The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-14 00:00:00

NEW STRAND THEATRE.

A three act burletta, founded on Auber's last grand
Opera, " Le Lac des Fees," which has produced such an
extraordinary sensation at the Academie Royal de Musique
in Paris, was produced last evening at this Theatre, with
triumphant success. The plot is exceedingly simple
Albert (Mr. J. Binge), a student of Cologne, having been
haunted in his dreams by the vision of a lovely fairy, de-
termines to go to the Fairy Lake, in the Hartz Mountain,
in search of his spirit love. The Fairy Lake is situated in
the midst of the Hartz Mountains, and the Fairies descend
to it in the evening for the purpose of bathing. These
fairies have no wings, but cleave the air by means of a
magic veil, which they spread over their head. Al-
bert sees the fairy of his vision 7,,da (Mrs. Way-
lett), and, while she is bathing, gets possession of
her veil, arid thus confines her to earth. She in the mean-
while, before she discovers her loss, sees and falls in love
with Albert. In the second act we find Albert returned
to Cologne, and Zela, disguised in shepherd's atrire, at-
tending as servants on Margeruite (Miss Selby), Albert's
hostess, and to whom he is engaged to in default of
payment of twenty-five golden crowns. This sum, how-
ever, he borrows on bond of a Jew. Zela, meanwhile ex-
pressing a wish to return to her sisters, he restores her the
magic veil, but Ler love for bins is too strong, and she
consents to remain, and be his bride. His bond, which
the Jew has sold to Rodolphe, whom Margcruite has in
duced to marry her, becomes due, and in consequence of
his being robbed by gypsies of the money which he had
provided to meet it, he is arrested. Zela, by means
of her magic veil, escapes to Fairy Land, and by
the assistance of the Fairy Queen rescues Albert, for
whooe'slte she consents to become mortal, from his dungeon,
and their marriage is celebrated at the fairy lake by the
Queen of the Fairies and her court. The weight of the
piece fell upon Mrs. Waylett, who, we are glad to hear,
has recovered her voice completely. Mr. J. Binge sung
with taste and feeling, but the smut in the last act was too
much for his voice. Miss Barrington, who was one of
the Fairies, conduced considerably, by her fine contralto,
to the efficiency of the music. This young lady is im-
proving considerably. The music is light and pretty. The
gem of the Opera struck us to be the duct—" Like sun-
beams gaily dancing," in the third act, which was admirably
sung by Binge and Mrs. Wavlett, and rapturously en-
cored. The scenery is magnificent. At the conclusion
Mrs. Waylett was led on by Binge, who announced the
Opera for repetition every evening until futher notice. It
is a decided hit, and will probably carry Hammond tri-
umphantly through the season. The house was crowded.

Sir Robert and Lady Fitzwygram entertained at
dinner yesterday, in Connaught-place, the Duchess Dowa-
ger of Richmond, Lord and Lady Cowley and Miss
Wellesley, Earl and Countess of Bradford, Mrs. George
Dawson, Lord and Lady Bloomfield, Viscounts Maidstone,
Leveson, and Cranatoun, Lady Catherine and Miss
Stewart, Sir Fred. Trench and Mr. Parnther. His Grace
the Duke of Wellington was prevented honouring Sir
Robert and Lady Fitzwygram with his company. In the
evening her Ladyship had music.
The Hon. Grantley Berkely, M.P., has under-
gone a successful operation for the thorn, which was bro-
ken in his ankle joint at the commencement of the last
hunting season Mr. Berkeley is fast recovering.

THE NEW ZEALAND EXPEDI-
TION.

---
The following intelligence from Plymouth, of the ar-
rival of the barque Tory, will be read with interest. The
aim and prospects of the expedition were fully explained in
the account of the dinner at Black,,vall, which appeared in
our paper at the time.
" PLYMOUTH, MAY g.--Among our last shipping arri-
vals is the barque Tory, from London, bound to New Zea-
land, which reached the Sound early yesterday morning.
She is a fast-sailing new vessel of 400 tons, having been
only one previous voyage, and is the property of the New
Zealand Land Company lately formed in London. The pre-
sent voyage is a remarkable or.e, being the first expedition
despatched by the Company, with the view of exploring the
country in order to the establishment of regular thitish set-
tlements in New Zealand. The Tory left Gravesend on Sun-
day at six o'clock P.M.. (where i party of gentlemen con-
nected with the Company had asFembled to take leave of their
friends in the expedition), amidst the cheers of the spec-
tators on the shore, which were ans,„-tired by a salute of
eleven guns from the ship. She was tow-°d by a steamer
to the mouth of the Thames, and had a very ::uick run of
thirty-eight hours from the Downs to Plymouth Sound
The Tory carries eight guns, and is equipped in a 7el'Y
superior style. She carries only specie and such article:
of merchandise as are suitable for barter with the natives
for land. The expedition is under the orders of Colonel
Wakefield, a very distinguished officer ; and the ship is
commanded by Mr. Chaffers, R.. N., a skilful nautical sur-
veyor, who was Master of her Majesty's ship Beagle in
Captain Fitzroy's Surveying Expedition in the South
Seas. The Tory carries a surgeon, another gentleman
devoted to medical statistics, a naturalist (Dr Dieffen-
bach, of Berlin), a draftsman (Mr. Hoafy), a few young
gentlemen as volunteers, and an interpreter, Nayti, a New
Zealand chieftain, who has resided in England for two
years, and has acquired the English language and habits.
It is understood that this expedition is a preliminary one,
for the purpose of selecting the site of a town and acquiring
correct and scientific information in regard to the country.
The Tory is ordered to proceed to the Company's tcryitory
on the West coast of the Northern Island, which embraces
the harbours of Kiapara and Hokianga, and also to Cook's
Strait ; where it is probable a settlement will also be
formed in the neighbourhood either of Cloudy Bay or
Port Nicholson. It is said the Company are fitting out
another vessel to follow the Tory in a few weeks, and that
a large body of emigrants, consisting of most respectable
families, will embark from Londun in the course of the
present summer. The wind being now favourable for sea,
the Tory is to sail from the Sound this evening, or early
on Friday morning at latest. The final instructions from
the Company in London reached Colonel Wakefield on
board the Tory yesterday."