The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-24 00:00:00

THE ROYAL PANOPTICON.

The advent of Christmas has induced the committee o
the Panopticon, Leicester-square, to provide a special
' programme of entertainments adapted to the character
of this mirthful season. On Saturday evening there
was a rehearsal of the entertainments provided for the
Christmas season. The bill of fare was ample and
varied. It commenced with an exhibition of Heincke's
diving apparatus and the subaqueous electric light in
crystal cistern, accompanied with oral explanations—an
apparatus by means of which the diver is enabled to re-
main for hours under water, end the weight of which
contrasts marvellously with that of the old-fashioned
bell, being only 12Ibs. Next came a musical melange,
including performances on the organ—an instrument of
extraordinary power and varied capacity—from Tancredi
and the far-famed Prophete, songs by Miss Bessie Dalton,
glees by the Orpheus Glee Union, comprising eight voices,
flute solos, &c. This was followed by a series of dioramie
and photographic illustrations, designed to form
the pictorial portion of an entertainment, entitled "John
Chinaman at Home," to be presented by Mr. Leicester
Buckingham at the commencement of the new year, and
something else being substituted for it in the interim.
Among the best scenes exhibited ar,, representations of
the Emperor reviewing he; guards, opium smokers, ladies
playing cards, and a display of Juggling. We have a
series of dioramie views representing the stories of
Whittington and Puss in Boots, the narrative portion
being given by Mr. L. Buckingham, with organ accom-
paniments by Mr. E. T. Chipp. The first story is con.
veyed in twelve gigantic and, of their kind, admirable
views, in which Whittington's life is traced from the
door of a village ale-house to the banquet at which he
entertained King Henry V. His ambitious dream in
the garret, and its sudden dissipation by the intruding
rats ; his maltreatment by his master's cook, and the
King of Barbary's dinner, with rat accompaniments,
are very humorously given ; and, enlivened by the
narrative part, which is full of punning comicalitiee,
the entertainment maintained unabated interest to
the close. " Puss in Boots" is represented in eleven
views, some of which are strikingly excellent ; and
in Puss's visit to the Castle of the Magician, occasion is
taken to hit rather severely a certain wizard, wheat,
magic has latterly prevailed, at least, to keep him rather
prominently before the public. The final scene—the
Marriage of the Miller's Son and the Princess—is very
finely given, and with the aid of a grand organ accompaei-
ment from the music of the Midsummer Night's Dream,
rises somewhat above the comic tone. The evening's
programme terminated with the playing of the luminous
and chromatic fountain under the dome, which is really .
a splendid display. This, for an obvious reason, can only
be seen at night, but then it is alone worth the shilling
charged for admission. The water rises gradeally from
the ground floor till it reaches the top of a dome 90 feet
high ; it is made resplendent in its ascent by beautiful
electric hues shot from above ; and in its progressive
descent it assumes in its rapid and varied transitions of
colour the appearance of showers of precious stones. The
effect is really magical. As a whole the exhibition may
be pronounced a happy union of art and science with
amusement, and cannot fail to prove satisfactory to the
visitor.

HAMBURG, Dec. 20.—The new Russian loan, issued at
82, has been done at 81, without having been quoted
at the Bourse. That of 1854 is now at 79.
GALLERY OF ILLIBTRATION, RICOZNT•BTREET.—The
admirable dioramic representation of the Events of the
War, painted by Messrs. Grieve and Telbin, has just
received further additions, with the view of rendering it
as complete a picture as possible of the great events it
nateci fro
ism also drawings
atu
ic by
e
of couch
illustrates. The new paintings are two in number,
" Sebastopol after the Bombardment," and a view of
Kinbourn. The view of Sebastopol in its present state
is most interesting, as its correctness is guaranteed by the
picture
of being
of Kinbourn
its
in
M circumstance
ajor T
u
p
p
of e
r•
and, as the last important conquest
bythe allies, appropriately terminates the series of views
of the " Events of the War."

- THE AMERICAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Saturday.
The British and North American Royal Mail steam-
ship Canada, Capt. W. J. C. Lang, sailed from the
Mersey, at 11 o'clock this forenoon, with the usual
mails for the American continent, 86 passengers, and a
fell cargo.
THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Saturday.
The Royal Mail ship Earl of Sefton, Capt. Noble, of
Piikington and Wilson's White Star line of Australian
packets, sailed from the Mersey last night, for Mel-
bourne, with the usual bi-monthly mails for the Austra-
lian colonies, 170 passengers, and a moat valuable cargo,
chiefly fine goods, on freight. The succeeding mails
will be carried out by the Oliver Lang, of the Black Ball
line on the sth proximo