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

ENCS PAPER
h o every Monitor vvithoue ;o\frit
?
en impression irribn the forts. Mr. 7s-A
timers, however, •who is Captain EricsstP, 4•Pe -•
hand made on April 14 a rose-coloured re, . 5
Navy Department, in which he " took the
express" the consoling opinion that " the 0b5..14- n S
tions can readily be paseed with the means already
provided, and our entire fleet of ironclads 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 et Hilton
Head that he is not only an accomplished seaman,
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 carefed
scrutiny and investigation. We are pleased to knraw
that the chairman of the Nlval 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 ',be
Royal Parks, owing to the immense number of i?er-
sons who flocked to them for the purpose of either
disporting themselves upon the frozan waters or
witnessing the evolutions of others. From an early
hour in the morning until the suedes of evening set
in, a continuous stream of thousands after the! isands
promenaded the different banks in each pads . Dar-
ing Tuesday night the thermometer at the Royal
Humane Society's receiving-house in Hy de Park
indexed only 17 deg., showing a fail of 11, degrees.
The barometer stood, however, at the saute point as
the preceding flay, viz., 30 deg. The wind in the
morning was registered as N.W., but t cowards the
evening the wind became N.E , and, st r ange as it
may appear, considering the intense fr ost, not less
than ten persons bathed in the Serpzit tine yester-
dßy, whiist double the number bathed in the same
river the preceding day. Last nigirt the thermo-
meter stood at 25 deg., and the barl.iimeter showed
an inclination of falling.

During the previous night the V.i ole of the Ser-
pentine river in Hyde-park beca.me completely
frozen over, and presented a brilli a nt sheet of ice,
which, if allowed to remain unbr a%cen for a couple
of days, will allow space sufficient for several thou-
sand skaters and sliders. In ordr:r to keep the po-
pulace off the river Mr. Young, 't .5e secretary, and
Mr. Williams, the Superintendent, ligd a great
number of icemen employed throughout the day in
preventing persons from venturing 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 thickm ass, exceedingly
emooth, and in good condition. The banks and
the bridge were crowded with members of the
nobility, gentry, and others, who vie wed with great
interest the graceful evolutions of the members of
the Skating Club. Figures of all ;torts, 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. Caristian, and afterwards taken to the
hospital.
The Royal Bound 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 so me 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 R2gent's Park there were ab 3ut 8,000 per.
sons sliding and skating upon tb c ornamental
waters. About a dozen persons wer 2 forces down
by the skaters and received serious cut wounds on
their heads, and one poor lad had hit; 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. &yo-
re' immersions, however, took place during the clay.
ST.JAMES'S PARK.—It is almost impossib e to de•
plot 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 slopes,
including a vest 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 is 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-
sistants 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. During 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 relies
of great value everywhere meet the eye; and wo 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 ITOUSES.—Yesterday
Messrs. Kennedy 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.
HUM tN HAIII.—Ia the majority of the ract.s of
mankind the hair 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 direction, v hich
again he considers insufficient to indicate race characters. As
regards the transverse sections, their examin
iaion forms
per-
th
most striking part of our author's sper. Ths method e
mits the examination of the contour of the hair, its diameter
and thic,ness ; he ascertainment of to presece or ab-
serse of a medullary substa,,ce and ~f its reldtions with the
torte::. In she negro the hair is elliptical and exceedingly
tlat; the medul•try substance is not always
present; the
centre is never empty,