The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-11 00:00:00

CRYSPAL PALACE.

The announcement that yesterday was vet apart
for the benefit of Blondin was, of course, sufficient to at-
tract an immense gathering at the Crystal Palace. A
splendid day gave a tall opportunity of wituesaing the
autumnal glories of the park and grotto& ; but for thee
few of the thousands of visitors bad coo eve. It was Blonde's
benefit, and they were there to see Bloodia. They cared
for nothing else, and little else was provided. It was Eke.
din first, Blondin second, and Moodie throughout. There
was nothing very novel in the feats which be was
expected to perform, for he had done the WM
feu, before ; but then, he was to do in one clay
what bad before been spread over many days, and it was
no wonder that 20,000 sightseers should pay their slid.
bogs to witness such an aggregation of his achievements.
At 1 o'clock Blondin made his appearance, awl at once
commenced his "low rope entertainment., the "low rope"
being stretched across the front of the orchestra some seven
feet from the ground. His wooden shoe dame, his stilt
performance, his goand evolutions with balance role, were
all rapturously applauded ; while his " thrilling chair
feat," sitting, standing, and dancing upon the their
while resting upon the rope, and his backward
somersaults, foot to foot, over burning candles, were
successes of a still more decided character, notwitlnhol.
Mg the fact that in "nomeresulting" over the candle' he
nearly came to grief, losing his foothold as he come back
to the rope, but coming to the ground with a grace vmrny
of himself. Of course he repeated the attempt, and solo
oeeded. Then, on the same low rope, he gave his flu
claaoe—his "Tours de Chapeau"—• serio-comic perform.
mace in a cocked hat—his grand violin feat— turoing luck
somersaults while playing a popular vales. The finale of
this tart of bis programme was his " wonderful drum
feat," in which he threw a succession of somersault. while
playing the drum polka. Then followed an interval of rt.:,
and at 3 o'clock he :ascended to the high rope over thi
fountains., running from the centre to tbe southern mast-1
distance of 200 yards—and returning blindfold, and with his
head and body enveloped in a sack. Divesting himself of
these somewhat inconvenient appendages, he proceeded to
the northern mast, sometimes standing on oue lee, once
standing on his head, several times lying down and tuning
over, concluding this high rope performance by wheel.
iog Punch over in a barrow. Although there was
nothing in this which Blondin bad not often done before,
the spectators cheered him vociferously, and it was
curious to mark the eager way in which many
gentlemen rushed forward to shake hands with the
hero of the town, as if it were an honour not to be lightly
esteemed or easily forgotten.
Another brief interval of rest, and Blondin appeared upon
the high rope in the centre transept of the palace, running
from one end to the other as if he had been time
solid ground; returning with his feet secured in huge
baskets, and his wrists with manacles. he next carried
out a table and a chair, and took luncheon on the
rope, then, getting rid f his table he sat and stood
upright upon his chair while it rested on the rope with me
leg cooly, to the intense delight and wonder of be audiewe.
But the great sensation feat of the day was yet to
come. Dropping down a rope hand over hand
from the top gallery, he entered a small pavilion,
from which a stout rope had been securely stretchrl
along the traosept to the orchestra opposite, about 13 feet
from the floor. It was known that he would carry his wife
across this rope, a " great feat," it was announced, which he
"had repeatedly performed abroad on the high rope, hut
he adopted the low rope on this occasion, that his thonsanch
uf friends and patens in this country might wither it in
perfect confidence." Some minutes of suspense, and then
uprose the curtained front of the pavilion where the Mondin's
—husband and wife—stood hand in hand, and looking quite
charming in their light and gauzy costume. Fa lame
mounted lightly on her husband's hack, and there she etood,
or seemed to stand, with one arm on hie shoulder and the
other lightly twining around his forehead. So on they OMB
—he with firm step and balance-pole extended, and she like
a floated Ariel ; whether borne by or sustained above Lim
by some invisible influence, it must have been difficult for
the more distant portion of the audience to say. Os they
came, and at every step the enthusiasm of the multitude
increased, until they stood, like a group cut from the mottle,
over the middle of the transept, when it rem to a perfect
furore. Some clapped, some cheered, some literally shouted,
more, perhaps, in honour of Madame than of her bushiest—
the hero of a hundred such feats ; and this tempest of ap-
plause was renewed when, having descended from the rope
and gained the front of the orchestra. Blondin led forward
his partner to acknowledge the booonr of their cordial mem-
tion. Finally, after dark, Moodie crossed and re-crowd
the high rope over the fountains, :which played up, to
the gleaming of the rising moon, amid the blaze of blue sad
red fire, and the brilliancy of a pyrotechnical display,
worthy of the old days of the now defunctend.being.trailt
upon VauxhalL

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. —We are re-
quested to state that the international show of owed',
roots, vegetables, and gourds at South Kensington will ces•
tintie open this day and during the whole of next week.
We read in the United &nice Gazette
rumour has reached us to the effect that disturbsnets,
somewhat similar to those which some time since gained so
unenviable a notoriety for Woolwich, have recently broken
out amongst the cadets at Sandhurst. A great mystery is,
as usual, sought to be preserved, both as to the causes and
the results of this reported inutile, Lut we understand that
a court of inguirroommenced its sittings on Saturd.iy last."
Mr. William Dugan, who may be said to bane
created a new town at Bray, has added another attractive
feature to that fashionable watering•place. He has k;
apart an extensive and valuable piece of ground in front of
the new International Hotel, the finest building of the kind
:a Ireland, which is to Le devoted to athletic sport*. fordo
benent of the inhabitants. It will also be used for :kart
shows and bazaars. The ground was formally opened on
Thursday, when the Lord-Lieutenant was present. A
numerous party assembled to witness the inauguration aid
the foot mole and other sports which followed.
"Ragged Life in Egypt," by Miss M. L
Whately, daughter of the Archbishop of Dublin, is an•
nounced.

A biography of Father Mathew, founded on In,
diaries, letters, dm, is is extra° of preparatioa, by yr•
Maguire, M.P. for Dungarvau.

Sir George Cornwall Lewis has in the pn',s a
new edition of "An Essay on the Origin and Formation ..!
the Romance Languages; containing en Examination of
Mr. Raynouard's Theory co the Relatiou of the tam
Spanish, Provencal, and French to the Latin."
Miss Margaret Goodman, the author of the well-
told "Experiences of a Sister of Mercy," bane volume is
the press on " Sisterhood. in the Church of EnglauL"
Among the wurke that way be looked for early
next year (says the dthemuns) is a history of the Eughl
stage, from the Restoratioo to the death of E Intend Kea,
under some such title as "Her Majesty's Servants bef°
and behind the Curtains," by Dr. Doren.
A little comedy by Schiller, the very etistentv.4
which had been carefully concealed by its owner—hitherto
unpublished—has come to light, and is in the hail& of he
surviving daughter, with a view to its brio; given to the
public.
Professor Do Morgan will deliver the introduc•
tory lecture in the Faculty of Arts and Laws at the ors.
hag of the session of University College, Loads', on Tlt6.
day, 14th of October, at 3 o'clock. To this lecture law
will be admitted.
Mr. F. T. Bucklaud gives a curious account.
la • weekly periodical, of a French giant, M. JeeePh
Brice, who is now exhibiting himself in the me-
trepans. He is so tall that when be called
Mr. Dockland, at the Albany-street Barracks, " the troop
horses shied and snorted at him, though they sir !well
well accustomed to tall men." Lifeguanlsinea of as
highest stature can walk under his outstretched arm sell
not touch it by some inches, and when his win, are el•
tended his stretch measures no less than i oche.. 31'
Brine n "a joli Pertme"--a very " nice" giant indeed—
possessed of the best of good tempers, and wine the rear*
of the disagreeable, quarrelsome monsters that gisets OP:
geeserallyeupposed to be. His exact height is said to be
feet 6 inches.
Wiirmin ALL, Orr. 9.—Tire Queen has been plene`i
to present the Rev. James Elgar to the church arid Par,'h
of Durbog, in the presbytery of Caper, and county of hi":.
vacant by the transportation of the Rev. John GliehrN.•
late minister thereof, to the church and perish of Owl,
msaalui-6eette.