The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-23 00:00:00

PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.

This celebrated musical society gave its fourth con-
cert last night at the Hanover-square Rooms, and in a
style worthy of its acknowledged reputation. The first
act commenced with one of Mozart's Sinfonias. After
which, IvanofF sang the popular air " Oh Cara," from
the opera of the Magic Flute. Then succeeded an
ottetto by Spohr, for violin, two violas, violoncello, contra
basso, clarinet, and two horns. This beautiful piece had
not been played for some years at the society's concerts.
A French lady, Mademoiselle De Riviere, next made her
debut at these concerts in the cavatina " Robert, toi que
j'aime," from Robert le Diable. Her voice is powerful
and flexible, and her execution extremely easy. There
was a slight degree of harshness in her tones, but she
possesses a good foundation, and gives every promise of
becoming an accomplished singer. A MS. overture by
W. S. Bennett, called " The Wood Nymphs," was the
next rarity, and although it appeared deficient in variety,
it was a higly pleasing composition. The second act
commenced with the glorious Sinfonia Eroica, by Beetho-
ven. Miss Masson sang the " Che faro," from thfeo,
with her wonted excellence, and David showed his extra-
ordinary command over the inexhaustible powers of the
violin in a Russian air, with variations by himself. It is
not often that the compositions of mere performers are
agreeable. But we must allow that David succeeded not
only in astonishing by the singular ease with which he
passed through the most difficult passages, but also in
delighting with the spirit of the variations. Mademoiselle
De Riviere then sang, with Ivanhoff, the duet " Rasserena,
O Caro," by Rossini, in which she deservedly obtained
considerable applause. The concert concluded with an
overture by A. Romberg.

MILITARY EXPERIMENTS IN

HYDE PARK.

Yesterday morning several experiments connected with
the transmission of troops over rivers, &c., by means of
pontoons or floating bridges, took place on the Serpentine
River, Hyde Park, in the presence of-the Duke of Wel-
lington, Lord Hill, Commander-in-Chief, 1.41 rd Fitzroy
Somerset, and other distinguished persons. There were
but few other persons present than those immediately in-
tore ted, it having been previously understood that the
affair was to be as privately conducted as possible. It ap-
pears that great inconvenience has always been sustained
by our army when on foreign service, in consequence of
not possessing a simple, and, at the same time, portable
means of crossing rivers, the common practice of lashing
boats together not being always available. Another plan
has succeeded, which is that of placing a number of
large hollow thin vessels on the water, and erecting a
stage over them. These have been used with some
success recently in the north of Spain, but found to be of
greet inconvenience, from not being easily portable.
An invention of Captain M'lntosh's (we believe), and the
subject of experiment yesterday, will at length supply
the wished-for convenience. Two vessels, in the form and
size of boats (without the cavity), were placed on the
water, over which they rode as buoyantly as possible. On
these were placed planks, which, having been screwed
down and tightly corded, presented a stage capable of
holding a large body of men. A number of the Scotch
Fusilier Guards, amounting to 40, then got on to the raft,
which, being connected by a rope to a boat, was towed
down the river some distance. It sailed admirably, and
the men appeared to be at perfect ease in it, for, by com-
mand of the Duke of Wellington, the soldiers first stood
up, then sat down, and finally lay down. After the curi-
osity of the distinguished witnesses had been sufficiently
gratified, the raft was towed to shore, and, the planks
being removed, the vessels which had sustained them, and
which were composed of a preparation of India rubber,
and inflated with air, were deprived of the air, and the
weight of each was then not more than one horse
was fully capable of carrying. We understand that
from eight to twelve of these vessels would form a
bridge of sufficient length to cross most of the Con-
tinental rivers. Another experiment succeeded to this,
which was as important in its nature as the pre-
ceding, hut both the invention and the effect it pro-
duced in the working was calculated to raise a smile, if not
to make the spectators laugh outright. This vessel was
also formed of India rubber, and presented the appearance
of a great ball, with a couple of the legs attached to the
bottom and the top cut off. This was set floating on the
river, and a man by means of a boat got into it; his less
went into the places assigned to them, and the ball enclosed
the major part of his body, the legs and the part of the lat-
ter lay under water. The man, having provided himself
with two small paddles, then proceeded to work his way
out into the river, at the same time keeping his legs in
ac-
tive motion. Having reached the middle with great care, he
waded back, and landed in the midst of enthusiastic cheers.
It appears that the object of this invention is to enable a
man to ford a river, and at the same time convey a rope, or
something of a like nature, from one shore to the other.
These experiments lasted altogether about an hour and
a half, during which time Mr. Williams, the superinten-
tendent of the Humane Society, was out with his boats, in
order to render any assistance to the experimentalists if
found necessary, and the company separated with appa-
rently much gratification.

EGYPTIAN HALL, PICCADILLY.—The pro-
gramme of Saturday's entertainments included many of the
most popular overtures, waltzes, and quadrilles of Auber,
Strauss, and Musard, which were executed with great
spirit and precision by the band, and apparently afforded
very high gratification to the company, which, though not
very numerous, it being opera night, was seemingly of the
most respectable kind. A duet concertante on two gui-
tars, by MM. Spindler and Boyeson ; a concertante, in
which were introduced Rossini's admired air of "Di tanti
palphi," and the march from Bellini's opera of 11Puritani,
with echoes by M. Rosen ; and " Das Dorfchen," with
legato echoes by the same artiste (marvellously executed),
were among the most favourite performances of the evening.
The second was deservedly honoured with an encore, and
the whole elicited the most marked approbation. Their
imitations of several wind instruments were also remarkable
for the ease and fidelity with which they were given.
On Wednesday evening last week, a person re-
sidinghhoismoewanf t
dog,e r tl a
ark kl
ai
rng coo ma
opi amnevi witof ht h e
h
in the neighbourhood of Perth, while proceeding
isbuwllifsep, ewe was s t
et aucdk e d
mostby
severely torn and injured. The dog had only come into
his possession a few days previously, and had been chiefly
kept at home with his wife, to whom of course it was more
firmly attached ; and from the circumstance under which
it attacked its master, it appears that the animal had con-
ceived the woman to be in danger from the man, the latter
having slipped a foot and fallen, when the former endea-
voured to raise him up. The dog had imagined that his
mistress was assaulted, and therefore fastened on its mas-
ter. By the assistance of some persons whom the cries of
the woman attracted, the dog was got off its prostrate
owner, and was shot next morning. The injuries sustained
by the individual, though very severe, are, we understand,
not likely to be attended with serious consequences.
Perth Advertiser.

AN UNEXPECTED QUESTION.—WhiIe Mr,
Burr was cross-examining a witness in the Marine Court,
he happened to cast his eye under the table, and instantly

stooped down and picked up a very valuable fur cap' which
s
he showed to the witness, and asked him " I that
cap? " The question was altogether so foreign to the your
ease
on trial, that it created no little astonishment in Court, and
the witness to whom it was put seemed both astonished and
displeased at it, Mr. Burr repeated the question, and the
witness answered in the affirmative. " Where did you get
it ? " asked Mr. Burr. " I swapped another cap for it,"
replied the witness. " With whom ? " " I don't know
his name." " Well, then, I can tell you," said Mr. Burr,
" you swapped it the other day with me in this very Court,
and without my knowledge or consent either ; and you left
me in place of it a greasy old cap not worth a shilling, and
therefore I will not stand such a bargain. As Mr. Burr
had both law and equity on his side, he of course recovered
his cap.—New York paper.
THZ SCHOLAR.—The world is his, but he
must possess it by putting himself into harmony with the
constitution of things. He must be a solitary, laborious,
modest, and charitable soul. He must embrace solitude
as a bride. He must have his glees and his glooms alone.
His own estimate must be measure enough, his own praise
reward enough for him. And why must the student be
solitary and silent? That he may become acquainted with
his thoughts. If he pines in a lonely place, hankering for
the crowd, for display, he is not in the lonely place; his
heart is in the market ; he does not see, he does not hear,
he does not think. But go, cherish your soul ; expel com-
panions ; set your habits to a life of solitude then will the
faculties rise full and fair within, like forest trees and field
flowers. You will have results which, when you meet
your fellow-men, you can communicate, and they will
gladly receive. Do not go into solitude only that you
s
mitsaeylf—isru
presently,blie caoni"d stale. into pTubhleicpl;iblsiuce such a
nsogliettudpeubldicenie
ex-
perience, but they wish the scholar to replace to them those
private, sincere, divine experiences, of which they have
been defrauded by dwelling in the street. It is the noble,
manlike, just thought, which is the superiority demanded
• of you, and not crowds, hut solitude, confers this elevation.
—Emerson's Oration, United States.