The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

54 ATHLETIC SPORTS OF SCOTLAND. hammer to be swung in, must be classed amongst exceptional performances. Previous to about i860, therewas not only short handles and the pendulum style as a rule, but one or more turns with e body were allowed atmany meetings, and it is often impossible from the reportsto knowwhat stylewas used. Taking the turn­ ing style first, we find that at Braemar in 1840 John Coutts threw the 16 lb. hammer-89 ft. Same placeand hammer, in 1846, Allister M'Hardy, 88 ft. 10 in. At the Scottish Society's Games, Holland Park, London, 1849, the 20 lb. hammer was thrown by Colin M'Donald 80 ft. 3^ in., by Allister M'Hardy, 80 ft.1^ in. Same placeand hammer, 1850, John Fraser, Soft. 10 in., Thomas Menzies, 81 ft. 2 in. ; 14 lb. hammer, Thomas Menzies, 99 ft. 4 in. All these performances are far short ol first class hammer throwing at the presenttime without the turn John Taitclaims forhimself 136 ft.with 16 lb. hammer with on hand without the turn; 156 ft. with t e turn, and 210 ft. in oneol his matches against Rice with an nib. hammer. None of these cai be accepted as at ll authentic records. John Tait's performanc at games are a very long wayshort of these distances. In the Rice v. Taitmatches, we have no proof that the hammers thro were theweights givenout. Some accounts give the weight0 the hammer thrown by Tait at 11 lbs., while an athlete whi was shown the veryhammer head saidto have been used inont of the matches, gives the weight as about 8 lbs. It is in America that wemust lookfor the best performances in the turning style R. R.M'Lennan, a n tive ofCanada ofScottish descent, ashi name testifies, has the following records at public compel tions :—Toronto, 1872, 21 lb. hammer, 130 ft. 4 in.; 16II) hammer, 180 ft.,at Prince Edward Island, 1865; 12 lb. hamme 216 ft., Cornwall, 1865 ; 10 lb. hammer, 285 ft., Buffalo, 186. Of course we have noguarantee that these are genuine record in every respect, what wedo know is that no other athlete h shown he could throw the same weight the same distance similar circumstances. R. R. M'Lennan was also firstclass