The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-13 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

Another day of incessant storm and rein has added to
the misfortunes of the sight-seeing public, yet, undaunted
by the state of the weather, 48.318 persens visited the
building yesterday, and 2,2331. 76. Wil3 the ann.-seat taken
at the doors. Toe Qeoan and Prince Albert were there
I to the morning ehortfy after nine o'clock, sod remained
till half-past ten. They exs.mined Curing their stay
those objects us the Russian department which they had
not provioutly to eked at, and especially the brocades
and raw produce, which, as we have already said, are
extremely interesting. They also greatly tvircirsd at to
imperial fur cloak, valued at 3,400/., which is exhibited
in the north gallery of tae nave, and is made of small
pieces taken from the neck of a species of fox, the quality
of the pile being peculiarly limp and delicate. Here,
also, a very remarkable silk shawl was examined by
them. the pattern of which is the eame on both sides.
Mr. Kamensky, the Russian Commissioner, M. Sherer,
and Dr. Hemel!, accompanied the Royal party, who
afterwards proceeded to the apartment furnished with
the Freech national manufactures, for the purpose of in-
specting a new and very splendid specimen of
tapestry illustrative of the massacre of the Mains-
Jukes by Mehemet Ali. This is a magnificent ex-
ample of what the Gobelins can effect and as a work of
art and of manufacturing skill is equally admira-
ble. Yesterday the Executive Committee were ectively
engaged in making arrangements for the reception of a
very tine collection of objects forwarded to the Exhibi-
tion from Buckingham Palace, and which consists of pre-
sents made to her Majesty by the Nowab Nazica of
Bengal. The principal contributions are elephant State
trappings, a State palkee, a State throne with canopy, a
pair of moorchals, or emblems of rank, said to be very
valuable, and a palkee, or evening conveyance, intended
to be carried by bearers. This collection is to be placed
in the north-east gallery, at the corner nearest the tran-
sept. There are several other. changes in the interior,
completed or contemplated, which deserve notice. The
first of these is that the gigantic American eagle which
overshadowed with its wings the east entrance of the
building has been entirely eclipsed by Messrs. Gray
and Davidson's organ, which has been recently removed
there. The king of birds, after a vain effort to cover
the emptiness of the Yankee compartment, appears
to be shrinking abashed behind the melodious shelter
afforded to it, and our cousins really have reason
to congratulate themselves that their eagle at last
shows some traces of modesty and diffidence. Another
point of public interest relates to the Koh-i-Noor.
After all the work which has been made about that
I celebrated diamond our readers will be rather surprised
to hear that many people find a difficulty in bringing
themselves to believe, from its external appearance, that
it is anything but a piece of common glass. Amid all
the adventures that have befallen it, there is, perhaps,
none more odd than that its genuineness should now be
doubted. Yet so it is. The fact is, that the "Mountain
of Light" has been shockingly ill-used in the cutting,
and that when placed in the open light of day, without
any arrangements to draw forth its brilliancy, it does
not sparkle and gleam like other jewels of the kind. To
obviate this disadvantage, and demonstrate to the world
that the Koh-i-Noor is a veritable diamond, it is to be
surrounded with a canopy or tent, the interior of which
is to be lighted with gas, and the idea is that this will
develop° its beauties as a gem of the purest water, with
a certainty and splendour which undoubtedly are not
attained at present.
A remarkable feature of yesterday's experience in the
interior of the Exhibition was the appearance there, at
an early hour, of nearly 800 agricultural labourers and
country folk, from the neighbourhood of Godstone, in
Surrey, headed by the clergymen of the parishes to
Avhich they respectively belonged, and organized for the
'bccesion into companies like a regiment of militia. They
pitid Is. 6d. each towards the expenses of the trip, the
rest being defrayed by the gentry of the neighbourhood;
and, notwithstanding the state of the weather, they were
conveyed to the Exhibition and beck again to their own
homes in a very expeditious manner, and with the utmost
care for their comfort. The railway station was reacia.d
by waggons, and from Loudon-Fridge terminus to West-
minster they were brought up by steamer. Thence,
after seeing Wctstuiinster-hall, they proceeded on foot
and in marching order to the Crystal Pelee°, and,
having spent several hours there in exploring the
wonders of art and industry, at four o'clock
they- took their 'departure, returning as they
came. The men wore their smartest sraoclefrocks,
the women their best Sunday dresses, and more perfect
specimens of rustic attire, rustic laces, end rustic man
ners could hardly be produced from any pert of Eng-
land. The town portion of the assemblage gather( cl
round them as they mustered before departing in the
transept, with locks full of curiosity, not unraingled with
a species of half pitying interest; and many were the
questions put to them as to what they thought of the
Exhibition? What they were most struck by? Whe-
ther they understood what they had seen? And if they
would like to come again? After some little marshallieg
they left the Exhibition in close order, 'moving three
abreast—an affecting array of young and old, male and
female, in which each observer might read with his own
eyes the evidences of a laborious life, little relieved by
intelligence or edecation, but simple, unpretending, and
not unaccompanied• by domestic virtue and happiness.
They trete chiefly, we understand, from the parish of
Liegfield, and their rector, the Rev. Mr. Hutton' who
attended them, deserves great praise for this truly bene-
volent and pastoral act, which ought to be extensively
imitated.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COWES, JUNE 12.
ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE.
ARRIVALS.
June 6. Gondola yawl, W. H. Woodhouse, Esq., from
the Mediterranean.
7. Osprey cutter, John Petro, Dsq., from Portsmouth.
8. Erminia schooner, Earl of Ellesmere, from the Me-
diterranean, and proceeded for Portsmouth.
10. Seagull cutter, William Moore, Esq., from Ly-
mington.
11. Lailia cutter, Tweston Hodges, Esq., from South-
ampton; Brilliant schooner, G. H. Aikus, Esq., from
ditto.
12. Freak cutter, William Carling, Esq., from Ply-
mouth and other ports.
YACHTS AT AND ABOUT THE STATION.
Resolution, Merlin, Leda. Titania, Coquette, Brilliant,
Drift, Elizabeth, Stella, Osprey, Lavrock, Turquoise,
Seagull, Spider, Meritania, Nautilus, Freak, Lailis,
Gondola.
The American steam-ship Franklin arrived here this
morning, at nine o'clock, from New York.- She brought
157 passengers, 59 of whom landed, with 14 mad bags
and 142 packages. At eleven o'clock she proceeded on
for Havre.