The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-07 00:00:00

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X was
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risits,

" THEATRE ROYAL,

"he added, that the ladies were, with the exceptions of
" beards, figure, voice, and feminine action, most bewitching
" personages. I have given a copy of the play-bill for the
" evening.

" WINTER ISLE.
• .c" The Public are most respectfully informed, that this little,
Vet elegant Theatre, will open fir the Season on Friday next,
'4l the 9th Nor. 1821, when will be performed Susainaes's
"celebrated Comedy of
" THE RIVALS.
• "
Sir Anthony Absolute, - - Captain Parry. .
" Captain Absolute, - - Captain Lynn.
" Sir Lucille, o"frigger, - Mr. Crozier.
" l"aulkland, - - - - Mr. Edwards.
" Acres, . - Mr. Henderson.
" Fag, . . Mr: Hoppner.
• " David, - - - Mr. Reid.
" Coachman, .Mr. Bushnell.
" Mrs. Malaprop, - - - Mr. Richards:
" Julia, _ - Mr. Hooper.
" Lydia Languish, - Mr. Sherer.
" -Lucy, - _ _ _ ;11r.illogg.
Songs, by Messrs. Palmer and Henderson, will be introduced
in the course of the evening.
" Doors to be opened at half-past six, curtain to rise at seven
precisely."
It is a pleasing reflection, that this first-rate Comedy
should have been.selected to commence the season with ; and
it is certainly the first instance of its being performed not
many degrees above zero. On the 27th " were exhibited the
two farces of Raising the Wind,' and the Mock Doctor,'
▪ " with Phantasmagoria ;* the temperature at 20 degrees below
zero in the open air." The 28th the cold was most severely
felt; several of the people were " frost-bitten, and a poor fox
`4' on deck was found to be severely benumbed." He was " con-
-4 s'ldeeed untameable, and would not agree with two others of
" Ins own kind, also prisoners; but in his distress, on being
5,5 taken below, his nature appeared to change, and he became
a‘ a tame dog, walking to the different messes, and quietly
"taking his food from the hand. The sudden change of tem-
et. ,
ita ,4 P ire, however, proved too much for him, and before
morning he died." The theatrical performances Were again
I:!lnlined, and " on the 17th December a shivering set of actors
4, performed to a great-coated, yet very cold, audience, the'
comedy of the Poor Gentleman.'"
Captain Lyon adds, " we were much amused during the ex-
" hibition of this play by a burst of true English feeling. In
• the scene where Lieut. Worthington and Corporal Foss re-
count in so animated a manner their former achievements,
" advancing at the same time, and huzzaing for Old .Eng-
" " land !' the whole audience with one accord rose, and gave
three of the heartiest cheers I ever heard. They then sat
down, and the play continued uninterrupted." This is in-
' "eed a fine display of feeling, and reflects the greatest credit on
thoee brave and dauntless navigators who quitted their homes
• to convey the names of Englishmen, and extend the fame of
their best bulwarks to one of the remotest corners of the world.
t, On the 20th a bear was seen about a mile from the ships,
,c to which he was cautiously walking, smelling as he ad-
" vanced." lie was hog ever lost sight of in the frost-smoke.
Captain.... Lyon adds—"' By his foot-marks, we judged that he
~could not have been very large, the hind paw measuring 14
,4 inches by 7, and the fore-one 7i inches each way. 'The
4, shape of a bear track is curious, as resembling that of a plan,
were it not for the too plainly marked toe-nails, which make
deep ducts in the snow."
On Christmas Eve two farces were performed, and the Phan-
tasmagoria exhibited. The celebration of the Nativity we shall
.14'ive in Captain Lyon's words :—" Christmas day was very
"he, and we all attended church on board the I ury, we
44 had been accustomed to do every Sunday. since we were frozen,
hi. The people then returned to their dinners, at which
45` English roast beef, that had been kept untainted since the
4` transport left us" (the Ist of July) " was the principal
luxury. To this were added, cranberry pies and puddings of
every shape and size, with full allowance of spirits. I never
`5
indeed saw more general good humour and merriment on a
: Christmas day since I went to sea. A pretty compliment
Was paid to all the officers by a well meaning, but certainly.
not very sober crew, by absolutely forcing each in his
cc turn, beginning with myself, to go out on the lower
deck, and have his health drank with three hearty
" cheers. On the 26th, we sent all the people for is
5` run on the ice, in order to put them to rights, but thick
55 we-tither coming on, it became necessary to recal them, and
, Postponing the dinner hour, they were all danced sober by
P. the fiddler being fortunately quite as he should be.—
" During this curious ball, a witty fellow attended as an old
-" cake woman, with lumps of frozen snow in a basket ; and
" such was the demand for his pies on this occasion, that he
was obliged to replenish pretty frequently." Schools had
been established aboard both ships. Speaking of the Hecla,
-Capt. Lyon says, " our men had taken the greatest pleasure
in their school, which might in some degree be attributed to
2
their having had the management of it in their own hands.
-5 There was not aman in the ship who could not, by this time
read and write, and on Christmas.day I received sixteen copies
." from those who, two months before, scarcely knew their let-
" tens. These little specimens were all well written, and put
'" with as much pride as if the writers had been good little
" school-boys, instead of stout excellent seamen." What a
Pleasing reflection must this be to the promoters of these aca-
demies, and we can readily imagine the satisfaction Captain
leYnn experienced at receiving these proofs of the scholars' ad-
vancement.
About this period occurred some very beautiful appearances
in the sky. After minutely describing them, Capt. Lyon very
judiciously remarks, " I have never contemplated the Aurora
,without experiencing the most awful sensations, and can
~readily excuse the poor untutored Indians for supposing that
2 tin the restless motions of the northern lights, they beheld
spirits of their fathers roaming in freedoin through the
three a,ild of souls." Notwithstanding the severity of the weather
tit volunteers of Thespis continued their performances for
gratification of the men, and we shall give Capt. Lyon's
7,ords—" The coldness of the weather proved no bar to the
INrformance of a play at the appointed time. If it amused
the seamen our purposes were answered, but it was a cruel
task
for the performers. In cur green-room, which was
as much warmed as any otherpart of the theatre, the therino-
, meter stood at 16deg. and on a table which was placed ovens
stove, and about 6 inches above it, the coffee froze in thecups,
For my sins I was obliged to be dressed in the height of the
, fashion, as Dick Dowlas, in the Heir at Law,' and went
through the last scene of the play with two of my fingers frost
bitten ! Let those who have witnessed and admired the
performance of a Young, answer if he could possibly have
St ood so cold a reception." The privations of .the heroes of
sock and buskin are too well known, and we are quite cer-
that none of them were ever in a similar situation.
_ About this time much of the wine was frozen; the port
awas congealed in thin pink laminas, which lay loosely, and
,4etecePied the whole length of the bottle. The ice was almost
asteless ; but, if any thing, of a sweet flavour. White wine,
‘'n the contrary, froze into a solid and perfectly traniparent
2-
I_,asae resembling amber."
far-tch theatricals continued, and on the 22d January, 1822, the
kip of " Raising the Wind" and the " Sleep Walker" were
tee °Moll, in the former of which we understand Capt. Lyon
per_"ted the part ofJeremy Diddler. On this evening the tern-
ititire of the air was 22 degrees below zero!
ariy froe Ist February the Esquimaux made their appearance,
Neat T, this period may we date the commencement of the
The Interesting part, if possible, of this " Private Journal.”—.
aea:e People were met by Captain Parry and Captain Lyon,
f alPanied by four others. The Esquimaux halted and
I:;,,riltled into a line, in which position they remained until joined
stab Captains. The account of this event is very circum-
-71 , and we shall give it in nearly the words of the author.
th 3 were all unarmed, and silently saluted us by stroking
eir breasts, which we did not fail to imitate. The party
(e:l:lBisted of 21 men, two very old women, and two children ;
isoe hian was so aged and weak, as to be obliged to sup-
detwt himself on a staff; and at length from weariness sat
trih„4,_l",ith an old woman, his wife, on the ice. We dis-
,, c •,',"tll beads and trinkets to all, but our presents were re-
elist'' with so vacant a stare, that it was plain the donors
%( ed more wonder than their gifts."
l'iserteei _
ngLook place, and they "all became very. good
;:111."81 On a jacket being purchased, we found a piece of
°Pean worsted lace within it, and soon observed that
scan men wore a small bracelet of. beads, which chum-
'tances
or
'Croteilitted great interest, as shewing that by some means
Ire td must have been received from our factories.
sire
Rjadly accepted an invitation to the huts, and at the de-
rea72t. the natives we preceded them in the path, but for what
ht,;7l.l.know not. A walk of two miles brought us to the
vie; situated on a shelving beach, which commanded a full
t moue ships, from whence we must have easily seen the
8911 x
„ had they arrived prior to the preceding evening.
,itisrWr men now ran before us to apprise the inmates of our
4, le, !Ind we were then led into the first dwelling, where
44 arid ".11..ct six families silently awaiting our visit, the women
hintl`i'lltdren sitting with their legs doubled under them, be-
. hind men who sat on the edge of their sleeping places."
view o'i",e,ript!on of these dwellings is extremely. minute, and a
ient I,l'ne village, if it may so be termed, is given in an excel-
' as Were' from a drawing made by Captain Lyon, who says,
I walked I • in •
loruse_assisted singing to them some songs and
ties e_ and met with unbounded applause, in such du-
:, neverbfiepally as terminated in Tol de riddle loll,' which
a ea,t'u.,Led to excite loud screams of admiration, and
went ori b Qeal of jumping. The Estiuimaux ultimately
krion rut g;Txdo the ships where the fiddler,like 'Orpheus ofold,'
*ent into tuhthc them and the seamen into motion. An old man
cabin of the Hecla, and was greatly amused with

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HIGH AVATE R AT LONDO.
Morning, 44 minutes after 9.