The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-07 00:00:00

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would have cost us every Monitor without i:w g Vif
any impression upon the forts. :Xx,-;:t Vrn.p4r-
Stimers, however, who is Captain I;fttek '',...!-'4.4..-ytv
hand made on April 14 a rose-colouri4 OW/ ' .
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Navy Department, in which he "tookeßieii , '''''''§
express" the consoling opinion that " thdlibist 1
tious can readily be passed with the means already
provided, and our entire fleet of irouclade pass
readily up to the wharves of Charleston." What
such interested opinions are worth is shown by the
fact that, although Sumter is in ruins, the monitors
have never been nearer to Charleston than Admiral
Dupont carried them. This officer proved at Hilton
Head that he is not only an accomplished searwlii,
but a man of genius. He shares the treatment and
is pursued by the calumnies which are the reward of
superior abilities in the sister branch of the service.
Admiral Dupont needs no further vindication ;
but this question of the Monitors deserves cariful
scrutiny end investigation. We arc pleased to know
that the chairman of the Ntival Committee of the
Senate has no such partialities for the head of the
department as will be likely to interfere with a firm
discharge of his duties.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS,

Yesterday may be termed a grand field day in filo
Royal Parks, owing to the immense number of per-
eons who flocked to them for the purpose of either
disporting themselves upon the frozen waters or
witnessing the evolutions of others. From an early
hour in the morning until the spades of evening set
in, a continuous stream of thousands after thousands
promenaded the different banks in each park. Dur-
ing Tuesday night the thermometer at the Royal
Humane Society's receiving-.muse in Hyde Park
indexed only 17 deg., showing a fail of 11 degrees.
The barometer stood, however, at the same point us
the preceding day, viz., 30 dig. The wind in the
morning was registered as but towards the
evening the wind became N.E., and, strange as it
may appear, considering the intense frost, not less
than ten persons bathed in the Serpentine yester-
day, whilst double the number bathed in the same
river the preceding clay. Last night the thermo-
meter stood at 25 deg., and the barometer showed.
an inclination of falling.
During the previous night the wbole of the Ser-
pentine river in Hyde-pork became completely
frozen over, and presented a brilliant sheet of ice,
which, if allowed to remain unbroken for a couple
of days, will allow space sußcient for several thou-
sand skaters and sliders. It order to keep the po-
pulace off the river Mr. Yocng, the secretary, and
Mr. 'Williams, the Superittendent, lapel a great
number of icemen employed throughout the day in.
preventing persons from veaturing upon the ice,
which remained in a dangerous state. It is, how-
ever, expected that it will be sufficiently strong to
bear by to-morrow if the frost continues, of which
there is little doubt.
The Long Water in Kensington-gardens was
patronised by 2,500 skaters and sliders, including
several ladies and a good sprinkling of members
belonging to the Skating Club. The ice on this
river is about three inches in thickness, exceedingly
smooth, and in good condition. The banks and
the bridge were crowded with members of the
nobility, gentry, and others, who viewed with great
interest the graceful evolutions of the members of
the Skating Club. Figures of all sorts, birds and
reptiles, were cut out with as much rapidity as an
artist would do with a camel's hair pencil. An un-
fortunate accident happened to a boy, who slipped
down and dislocated his shoulder. He was attended
to by Dr. Criristian, and afterwards taken to the
hospital.

The Royal Round Pond, Kensington-gardens,
came in for its usual share of patronage, about 2,000
persons, including ladies and members of the Skat-
ing Club being present. Here some excellent sport
took place. A party of six ladies went through
various acts of fancy and quiet skating. Their per-
formance elicited loud applause from the spectators
on the bank, Several parties fell upon the ice and
received cut heads, &c.
In the Regent's Park there were about 8,000 per-
sons sliding and skating upon the ornamental
waters. About a dozen persons were forced down
by the skaters and received serious cut wounds on
their heads, and one poor lad had his arm broken
from falling upon the ice. They were attended to
by Dr. Norton. Towards the evening the ice began
to part, which rendered it exceedingly dangerous,
but Deputy-Superintendent Parsons ordered the
populace off, and thereby several persons were
' prevented from sinking into 11 feet of water. Seve-
ral immersions, however, took place during the day.
ST..) AMES'S PAE.K.—It is almost impossib e to de..

pict accurately the scenes that took place in this
park yesterday. From an early hour crowds of per-
sons continued to flock into the enclosure at each
entrance. Before noon some 20,000 or 30,000 per-
sons had congregated upon the banks and elopes,
including a vast number of ladies. The sports of
the day were at their height between 12 and 1
o'clock, when skating, sliding, and what is termed
" Hockey" commenced in earnest, and then the dan-
gerous part of the performance began. The ice in
many places was extremely insecure, and piece by
piece kept separating, and into the water persons
were precipitated. Deputy-Superintendent Perry
at once went off for Dr. M'Cann, who with his as-
siatants promptly attended, and they were actively
engaged in dressing cut heads and attending upon
persons who had been immersed. Two boys fell
into a hole, and were with difficulty rescued by
Perry with the society's apparatus. Daring the day
3,000 skaters and sliders disported themselves upon
the ice in this park.
THE VICTORIA PARK.—This park was patronised
by 12,000 persons, and probably a quarter of that
number disported themselves upon the frozen
waters. Several slight immersions took place, and
some of the most venturesome had either to return
to their homes or go to the London Hospital, as
they had received injuries to their heads and limbs
through falling on the ice.
At Ciapham and Hampstead the ponds were
crowded with skaters and sliders. On the letter
piece of water a little girl, about 11 years of age,
skated in a manner that astonished the lookers-on,
for, after cutting out her name upon the ice, she
led several couples over the frozen surface.
At the Crystal Palace a number of the nobility
and gentry assembled, and skating was carried on
until a late hour in the evening, but no accident of
any importance took place. At the request of Mr.
Grove, the secretary of the company, Mr. Young
sent two experienced icemen, belonging to the
society, to be in attendance during the time the
sports last.

The ice in the Grand Surrey Canal is now about
three inches in thickness, but it has to be broken
hourly to enable barges to pass along, consequently
no skating matches can at present take place.

THE HOLIDAYS.—At no other Exhibition in the
metropolis will a more interesting and instructive
treat be afforded to the juveniles than at Madame Tussaud's
Historical Gallery, in Baker-street, where objects and relics
of great value everywhere meet the eye; and we would
more particularly call attention to the series of beautifully
executed models (now nearly complete) of the monarchs of
England, from the Conqueror to that of her present Ma-
jesty, all being attired in the magnificent costumes of the
respective periods ; and in the Room of Physiognomy are
several new figures.
DEMOLITION OF NINETY HOUSES.—Yesterday
Messrs. K.,.unet3y and Bonny, in compliance with
directions received from the North London Railway Com-
pany, sold the materials of 90 houses, extending from Wor-
ship-street, Bishopsgate, to the Kingsland-road. There
was a full attendance of buyers, and the property realised
good prices. The houses will be pulled down immediately,
the sites being required for the construction of the exten-
sion of the North London Railway. •
HUMAN HAIR.—In the majority of the races of
mankind the Lair issues obliquely out of the cuta-
neous envelope; on the Hottentot, Papou, and many
negroes the hair is implanted perpendicularly. M. pruner-
Bey enters into length as to the differences in the hair when
microscopically examined in its longitudinal direotion, which
again he considers insufficient to indicate race characters.. As
regards the transverse sections, their examination forms the
most striking part of our author's paper. This method F .er.
mita the examination of the contour of the hair,
its diam eter
and thicxness ; the ascertainment of the presence or ab-
sense of a medullary substance and of its relations with the
cortex. In the negro the hair is elliptical and ex ceeduagly
flat; the medulary substance is not always pre sent; the
centre is aver empty.