POLITICAL AND SOCIAL. 



1463 



Sydney to Melbourne and back again to Sydney. The public interest in these com. 

 developed until they became at length matters of general attention, even outsid.- th,- 

 circles of those immediately connected with the sport. However, it might be a difficult 

 matter to find many people in Australia not interested in cricket for its own sake, for 

 the love of this truly British game was transplanted to the Colonies at the very begin- 

 ning of settlement, and it has continued, together with horse-racing, one of our most 

 characteristic popular sports ever since. Up to the last intercolonial match, in 1891, 

 the totals stood at twenty-three victories for New South Wales and twenty-three for 

 Victoria. English cricketing teams began to visit Australia in 1862, the first being 

 Stephenson's in that year. Since then ten other teams have visited the Colonies, 

 including those of W. G. Grace, Lord Harris, the Honourable Ivo Bligh, Shaw, and 

 other captains of more or less note. 



Foot-ball is a favourite sport in the Australasian Colonies in the winter season, and 

 although no unanimous agreement has been arrived at as to the rules under which the 

 game shall be played, a good deal of interest is taken in the performances of the 

 various metropolitan and other clubs. New Zealand players have long held a leading 

 reputation as foot-bailers, and that colony has sent several representative teams to Aus- 

 tralia, as well as to England, where they have 

 distinguished themselves by their successes. In 



A YACHT RACE U\ THE DERWEN'T, HOBAKT, TASMANIA. 



New Zealand the game is played strictly according to the Rugby rules, as well as in 

 Queensland. The consequence is seen in the excellence of the representative teams the 

 former colony is enabled to put into the field, while the players in New South Wales 

 are divided into three different sections, according as they elect to follow the rules of 

 the Rugby Union, the British Association, or those of the Australian game. Victorian 

 players prefer what is called the Australian game. In Melbourne, the game holds a high 

 place in popular favour, and it is no uncommon thing to see a gathering of twenty 

 thousand people at a big match. 



