The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-16 00:00:00

TWO HOURS OF ILLUSION.

Such is the title of an entertainment which was
produced last evening at the Hanover-square Rooms,
her
by Professor Wiljalba Frikell, Physician to
Majesty the Empress of Russia, and afforded con-
siderable amusement to a numerous audience. The
entertainment ie of the class-magic, the chief fea-
tures of which have been made familiar to the public
through the clever manipulations of Herr Dobler,
M. Phillippe, and other equally ingenious artistsin
physical and natural magic. There is, however, a
pecularity in respect to the " illusions" performed
last eveniug, namely, that they are conducted with-
out aid of any apparatus. The professor appeared
upon a stage erected at the end of the large roam ;
but instead of the glittering display of ornamental
furniture which usually sets off the scene on which
conjurors are wont to exhib,t the wonders, nothing
is ti be seen but a couple of chairs and a small
table, so that the artist had to depend entirely upon
his own resources ; and it is but fair to say they they
were most complete in every particular. In the
first part of the entertainment, the professor per-
formed a very clever trick. Having cut off the neck
of a poor pigeon, the dead body was wrapped up ie
paper, and place in the care of a gentleman in the
stalls. M. Frikell then produced a bottle of wino, and
heigh presto, the bottle was broken, when out flew
a pigeon, and from the paper parcel already referred
to, sprang a bouquet of flowers. This feat was fol-
lowed by several other equally clever tricks, whien
were much applauded, but the chef-d'ceuvri was
"Faust's Magic Cap." Out of a hut supplied to
the professor by a gentleman, the former, it two or
three turns of the chapeau, produced from its in-
terior upwards of 100 glittering caps. An explosion
destroyed the hat, and the fragments were placed
in a paper wrapper by the professor, and handed to
the owner. The professor then fired a pistol, when
the re al hat flew up to the ceiling, where it remained
until it was requested to descend. It obeyed the
command of the wizard, and was quickly on the
head of the original proprietor, and upon opening
the paper parcel, forth came a model baby amidst
the laughter of the company.
From what we have said, it will be seen that the
entertainment in question is well calculated
to afford
much amusement for the time occupied in its re-
presentation. Au oblong room is not, however, a
suitable place for an audience to witness feats of
conjuring, and certainly M. Frikell would be seen
to greater advantage in a small theatre.

INDIAN MUTINY RELIEF FUND.—Au interesting case
has recently come under the notice of the committee
entrusted with the administration of this fund, some ,f
the details of which have already been brought before
the notice of the public through the medium of the
press. We refer to the act of fidelity and bravery per-
formed by the trooper Booran Bukbab, who escorted the
wife and family of Captain Spreed, then in command
of the 2d Infantry, Hyderabad Contingent, to a dis-
tant place of security, leaving his own children as
hostages for the safety of his charge. It now appears
that the result of this faithful discharge of duty was
that his house and effects were maliciously destroyed by
fire. The committee, not bring aware of the extent ()1
destitution thus occasioned, but being especially de,
sirous of relieving any distress which may have been
occasioned in consequence of such signal fidelity, have
placed at the disposal of the Resident at Hyderabad the
sum of 500 rupees for the supply of the necessities of
this brave and deserving man.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

In consequence of the news just received from
India, the authorities at the Horse Guards have de-
cided thatthe whole of the officers belonging to re-
giments in that country who are now at home on
leave shall proceed forthwith to join the head-
quarters of their respective cords. All the officers
not required to embark in charge of detachments
will be permitted to proceed by the overland route.
The Brilliant, 20, Capt. J. A. Paynter, from the
West India station, has arrived at Chatham to be
dismantled.

' The George Marshall is appointed to sail this
morning from Gravesend for Calcutta, with rein-
forcements to the number of about 600 men, in-
cluding both infantry and cavalry.
On the 27th of Oct. the screw steamer South-
ampton which left Gravesend on the 16th, arrived
at St. Vincent's, with the 7th Dragoon Guards and.
detachments of infantry on board en route to Kur-
rachee. The troops were in excellent health, and
the ship had made a most favourable passage.
In consequence of a number of irregularities
which have recently occurred among the non-com-
missioned officers of the Royal Artillery at Wool-
wich, the whole of the staff sergeants, sergeants,
and corporals off duty, as well asthe men acting as
officers' servants, were last week paraded in pre-
sence of Major-General Sir W. F. Williams and the
garrison staff. They underwent a strict inspection
and were afcerwaeds addressed by the Commandant.
A sergeant of the 7th battalion was then called for-
ward and severely teprimanded, and two corporals
were placed under arrest and ordered to be reduced.
A Malta correspondent, writing on the 10th in-
stant, says :
" I have to report the arrival on the 6th from
Candia, after a tedious pa,sage of 11 days under can-
vass, of Admiral Lord Lyons, in the Royal Albert,
screw steam line-of-battle ship, with the Princess
Royal, Conqueror, and Centurion, similar class ves-
sels. The Desperate, steam corvette, was sen: to
Cagliari on the 20th ult. to assist the Elbe in laying
the electric cable between that place and Malta,
where these vessels are hourly expected, the wea-
ther having been favourable for the operation.
"Her Majesty's screw storeship Supply arrived
here from Boudroum on the 23d ult., with a quan-
tity of ancient marbles, and is to return shortly for
another cargo, the collection of which will occupy
several months.

" The steam gunboats Wanderer, Vigilant, and
Coquette are employed between Malta and Cagliari
in the conveyance, for telegraphic communication
to London, of the Government and the Times' tele-
grams of the Indian intelligence. The Coquette
left Malta on this mission yesterday."
The Scourge, 6, steawsloop, Commodore Adams,
arrived at Spithead on Saturday from the Cape and
West Coast of Africa stations. She left the Cape on
July 26, and the River Congo Sept. 25. She re-
ports the slave trade becoming quite brisk on the
coast of Africa. H.M. screw steamsloop Alecto has
captured four slavers lately, one with a small quan-
tity of specie on board for the purchase of cargo.
H.M. sloop Sappho had driven one slaver on shore
and rescued 35U slaves ; about 155 more were re-
ported to be drowned and missing. The slaver was
afterwards burnt as she lay on the beach. On Oct.
22 the Great Britain, steam transport sailed from
St. Vincent's for India with troops, and two days
afterwards was followed by the screw transport
Calcutta. The Scourge left Spithead for Plymouth
yesterday to be paid off.
Dr. A. Armstrong, who was surgeon in H.M.S.
Investigator at the discovery of the North-West
Passage, and Surgeon C. Steel, who has iecently
been appointed staff-surgeon to the Portsmouth
division of Royal Marine Light Infantry, have been
awarded Sir G. Blane's gold medal, conferred once
in three years on the surgeon in the Royal Navy
whose medical and scientific journal during a ship's
commission shall be adjudged of the highest 6 merit.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :---t

Lieut. C. T. Williamson, to the Vesuvius ;
Lieut. S. de Lacy, additional, to the Vesuvius, for
disposal ; B. A. Capel, midshipman, to the Valo-
rous ; J. E. O'Malley, surgeon, to the -Piper ; T.
Roche, surgeon, to the Sharpshooter ; T. Ayling,
surgeon, to the Alecto ; H. N. Speer, surgeon, to
the Lyra ; T. B. Purchas, surgeon, to the Ardent;
J. /Vl'Cormick, assistant-surgeon, to the Alecto ;
and J. Hunter, assistant-surgeon to the Lyra.