The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

CON VERSAZIONII AT APO'

The Muter and Wardens of the Society of Apothe-
caries invited a number of distinguished scientific men, lest
evening, to a microscopical coorersasione, at Apothecaries-
hall. The rooms were very well filled ; and among those
present we noticed Professor Faraday, Dr. Carpenter, Dr.
Graham, Mr. James Yates, Mr. Appold, and many eminent
medical men. The tables is the hall were well supplied
with numbers of microscopes by the-best makers, which
were adjusted for the display of interesting physiological
objects, consisting of the minute, parts of the organic suite-
tuns of animals and vegetables. Among the specimens of most
iaterest were some slieee of the mineral commonly known as
bogbead coral," respecting the nature of which chemists are
at presentat fault, and which recently gave rise to • long trial
depending on the question whether it is coral or not. Those
who contend it is not coral deny its vegetable structure, and
maintain that it is only a slate strongly impregnated with
hydrocarbon. The (act is that it yields an abundant supply of
the best kind of gas, and it is in consequence is great request
by gas manufacturers. It burns in a candle with a beau-
tiful dame, but the mks, after distillation, contains but
little earbon. In some of the specimens shown there was
distinctly the appearance of organic structure, which would
bring it within the domain of king coal. In the ante-room
there was exhibited a curious piece of mechanign recently
invented and actually constructed by Mr. Peters, the banker,
for making microscopic copies of writing. The pencil written
with was attached at the bottom of a verticali compound
lever, which could be so adjusted that the upper end moved
through may oartenthousandth part of the specie moved
through by the pencil. The microscopic copy was scratched
on glue with a diamond, and it was so minute as to require
a powerful microscope to make it visible. The Lord's
Prayer wee by this means written on a space not larger then
a pia-hale, yet the writing was very clear. Many of the
Viatolll were 'Bowed to write their names, and the accuracy
of the iestrament was thus tested by the exact copies it made
of the signaUires in little.

EXP.IBITION OF PRIZE PAINTINGS OF THE
GLASGOW ART-UNION, 121, PALL. MALL.

We will not theme= 1M *icy of art•nnions ; tba
legislature sesetiess seek ospedisats for promoting the
growth and spread of a knowledge of art, so there an end.
Bat slam thus institutions are to exist among us, the
better they are beset for the purpose for which they are
ostensibly galled into existence, the more deserving will
they be of encouragement. The Glasgow Art-Union has
one feature in its constitution which in theory sertainly
offers a sure guarantee of the great end and aim of sack
institutions being ensured. The choice of the " prise poise.
Lags" is not loft indiscriminately to the holders of Os
lottery tickets, gat Is entrusted to a committee supposed to
be imposed of amateur judges of art, not omafori only,
bat oomoseitori elle belle art:. This a:ransomed
would seem to preclude the possibility of very it
folios works being foisted upon the fortunate ticket-
holders. To judge, however, from the selection
made in this instance we opine that the " Committee of Ma-
&moment" have more love for than knowledge of the deli.
li/late and responsible task ►llotted to them. There is by no
means evident:son these walls that the right men have been in
'the right plan, and we will venture to remind the committee
that this is gaits as important a consideration in matters of
art as in all other concerns which affect the honour and
welfare of a nation. We feel confident that if the Glurow
Art-Uaioe ie to progress, a much better judgment in the
lobar, of the prises must be made in future. The finest work
in the esibeerism—and a very fine work it is—is a picture by
Imo. Beat et three young Saxon women, who have lobes
Mawr ht a cars, and are supposed to be watching a sentbat
between some of their countrymen aid some Danes. Tble
is indeed, even in its unfinished state, a prize picture. lie.
Gilbert has a very likely Sancho Fauna ; just the Neese,
lsurontininded, witty fellow we all know him to be. Wo
congratulate Um committee for having chosen an adaksblia
little painting of lowers by Miss Mutrie. We were sled
to us Mr. F. Pickeregill's " Loet Game" again, but would
still prefer it without the Cupid. Mr. John Mogford has a
tasteful composition, entitled " A Sony Morning," clearly,
truthfully, and carefully painted. There is something vary
attractive in Mr. B. J. Coobbett's picture, " A Perste,
Shower ;" the little children taking refuge in a hollow tree
are well painted, with the exception of the hands, whisk,
although prominent points, are indicated in a careless
manner. Ws understand that other pictures are to be
I added to the collection : two from the British Gallery, sad
fourteen from the Exhibition of Edinburgh,—we shall be
'anxious to see the latter. The prises will be awarded neat
July
Applauding, as we do, the scheme of electing a committee
I of judges of art, to whom the care of choosing the prises is
entrusted, we hope that the gentlemen so confided In will
a loos sight of the important nature of the duty whist
they thus voluntarily undertake. Certain we are that if,'
with the progress which tho public are making is the
knowledge of art, a right exercise of the privilege alluded
to will ensure praise, a wrong one will moot assuredly nee
escape blame.

EXHIBITION OF THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL
AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Yesterday, a private view was given at the Crystal
Palace of a topographical model of Sebastopol and its en-
virons, on a sufficiently large scale to convey to the visitor
tolerably accurate notions of the nature of the siege ground
and the relative positions of the contending forces. The
space represented is 17 miles from Cape Chersonesus north.
Iwards, by 13 miles from east to west, sad therefore includes
Beside's, the extensive valley of the Tchernaya, and all
I the ground immediately around Sebastopol which is covered
by the camp and fortifications of the contending forces.
The scale adopted is eight inches to a mile. The eleva-
tions and depressions have been managed apparently
with great cars, which was especially necessary on account
of the very w character of the locality. The
modeller, Mr. R. T Wilde, has taken for hie guide the
most recent Admiralty charts, and the published
result of the surveys of French engineers. In such a case
the very object to be secured, namely, the conveying a
good general idea to ordinary obscure, renders it difficult,
if not impossible, to adhere to mathematical accuracy, and,
justifies some liaises on the part of the artist. For
example, wishing to represent the shrubs which, it will be
remembered, abound in the vicinity of Sebastopol, the
modeller has dotted the ground here and there
with what stand very well for shrubs, but are
at the same time upwards of sixty feet high,
if measured strictly by a comparison with the hills.
Some of the bills being nearly 700 feet high, it was only by
exaggeration that these dwarf plants, which have not filled
an unimportant part in the history of the siege, could be
visible. In tracing briefly the leading features of this
model, it seems natural for an Englishman to commence at.
Balaklava. In front, and a little to the north, of that now
famous port, is seen a semicircle of entrenchments, which
are defended on one side by the Highland Brigade, and cm
the other by a body of undoes. On the outside of this
work are the four small redoubts which were taken from
the Turks on the morning of the 25th of October ; and
from these stretches towards the Bay of Inkermann—the
innermost part of the Sebastopol inlet of the sea—the valley
of the Tchernaya, with the river winding through its
centre. Returning to Balaklava, one traces thence that
wretched road which was the only channel of communion-
tion for the supply of the army in the dreary depths of the
Crimean winter. Having left a little to the right the
miserable remains of our gallant cavalry, we at length
arrive at a range of hills, several hundred feet high, which
introdues us to the plateau that forms the scene of the
actualsiege. A considerable distance from the summit, and be
• southward direction, are Lerd Raglan's headquarters; and
between these and the French divisions are those of General
Canrobert. Then come the forces of the allies—the British
on the right, looking down upon the valley of the Taber-
nay a ; and spin their trenches sod works joining the right
attack, the most conspicuous opposing fortifications of the,
enemy being the redan and toe Malakoff; the French
attack, on the other band, being chiefly in front of the
Garden battery arid the Flagstaff battery. One is particularly
reminded of the disasters of the British and the numerical
superiority of the French by observing, amidst the mingled
colours, the points where the former have been obliged to
yield part of their ground to their more fortunate allies.
Sebastopol itself is very clearly represented, but no attempt
is made to fir the positions of the Russian ships, which are
so located as to be ander the protection of one or other of
the enemy's kin.. The field of Inkerensnu, where was so,
signally rolled beak** wave of Hessian aggression and auto-
cratic pride, is Meld in the form of two valleys or raviaeer
with a hill of eseddirrable height intervening. The most oar
spicuous object ea the aide opposite Sebastopol is Fort Ste-
yarns, 'fortification which is 2,000 feet in diameter, and frees
which, it is gaud, were Sebastopol taken, the allies
might be terribly ensiled ; and hence the rumour that the
bombardment and assault from the south are to be MOW
panied with sinenhamons operations having for their ob-
ject the dislodgment etas enemy on the north. The whole
model certainly meson great interest ; and at a time when
the thoughts of the lab& civilised world are watered on the
weal represented,ead when the genial sun of opening spring
I is causing an almost daily increase in the number of visit ors, I
it is a most appropriate addition to the attractions of the
building.

ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLIIITHATION.—Hie Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, with their Royal High-
nesses the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princes Mary,
steeled by Baron Hasesbeck, honoured the Diorama
illastrating the Bents of the War with a visit on Wednes-
day evening. The Earl of Cardigan paid a second visit to
the Gallery es Wedaesday afternoon.
ABTORT AND CLZOPATRA.—III noticing the per-
' formai* ei /easy ,essil Cleopatra at the Standard
Theses on Baltarday last, we meadased that this play was
revived several years slue st 8241 We-wells, when the prin-
deal parts were performed by Mies Glyn and Mr. Marston.
This, as regards' Mr. Marston, was inaccurate, the part of
Lawny having been performed at Sadler's-wells by
Mr. Phelps.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY LITERARY INSTITU-
Tros.—Thie society, established only in 1862, has already
reached a degree of prosperity which its warmest advocates
earcely anticipated. A series of lectures having just been
sompleted, an opportunity is afforded of giving a alight
rimed of the history of the instittitioo in order to show
Other lap companies that, with small isolates°. es their
parts, a great amount of rational and instructive amuse-
meat may be gives to their eseployfe. The Great Western
Railway Litrm Society was projected by a few of the
and their idea at the time was, oily to
f:rldiaselit clerks,
through the munificence of the dire•
tore of the company a handsome sum was placed in the
hands of the prevlsioual committee, which enabled them to
amplify their project, and to bring it before the notice of
their fellow-elerks. The nucleus of a good standard library
was formed, and shady it embrace nearly two thousand
volumes, by the best English wrier'. The directors have
kindly provided a library and rearecca, where the daily
and
placed. weekie papery sad the see and periodicals are
Up to the winter of 1 , no lectures had beesl
given, as the ateommastias did not appear sufficient for the
purpose ; but a room having been placed at the disposal of
the committee, a series of oddness has been delivered.
Assaf the geatlemes waft abilities have been brought into
requisition, are the Be,. C. Bedell, George Dawson, Esq.,
H. Nicholls, Be., and C. Charles, Esq., whose *risings
have been folly Weeded by the members and their Mends.
The society has now warty two hundred members, and the
ember is rapidly inereasht&
CRYSTAL PALACE, MARCH 7. ONE-SHILLING
DLY.—Adisissioes on mutest, 882 ; admissions by season
tickets, 829; total, 1,211.
AN 11213171181 was held lest evening at Mr. Grif-
fiths', the Baba Bon, York-road, Lambeth, belie Mr.
Carta, coroner and a respectable jury, tall
death of Mrs. Mary Draper, the wife of a retired
residing at 36, Button-street, who was beret loth
Weigh the strings of her cep having caught In eberiZ
enriag teak from the cellar. The jury retasnmi a ver
114 " tel death."