The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-06 00:00:00

[PRIOR SD.

~-..

Jsuentides patch from Constai-
nople. But what is the
eq
meaning of the attack being 'u un-
expected ? ' Do men land in the face of the forces of an
empire and not expect to be attacked ? Mightnot the Arc-
tic -voyagers as well have said the necessity for warm
clothing was unexpected ?' This comes of barrack service.
With a force of 2,000 cavalry, why was there the possi-
bility of a surprise—for a surprise is avowed, put for-
ward, paraded by authority t There was not a Peninsular
captain of dragoons who would not have been perfectly
alive to the wants of the occasion. Half-a-dozen sub-
alterns' parties, taking their lives in their, hands, and
kept moving day and night on the routes where an ad-
vancing enemy must show himself would have prevented
the mischief. What else had the cava:ry to do ? What
else was it doing ? How many of the officers of that
cavalry ever conducted a patrol in the face of an enemy I
What is.become of the men who had learnt their trade ;
and why were none of them there ? It is a dear school
where every step is to be paid for.by loss.",

THE MUTED STATES GI?INNELL

EXPEDITION.

• 1 An assertion having gained circulation, to the effect
that the American expedition under Lieutenant Kane
Las been heard of this year, it is necessary to state
tnat such is not the fact. The letter of Dr. Hayes
(who, is attached to that expedition), which appears
in the columns of a contemporary, bears the wrong
date of 1854, instead of 1853. It was written in
July of Tut year, from Baffin's Bay, a'few weeks
°lily after Jeaving New York, when the American
expedition was entering upon its sphere of search, and
this is shown by the very letter itself, which enlarges
theth e reachu n
ite d o
States
c o rn rna
tu n
theic adt lab::
upon the preparations for the future. The expedition
has passed one winter already in the far north, beyond
of theand bad a
last
it may be expected throughout the present month. It
not returned
tho though
is understood that should Lieutenant Kane not return
this season, the American Government will take up the
masit stance.ter, and probably despatch screw propellers to his
as

THE GUIDES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE•

On Saturday last there was another musical fete at the
Crystal Palace for the benefit of the Patriotic Fund, but
on a much smaller scale than that of the previous week.
In fact,' the only attraction, in addition to the orchestra.
presided over by• Mr. Schallehn, consisted of the band
of the Guides, who were graciously permitted by the
Emperor Napoleon to perform once more on behalf of
this national object before returning to Paris. We ..
regret to say that the affair proved a signal failure ; and,
indeed, from very obvious causes. Although there were
but two instead of sixteen bands, as on the previous
occasion, the price of admission was considerably higher,
being that usually charged at the palace on Saturday—
a rate which experience has abundantly demonstrated to
be unremuneiative. No doubt, however, more persons
would have paid this high rate if the intended perform-
ance of the Guides had been generally known ; but,
as no announcement of this fact was made until the
previous day, in order, we believe, not to compel*
'with the concert at Exeter-hall on Thursday (Mining—
and as the usual means of obtaining the most extended
publicity were not even then adopted, .it would have
been extraordinary, indeed, had any very large number
of persons assembled at so short a notice. Owing to these
causes there were only about 4,000 persons present, and
of these not one-half belonged to the general public, the
remainder being holders of season tickets, who for the
most part availed themselves on this occasion of their
usual privileges. So scanty, indeed, was the attendant:
during the early part of the morning, that at 12 o'clock
—the hour named for the commencement of the fete—
there were not more than a few hundred persons in the
building; and therefore, although the Guides had already
arrived, they did not begin playing until nearly one
o'clock. They then took their station on a raised plat
form in the great transept, and immediately etruok up
" God save the Queen." Having so recently noticed
their performances at length, it is quite unnecessary to
enter into any detailed criticism on the present occasion,
especially as the programme was, in all its principal fea-
tures, the lame as that of the concert at Exeter-hall. It •
is sufficient to say that the abilities of the several artistes
and the perfection of the ensemble were as conspicuous
as ou any former occasion, and that they received as
ready and as hearty a recognition on the part of the au-
dience.

After each part of the Guides' performance, the band
of the Crystal Palace Company gave a selection, partly
of popular and partly of classical music. Organised ex-
clusively as a brass band, and very much with a view to
performances in the open air, it would be unfair to corn.
pare them with the French troops. But try-
ing them by the standard to which they are properly
amenable, no one can deny either the skill and taste of
the conductor, the general merit of the members, or the
very effective character of their performances.
It is almost needless to say that there was on this
occasion an entire absence of that crowding either in
the railway trains or at the refreshment department
which characterised so disagreeably the former fete.
Unusual preparations were, we believe, made by the
purveyor for the expected influx of guests ; but these,
as might have been anticipated, proved wholly unneces-
sary, the number of visitors being but little above those
on an ordinary shilling day.

‘ 4 2
t..
st'
.37DPS -cg TiNEXP ACTED" ATTACK.
yr.;
4411;ilitary coi espondent of Saturday, writes : "My
41A-isurmie as to the locality of Lipran di's attack has been
confirmed by the subseonenticleßnatch frnm