The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-06 00:00:00

LEOTARD AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
---*---

While Blondin was in the full flush of his earlier
triumphs in this country, astosishing thousands upon thou-
sands by his daring performances upon the rope, Leotard
came over to England, preceded by rumours of hie fame, to
rival by his extraordinary flights upon the flying trapeas
the achievements of the great hero of Niagara. Apart from
all considerations as to the differing character of the per-
formances of the two artistes, Blond= enjoyed • great ad-
vantage and derived additiooal pre/five from the mere fact
that the Crystal Palace was the field of his exploits, that he
bed all lithe resources of its directors to give him a wide
publicity, sad that so far he bald exclusive possession of a
theatre which all classes of society could visit without an
lot those punctilious objections which are so often urged
limiest places of public amusement But this advantage
exists no longer; the Crystal Palace directors have concluded
en eogagement with Leotard for • Willi of performances—
the first of which took place on Saturday.
Suspended beneath the central transept were four Oa-
' pines, each, we may say, for the information of those who
may never have moo a "flying trapeze," being composed of
two strong cords banging down perpendicularly, about 2g
feet apart, and joined at the bottom by • alight but strong
wooden bar, which the band could easily grasp. These tra-
I pane bang at a distance of 20 to 30 feet apart, above a
narrow thickly carpeted platform, at either end of which
was an elevated stand, one somewhat higher than the other,
bearing • rather ugly resemblance to a guillotine. Standing
upon the platform, the upstretched hand of a moderately
tall man would roach to within about six inches of the tai-
-1 pose bar, sod hanging suspended from the bar
by his hands his feet would reach to within
the same distance of the platform. At four o'clock
Leotard made his appearance in the usual acrobatic costume,
and ascended the guillotine-looking stand, on which for a
moment be stood looking with a careful eye along the row
of trammel before him, sod then when the anima of thee.
was peened up to him by his assistant he went off with a
mighty swing. In the twinkling of an eye be had taken •
flight of fifty feet, and in • moment more was back at his
starting pant, standings firmly upon his narrow splinter.
bar as if he and that had been carved from One solid
block of wood or marble. The audience applauded, and
away be went again on the same daring flight, and again
came back upon the rime spot as upright as a dare ; sad so
on again and again and again, turning over and over while
in full flight, gyrating and tumbling, and tumbling and prat-
ing for some minutes upon the first trapeze, and then suddenly
from that be sprang to the second—which his assistant bad put
in motion—from the second to thethird, from the thit d to the
fourth, and then to the stand at the further end of the plat-
form, on which he planted himself, still and statuesque.
Then back he came from trapeze to trapeze, turning himeeff
round io his progress from one to another, or throwing
somersaults, as he descended to the platform, yards away
from the trapeze from which be had taken a backward
flight. In this way his performances cootioned for about
holism hour, apparently to the intense gratification of the
spectators, who were enthusiastic in their applausive demon-
Aragon'.

---Likationdio, he appears to be complete mesterei himself,
and by the aid of a strong nerve, a keen eye, and • quick
hand he regulates his movements with all the certainty of
auccses, taking his graceful nights with the ease of a
squirrel.
Some 7,000 or 8,000 people assembled to witness this
performance on Saturday, and there can be little doubt
that Leotard will prove • great attraction during the term
of his new enpgement, despite the fact that Londoners
have had • long onortunity of seeing him at Cremorne, the
Alhambra, and Highbary.
The directors have for some time past been anxious to
adopt some improved plan for nighties op the Palace :2
the winter season, and after investigation by Mr. B. W
their superintendent of floe arta, they have
upon adopting candelabra, similar to three used as
the Cimino@ d'Elyw's on the occasion of the Empress's Jere.
These candelabra were lighted at dusk on Ssturday with the
most brilliant and satisfactory results. At prom= they have
only been erected along one-hislf of the nave and in frost of
the great orchestra ; but the contrast between their groosfel
beauty and their flood of subdued light end the plain pe
flare of the old cuneiform piping was remarkable.
The popularity of the Crystal Palace has suffered nothing
from the competition of the Great Exhibition. Du mg the
month of September the attendance has bees snore
doable that of the corresponding month in former pen, and
October promise to be no excepts= to the gratifying rule.
?o agars the hundreds of Amman& who it is antic&
reeed will be drown to the metropolis by the cheap exam-
sioo tildes of the leading railway connsanios this meth
extra attractice will be provided. Biondi,' will esteniek

[TWOPENCE

mad Pails by his foals on Um high reps, stretched fir above
the heads of the epectators, at manes awl delight with his
pseetal sad agile perfonnances at the low rope in the
centre tmanspi. The pest fountains will be played at least
ones a week, while to fill up the other days Leotard will
exhibit his dartag trapeas !lights aerate the greet Unwept.
The flaeorehestral bead of the oommusy, and the Handel
Festival spa, will daily afford ample amusement for the
lovers of sum

tite7ps anoraks:lists who nay be in town on If ridgy,
the 10th of October, Biennia's benefit will adorn a rare
manna* on nein. his in all his mien perlserseness.

ItOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

On Wednesday next and tan following days
there will be held in the society's garden at South Ken-
sington an International Exhibition of fruit, vegetables,
roots, gourds, and acerb, oo ascals of magnitude akin to the
proportion. tithe
It es not as adlnary ashibitiom but a combination of
exhibitiene,g a oollectioe of eollectiare, each country con-
tributor,/ what would on ordinary °cervices bee show in
itself. The reruns which have been already received
enable mto recapitulate the following materials as already
delivered or hourly expected.
First, there is the rand home contribution, and, those
who Tidied the fruit show in Let November know what
that mean. Then, from abroad, there are oollaotious from
Norway, from Denmark, from Hamburg, sad Altona.
Sweden nude avalsse_ligie Illeallestises Iran illlerent dia-
rists The Bellelan•
taierefti bertieediseal moieties have
jest had a great Istahatiooal Pootological Coerces at
Namur, at which collations of fruit were exhibited from
13 German, 10 French, and 12 Belgian societies or
districts. The most interesting On of these is to be for-
warded to the Royal Horti tarsi Society's Lthibition.
Holland leads apples and pears. Hanover sends soneethiog.
T'he paid@ sad oared' ate coming from Nice. From Turin
coma a lama collection of apples and pears, sad no lees
than 322 different kinds of grapes. The cleric regions of
nerdy famish an interesting supply, chiefly from Mount
Pollen and Nowt Ora. A collection comes from Jaffa.
Spar Ms seat collections front Gibraltar, Cadiz, and La-
Mahe. The unhappy war which now devastates North
America limits her contributions to our own colonies.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and it is elm hoped Montreal
will have fruit is time for exhibitive, if not on the opening
day at WA a day or two after, which is of less
coremoesse as the exhibitive continuos open for ton days.
Oollections of fruits in spirits nod modelled are sent both
by Venezuela and Guiana. It is to be kept in view
also that this is not a mere horticultural exhibition, but
has a more extended aim. It is also an agricultural show.
The Royal Agricultural Society has handsomely alawred
the Horticultural that it would not be held by them as an
encroachmeet on their territory, sad the exhibition of agri-
cultural vegetable products will be, perhaps, of even more
practical importance than the horticultural. lo say view,
no exhibitioe, whether horticultural or agricultural, has
ever bees seen at all approaching the priori exhibithe in
in. ; and it is sot likely that anything equal to it
•roll be seen again at least for ten years to come, when an-
other Great Exhibition may call for a similar adjunct.

THE CHANCELLOR OP THE EXCHEQUER IN
NEWCASTLE.

.
So much attention is directed to the approach-
Mg visit of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to oar neigh.
bearbood, that oar readers will probably be interested in the
following programme of next week's proceedings, which we
belle= may be relied on as correct :—The Right Hon. W.
GiselMene, and Mn. Gladstone, who are at present
staying with Lord Brougham, at Brougham Hall, will
arrive among as from Carlisle on Monday afternoon, and
proceed immediately on a visit to Mr. and Mn. Hutt at
Giblets, where they will joists tarp party of diselegaithed
guests already assembled at that splendid and hospitable
abode, and is the evening will join a large party of neigh-
howejavited by Mrs. Hatt on the occasice. Among the
viiitces atayyumgg at Gibed. will be, we believe, the
Rigid HoaoanN.T. E. Heals= /LP., and Mrs. Headlatu,
fir Waller C. Jam's, Bart and lady James, Sir John
Ham= But, M.P., Mr. Ingham, MP. and otherladies
and mmelemen, all ot whom we may expect to see at the
bainnet on Tuesday.
On Tuesday messing, Mr. and Mn.s Gladstone, *mom-
' by Mr. Hutt and others, will visit Newcastle and
the moos striking objects of interest in that town.
Ice the afternoon the greed entertainment will be given to
the Chancellor in the Town-hall of Newcastle. From
what has transpired, we think that this dinner will be
amongst the most striking and interesting demonstrations
which have been witnessed in the North of Eogiand.
On Wednesday, the Chastener of the Exchequer, with
the other distinguished recite at Gibside, ladies and
gentlemen, wilt, in compliance with the invitation of
the Commiseionsr of the Tyne, accompany the chairman in
an excursion down the river. They will embark at Gates-
hes4 and will inspect the improvements in the channel of
the Tyne, examine the piers run out at the month of the
river, visit North and South Shields, where addressee will
be presented to Mr. Gladetooe, and then, retursieg by New-
castle, will proceed to Gibside to dinner.
On Thursday morning, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstase will leave
Gibes& and proceed by Sunderland to Middlesborough At
Sunderland they will lunch with the Mayor of that borough
who will show them over the town. They will then proem'
to Middlesborough, where the Mayor sod oorporateon en-
tail' the right hon. gentleman ate public dinner.—Oaleshead
°termer.

M. KOSSUTH.