by
the band of the B.V.R.R. Then came more pipers behind
bearers of the Scottish flag, of the Buninyong Society, and
following these were members of the Ballarat and Buninyong
society, the band of the Western Fire Brigade closing the pro
cession. Hanging on the skirts, and indeed surrounding the
procession, were a host of miscellaneous pleasure-seekers.
Arrived at the entrance to the grounds, the earnest tone of the
day began to make itself more unmistakeable. Cart and other
vehicles, filled with holiday folks, driven by drivers recklessly
in haste to get rid of their freights, jostled each other, elbow
ing crowds of pedestrians pushing their way through clouds of
dust and stalls of confectionery and fruit, eager equestrians
pelted along, to the terror of shrinking women and children,
and the unhappy ticket sellers at the gates were at their wits'-
end in endeavouring to meet the clamorous demands of the
increasing and still increasing crowd. Inside the grounds the
scene was soon even more exciting, and by noon the whole
boundary circle of the arena and every portion of the Grand
Stand was packed close with a gaily-dressed mass of people,
not fewer than from 5,000 to 6,000 persons being present.
Nicholson won the first prize for putting the heavy stone
(22lb.) a distance of 31ft. 8£in., and Hay the second, distance
31ft. 5£in. M'Kelvie took the first prize for the standing
high leap, 4ft. 4in., Telford, 'the second, 4ft. 3in. Haig the
first prize for the Highland Fling and for putting the light
stone, Nicholson the first prize for throwing the heavy
hammer 91ft. loin., and Haig the second, 87ft. In vaulting
with the pole, M'Kelvie was again pre-eminent, height 9ft.
3in., Simpson was second, 9ft. 2in, In throwing the light
hammer, Nicholson was the winner, the distance being 112ft.
2£in., and Haig second, 105ft. 2in. Tossing the caber followed,
the caber being 16ft. lOin. long, and from 12in. to 18in. in
circumference. Haig tossed it 15ft. 3in., J. M'Dowell 14ft.
9in. Other sports followed, developing an immense amount
of muscular strength and skill on the part of the com
petitors.

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