The National Register. — London, England, 1814-08-07 00:00:00

E N IT;CINAL REGTSTER. ~.. r ,. . _ ~.... at . . thnlistutie. Tile erow'l , who Were nrigittalty to be prevented from lantelatirp , the Greett-park by finable better amusement in their first Position, sitPllnsint they should tied Ilene aftri the battle, rushed down,—in pert at least,—towards the l'emple, which was thee be ginning to twinkle in its tirst.lustres. Tbeir impetuosity, number, and the insolence and übttinacy of the coachmen of all descriptions, who in the teeth of the ff,,veriinietst order were suffered to take post in the middle of the street, or chive about as they ' , leased, gave rea son to fear verseserions accidents. Some part of the crowd, then, as we have already stated, deserted the two fleets on the close of their first contest, little judging of the fite which was even yet to attend the defeated one—tio ether than its final entifirgration. First, then, we saw a frigate from the fleet sailing maje-tieally down the Serpentine, with the witel abaft the boom, to attack two ships of similar force, which lay at anchor also, detached from the Frinch fleet, under American colostrs (the stripes.) She was soon after followed by anotlor of out's of nearly the same force, and when they came within gun-shot of the Americans re-opened their fire on them. This was returned with intrre-t, anti after passing them our ships attempted to take them on the ether tack, but the wind being right a-head. they were dries n con-itlezably astern, and their intention was thus frustrated. They then put out their boats. which towed them a head. mid after a short conflict, between stern chasers and bow chasers our frigates v ere liming t alongside, and a mast en. agement etre eI, which ended by lowering the American colours, and hoisting the Enlists over them. The frigates and their prizes were then towed up to the t •p ef tt e Setts-Intim!, where the English fleet were moored. The !vet twAitretivre that took place was that of the English neat cowing down %ill a fair wind to :mac& that of the enemy lying at an chor; and as warm agthec came within gun shot a most tremendous can uonsde rtcoinntroiced, which was continued .with eq u al With on both sides for iia:if an hour, when the Frence fi et were driven on sh-re, and the Elvish ships were towed back to their original moorings. About • ten o'clock the spectat •rs were suddenly surpliscd by the instareanemis , bunt on their sight of a ship on fire. This was at first beheld as a caborFly ; hut in a lew inintitrs it was universal/1r perceived that she was hearing &ern on the French fleet, previously driven on shore. The misfiu grandeur and the sa'i'l increasing sniendour of the scene, drew forth bursts of enthiliia‘tie acclamations from both the shore. of the Serpentine ; and in a few minutes the first ship of the French R.:et which lay in her line, and with which she came in conta , t, was set on fire, arid added to the maenificence of a scei.e which iii is real occur. rence has been universally allowed to exceed al others in terrific pomp. viz. that of a fillip of. war on fire at sea. This first frigate was followed by a second, aryl he the two the whole French , fleet were set on fire lied demolished. The effect produced by this blase was such as to inakr the whole water appear on fire. • Soon after this. he fi - eworks began; but the snperior splen dour of tfloeexpirine fleet eclipsed, for a lone time, evety thine that could belproditced by pyrotechnic ingenuity. Even afterwards Hyde Pail( presented a phenomenon. no where else to be seen, windy, the Water Rockets. They commence with a report, which draws the attention of the spectators to them ; they are then seen . whirling about with er e it rapidity on the surface of the water, imi tating the I otatory motion of it mill wheel. In a few seconds there is an addition of a very beautiful fountain. which, after displaying its decant vanities for some time, bursts forth with a loud report, auto a variety of what are called water snakes. These, after flying into the air, descended again into the water, into which they ins- mesge tier second, or two, anti then ri eat the distance of a few' feet and keep thus continually bounding its all directions, and, after various immersions, till at last they expire in a loud explosion. With these ti.e exhibition in Hyde-park terminated. The Gieciepark at an early hour, began to display its attrac tions ; besides the balloon, an exhibition whose interest 1 4 custom begins to state." it was hoe that the castle-temple was to be seers ; here the Royal Booth displayed its crimson tapestry and its, illminuated front ; and here the splendid bridge ',resented the Denies of thee chief' naval heroes of the late war. About 6 o'clock the Niloon was ready to start set its aerial voyage : Mr. Sadler stela brio it ; the ropes were cut, and the machine sprang into the air with it. usual velocity. Its motion was nearly perpendicular till it' attained a considerable height : it then glided along in the direr. tion of Kant.. Mr. Sadler carried up a vast moldier of the pro grammes of the Jithilee; but whether he thought them two heavy .r his vehicle, or considered that they could serve Ito useful purpose abov e fl u e clone's, lie so o n fitly!: them clown aeain wills much inelns try and prottisime When the eye "had been satisfied with con temple t ing this bearititill object till it %vas diminished to a mer e p o i n t, it began to look about for new pleasures. These were not imme diately tts be found, and this arrangement way certainly one di .the AP(. 7. deleets of the tele. From six o'clock tin no progress was • Made in -the entertainment, as far as regarded this division of the .emir. The pei:ple had leisure to walk meow and fatigue thrm seves : and what was worse. fatigue brought with it the never-tad. and morality of spleen, 'shirt, deaneed them to view with Innen!, indifference all the preparations made for their amusement. Ample amends, howeviii, were made for this delay, and the pnblie quickly resnmed its good humour. At soon as the dark began to overspread the scene, the bridge and the booth were illuminated, and the Chi. nese lanthorns here and there chewed their fantastic transparencies. If these exotic ornaments had been more monstrous, the t ff ec t would have been highly gra( did and pleasing ; but here alone there appeared to have been a beggarly economy. There were so few of them, and those so scattily disposed, that they displayed neither brilliancy nor unifiirtnity : they did not tend in the slightest &glee to illume the scene, and were only pretty when viewed in detail. The illumination did not pretend to any extraordinary magnificence they merely exhibited, amidst a refuse blase of lamps the names of all the illustrious companions of Wellington in the Peninsula war, and of the principal naval heroes, dead and lisieg, who during the last twenty years have upheld and increased the maritime Llory of their country. At ten o'clock a loud and long rontimod discharge of artillery announced the commencement of the fireworks, whittle were, certainly. if not the most tastelid, yet on the grainiest Arn e most extensive scale that we have ever witnessed. Pions toe oat. fitments of the castle, at one moment ascended the most erilliatia lockets ; presently the wails disclosed all the rarest and most coin. plieated ornaments of which the art is susceptible : the senses were next astonished and enchanted with a pacific exhibition of those tremenduous instruments of destruction invented by Colonel Con. Breve. Some notion even of their terrible power might be formed Groin the display of Monday night, and their exceeding beauty could be contemplated divested of its usual awful associations. • Each rocket contains in itself a world of smaller rockets : as soon es it is discharged from the gun, it bursts and flings aloft into the air innumerable parcels of flame. brilliant as the brightest stars: the whole atmosphere is illuminated by a delicate blue light, which threw an air of enchantment over the trees and lawns, and made even the motley groups of universal London become intete.ting as an assembly in romance. Throe several smaller rockets then bursa again, and a shower of fiery light descends to the earth, and extends over Many yards. Such was one of the beautiful fire works which, during the space of two hours, amused and est - truistical the people. Rid the pidle, who had been on their legs all clay, and were dot sollaciently accommodated with seats. began at length to be tired with the endless repetition even of the most striking heautie,, and became impatient for the grand metamorphosis of the castle into a temple. This was now the principal object to which the attention of the spectators was awoke,—the conversion of a fabric designed , for the purposea of war into a tempke of peace, and an illuminated monument of victory. The metamorphosis took plate with somewhat less than the celerity generally witnessed in our theatrical pantomimes; it re. sembled the caut eine removal of a sereen,tather than the sudden leap eat* i r new shape. When fully developed, however, it presented a spectacle which for extent of splendour, and not less for taste ful,ess of arrange. ment, deserved the edmiration, and satisfied the hopes which it had iospi-ed. It represented • a structure not Jiff ring c,iisiclerably from that from which it bad emerged, with the exception of a greater ro. epidity in its first and seeono circles. The lanips were triaged with blue and intermixed round the base ; the pillars girded by fe-torms agreeably varied ; whilst two rows of transparencies aimed their lustre with the general scene. The devices wire among others " The Golden Aee,"—" Peace restored to Farth,"—" The ItegeneYs" and the representations little more titan the orehiary figurative em. blems of peace and good will among men. Undoubtedly no display of artificial and ornamental light w4s ever condeased into a smull-r compass. and heightened mkt more magnificent effect. 'l3tit'ulnueo . the period when it 6r4 glared upon the already dazzled of the they were for a time attracted to an iintereseen and melaii. choty ealtibilion in the adjoining park. " and thronging millions to the pagoda rate" Its shirt but portentous bis e. which; like the ride tees that eclipses the regular splendours of the firMament, engrossed the -general eye for its season, had no sooner abated than the It stormy wave of the populace!' retired to its former station, end in various etti. tildes hanquetted en the flood of light that posted itself around them. Amidst the listlessness and riot of the scene, an itiquiring• eye some• times found leisure to look towards the decorated galleries which the public had been taught to consider as prepared for the ieception of Illustrious and Royal guests. It was ,Mere that the chit f diuippoint• went was expeeienced.; no person of distinction itveak orloltuce • appeared. . . ~ I