The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-05 00:00:00

Odd Fellows'

Fete at the Crystal Palace.

The annual fete of the the various lodges of the Manches-
ter Unity, forming what are termed the London districts,
took place yesterday in the People's Palace at Sydenham.
A large number of visitors were expected to be present, con-
sequently the directors had the doors opened as early as 8
o'clock in the morning, and they were kept open for admis-
sion until the same hour at night. This was a very wise
course, as it prevented a repetition of such crowding and
squeezing as frequently occurred on previous occasions,
The roads leading to the Palace—especially at Dulwich
—where most of the parties halted to pay a flying visit to
the Greyhound, were literally crowded with vehicles, most
of Ihe male oscupants boing dressed in rich regalia. Upon
taking the first return at 3 o'clock it was found that 23,393
persona bad passed through the turnstiles, and even then
they cow inn d to flock in in large numbers, until at last the
total visitors reached '27,826.
The entertainments yesta rday were admirably arranged
by the committee—comprising amongst the most active, Mr.
Burgess, the grand master of the whole order, and C.S. of
G, M. Mann, S. L. D. Bell, D.
the South London district,
G. M. Griffin, P. G. Backster, P. G. Rough, P. G.
P. G. Stevens, D. G. M. Mitchel, G. M. of the North Lon-
don district, Brockman, G. M. of the Stepney district, and
Newman, C. 0. of the Pimlico district—and had it not been
for the crowd pressing forward at one part of the day with
great force could not have failed in giving satisfaction to the
many thousands assembled together. One mishap, and only
one, took place during the day, but that might have been
attended with very serious consequences. A procession of
probably a mile in length, consisting of members with flage,
was farmed. After passing along the gardens and terraces,
each band playing, the parties re aired in front of the stage
erected for Mr. Nelson Lee's entpertainment. The back of
Volunteers' Band,
the stage was filled by the London Irish
and the front was staked and roped off, bfutheso great was
were
the pressure from the crowd that some tee
polestovoid
broken, the the ropes thrown down, and par
in g trampled upon, rushed upon the stage and the space
behind. M. Chapino's ballet troupe managed to get
through their Chinese divertissement in a manner to elicit
the applause of asmany thousands as could get near enough
to see tham. Mr. Mackney, who had been advertise
at
appear as well as Sam Collins, were both at their posts
the appointed time, but in order to get to the platform both
gentlemen had to force their way through an immense mass
of people. Mackney managed to get upon the stage, but the
crowd increased to such an extent that the rifle band was
obliged to hold their drums and brass instruments over the
people's heads- to save them from b:ing broken, and
Mackeey found that the place was so crammed that it was
impossible to go through his performances. Mr. Nelson
Lee tried with all his humorous and persuasive powers for
the crowd to make way, bat without success, and conse-
quently he was obliged to leave the stage, and so was Sam
Collins. The former, in leaving, got much bruised and
roughly handled, though not purposely.
Military sports of the Foot and Life Guards, fencing and
broad-sword exercise by the 2d Life Guards, dancing and
the grand organ and orchestral performances, ended the
day's amusement.

The Archaeological Institute of Great

Britain and Ireland.

The concluding meeting of the Institute, which has been
occupied in its sittings at Rochester for an entire week, was
held yesterday, when there was again a large attendance,
the proceedings retaining their interest to the last. the
Marquis Camden, K.G., presided, and was supported
by Sir R. Kirby, Lord Neaves, the Mayor of Rochester, the
Provost of Oriel, the Rev. Mr. Hartshorne, Mr. Reach
Smith, and other distinguished archaeologists. On Monday
evening the sections assembled in the County Court, when
an interesting communication was made by Mr. J. G.
Waller on " the Sepulchral Brasses in Kent," and
the fine collection of brasses of the Cobham family, in Cob-
ham Church, as well as the brasses in various other churches
in the county of Kent, were very fully described. A paper
was also read by Mr, W. Warwick on " The Poet Gower,
and his probable connection with the County of Kent."
At the meeting of the sections of History and of Early and
Medieval Antiquities, held yesterday morning, the first
paper read was by the Rev. W. Stubbs, M.A., librarian
to Archbishop of Canterbury, " On the Ancient Con-
nectien between the Sees of Canterbury and Roches-
ter." In the course of an interesting paper Mr. Stubbs
traced the intimate connection which from the earliest
recorded period always existed between the two sees,
Rochester being the see of the first suffragan bishop in Eng-
land, as well as the see of the first English bishop in the
person of Ithamar, who held the see from 644 to 655, and
was buried in Rochester Cathedral. Mr. Stubbs also gave
other interesting particulars of the See of Rochester, which
for many centuries was always considered next in import-
ance to that of Canterbury, while the Bishops of Rochester
occasionally assisted as Archbishops of Canterbury. The
next paper was by Mr. J. Burtt, Assistant Keeper of
Public Records, on " The Archives of Rochester ;" when
some interesting facts were given of the ancient charters
granted to the city by King Henry 11. and succeeding
sovereigns, all of which are exhibited in the museum of the
Institute. At the termination of the sitting of the section,
the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne, M.A., conducted the members
of the Institute over Rochester Castle, and explained the
chief points of interest in connexion with that remark-
able Norman edifice. Contrary to the usually accepted
belief, Mr. Hartshorne altogether ignores the claims of
Bishop Gundulph to being the builder of the present
edifice, which, from documentary evidence recently dis-
covered, there is little doubt was emoted by William
Corbyl, Archbishop of Canterbury, between the years 1126
and 1139. With the exception of Dover Castle—which,
according to ancient records, was erected at an expense
of £l,2oo—the keep at Rochester Castle was the largest in
England, thatnt Castle Rising being the third in size, while
in point of beauty and grandeur Rochester Castle surpassed
them all. The members of the Institute afterwards re-
assembled in the Guildhall, when the names of several
new members were announced, including the Earl of
Darnley, the Earl of Mansfield, M. Maury, the French
archeologist, am. The Marquis Camden proposed a vote
of thanks to the Mayor and corporation of Rochester for
their kindness in placing all the public buildings in the
city at the disposal of the Institute during its sitting.
Lord Neaves also proposed a vote of thanks to the Kent
Archeological Society for the co-operation of that body in
the proceedings of the Institute, and for contributing so
many valuable articles to the museum. Complimentary
addresses were also delivered by Professor Willis and the
Provost of Oriel; and a cordial vote of thanks to the
Marquis Camden for presiding over the meetings
of the Institute during the week brought the
proceedings to a close. In the afternoon a large number of
the members of the Institute paid a visit to Cooling Castle
and Cliff° Church, in which two synods are stated to have
been held during the Seam period. A portion of the mem-
bers also visited Upnor Castle, erected for the better pro-
tection of Chatham Dockyard during the reign of Eliza-
beth. The proceedings of a most agreeable week were
brought to a close last evening, and the congress then
broke up.

COTTON CULTIVATION IN BRITISH BURHAM

The government of India has published a brief repor
of an experiment in cotton cultivation in British Bermah in
1862-63. The experiment was on a very small scale cer-
tainly, too small, we should think, to be of value for any
practical purpose, or to test fairly the capabilities of the
district for the profitable cultivation of the plant for com-
mercial purposes. Four acres of ground were cleared of
elephant grass in May, 1862, near a village on the banks
of the Boben stream. Three and a half acres were sown
with seed of the New Orleans and Egyptian varieties
al
(which were unfortunately mixed), and hell an acre
year's
Ssa Island seed. The seed was all the produce of last
j iro
and
cultivation; the sowings took place partly
titnreiy,
partly in July. The Sea Island cotton faileddeen
it
13:raradahin.
no instances, says the report has it succeeded i
The pods of the other sorts ripened '
'seas taken to pick
October, before
the rains bad ceased, but great caret,
so as to keep it
the cotton immediately the pods
.buterne
from damp. An European superintendent was sent to the
spot to superintend the picking,
the three and a half
a small second
end of November. The first crwo
acres yielded 6751 b. fo_ cotatornen,panfroaneeed ;
1863, when 1501 b. more
crop was picked up in N a total for the year of
were collected,
imakingo', 2041 b. of cleaned cotton were
8251 b. After ginr"ga' p°roportion of about 21b. uncleared
obtained, which was
peas the seed sown in June did not
to 11b. cleaned. -1-
atti thatP sown in July, which is accounted
produce ns mu.ctlas
ripening
too early when the rains were
for partly by
- :ray because the ground was not so well pre-
still y heavd' Partly because the July or second sowing was
pared. all dad by an overseer who knew something of the
superinten
and its treatment, from
cotton plant a a residence
in the States
Southern
America. Incessant rain,
o f
it is said, prevented his superintending the first sow-
result of the experiment is stated to
el g. The be that
cotton will grow, but the experiment is very incomplete,
~ as failures arise from accident, such as bad seed and
want of proper superintendence, if the localities chosen
and difficult
for the seat of the experiment are distant • • of
access." It is proposed, however, next year to try expe-
riments to test whether it can be grown for fi pro t, and
"whether later sowing, so as to ensure. the heavy rains
being ended before the picking
more fruitful results," '
the
eybeergimmse,n t' will
such
not
as give.t
obtained being the utter failure ol? the Sea Islands seed.
The report closes by stating
given to an overseer who works in the forest, , nil who is
anxious
to try an experiment of his own on a larger scale,
to see whether the plant will thrive with a minimum
amount of labour spent upon it, and thus be made remu-
nerative." We should have thought the Government, if it
did anything at all in the matter itself, would have done
it on a larger scale, and taken a great deal more pains to
ensure the success of what it did undertake. Judging;
from the proceedings of Government in the present case,
from its own report of a very meagre experiment, that
is, seems hardly to have had a fair trial, for the
brief report on the subject admits ignorant and im-
perfect superintendence, and that the various varieties
of sted used were hopelessly mixed together, so that
it was impossible to say whether ono kind of seed
would do better than another the only patent result
experiment clearly failed from the want of precautions most
essenial to secure an of success, and without which
failuret might have ben looked on as certain.—flombaY
Gantt*.