The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-03 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION

Yesterday was decidedly the greatest day yet
known at the Crystal Palace. As early as 9 o'clock the
accesses of the building were surrounded by an impatient
throng, and from that hour to the middle of the day a rapid
stream of well-filled omnibuses, carriages, and cabs showed
how thoroughly the interest of the million had been
aroused. From Albert-gate a dense procession was for
some hours passing across the open park to the eastern en-
trance of the Palace. By 10 o'clock the transept, nave, and
north and south avenues presented a very crowded ap-
pearance. By 11 o'clock more than 15,000 persons had passed
in—nearly as many as entered during the whole of
Saturday. At the expiration of another hour, 12,000 more
had entered, and at one o'clock the number had reached
34,600. The increase was maintained during the day, and
at the close it was found that as many as 42,460 persons bad
I paid the shilling admission fee at the doors.
Notwithstanding the ingress of air through the louvres,
and the cooling operation of the watering machine, which
was drawn hither and thither, the heat was generally very
oppressive.

Although it cannot bo said that the crowding in the
building was productive of positive inconvenience, there is
a very observable determination of company to the tran-
Sept, which it were well to counteract. The galleries were
anything but well filled, although including some of the
gems of the exhibition. The various costumes which
figured so grotesquely in the anticipatory sketches of our
artists before the opening of the Crystal Palace are gra-
dually becoming, features in the actual spectacle. In the
course of Saturday afternoon a Spanish cavalier and his
daughter appeared in the picturesque costume of their
country, and excited much attention. The provincial cle-
ment is revealing itself with more distinctness, as was to
be expected as soon as the excursion trains commenced
running.

Her Majesty and the royal visitors came to the Crystal
Palace at 9 o'clock, and as some 400 or 600 exhibitors had
been formally requested to be present, more than usual in-
terest attached to the occasion. The portion of the Exhi-
bition marked out for inspection was the south gallery on
the west aide of the transept. Her Majesty began with the
cbymicals, in which department she specially admired the
contributions of Pontifex and Wood. Her attention was
also drawn to the display of preserved meats, and particu-
larly what related to the supply of the navy. She made
particular inquiries into the regulations adopted for aster-
Wising that this supply was good and proper for the use of
the sailors. In the survey of vegetable products, the tine
specimens of grain from the Home Farm exhibited by
Prince Albert, did not escape attention. One of the most
important features of this survey was the illustration of the
conversion of flax fibre into a substitute
.for cotton by the
Chevalier Clausen.

WOOLWICH, JUNE 2.—LAUNCH OF THE BRISK
STWIL SLOOP. This line vessel, built at Woolwich
Dockyard, to mount 14 guns, was launched to-day in the
presence of a great number of spectators, amongst whom
were many fore*ners. The following are the dimen-
sions of the Brisk :—Length between the perpendiculars,
DV ft. 71 in. ; length of keel for tonnage, 169 R. 11 in. ;
breadth, extreme, 38 ft. 21 in. ; breadth for tonnage,
34 ft. 81 in. ; breadth moulded, 34 ft. 11 in. ; depth in
engine-room, 18 ft. 2 in. ; burthen in tons, 1,087, 39-94 old
measurententi Imams in tons, 979, 2973.3500 new mea-
surement. 'this steamer is constructed for a screw-pro-
peller ; her engines, which are of 230-horse power, will be
put in by Kr. Na*r, of Glasgow. Admiral Berkeley,
C. 8., and Captain Houston Stewart, Lords of the Admi-
ralty, Were present, with Peer Ibrahesna Khan and Colonel
Biz Mad Wade, distinguished in the affair of the Khyber
Per.