As a mark of the kindness and good feeling of the Tasmanians towards the Port Phillipians, not the slightest breath of applause escaped from the multitude, numbering over fifteen hundred collected on the ground during the two days over which the match extended ; but a marked silence ensued, as though they thought they had committed a breach of hospitality in thus defeating their guests. This generous and manly feeling will not soon be forgotten by those w h o witnessed it. In referring to the match a Melbourne newspaper thus remarks : — " N o sooner had the ' Shamrock' discharged her passengers in Launceston, than the whole town was in a buzz, each and every person trying to outstrip his neighbour in every kind attention which the most genuine hospitality could suggest. Everybody invited everybody, and the difficulty was h o w to contrive so as to partake of all that was offered. From the time of landing to the time of embarking, the same spirit continued—dinners, balls, musical parties, picnics, and every description of entertainment was got up to give a hearty welcome to the strangers from Port Phillip. O n the morning of departure from Launceston, as an indication of the good fellowship and friendly feeling displayed, the Launceston Band volunteered their services to enliven the scene, and cheer the return of the cricketers. They accordingly formed opposite the Cormvall Hotel, the head quarters of the Victorians, and played several tunes infirstrate style, amongst them ' H o m e Sweet H o m e . ' " The Tasmanian cricketers also met them there, and the opposite elevens, with their friends, walked arm-in-arm to the steamer, the band playing before them. O n their arrival at the wharf, " God Save the Q u e e n " was played, and M r . W m . Philpott, in a few brief remarks, thanked the assembled multitude, in the n a m e of Victoria, for their unbounded kindness, and especially for this last pleasing demonstration at parting. T h e Victorians assembled on the deck of the " Shamrock" echoed the feelings uttered by M r . Philpott with a thrice renewed explosion of cheers, a compliment as loudly reciprocated on shore.
WHISKERS V. No WHISKERS
Antecedent to the Victorian gold discoveries, towards the close of 1851, a bearded man was as much a rara avis in Melbourne as a bearded w o m a n is in 1884. Whiskers of the patterns known in slangology as the "mutton chop," or the " Newgate fringe," were hirsute luxuries tolerated by the usages of city and suburban society, and though the bare faces were largely in the majority, whiskerandoes were to be frequently encountered. T h e M.C.C. included amongst its members individuals w h o wore whiskers and those w h o did not; and this is h o w it came about that a match was made between elevens of the Whiskered and Whiskerless. It was played on the 26th April, when there was a prime day's fun on the Trans-Yarra Cricket Ground. There was a very large attendance, the day was fine, and the work commenced at ten o'clock. T h e result was that the " hairy side " w o n by seven wickets to spare, and here is the scoring total :— NO WHISKERS.—First Innings 87 WHISKERS.—First Innings 144 ,, Second Innings 90
,,
Second Innings
36
177 180
As an amusing reminiscence I append the names of the players of this remarkable occasion :— WHISKERS.—Messrs. J. C. Brodie, T. F. Hamilton, W. Philpott, Geo. Cavenagh, — Were, — Sims, E. Bell, W . H. Hull, E. P. Sturt, W . H. Campbell, T. Thorpe. N O WHISKERS.—Messrs. — Lister, — Hervey, — Hart, D. S. Campbell, H. Creswick, Robt. Russell, M . A'Beckett, — Locke, E. A'Beckett, V. Stephen, Fitz Stephen.
The wonderful progress in cricket for the last thirty years has been well and often described in book and newspaper, and, perhaps, there is no incident in the strange eventful history of Victoria more calculated to exemplify the extraordinary development of the colony, than a comparison of the first cricket match on Batman's Hill in 1838, and the cricketing feats recently witnessed in Melbourne;
