The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-20 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRICAL FUND

DINNEn.

Yesterday evening the seventeenth anniversary of this
excellent institution was celebt.ited at the Freemasons'
Hall—the Marquis of Clanricarde in the chair. We have
seldom seen so nurnerousa company, upwards of three
hundred being present: The Mat quis of Clanricarde was
supported by lord Oungarvon, Lord Saltoun, Lord Sea-
grave, Alderman Birch, Captain Hamilton, Captain Mac-
donald, and several other Vice-Pre.idente. A great
number of ladies were present ; all the galleries were
filled, and several were provided with seats on the ground
floor. After the cloth had been removed, and " Non
noble, Domino,'' sung—

The 14.1arquis of CLANRIi-jARIIIC rote,, and proposed the
health of " his Most Gracious Majesty." The king bad,
with his customary munificence, transmitted to them a
donation of 100 guineas.—(Much cheering.)
Drunk with three tames three. " God save the Kin,'"
was sung by the professional gentlemen present.
" Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen" was the next
toast. Drunk with three times three. " Long live the
Queen," from the opera of Gustave, was sung, and re-
ceived great applause.
" The rest of the Royal Family" was the next toast.
The Noble CHAIRMAN, in proposing it, said that the
Duchess of Kent had sent them a donation of 25/.
(Cheers.)
Miss Shirreff sung 'Away, away to the mountain's brow.'
The NOBLE CHAIRMAN proposed " The health of the
Duke of Sussex, the President of the Institution."
" The Army and Navy" was the next toast.

The Noble ellAinstAX then said, he should propose a
toast which brought them more immediately to the busi-
ness of the evening. He should propose " The Drury-
lane Fund, and the health of Mr. Harley, the Treasurer."
—(Cheers.)
Mr. Har.LEY rose amidst general cheering—Permit
ine, roy Lords and Gentlemen, again to present you with
our Dramatic Annual. The duty I have to perform is a
pleasing one; to express how many hearts you have glad-
dened since our last meeing—what distress you have al-
leviated—and the deep gratitude that warms the bosoms
of those who have distributed and shared your bounty.
The stage, holding the mirror up to nature, reflects the
virtues, follies, and vices of mankind. Virtue, contem-
plating her own celestial image, is its friend and pitron;
folly, self-reproved, blushes at her ridiculous figure, and
reforms ; but vice, having no delight in its instructive
impersonations,
"Unless to spy her shadow in the glass,
And descant on her own deformity,"

is an inveterate foe. Yet may the sister arts of Poetry
and Painting look down with contempt on its puny as-
sailants, and point to the high authorities that have borne
testimony to its usefulness, and moral influence upon so•
ciety. It needs no vindication on the score of intel-
lectuality, unless the infinite variety of Garrick he a fable,
and the transcendent powers of Siddons a chimera and a
dream.--(Cheers.) What is the reward of its professors?
The question is soon answered. Liberal p ttronsge in
health and vigour—sustenance and shelter in destitution
and old age.—(Cheers.) Nor is this all. The hand
that gives lifts not the veil from the sanctuary of private
sorrow, but spares adversity the additional ping, too often
inflected by supercilious pity and ribald contempt.—
(App'ause.) Unless, then, you pronounce the theatre a
vain amusement for the id:e and frivolous, you cannot but
feel an interest in the welfare of its professors.—(Cheers.)
I look fortvard to the time when it will he my happiness
to announce that your annuitants are in the enjoyment of
a competence sufficient fi r their humble wants. When
we shall be spared the painful task of pleading the inade-
Tracy of our means, of seeing benefits sparingly admini-
stered, and nec<ssities partially relieved—familiar as are
many of us tc,ith the tragic scene—behind the curtain of
Life's drama truth may almost be said to transcend fic-
rion.—(Cheers.) The path • of a Kean—(Tremendous
app'aose)—with deep emotion I pronounce the name of
that gifted, liberal, and lamented brother—(llenewed
cheers)—could only do justice to this picture of real wo..
Yet while 1 deplore the loss of my imm,diate prede-
cessor—Edmund Kean—(Cheers)—as master of this
fund, let it be a subject of congratulation, that the Dra-
rna'ic Evergreen who pi eaeiled trim in this honourable
office, lives in the full entoelftent of that which should
accompany old age— _ _ _

" As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends."
With only one enemy, an obstinate one, that las never
left him in toto—Oluch laughter and cheering)—the
Autolicus and Touchstone of our youthful ,hys, the
inimitable Jack I3annister.—(Tremendous
Thus I stand, like our immortal founder, between tragedy
and comedy—tragedy, too rudely cut off in the blcssont of
his days ; comedy still enlivening the social circle, and
setting the table, as he once did the theatre, in a roar.—
To their most gracious Majesties let me, with all duty
and respect offer the profound gratitude of the Drury-lane
Theatrical Fund.—(Cheers.) I regret, with your
lordship, that indisposition prevents the Duke of Sussex
(who has been pleased to take this Institution under his
personal protection) from presiding this day—may renewed
health enable his Royal Highness to resume his station at
our next anniversary.—(Applause.) My Lord, be pleased
to accept my warmest thanks for your lib,rality and elo-
quent appeal in our behalf, more particularly as this is
not your first appearance in this character..—(Cheers.)
Captain HAMILTON proposed " the health of the Mar-
quis of Clanricarde."

The Marquis of CLANIUCARDE, in returning thanks,
had always been an admirer of the drama.
Mr. HARLEY announced that the total subscriptions
amounted to 1,100/.—(lmmense applause.)
The Noble CHAIRMAN then gave " Success to Drury-
lane and Covent garden Theatres."
Mr. COOPER returned thanks on behalf of Mr. Bunn,
who, he said, was prevented from attending there that
(lay by a severe domestic affliction.—(Hear, hear.) Mr.
llunn had desired him to express his best acknowledgments
for the great support which he had hitherto received from
the public, and to state that his exertions would not flag
during the remainder of the season ; but on the contrary
he should endeavour to retain, and to deserve to the last,
the distinguished success which had attended his efforts.
—(Cheers.)
" The Musical Phenomenon," a modest looking young
man, then came forward, and exhibited his extraordinary
powers. He executed the well.known hunting chorus in
Der Freischutz in the most correct and e'aborate manner,
by merely exhaling his breath (we believe) through his
nostrilf. Many of the tones resembled the delicate notes
of the violin and flute ; and the only drawbiek was a
slight "drone," which attended the whole performance.
He was highly applauded.
The company broke up at about half-past 11.

The celebrated traveller, Dr. Ruppell, has
arrived in Italy from Abyssinia, and intends to pass a few
months i❑ that country before he returns to Frankfort,
his native city.

DESCENT INTO THE REAL DEL MONTE.
'—The vein of silver ore, now unfolded to our view, forms
a closely-compacted, component part of the solid rock, on
the surface of which are perceived the glittering particles
of the precious metal. It is hewn in small pieces with
prodigious labour, requiring the best and sharpest instru
ments, and a plentiful supply of gunpowder, in order to
blast what cannot be otherwise procured. The dip of
about 15 degrees ; so that in following the ore the depth
continually increases, and the .team•ongine is required to
be in almost continual operation so as to discharge the
water that flows in upon the workmen, by means of
shafts, levels, and exc tvations, made for that purpose. The
veins of silver are principally found in primitive and
transition rocks, of which the porphyries are esteemed the
richest. I had no adequate idea whatever of the enor-
mous toil and expense to be encountered, before a single
shilling is coined, from the first breaking of the stone, to
the subiequent smelting, amalgamation, and running of
the meta► into bars. The works are principally carried
on by Mexicans, under the superintendence of English,
men, many of whom are obliged to stand, for hours, up
to the knees and middle in water, hammering, boring-
drilling, and blasting, night and day, by the light of can-
dles stuck on the points of the rock, and on their hats;
the two portions of this period being assigned to distinct
bodies of men, successively relieving each other. The
appearance of so many subterranean galleries, tra-
versing and intersecting each other, through an almost
int• rminable length, and where, in some instances,
you are compelled to crawl on your hands and
feet,—the appalling sound of the blasting rocks rever-
berating through these dismal caverns with a terrific echo,
as if the superincumbent mountain were rushing down
upon you,—the sickly and lurid glare of a hundred flicker.
ing tapers gleaming around you,—and the anti-mundane
aspect of this second race of Cyclops, driving their wedge-,
and thundering away in their mining avocations, produce
as startling a sensation as an inhabitant of the tapper re-
rions of the earth could well experience, and much more
than he could imagine. Give me a crust of 'mead and a
glass of cold water, under the blessed light of the gun,
and without ever seeing the face of a single shilling, rather
than all the bidden wealth of the mine, if alone to be pro-
cured by working for it in these gloomy shades of" Chaos
and old Night."—Tudor's Narrative.