The mistake which occurred in the Interport Rifle Match has now been cleared up, and fature matches will be conducted without any risk of such a mistake recurring, By the last mail from Shanghai, the Honorary Secretary of the Kobe Regatta and Athletic Club received from Major Holliday, Commandant of the Shanghai Volunteers, a despatch acknowleduin; receipt of 2 letter conveying information to him of the discovery that in the recent match the Kobe team had used a target different to that used by the Shanghai team; and Major Holliday states that while ho regrets for the sake of the Kobe Club that this should have been so, he thanks the Secretary for the very frank manner in which the matter was placed in the hands of the Shanghai team,—the offer of the Kobe Club having been either to accord Shanghai the victory in the last match and hold another match, or that the Kobe team should shoot over again. Major Holliday says the Shanghai team could not think of claiming a victory which came in any but a satisfactory manner, and the Shanghai team are quite content to abide by the score they made on 20th May, and and use the same target as the Shanghai that the Kobe team shall shoot aganet it team did; this offer being with the proviso that the Kobe team shoots within one week after receipt of the letter, or as soon as the team can be brought together. Major Holliday's despatch also shows that the Shanghai team used the same target in the match "on October 15th, 1879, the Kobe target being larger, but that match is allowed topass now. The origin of the mistake in having diffe 's is clearly explained in Major Holiday's letter, and the Shanghai team and their gallant Commandant are free from blame, The fault is clearly attributed to Mr. Perey S. Symes, who was Honorary Secretary of the Kobe Club in October, 1879. Mir. Sim, the Captain of the Club, gave Mr. Symes the instructions for the challenge to the Shanghai team; butin the letter sent by Mr. Symes to Major Holliday he mentioned the dimensions of the target as "6 feet by 4, circular bull's-eye 8 inches," neglecting altogether to mention the diameter of the centre and magpie circles. 'The letter of Mr. Symes' has now been sent over as an enclosure with Major Holiday's despatch. Mr. Symes visited Shanghai prior to the match in October last, and had an interview with Major Holliday, at which, as explained in the despatch, it was arranged that the magpie should be 2 feet and the inner 1 foot in diameter; but this was never communicated by Mr. Symes to Mr. Sim, Captain of the Kobe Club, who had charge of the match here; and although Mr. Symes was one of the competitors when the Kobe team fired in October, ko did not Giscover that the target which was used was different to the one agreed upon in his interview with Major Holliday. However, the whole thing is cleared up now, and although the mistake is much regretted, it has not in the slightest degree marred the ood feeling which exists between the hanghai and Kobe marksmen. As a proof of this, we quote the following sentence from the W.-C. Daily News:—* The mistake was the result of inadvertence—a misunderstanding of the condition as to the target—and our local marksmen will appreciate the frank acknowledgment of mistake as soon as it was discovered." Wo understand that the Kobe team intend to shoot again during this week, and we hope they will make a score of which Kobe may be proud.—Hiogo News.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.