Intercolonial Gig Race at Sydney.

The event depicted in our illustration took place at Sydney, on September 26, and had been the cause of much speculation for weeks beforehand. We abridge the following notice of the race from the Sydney Mail of October 3 : — Despite the difficulties which at first surrounded the attempt to bring about a meeting between the amateur oarsmen of New South Wales and Victoria, negotiations were brought to a satisfactory issue, and the announcement that the neighbouring colony had selected a crew worthy to represent her was received in Sydney with the liveliest pleasure. At the last moment, however, it seemed as if all our preparations had been made only to result in disappointment. Henderson, one of the best of’ the Victorian quartette, was incapacitated by illness from going into training here, and Watson had to come over, a substitute. Fortunately, however, he was sufficiently recovered a couple of days before the great event to resume his old position as No. 2, and there was nothing to prevent the meeting of the rival crews save unforeseen casualty or unpropitious weather. Some of the Victorian supporters were inclined to deprecate any idea that the representatives of their. colony were worthy antagonists for the Fitzliardinges and Clarkes, but the general public and those who had been ‘touting the training’ were of opinion that it was to be a race from start to finish. The physique of the Victorian crew wan all that could be desired,’ and, as they were located at Hyde, under the special charge of Eld ward*, their trainer, plenty of opportunity was given them of getting fit, although, no doubt, Henderson’s indisposition may be said to have destroyed their chances. The Sydney crew trained under the supervision of Mr. G. H. Fitzbardinge, their captain. It is now nearly 12 years since Victoria put forward a claim in an intercolonial aquatic contest, and five events in which they were concerned have come off since then. Of these Sydney has won four. Their ‘stroke’ on Saturday last was coxswain of their first crew, and Las, therefore, taken part in all these intercolonial contests. The supporters and admirers of the Sydney crew (and of course there were thousands)were certainly not overconfident, for their calculations were so rudely upset by the utter defeat of our men in March last year, at Melbourne,’ that it was not deemed prudent to speculate too freely on the coming event- As the day anxiously looked for approached, the opinion that the Sydney crew had’ the best chance became stronger, and they were backed at 2 to 1, which was the state of the betting at the start. At half-past 1 o’clock the rain ceased, and when it became evident that the weather had set in fine there was a rush for the Circular Quay, and the omnibuses which had been specially told off to convey passengers from the suburbs to the wharf were crowded. At the Manly Beach steamers’ wharf the following, steamers were lying—namely, the Hunter, Breadalbane, Royal Alfred, Phantom, Pelican, and Sir Charles Cowper, and opposite the Sailors’ Home the Thetis, Ballina, Goolwa, Manly, and Leipoa. The umpires’ steamer Achilles took in her passengers at the North Shore Ferry stage, on the other side of the quay. The fast little steamer Achilles had a considerable number of passengers, including the Hon. Henry Parkes (Colonial Secretary), the Hon. G. A. Lloyd(Colonial Treasurer), the Hon. Julius Vogel (Premier of New Zealand), the Hon. Thomas Russell (of New Zealand), and Messrs. S, C. Brown and J. Booth, M.L.A.