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

WYLD'S GREAT GLOBE.

Throughout the whole of yesterday Mr. Wyld's intelli-
gent lecturer was unceasingly engaged in enlightening
such of the public as sought hero rather instruction than
amusement, upon the geographical features of the " Great
Globe"—devoting, of course, as everybody now does, his
chief attention to those parts which are rendered peculiarly
interesting by the war with Russia. A brief summary of
the history of the Ottoman empire was very appropriately
introduced, and served to place in a very clear light the
momentous question which is now at issue. The late dis-
coveries in the Arctic Regions likewise came in for a good
share of notice ; and the dry study of the globe itself, and
of the various maps on the subject, was relieved by an in-
spection of a small, but valuable, collection of the dresses,
boats, and implements of war, of the inhabitants of those
unhospitable climes, and of birds and beasts which are
found there. These articles are contained in a small ante-
room which, by clever illusion, is made to resemble a tent
with the faint light which is only seen at the North Pole.
The juvenile part of the visitors seemed to take an especial
delight in examining the different objects in this little
chamber.

MR. ALBERT SMITH'S MONT BLANC.
The interest taken by the public in this exhibition
seems to lose nothing of its first favourable impressions by
the lapse of time. Nor is this to be wondered at ; for the
" Ascent of Mont Blanc," made with the ease of the
drawing-room, yet with the most striking representations
of the sublime reality, and, moreover, with the pleasant
companionship of Mr. Albert Smith—as all these advan-
tages can be enjoyed together at the Egyptian Hall—forms
one of the most sterling and agreeable "sights" of the me-
tropolis. Just at this period of the year, when tourists
are beginning to speculate upon the route of their summer's
excursions, a visit to the Egyptian Hall will not be thrown
away. Mr. Albert Smith takes the traveller pleasantly
along from London to Geneva, from Geneva to Chamouni ;
his observations and remarks by the wayside being sea-
soned with a keenness of perception, and a fidelity of
detail, that, if faithfully followed, would form an excellent
model for guide-book makers.

PANOPTICON, LEICESTER-SQUARE.
This institution has become one of the permanent attrac-
tions of London, without seeing which a visit to the me-
tropolis would not be complete; and ou the three great
holiday weeks of the year will no doubt always be attended
by multitudes of all classes. At least yesterday, the
pa-
tronagendertakoingtl:e public was most liberally bestowed upon the
u
and not undeservedly; for we know of no
place on which a shilling can be more advantageously
employed. The gorgeously decorated Saraconic Hall,
with its elegant galleries, its fine statuary, and splendid
fountain, throwing up a straight column of water 97 feet
in height, is of itself a sight worth seeing; but there
are many other things to be witnessed besides the build-
ing. There is the great organ, with bellows worked by
steam-power; various novel and improved machines in full
action ; Brett's printing electric telegraph ; the beautiful
optical diorama, illustrative of Handel's serenata of " Acis
and Galatea," with musical accompaniments ; and the
symmetrical machine, by which persons aro elevated from
the bottom to the top of the hall. We must not omit to
mention the lectures on chemistry, electricity, pneumatics,
and the steam-engine, which are not only full of valuable
matter, but are admirably delivered. The arrangements
for the comfort and convenience of the frequenters of the
institution deserve no less commendation than the civiliiy
of both the male and female attendants.

GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.
The proprietors of this gallery seem to make it their
business now to follow closely the events of the war, and
to depict in their masterly style, and with the utmost pos-
sible truthfulness, all those cities and towns which, by
twtual ongsgemente between the belligerents. or other

circumstances, are brought prominently law notice. They
have lately added to their diorama of the Danube and the
Black Sea a view of Sebastopol, with its fortifications,
from the Admiralty drawing by Lientonant Montag
O'Reilly, of H.M.S. Retribution, and, besides, striking
pictures of the fortified towns of Odessa and Silistria ;
:And if anything could render this exhibition more popular
than it has been, it would bo these last productions, repre-
senting, as they do, those points of the seat of war in thke
south upon which the attention of Europe is now concen-
trated. The gallery was crowded in the morning as well
as in the evening.