The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-22 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Yesterday a private performance was given by
M. Blondin in the terrace dining-room of the
Crystal Palace. Hitherto we have seen M. Blon-
dinweretit a
t chieflywh iwhich
theremarkable
exhibition o
wasacco unt o
given.f
Yesterday achieve several difficult operations on the tight-
rope,e
saw him to greater advantage in a
actsig each of which would have been
s the
er esi wzzohyf which
w
chhe
enough to fatigue an ordinary performer, sup-
posing him capable of rivalling it. The rope used
for the purpose was a short one, strained to a per-
fect level, at a height of not more than eight or
ten feet at the utmost. It seems that M. Blondin
has for so long a period abandoned this simple and
comparatively tame means of display, that an apo-
logy was considered necessary for any loss of skill
that might have ensued from disuse. We should
scarcely think, however, that M. Blondin can have
lost much by want of practice. He first appeared
in the costume of a Siberian slave—a cool one, by
the way, as it consists principally of loose bathing-
drawers and fetters—and with his feet secured in
baskets of the shape and size of those receptacles of
unreadable pamphlets, impertinent communications,
and circulars of bankrupt sales, at an awful sacri-
fice, which "no gentleman's library should be
without. Thus awkwardly encumbered he danced,
leaped, threw amazing somersaults, and ran swiftly
backwards and forwards on the rope, with an ease
which is wholly indescribable. He next came for-
ward, dressed in the conventionally pretty attire of
a stage peasant, and with wooden shoes, or rather
clogs, the soles of which, being loosely tied on,
enabled him to produce the same clapping sound on
the rope which would ensue from stamping on a
hard floor. The dance itself was exceedingly
quaint and pleasing, and the feats of agility which
concluded it were not less attractive,
while they
were infinitely more amazing. Throwing phis
clear
somersaults, he still kept up the clapping
rope.
i
o
wooden soles in the air, just as well as on
Each succeeding exploit astonished the • audience
more and more ; but perhaps the climax was
reached when he balanced himself on a caair with
leaped
backwards over it with a somersault, alighting on
only ono of its legs upon the rope, and also
the rope in a graceful pose with the utmost ease
and precision. In parts of the performance, M.
Blondin exchanges his balancing pole at one time
for a
holdingace of fia flags, at another for a cocked hat over
which,by both hands, he jumps,
and
of sight and practised skill in
finally dances, and even plays upon the violin and
all
ifothrme
vianleiele,tostgainvde
without the balancing pole, trusting only
ttehehdisruomw,n
fixedness
sustaining himself in his difficult position. It was
curious to see with what ease he paused, once or
isno,moendiornecetifonost
on the rope with the mostperfectnonchalance.
. .
The spring afforded b ythat elastic basis very con-
siderably aided his ff
e orts, while it also increased
their graceful effect It is a part of M. Blondin's•
tactics to make each performance more startling
than any which has preceded it the series,
and we suppose thathe intends toinsameintroduce many
fresh
esolutions
in the forthcoming exercises on
the 2,000 t
cc rope outside the building. But we
can hardly think it possible that he can approach
one-half the feats performed by him on the short
rope, which is screwed to the tension of a violin-
string. The rope reaching along the terrace, and
even that which extends the length of the tran-
sept, cannot yield the elastic footing from which
Blondin shoots up, as it were, many feet above
the little cord in the terrace dining-room.

Can any one answer the question, what is a magnet? We
only know some of its marvellous effects, and admire the in-
genuity of those who' apply its power to beneficial uses, for
instance llerrilg's magnetic brushes, &c. Dr. Hassall re-
ports "I regard them as the most perfect brushes hitherto
made, as resputs their mechanical construction, and their
magnetical action." They are the remedy for grey hair,
neuralgia, rheumatism, &c. N.ll.—Counterfeits arc being
made. Cayes, 32, Balinbhall•street, Ludon.