The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-13 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXIIIBITION.

That great collection of the arts, the sciences, and
the natural products of the world, civilised and uncivilised,
which had been collected together at such a vast expendi-
ture of intellect and of toil, a bids had been at ranged with
such a marvellous degree of order and simplicity, and which
had attracted to Hyde Park people of every race and of
every clime, closed upon Saturday last its portals to a still
admiring mid never to be satiated public. Contrary to the
promise of the preceding days, which had goer so fur as to
infringe upon her Majesty's prescriptive right to fine
weather, by drenching the lieges of Liverpool assembled in
her honour, a bright autumnal sun gilded the closing
scene at the Crystal Palace, and, shining brightly through
the vaulted transept, cast au air of cheerfulness over the
otherwise sorrowful leave taking. The privilege of arriving
at 9 o'clock instead of 12, as is usual on Saturdays, was
promptly accepted by the public, who to the uumter of
upwards of 4,000 were scattered about amid the various no-
velties of the Exhibition within the first hour. In anticipation
of extraordinary crowds, a prohibition had been issued re-
specting invalid chairs, which was only relaxed in the caw
of the Duke of Beaufort, and that not without considerable
delay auil negotiation with the committee. However, as
every thing connected with the Crystal Palace since the
commencement has defied previous calculation, the precau-
tions of the committee proved unnecessary, us the crowd,
although considerably beyond the assemblages Of previous
Saturdays, by no means tested the vast accommodations of
the building. The amount of the admisdon fee will give a
pretty accurate idea of the classes of whom the company
was composed. There was not an ill-dressed person
amongst the whole 50,000, and the throng of private car-
riages and saddle-horses was nearly as great as that of omni-
Lama and cabs on a wet shilling day. Some few of the
aristocracy were recognised, among 'whom we may mention
Lord and Lady John Russell, Sir It. 11. Inglis, klirl and
Countess of Glenstall, Countess of Chesterfield, Earl
of Northesk, and Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone ; but a
much greater crowd both fashionable and unfashion-
able had been expected, and the comparative paucity
of numbers was the subject of general conversation.
One party of country folks were determined to be in at the
death, and had taken care so to distinguish themselves that
there was little danger of any individual being long lost by
his comrades. They were welbdresaed, healthy looking
labourers from the hop grounds in Kent, and had each
round his hat a voluminous wreath of the graceful foliage
amongst which he had earned the price of his holiday,
They looked as if "Ilirnam wood had come to Dunsinane,"
and were much gazed after during their peregrinations,
especially by the foreign guests. The musicians at all the
great instruments stood manfully to their guns, and pro-
duced a complete musical Babel irons 1 o'clock until smo-
thered by the bells and gongs which gave notice of the
closing hour. The National Anthem wits the finale of a
copious selection commenced at 1 o'clock on Ducroquet's
great organ, and was much cheered. But the pianos also
tinkled in every corner, the piano violins° catc rwauleel ,Erard's
harp might be heard joining in, and abuse all thundered
the tremendous instrument of Ilerr Sommer, which seems
to have been invented specially for the Crystal Palace, as
it is the uuly single instrument that can be distinctly
heard in the remotest corners of the building. But amid
all this confusion of sweet sound% time was found for eager
inspection, and fur a very considerable amount of traffic in
the various departments. The malachite tables in the
Russian court have found purchasers, and nearly all the
smaller articles, but the great doors still remain, notwith-
standing all the rumours to the contrary during the season.
The French court was densely thronged during the slay,
especially that portion in which stands the comparatively
small collection of Marrel Mures. The articles exhibited
by this firm, although few in number, are all of the very
highest order in art workmanship, and constantly attract
the elite of the visitors. We have described in detail
during the season the various attractive objects contained
in this stand, the Byzantine reliqnaire, the exquisitely
chased Florentine cups, the legendary hunting knives, and
the luxurious dressing-case of Mustapha Bey. But it would
take longer inspection than we could even afford to give,
and trained professional knowledge, fully to examine and
fairl to appreciate the merits of these and various other
costly specimens exhibited in this department. There arc,
for instance, the beautiful centre-piece displayed by "'tomcat
Melaka:, in which the value of the silver completely disap-
pears in the wonderful ti uth and beauty of the ornamenta-
tion, and the beautifully designed electro plate of M.
Vittoz. But it is the pride of the Parisian goldsmiths that
to the precious metals, great as may he their intrinsic worth
they can add a quadruple value by the beauty of their de-
signs and the wonderful perfection of their manipulation.
We cannot take leave of our friends in this department
without expressing our high appreciation of their wonderful
skill in their beautiful art, and our thanks for the
undeviating courtesy with which they were always
ready to throw open the mysteries of their call-
ing for the information of the public, and the
prompt and lucid explanations, which so materially
assisted those whose duty it was to describe their varied and
most attractive products. The Americas section, once the
desert of the Exhibition, was densely crowded during the
whole of Saturday. The reaping machine was constantly
surrounded, the interest being increased by a rival which
now appears in its immediate viciuity.
Mr. llobb the great picker of English locks, obtained hiss
final triumph ohs Saturday, by having his lock restored to
him uninjured, after a fortnight's persevering attempts on
the part of Gaeluott, with the report of the com-
mittee affirming its impregnability. As five o'clock ap-
proached, there was a general determination of ell the
different currents to the transept, and when to this fact is
added the influx of fashionable ticket holsters, who poured
in at four o'clock, it will easily be believed that the whole
of the central space round the Crystal Fountain, and down
to either end of the transept, was one dense mass of well-
dressed humanity. Something grand said imposing was
evidently expected by the company, and the surrounding
galleries were eagerly scanned fur the appearance of or-
ganised bands of choristers to do justice to the national an-
them. But it is evident that spectacle is not our forte :
the preparations that had beets made were few and ineffi-
cient, and, such as they were, were not harmoniously
carried out. It was arranged that at five o'clock
precisely all the organs in the building should burst out
simultaneously with the National Anthem, while the words
were to bo sung by a few trained choristers in the S.E.
gallery, the loyalty and enthusiasm of the general company
to supply a stupendous chorus. Accordingly, at five pre-
cisely, the organs did commence, but the object of each
performer was evidently to try the speed of his instru-
ment, and so pleased were all with the sounds they produced,
that they did not cease for one moment for the vocal per-
formers, who, of course, could not be heard ten yards from ,
their station. But a worthy enemy to the organists ap- !
peered in the person of Herr Sommer, who, with his
trumpet, which although called a new instrument must !
certainly have been employed in blowing down the walls of
Jericho, burst in with tremendous effect, and consigned the
musical Leviathans to the same dumb show they had
previously inflicted on the vocalista. The only portion
of the programme that was fulfilled was the unity and
enthusiasm of the people. The) sung tremendously, but
with a pleasing individuality as to the particular verse sea
'cacti by each, and, at the conclusion, gave such a cheer as
50,000 people with good lungs and all animated by the
same feelings of love and loyalty might be supposed to de-
liver on so remarkable an occasion. Some foreign gentle-
men in one of the galleries attempted to get up a tuitional
chorus with promise of good musical effect, but all the
great bells were immediately set going and prematurely
silenced them. Cheers were then given for Prince Albert,
Lord Granville, and various other persons who had earned
popularity in connexion with the Exhibition, and lastly, owe
was raised for Kossuth, which was heartily reispondcd to.
Some abortive attempts at speechmaking were iuterrupted
by the great bell, which now, supported as it was by all the
little bells and gongs in the establishment, commenced such a
din as might have awakened the dead, although its effects
were but slowly perceptible in dissipating the company.
Considerable excitement was occasioned at this juncture by
the appearance in front of one of the trausept galleries of a
piece of white cloth, on which were inscribed, in large cha-
racter*, Prospenis closing speech from the " Tempest :"
Our revels new are ended t them uur actor,
An I foretold you, were spirits, sail
Are melted tato au, lato thin air :
And like the baseless fabric of tale
The elotil carped tower., We german pane.
The sulemn tt. ruple, the mat globe Well,
Yes, all which a inherit. a±pnll uloeolle
And, like thin unsubotentlini pageant hided,
Leave cot • ruck behind.

The extreme aptness of this quotation, which may well
excuse its triteness, was instantly appreciatcd by the emu-

puny; and the concluding lines, which were interpreted as
referring to the contemplated demolition of the building,
were honoured with an energetic round of unmistakeable
hissing. The night was now closing in, the bells and gongs
were in full action, hut the company still

Lingered awhile, as if loth to depart.
The police expostulated, and at length found that the
delay was caused by the presence of a few gentlemen who
had placed themselves in a corner of one of the galleries in
order to have a good view of the last moments of the Great
Exhibition, and who had been tile unconscious objects of
several distinct rounds of cheering, elicited by the notion
that they were about to officiate in some imposing final
ceremonial. On their retirement. the crowd began gra-
dually to melt away, fringed on its outer edge by a line
of sappers, who gradually contracted their circle, and per-
mitted no return, until at last, at 7 o'clock, the Crystal
Palace finally closed its doors on the general public. The
vast interior at this moment presented an appearance, if
possible, niore imposing than when in the height of noon
it was filled with 50,900 human beings. A few lamps,
placed at long intervals, shed a faint glitter among the
cut glass, or east lung ahailows from various statues
across the flooring. Now and then a single police-
man might he seen flitting like a spectre across the
obscurity, while in the South Transept the sappers were
drawn up in military array to give a farewell cheer for the
undertaking which they hail so well assisted in bringing
to a successful termination. These red jackets which
struck out boldly against the gloom added to tile dreamy
features of the picture, and a nearer approach to final
darkness was made by the blue coats of the police, who
were subsequently rnarshalls d in squares, to give their
cheer for the close of the Exhibition. It is almost need-
less to say a word in praise of this branch of the publics
force. Their strict discipline, their uniform civility, their
extreme usefulness in giving inf,rination and in relieving
the momentary distresses incident to mach vast collections of
people front various place., will be cheerfully attested by
every man, worm, aye, and little child who visited the Ex-
hibition in the tours:, of the last slimmer. With the merits of
Mr Pearce, the superintendent, and of the inspectors en-
aged on inside duty, the public have been made ac-
quainted, by the announcement of her Majesty's handsome
presents in acknowledgement ..1 their services. But one
gentleman, who was equally active, was unfortu-
nately precluded by the posltion in which his
duty placed I • , from attracting the royal notice.
We allude to Mr. Inspector Maker, and to whose
care and systematic arrangement the public am
indebted for the restoration of a vast amount of
mislaid property. To this efficient body there was
allotted the honour of giving the fin -el cheer, which re-
ceived a spontanemta echo fr .at the vast crowd collected
outside, :cod the Last labour of love having been thus per-
formed, the gates tinally closed ou the " Great Exhibition
i of the Industry of all Nations.'
•

The police on Saturday were 63,061, and the
receipts 4,80'. 13,. 6.1.
The following shows the temperature on SAturday, u
recorded by Mr. Bennett's therinost.. ter% bein4 the mean
result of 100 readings :-10 o'clock, ;12 o'cleck, 61 ; 2
o'clock, COJ ; 4 o'clock, 70 ; 6 o'clock, 67. Mean tempera-
ture, 63.6. Barometer at 1 o'clock, 30.1.