The Press.
London, England, 1856-08-23 00:00:00

linusenunts, tU.

A THIRD DISPLAY OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF
WATERWORKS took place at the Crystal Palace 011
Saturday. The weather was upon the whole favor-
able, for at the moment of the rise of the fountains
the wind ceased, and the grand fountains in the lower
basins rushed upwards to almost their full altitude
before they were broken into spray, and the innume-
rable jets d'eau with which they are surrounded
played throughout with the greatest vigour in all
their beauty and diversity of design. The display
commenced at half-past four o'clock, and lasted half
an hour. About nine thousand persons were pre-
sent, and the greater part of the company witnessed
it from the more elevated portions of the plateau
separating the lower basins from the part of the
grounds assigned to the exhibition of the extinct
animals, and from the adjacent terraces and sloping
banks, and nothing seemed to detract from their en-
joyment but the want of a warm sun. Upon the
whole, the display was very successful. There was a
greater tall of water than usual from the cascades,
and though the smaller fountains in the lower basins
and down the decline of the cascades were still too
poor and meagre in their stream, the whole effect
was very tine. The parterres of flowers in the grounds
were iu perfect keeping, and their exquisite comlnual
Lions of colour were highly admired.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY was enriched on Satan
day last by some Italian pictures. The most iinpor-
tint of these acqnisitionsis a portion of an altar-piece
by Pietr; Perugino. It. consists of three compsri-
ments--the centre portion represents the Virgin
adoring the child, who is presented to her by an
angel ; some distant angels, standing on clouds and
airqing, appear above. The compartment on the left
of the spectator represents the Archangel 3lichael,

AUGUST 043, 1856.

that on the right the Archangel Raphael, with the
young Tobias. This picture, with other less impor-
tant accompaniments, was formerly in the Church of
the Certosa, near Pavia, for which, according to
Vaeari, it was painted. For the last seventy years
the principal portion above described had been in the
possession cf the Melzi family, of Milan; it was pur-
chased from the present representative of that family
in February last. There is some ground for sup-
posing that Raphael co-operated in this work ; the
opinions to this effect of good authorities, founded
on internal evidence, are corroborated by the existence
of a drawing by the youthful Raphael, now in the
Randolph Museum at Oxford, of that portion of the
work which represents Tobias and the Archangel.
With regard to the state of the picture, it is evident
that a small portion of sky has been formerly added
(with good effect as regards the shape, though it has
darkened in colour) in the upper part of each of the
compartments; but the repairs, properly so called,
apparently made some years since, are minute in ex-
tent, and do not affect the impression of the work.
A committee invited to examine the picture on its
arrival unanimously recommended that it should be
placed in the gallery without again undergoing the
ordeal of restoration. Of four other pictures which
have been added to the Gallery, three are inscribed
with the artists' names ; they are, respectively, by
Bartolommeo Vivarini, of Murano; Francesco Tee-
coni, of Cremona; and Bartolommeo Veneziano, a
distinct painter from the first named. The fourth
picture is by Girolamo da' Libri, of Verona. All
these are more or less antiquated in style. It is un-
derstood that several pictures, forming part of a col-
lection purchased in Venice by the travelling agent
in December last, in order to secure a few eligible
specimens, now in the gallery, will be sold in the
next year, together with a portion of the Minden
pictures. This will be the first trial of the effect of
the act of Parliament recantly passed, which, on the
purchase of an entire collection, provides for the dis-
poser of the pictures " not required" for the national
collection.
EXHIBMON OF HOLLYHOCKS AND DAHLIAS took
place at Cremorne-gardens on Tuesday and Wednes-
day, and the show contained same of the finest
specimens ever exhibited. Among the plants most
remarkable for richness of colour and the peculiar
" guard petal " were " Yellow Model " and Souvenir."
The "Solfaterre," sent by the Rev. C. Fellowes, was
also the subject of much admiration for the fulness
of its development. An exhibition of rare balsams,
curious for their perfect symmetry, attracted much
attention. Many of them, if cut in half vertically,
would have presented two sides exact counterparts
of each other. The dahlias exhibited, although
displaying most of the peculiar beauties of the
flower, were scarcely so fully developed as might
have been expected at this season of the year.
Owing to the inclemency of the weather and the
attractions of the regatta, there were very few visitors
present.

SIEGE OPERATIONS AT CHATHAM.
Suss displays of the military art of attack and de-
fence are w€ll worth a visit. The authorities on this
occasion had permitted the day flxei for the display
to be known some time previous, and had the weather
been fine, a vast concourse of" people would have
assembled. On Tuesday, however, from the
thorough November look of the day, very few specta-
tors were present. His Royal Highness the C•wn-
minder in• Chief, accompanied by General Sir John
Burgoyne 0.C.8., arrived shortly after twelve, and
proceeded at once to the lines. The troops about
to he engaged mustered some 2,700 rank and file.
The operations consisted of the attack and defence
of the Redan and Prince Henry's Bastion, and com-
menced by an advance of troops towards the right face
of the bastion, and, in the face of a heavy fire from the
batteries, they succeeded in scaling the escarp and
connterscarp, and getting into the advanced works and
lodgments. At the same time, the Sappers and Miners
were engaged in completing some earthworks which
had been thrown up, intended for the double sap,
the great descending gallery, and two simple saps.
These had been so constructed as to approach each
other in completion with that of the third parallel
against the fortress. As soon as they were finished and
reconnoitred, a tremendous fire opened simultaneously
against the fortress from the whole of the batteries,
parallels, and rifle-pits. This fire lasted for some
time, until the troops were withdrawn from the lodg-
ment in front of the Redan, previously to that portion
of the works being blown up by a heavy discharge of
1401bs. weight of gunpowder. The destruction of
these positions was complete, and was effected by
means of the voltaic battery, placed under the charge
of Captain H. Y. D. Scott, Royal Engineers. The
timber, earth, and materials of which the lodgment
was composed was blown up with tremendous violence
and with striking effect. Six men were here injured
from not being under cover quick enough, two rather
severely, though fortunately no lives were lest. The
injured men were immediately sent to the hospital.
As soon after the explosion had taken place as was
(nsidered practicable, a portion of the lodgment was