The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.

That the popularity of Professor Pepper and
"The Ghost" has not waned wee abundantly evinced at the
Polytechnic yesterday, this exhibition having attracted a
larger crowd of visitors then upon any pre►ious Easter Moe-
day. From 12 in the day until 10 at night, with • eau
short interval for the rest and refreshment of those em-
ployed in amusing the public, • continuous stream of visi-
tors poured into the institution. As many of them as could
went at once to the large theatre to secure • good place to
hear the proferwor's " ghost lecture,"se it is called, butglocet
entertainment it might be more properly termed; for such
is the skill and facility with which the learned professor
raises ghosts, not only of men sad women but of beasts,
birds, and fishes, as well as shadows of things inanimate.
that • mere solitary ghost with • sword sticking through it
is, to use a common phrase, nowhere. Accordingly, the
learned professor presented a new entertainment yesterday,
in which he might have said with Prospero, "These
oar actors are all shadows;' and to crown all be
metalled to the audience his own ghost diminished
almost to a vanishing point; for strange to say, having for •
minute retired from his rostrum he appeared on the stages'
a diminutive ghost only 7 inches high, to the intense amme
meet of the audience. How MI/ scientific wonder is accom•
plished must remain • secret between Mr. Pepper and his
colleague, Mr. Dircks, hut it certainly was a rather startling
thing to see • man transform himself into his own ghost,
posses.* all the ghostly attributes of insensibility to pain
or bodily injury. But apart from this, our Easter audience
were treated to a dramatic entertainment which must
be pronounced unique, for every actor wee • member of
the shadowy world. A young knight is shown watching
his armour in the old abbey church, in accordance with the
old wage of chivalry, when in the dead watches of the
'eight he is visited by the abode of • monk, • syren, and •
merchant, who each in turn endeavours to tempt the
youth fromhis duty, but be steadfaatly resists them, and
on trying to clutch them they instantly vanish. The manner
in which the appearance sod disappearance of the spectres is
massaged excited the wonder and admiration of the
audience. We were afterwards presented with the ghost
of • diving bell descending to the bottom of the sea, which
is beautifully represented. From this diving bell • sailor
emerges, and he, as well as the audience, me all that is so
beautifully described in Claremore@ dream—" sights of ugly
death, Nadal wrecks, men that fishes gnawed upon, wedges
of gold, great anchors, heap. of pearl, inestimable stones.
anemias:l pearls all scattered in the bottom of the sea."
Here he is visited by the ghost of a dead sailor, which, by
way of throwing some fun into the matter, dances •
hornpipe, and is joined therein by the diver
and the water demon. Wonderfully lifelike shadows
are produced of syreos, nymphs, and mermaids, and it is
extremely difficult to believe that they are only shadows.
Bears this there were new and magnificent scenic effects,
and new optical and dissolving views, which, coupled with
the very great attractions that the institution always pos-
sesses, rendered it inferior to none as an Easter entertain-
ment, and thoroughly deserving of the patronage of the
crowds of persons who visited it.