The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-09 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Brilliant weather and an attractive programme
of amusements co operated to induce a large and
fashionable attendance at the Crystal Palace on
Saturday last, mad we may safely say that palace
and grounds were seldom seen under more advan-
tageous circumstances. Within doors, under the
noble vaulted roof of the matchless structure, the
various tropical plants and shrubs were in splendid
condition, as healthy, strong, and perfect as if they
were in their native climes, and not leading an
exotic existence in a very high latitude on a very
high hill. The air throughout the building was
delightfully tempered, and rendered as fresh and
agreeable as could be desired—a fact which was
fully appreciated by the thousands who thronged
the nave and loitered in the courts. At one
o'clock, in the concert-room, the orchestral band of
the company performed a selection of music of a
classical character, comprising the chefs d'oeuvre of
the great masters, and including the sprightly and
beautiful "Exhibition March" of Auber, the exe-
cution of which created quite a furore amongst a
discriminating audience. On the termination of
the first part of the concert in the Music Court the
company adjourned to the park to witness the dis-
play of the entire system of waterworks and Blon-
din's first ascent this season over the terrace foun-
tains. The grounds wore their brightest livery.
Gigantic elms, oaks, and chestnuts seemed to bew
to the earth by the weight of their foliage, as they
gently swayed hither and thither in the breeze.
As soft as the softest Turkey carpets was the I
closely cut and verdant turf ; gorgeous were the
parterres of flowers and beds of rhododendrons, and
smiling and luxuriant the wide expanse of country
which the eye swept over beyond, from Gad's hill
on the left to the tree-clustered knolls in far-off
Sussex on the right. Foreigners there were pre-
sent not a few ; for nearly one-half the visitors
were French and Germans, who were in ecstasies
with the scene, and vented their pleasure in their
own mother tongue, and then in the limited broken
English at their command, but ever with a lavish
expenditure of gesticulation. It was one of the few
occasions that the play of the fountains has proved
a real success, though at times the high wind
which blew across the park from the south behaved
capriciously, and sadly marred the effect. For the
same reason Blondin's ascent was a difficult one.
His passage along the rope from the middle stage
to the end next the refreshment wing was not with-
out peril, as it appeared from below, and required

all his courage, prudence, and caution, so great was
the resistance offered to his progress by the wind.
The return was accomplished backwards. One a
two of his simplest and safest feats were all he yen
tured to attempt; and on his reaching the centre
stage it was not without a sense of relief that
people saw him step into the car and
drawn into the front gallery of the build-
ing, instead of passing along the remaining half
of the rope. At half-past four the company's band
and the band of the Coldstream Guards, united
under the conductorship of Mr. Manns beneath the
new ceiling of the Handel orchestra, and performed
the following selection of music :
Wedding •• •• •• .• Mendelssoha.
Solo for Cornet, "The Whirlwind Polka .. Levy.
(Cornet, Mr. Levy.)
Exhibition Overture .. Meyarbeer.
New Waltz, " Flora".. Manns.
Prayer from "Mdse" Rossini.
Coronation March, "King of. Prussia" Meyerbeer.
Overture, " Haydee" Auber.
The performance was of a character to test the
efficiency of the new arrangements, and the results
were most satisfactory in an acoustic point of view.
The entertainments were brought to a close by Mr.
James Coward's peformance.on the great organ.