The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-30 00:00:00

irIUCE 4D. STAMPED 51).

finally by a fonntain, the best piece in the entire pro-
gramme. Several flights of rockets contained as many
as alundred each flight ; and it cannot be denied itat
these and the parachute shells were really excellent pieces
'of.pYryteChny. Nevertheless the sameness of the several
divisionei, 'rocket succeeding racket, shell succeeding
shell, blue fire, and green and white fire; and yellow,
following in regular succession at fixed intervals, com-
municated a certain sameness to the exhibition which
was extensively felt by the crowd who witnessed it. The
night was favourable for displaying fireworks to the best
advantage, ali it was dark and comparatively still ;
.but,
notwithstanding the combination of circumstances, .a
sense. of weariness-was perceptible in the demeanour of
the great bulk of the persons- Kesent, and many of them
commented aloud.upon the tiresome as well as the costly
character of the evening's entertainment. The last grand
eijilosion; therefere, had no sobner taken place than the
,multitude .turned their backs upon Primrose-bill, and
poured. through the park and down all the roads leading
to Regent-street in a rapid stream, 'nor ever once-
- " Cast One longing, lingering look behind."
. Before midnight had souLded Primrose-hill Was as
lonely as usual. It should be added that the attractions
at this point were greatly increased by the fireworks in.
Hyde-park, tne Green-park, and- :Victoria-park,' which
were distinctly visible from all parts of the outer en-
closure, preientieg a very beautiful panorama to 'the
specWPE- • -

" : * 'VICTORrA-PARK:
The preparations for illnmintaiozi In the neighheur-
hood of the park were not very general ; but-when might
.canivon there4wis a suffiefent'nuniber of hoheps lightesl
up to give the localities around a very pretty appearance.
OiaelOilse on the•Park!roadowas illuminated.by Chinese
lanternsa made of lighting that the Parisians make very
"eective on such occasions., A gin palace on the Hack-
ney-mid had the liatite ef;l4l"Torfince Nightingale," in
letters of gas, all across its large front. ThiS simple
and pretty tribute to our illustrious countrywoman
elicited repeated Cheers from those who passed the
house on their way to the park. On the same road was
a transparency, representing the Queen and her ROyal
Consort bdunding over the sea in a particularly cool and
collected mariner, the marine deity who did duty in the
box of the chariot in which Queen Victoria was seated
apparently s;lieiting her Britannic Majesty's directions
as to the course his steeds were to take. • The artist did
not tell hie story very clearly ; but obscurity is a privi-
lege of artists and poet, an in this case the work,
which was nut at all t ally executed, was received with
great entbiiiasm by the crowds who viewed it on their
way past.

By nine,o'clock all eyes were directed to the enclosure
within which the fireworks were to be discharged,
and every movement in that direction was watched
with intense anxiety. Everywhere were there people
—even thronging scaffoldings erected on housetops.
The "signal rocket" was awaited with an excitement
. that only reached its climax when, after that essen
tially pyrotechnic screech which forcibly-ejected fire-
w .rks cause in progress upwards to the atmespbere, the'
brilliant stream had nearly reached the clouds, and bad
commenced it+ descent as a shower of some thousands
of many-coloured stars—then came that peaceful salvo
which from times long passed has always in the minds
of the Eeglish people been assocated with thoughts of
loyalty , and respect for their Sovereign the Royal
salute of 21
.guns; again, an ascent of rockets, each
going higher, and diffusing its brilliant showers over a
wider circle than the former. Next the well-known and
ever-attractive Bengal fire, followed by eccentric—very
eccentric indeed Chinese wheels. The changes
from angry cascades to limpid - fountains, and
from these to' trees with celestial foliage, were rapid
and pleasing ; but they only in some measure
prepared the spectators for what was coining in
the feu d'artiftee, called the " Chrornatrope," whose va-
rieties seemed as endless as those of the kaleidoscope.
This piece of pyrotechny was surrounded by a dazzling
belt of flame. Displays of crimson fires and shells, of
Italian streamers were everywhere exhi/Jiting their gran-
deur at the same time. Alter these followed a diamond
piece, which, in one of its niany transformations, became
a royal star, the straw-fires about which were really a
beautiful sight. The loud reports of a succession of sky
rockets again aroused the people, from their more silent
admiration's of the brilliancy before them; and again,
Elysian imaginations were conjured up by aerial bou-
quets, that seemed only fit for Paradise. A "stunning"
flight of rockets eclipsed the gentler radiance of the
flowere ; no less than 100 of the former having rushed
on high in One coup, amid the enthusiastic plaudit 4 of"
the thousands who witnessed their fiery flight, and, the
hues, various as the rainbows, of their starry showers.
A. very ingenious, curious, and kaleidoscopic contrivance
attracted an immense amount of attention. It com-
menced with three serpentS ; which pursued each other
through the air with blazing animosity. These reptiles
were, we ,presume, supposed to have devoured each
other, or to have undergone a proclsS of metamorphosis.,
for, in their place, appeared three, suns, any one of which
would have been sufficient to have lighted the world of
Victoria-park. More changes of all kinds, more flowers,
fixed stars, every-coloured fires, and then " Jack-in-the-
box " discharging a quarter of a hundred of rockets at
each of several explosions. Some minor, but beautiful,
pieces followed ; and the next grand display was a ho-
rizontal rocket-wheel, which, amongst other perfor-
mance; sent up one continuous column of fire direct
from the base to the height of a sky-rocket. Again,
stars, wheels, and rockets—we were almost going to
say ad nauseam, for really there were too many of
them, brilliant and beautiful though !they un-
doubtedly were. The people appeared to feel that
there was too much of one thing, and a general wish was
expressed that the "attack on Sebastopol," which was
to wind up the pr.-ceedings, should commence. In due
order the finale did arrive, and certainly it was an ex-
ceedingly grand affair of its kind. It consisted of a
fountala of 121 b gerbes, a fountain of Roman candles,
a Guilloohe, a Saxon cutting-piece, batteries of pearl-
streamers, tourbidons, discharges of blue, yellow; green,
and red rockets, 50 of each ; and then commenced a
galaxy of fixed fires of magnificent devices, and a grand
flight of no less than ten thousand rockets. The effect
of all this blazing cannonade, which lasted for some
minutes, was exceedingly fine, and called forth loud and
repeated cheers from the assembled multitude.

Within the enclosure darkness at once " reigned su-
preme ;" but till the small hours of the morning the
masses were wending their way home frum the East-
end scene of the peace rejoicingq.l

GREENWICH AND WOOLWICH.

The illuminations were not all confined to the metro-
polis. Most of the little towns round London had
their own displays, which the inhabitants seemed to pre-
fer to all the glories of the metropolis. For brilliancy
and variety of decorations Greenwich and Woolwich
were cotspicuons. The former tewn may now be said
to form a portion of London ; and, indeed, along the
whole length of the otherwise dark and dreary Old
Kent-road the spectator was never out Of sight of
some device, either of gas or coloured lamps. Along the
High•street of Greenwich there was a really fine display
of stars, mottoes, and transparencies, while above all, in
the bright night air, floated the flags and banners of
every conceivable nation, and of eaany that were not
conceivable at all.

At Woolwich there was even a brighter show. The
large gates of the Arsenal were arched over with gas
mottoes and devices; and the hole of Wellington-street
and the High-street were radient with innumerable rays.
A. considerable number of Londoners appeared to have
been drawn to Woolwich under the vague impression
that the pyrotechnic display at that place was to be
superior to all the exhibitions in London. It is needless
to say that nothing of the kind took place ; though, for
the consolation of those so disappointed, we may tell
them that there is to be one for.the private edification
of Lord Panmure, we believe, on the 4th of next June.
Standing upon Blackheath-hill, the pedestrian usu-
ally sees a hazy, ,faint-lighted streak in the horizon,
which indieites thewhereabouts of the huge metropolis;
but last night the aspect of the scene was changed, and
indeed even those who can weil remember the peace
rejoicings of 1814 were astounded at the view of Lon-
don from a distance. It seemed as if the whole city
was a lake of fire, which the clouds reflected with a
dull and angry glare. From four points of this lurid
mass rose pp great fountains of fire—from Primrose-
hill, the Regent's, Green, and Victoria Parks. The
hues of these great streams were incessantly changing,
like fiery rainbows, while ever and ancn sounds like the
rush of a mighty sea came upon the ear. It was not
like the uEual dull, heavy buzz to be heard over Lon-
don of a night, but a deep angry, swelling eound,which,
with the unnitural.light, seemed as if some great cala-
mity was impending or taking place.
The aspect of Loudon from a distance seemed terrible,
and suggested anything-but the peace rejoicings of 1856
to the minds of the spectators.

THE ILLL U .11 INATIONS.
FASRIONABLE RESIDENCES.

formed WaLsorntiloPstanbmriußrieacistßiyesiilieunmcei,ußeatel‘guraveT-T
farroen—t-Tnheismht house
lamps.
medaloyf
" being painted on a blue ground, around and in the
squarebeket crystalwaa centre,
Pso, rightT a motto oi n " diameter,ll on i soi t
centre of a radiating and reflecting star, the whole being
surmounted by a six-foot crown. The side front had be-
tween the plasters two large trophies, formed by gas jets,
with flags between the same, and in the centre of each a
brilliant gas star.
His Excellency Baron Bentinck, 20, Lowndes-square —A
large and brilliant gas star.
His Excellency Baron Rothschild, 14, Halken-street,
West—A very brilliant star, in gas.
His Excellency General Oxhohn, 41, Wilton-crescent—
A brilliant and bulging star.
Earl of Burlington, 10, Belgrave..square— Asplendid oil
The-Right Hon. Mr. Labouchere, M.P., 27, Belgrave-
pqcare-- V. R.; and wreaths of laurels.
Sir Michael Shaw Stewart,' 42, Belgrave-square—A
grand star,
in gas, which elicited marked approbation,
owing to its extent and brilliancy.
Sir Roderick Murchison, 16, Belgrave-square—A magni-
ficent gas.revolving star and.illumination, with the word
" Peace" UndV. R. This was a splendid device.
J. It. Magennie, Fect, Grosvenor.square—A4 oil illumi-
nation 'of a 'star and' V. R.
S. Ricardo, 'Esq.., 50, Grorrenor-Place—StAr and V. R.,
in oil. •

Coant Kielmansegg,e, 44, Grosvenor•place—A brilliant
VA Aar, with ik transparency, repreisonting Peace and