The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-28 00:00:00

-61

before the curtain rose, the theatre presented a con-
densed living, though hardly breathing, mass of human
beings, abounding in unmistakable specimens of the
facetious low life of London, amongst whom Boz and his
imitators so much delight to revel. Every available
nook or corner, which afforded a seat or a sight, was
eagerly contested, and those who could not secure a full
view of the stage, were content to peer through holes
and crevices, or strain their necks over the heads and
shoulders of their more fortunate neighbours. A French
translation called the " Black Doctor" was the first
piece on the list, but, it would seem, the audience con-
sidered it undeserving of the least attention, and four
acts were horridly performed in mere dumb show.
The elevated portion of the auditory, however, amused
themselves during its representation with cracking
jokes upon each other, and now and then the tedium was
relieved by some caustic witticism giving rise to a slight
ebullition of pugilistic feeling, which invariably ended in
an at:peal to a police cfficer, and a noisy request to
" pitch him over ;" at length the welcome sounds of
" Hat's off "—" Sit down," announced the com-
mencement of the pantomine, and immediately
the " rebellious gods " became hushed and
still. The subject was both seasonable and
instructive, and the entertainment well merited the
unf qu'vocal 'success it met with. It was entitled The
Bilah of the Steam-Engine; or, Harlequin Go a-head ;
and the incidents were intended to illustrate the rise and
progress of steam, from the fir,:tdescovery of its power,
through the simple medium of the spout of a tea kettle,
down to the introduction o! the leviathan locomotives on
the Great Western Railway. The bubbles and follies of
the day were hit off in smart style, and the tricks, illu-
sions, and transformations being very cleverly managed,
were rewarded with a good deal of laughter, and a good
deal of applause. A capital caricature of a prize-fight
was given by the Clown and Harlequin, who, of course,
appeared in a multitudinous cast of characters—novv
railway directors, next cheap steam-boat proprietors,
and, anon, the driver and stoker of a railway train. The
Wellington Statue, Westminster-bridge, London by
night, the eastern Counties Railway, the Hungerford
cheap Omnibus stand were all brought into requisition,
and the " oldest inhabitant" gave it as hii decided
opinion, that it was the best pantomime that had been
produced on that side of the water for many a day.

HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS.
THE COLOSSEUM.

The fairy palace in the Regent's-park is still open to
the visitations of mortals, who may enjoy the privilege
of beholding the realisation of their most tanciful dreams
in the wondrous scenes here presented. The magnificent
Panorama of London, whether seen by day or by night,
is almost equally interesting. The day view, indeed,
exhibits its pictorial beauties to greater advantage, and
shows more distinctly the minute details that give the
painting the reality of nature ; but the night view is
perhaps, the more extraordinary, as it shows London
streets lighted up in a manner and by a process not pre-
viously attempted, and the effect of which is as beautiful
as the mode of its operation is ingenious. The gallery
of sculpture, the Swiss cottage, the waterfall and Alpine
scenery, the ruins, the aviary, the conservatories, and
the stalactite caverns form altogether an unrivalled ex-
hibition, and the proprietors have recently adopted the
plan of dividing it into three, so as to reduce the price
of admission to any one part to the lowest scale. This
may be of considerable advantage in inducing parties to
enter, but we defy them, after they are once in, to come
away without having explored the whole of the wonders
that remain to be unfolded.