The cottage in which we were to be regaled was marked out from the rest for the guidance of the invited with a board, on which was conspicuously painted CHECK MATE, a much more agreeable check at the board on which we were then about to play, than it would be at the chessboard. At six o'clock upwards of forty sat down to a sumptuous entertainment, where every delicacy this delightful season could afford to gratify the most luxurious palate was provided in abundance. F. Norman, Esq. presided, assisted by W. Rigby, Esq. as croupier. The usual toasts were given:-The King; The Duke of Clarence and the other branches of the Royal Family; The swim, or, at least, remain immersed in water five or six | self amongst the sons of Esculapius) has been vending his ched hours, even with the tide in his favour. And," you con- about my merits as a swimmer, as he would his paltry hila tinue, "if we were in the habit of gambling, we would about advice gratis. Now, Isaac Bedale, to show which a the bet twenty to one that the Doctor will lose." It is lucky you were not a gambler, for you would have the Rock Perch, near Liverpool, to Runcorn, a distance of lost your wager. You draw a comparison between my swimming at Liverpool, and that of some persons residing in a warmer climate. Let them come here and try with me; I fear neither countrymen nor foreigners; but still abide by my original challenge.-I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, 40, Hanover-street, Manchester. June 17, 1828. DR. BEDALE. REPLY TO THE FOREGOING. better man, I will swim against you, either on the lat or th of July, for £20 a side, or as much more as you can raise from. twenty-four miles, in one tide. Now is the time, Isaac Bede, to show your merits as a swimmer, and you may have fot ing into the bargain. If you do not accept this challenge, hall set you down as a mere bounce. June 23, 1828. MATTHEW VIPOND giving my Liverpool friends a treat on the 10th of July, by N.B. Should the above challenge not be accepted, I ind entering the river to swim the distance, at six o'clock in the morning, and not to float with the tide. Most Noble the Marquis of Anglesey-three times three which, it seems, according to his custom, he has also for- quite sure of this, as we should have had "more and great cheering; The Land we live in, and prosperity tott; The Memory of Philidor-drunk in solemn silence; The father and founder of the club, Mr. Lynch. The applause this toast called forth was long and loud; and Mr. L.., in a feeling and eloquent manner, returned thanks. The Philidorean Society, and success to it; The Chairman, who so ably filled his post, and contributed so much to the general harmony and enjoyment of the company; The Visitors. These gentlemen severally returned thanks. Our worthy Croupier; The Committee of Supply; and many others. Several appropriate songs were sung in the course of the evening, which contributed much to the delight that seemed to pervade universally every heart. The fun, frolic, and festivity were kept up until "Hesperus, that led the starry host, rode brightest, The only regret that seemed to exist amongst us was, that SWIMMING. TO THE EDITOR. J. G. R. SIR,-I observe in your last week's Mercury, and am sorry for it, that you are angry with me for what was inserted in the Liverpool papers of the week previous. I sent you a copy of the letter I forwarded to the other editors, and you did not think proper to insert it at length. They did; and now you complain of me for puffing, &c. By sending to the different papers the letter you complain of, I meant no offence to you; it was merely a challenge to any one of the hundred Liverpool swimmers. I wish to inform you, that, if they cannot endure cold water as long as I can, they cannot distance me in straightforward swimming. What you call a gift of remaining in cold water four or five hours, arises solely from a habit of bathing, almost daily, for about thirty years, from the first of May till about the eighteenth of October. If any of the hundred will try this plan, they will find themselves possessed of the same gift. In regard to your charge of ingratitude, I confess myself indebted to you for your kindness in inserting, in your publications, several paragraphs I sent you; for which I return you my most sincere thanks; at the same time you must allow me to make an observation or two upon the remarks made in your papers respecting my swimming. You challenge me with misrepresentation; I have made none. In your paper of the first of June, 1827, you say, under the head of "Swimming from Liverpool to Runcorn :""If the proposed feat, mentioned in the subjoined note, is not a hoax, it will be next to a miracle; if this Doctor Bedale could succeed in his attempt, he must be able to This gentleman last week addressed a letter to us, of warded copies to our cotemporaries. We have had so much of him and his exploits in the Mercury, that we intended to transfer his letter, with some remarks, to the Kaleidoscope of last Tuesday. It was, in fact, arranged in make room (we hope the Doctor will pardon us) for matthe type, but was unavoidably postponed, in order to ter more immediately interesting. We replied to him so fully in the Mercury of the 13th ult. that we really have nothing further to say to him; and we merely therefore repeat, that any man, who can remain immersed in the and float, from Liverpool to Runcorn, with a tide such as water for four or five hours uninjured, may swim, drift, that which was flowing when he last made his successful experiment. Let the Doctor be satisfied with the praise we have awarded him, of being able to remain, without serious injury, up to the chin in a bucket of cold water for many hours. To show what he can do without the aid of a strong current, let him swim in the canal, and if he makes much more way than a mile, or a mile and a quarter, through the water in the hour, we shall know how to appreciate his swimming. It will not do to lie on his back under such circumstances, because be will make no progress whatever; but in a current, running say from face like a turtle, and the tide must carry him to Runfour to six miles in the hour, he has only to lie on the surcorn in due time. We repeat it for the twentieth time, that this is no test of genuine swimming; and we do not make the observation with a view of depreciating the powers of the Doctor, but in order to place his extraordinary exploit in its proper light. P.S.-Mr. Bedale, in the last paragraph but one abi letter, says, "It is lucky you (the editor) were no bler, for you would have lost your wager." Weas in our eye" (the Doctor, who is a fancy man, will ass conditions in black and white. In the first place, we the phrase) than to make a wager without having al collect that the distance from Liverpool to Runcorn we stated to be twenty-one miles,-this is an exagger above that part of the river nearly where the Floating Bah then it was understood that Mr. Bedale was to set out fr south ward. Had we, therefore, made any bet on the s is moored; instead of which, he set out very far t ject, it would have been, that, if the distance beve Liverpool and Runcorn be twenty-one miles, he ca with a strong tide in his favour. remain in the water long enough to go that distance, err Front Seats, 28.; Gallery, 1s.; Children wür Open from Ten till Dusk. Twelve Years of Age, Half price. To Correspondents. COMMENCEMENT of the Ninth Volume of the KALEIDORUPS -We take this opportunity of informing the public, that our eighth volume terminates with this day's publicsta The index is in the hands of the printers, and will be ready for delivery very soon. Our next volume will containersral valuable republications. The Doctor, in his letter, says, that if others cannot endure cold water so long as he can, they cannot swim and distance him in straight forward swimming. This, which is not very intelligibly expressed, is a non sequitur. If a man who could swim one-third quicker than our Doctor, which we think very possible, could remain in the water three hours, he would, in that time, have passed about KENDAL MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.-We intend in our next to excursion, although he would not be exposed so long in the same distance which the Doctor passed on his famous the water by an hour. The Doctor quotes what we said in the Mercury of June 1, 1827, and which we shall here repeat, as there is nothing in it in any degree at variance with what we have at any time subsequently said :-" Swimming from Liverpool to Runcorn.-If the proposed feat mentioned in the subjoined note is not a hoax, it will be next to a miracle. If this Doctor Bedale could succeed in his attempt, he must be able to swim, or at least remain immersed in the water, five or six hours, even with the tide inhis favour." -When we wrote this paragraph we understood that the distance by sea to Runcorn was twenty-one miles; but it has since been stated that it is about eighteen miles; and it must be recollected that Mr. Bedale set out from the Queen's Dock. If he had had to swim twenty-one miles, as we thought at the time, it would have taken him more than five hours; and we certainly thought that he could not, in this climate, remain so long in the water. This is the merit of the exploit; and if Mr. Bedale will stands any thing of the subject will be gulled by such still hold it out as genuine swimming, nobody that underquackery. Just as we had finished the foregoing paragraph we received a letter from Mr. Vipond, which we shall here insert, as we like fair play.-Edit. Kal. TO THE EDITOR. SIR, I am not like many persons who are in the habit of forcing upon editors of newspapers challenges which they do not mean to stand to; therefore, if you will insert the following, I shall esteem it a favour. I understand that, since my sojourn at Liverpool, Isaac Bedale (who would fain book him. copy an interesting article from the Kendal Chronicle on a subject in which we take a deep interest. The Kendal mechanics have, it seems, presented a silver snuff-box to Mr. Marshall, their enlightened and active President, i token of the high sense they entertain of the essential ser vices he has rendered the Institution. The members, in order to enhance the compliment, would not permit any except their own body to subscribe to the fund. We have seen the box, which is very beautiful. It was presented to Mr. Marshall by the Secretary, Mr. C. Nicholson, when speech on the oceaŝion shall appear in our next. SALMON FISHERY.-The letter of Piscator, which is inserted in our front page, is entitled to public attention, and ve shall be glad to hear further from the writer, on the same subject. He will find his commission executed. AQUATIC EXCURSION.-A correspondent, who inquires when there will be another exhibition with the cork jackets, is informed that it is in contemplation to have a forting expedition on the regatta day, and we shall be glad to earl the names of such as mean to be of the party, its st intended to remain above half an hour in the water, or long as may be necessary to float from the Rock to the Floating Bath. THE RIVAL WRITING-MASTERS.-We have neither time st space this week to notice the recent contest between Mr. Lewis and Mr. M'Laughlin. MEMOIRS OF General MillER-We are indebted to & and intend to avail ourselves of his kindness next week. 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