The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-18 00:00:00

Royal Polytechnic Institution.

The attraction, if we may judge from the crowded
audiences daily visiting this establishment, must be
very &eat ; but we have Some difficulty in saying
eattifa -dc; diversified we hardly know which of
its varied entertainments to allude to first. Taking
them, however, in rotation, we enter the large
theatre, where Mr. W. Stokes is labouring in a. very
pleasant and successful manner to cultivate on the
minds of young and old his system of artificial
memory. Mr. Stokes' work on the subject has al-
ready been noticed in the columns of The Sun,
and in addition to what we then said we can only
in recapitulation add that his lectures are sufficiently
popular to insure not only large but appreciative
audiences. Our attention is next called to Mr.
Jester's exhibition of ventriloquial powers, of which
his talking hand and headless men are wonderful
illustrations. The extraordinary doll which recites
" The little busy bee," with a mind running on
visionary sixpences, excites roars of laughter from
every one. On our part we were sorry when Mr.
Jester concluded. We are now transported into
" The land of the mountain and flood," and con-
ducted by those deservedly popular artists, Mr. and
Mrs. Henri Drayton, through the most beautiful
passages in the "Lady of the Lake." This is no
weary journey; the dulcet strains of Mr. Drayton's
voice, the ample justice rendered to the author by
Mr. Drayton's exquisite reading, renders this per-
formance delightful. Mrs. Drayton, in Sir Walter -
Scott's song of " Rest, warrior, rest, thy warfare's
o'er," is fully equal to anything we have ever
heard.

We now reach the scientific attraction of tile
evening in Mr. Pepper's popular optical illusion of
Shakspere and his friends, the Delphic Oracle, and,
perhaps the most beautiful of all, that of the
cherubs floating in the air. Our readers must spare
us the task of description ; the illusion is so per-
fect and so beautiful that we advise them to satisfy
themselves rather than we should fail in describing
what the pen can hardly, at all events satisfactorily,
accomplish. Amongst the stalls where articles of
beauty and utility combined are to be found we
notice that where Mr. Cox, the patentee of the
" Patent Ceramic Pentalocaust" prepares by his
patent the most beautiful specimens of natural
printed glass, china, and porcelain, where such
natural objects as flowers, seaweeds, ferns, butter-
flies, and moths are transferred in life-like reality on
the objects before us, and we were informed, al-
though in their truthfulness to nature, their bril-
liancy and durability, that they- are cheaper than
those produced by hand painting. Space prevents
our mentioning many other objects worthy of note.
But we must not conclude our remarks without a
word of praise to the unceasing exertions of Pro-
fessor Pepper, who is indefatigable in his efforts to
please the public taste ; nor on Mr. Thomas, secre-
tary to the institution, on whom much responsibility
rests. In fact, a word of praise is due to everyone
employed in the institution for the uniform civility
and courtesy they show towards the comfort and
requirements of the visitors.

Stokes' Pictorial Multiplication Table. London :

Houlston and Wright.
Since the above remarks, we have received that
which, if applicable, will gladden the heart of many
youths of both sexes, inasmuch as the difficulties of
the vexatious table can be mastered in the incredible
space of half an hour; which, if a fact,
and we have
no reason to doubt the veracity of Mr. Stokes, he
will deserve more laudatory comments than our
limits permit us to bestow.

ARMY OFFICERS' COMMISSIONS.—A War-office
return shows that in tha courso of the years 1861 and 1865
127 officers in the army died while on full pay. The sums
which they had paid for their commissions amounted
together to £llO,OlO.

THE GREAT PIGEON FLYING MATCH FROM
ANTWERP TO LONDON.—On Friday 37
pigeons were
thrown up at Antwerp, to contest in a fly home to London,
but to the surprise of the owners not one arrived at its des-
tination till Saturday, although in training several of the
birds came half the distance from London to Antwerp in
lh. 45m. It is supposed the weather drifted the pigeons
out of their track. The distance from Antwerp to London
has been flown by pigeons in less than four hours. Another
and more satisfactory trial is anticipated.

FLORENCE, June 18.
Garibaldi left Como:yesterday morning for Lecco,
and was followed at noon by some troops.
As soon as the volunteers are completely equipped
they will proCeed to Bergamo and Brescia.
PESTH, June 17 (Evening).

The Croatian deputation will return to-morrow
to Agram. The negotiations for union with Hun-
gary have not yet been brought to a successful con-
clusion.

The fraction of the Opposition, under the leader-
ship of M. Gliyezy, has separated itself from the
fraction which, under the leadership of M. Deak, is
now pursuing a policy favourable to the Govern-
ment.

KIEL, June 18.

The President of the Holstein Government has
addressed a circular to the authorities ordering
them to discontinue the use of the word " Ducal'
in public documents issued from their offices.

OUTWARD BOMBAY MAIL,
SOUTHAMPTON, June 17.

The Avoca, from Southampton on the 12th inst.,
arrived to-day at 6 a.m., and leaves at 10 a.m. for
Alexandria, all well.
Quarantine reduced to three days.