member of the Legislative Council. Mr. William Smith, Melbourne's second publican, the keeper of the Lamb Lnn, the biggest of the original hotels, which stood where is n o w Scott's Hotel, Collins Street West, was the next licensee, in 1839; and the third billiard-room was opened in 1840 by a Waterloo veteran named John Bulhvant, in a small hostelry called by him the Waterloo Hotel, located at the north side of Little Collins Street, some twenty yards westward of Queen Street. O n e of the best early players was a Phil. Burgin, a confectioner, and singer of Irish comic songs at public entertainments; but his muffins were always more palatable than his melodies. T h e second best was Melbourne's primal barber, a notability in his day, and known as "Jack" L a m b . In course of time several spacious billiard rooms were erected as appendages to some of the principal hotels, and the game grew in popularity. G o o d players and good tables were not u n c o m m o n , and amongst the amateur workers of the cue the late Sir John O'Shanassy held a prominent position. It is on record that a very exciting game was played at the Royal Exchange Hotel, in Collins Street, on the 28th April, 1847, for pTioo a-side, 500 up. It was looked upon as a champion match, for one of the players was a Mr. Dalgleesh, of high repute in V a n Diemen's Land, and his competitor was Auguste Suchet, a Parisian, a well-known nobbier vendor in King Street. T h e interest in the issue was very brisk, and so was the betting—the odds being, in the beginning, in favour of the Hobartonian, and subsequently veering Port Phillip-ward. T h e contest lasted for three mortal hours and a half, when the skill and coolness of the Frenchman triumphed, and he w o n by 151. A newspaper of the day thus crows over the great conquest:—" This achievement is only another wreath to entwine in the crown of victory which has declared for Port Phillip in almost every sporting engagement undertaken by her adopted sons." T h efirstbagatelle table (a metallic one) was started on the 1st December, 1849, by a Mr. Davis, in Elizabeth Street, one door from Bourke Street.
( IOLF.
Though the term is derived from the Dutch Kolf, a club or bat, golf is a Scotch game, played with an end-crooked club or bat and a small ball. O n an occasion of Mr. William AVestgarth visiting Europe, a few individuals subscribed two guineas each, and deputed him to purchase a number of golf clubs and balls. T h e consignment came to hand in M a y , 1849, and some golf matches were started. A s the play season would commence when cricketing ceased, golf, it was thought, would succeed as a popular pastime, but it did not. It seems to have dropped into oblivion, and with it disappeared the Westgarthian importation, whither or where is more than I a m able to say.
SKITTLES.
Practically this old English game of ten pins, with one knocked off to evade an interdiction at one time imposed by the H o m e Government, was introduced at an early period of our history in connection with a race of publichouses requiring aids of an occasionally questionable character to help them in their business. A n old English writer thus describes the game :—" T h e pins are set up in an alley, and thrown (not bowled) at with a round piece of hard wood, shaped like a small flat cheese." A skittle-ground was a favourite resort of the shady element attending the old races at Flemington, and Collingwood used to be a great place for pitching at nine pins ; but in those open-air dens of what often bordered on iniquity, the proverb, " Tisn't all beer and skittles," was verified, for worse practices prevailed, and beer was always in more abundance than skittles. O f course, especially in late years, what was virtually a rule had many unobjectionable exceptions, and even in 1850 skittles was so far a recognized institution that a Society for its promotion was formed, and in October a prize-belt of the value of five guineas was offered to the best skittler. It was w o n by a confectioner named Pink, possibly from his skill in using a rolling-pin, and he was proclaimed the nine-pin champion of the Province.
