The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

TIIE SUN, LON PION, SATURDAY F.: VII IN G, APRIL 11

LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS.

---C•fe4 * 7.4.1 47'"' lc :04 11
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;u0RTII:14

A PRELUDE.

A FP.ESH MAN.

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Yesterday, after one o'clock, the Crystal Palace
and grounds were thrown open to the public at the
usual holiday charge. As the trains did not run
till after one o'clock many thousands of people, un-
willing to lose the few hours of glorious sunshine,
flocked out to Norwood by the Dulwich-road. Cabs,
carts, 'busses, and vans were all pressed into the
service, and one continued stream of vehicles rolled
steadily through Dulwich towards the Palace. As
the trains began to run from London-bridge the
station was crowded, and as the would-be tourists
arrived at the rate la about ten to every one de-
spatched to Noiwood there was soon a dense con-
course of persons assembled outside the station,
who struggled and pushed with the utmost good-
will, but who had as little ultimate chance of
getting to the Palace as the station itself. We are
sure we speak within the mark when we say that
some thousands of persons returned back from the
station wearied with vain struggling to approach
the doors. The railway arrangements seemed to
be loudly condemned by all classes, and, cer-
tainly, both at London-bridge, and at the Crystal
Palace they were far from being as well managed as
on previous similar occasions.

The great orchestra, which is being erected for
the Handel " Commemoration" in the centre tran-
sept, though nothing but a vast amphitheatre of
wood, appeared to excite much attention yesterday.
The seats in the centre have been built round the
colossal statues of Castor and Pollux and their re-
spective steeds, each of which seem struggling to
emerge from the vast expanse of limber which is
overwhelming them. The scaffolding by which
this great orchestra is supported is an astonishing
labyrinth of woodwork ; poles and cross-poles,
beams and supports, cross and re-cross each other
in so many ways as to quite perplex the spectator
as to how it got up or how it is ever to be got
down again.

The Interior of the Palace is now beginning to
assume its bright summer aspect. The camelias,
rhododendrons, and azalias are getting into bud
and bloom ; the orange trees are still heavy with
fruit, all the plants look hale and vigorous ; and
the singing birds, with which the building is
quite full, pour forth their melody from the par-
terres and lofty flower baskets all day long. Greater
care seems to have been bestowed during the winter
upon the 'exhibitors' Courts' exhibition. Yesterday
the Sheffield and Birmingham courts, and the
couris belonging to Mr. Holt and Messrs. Elking-
ton were crowded with admiring visitors. The Ce-
ramic Court, with its chef d'oeuvres of Sevres and
Worcester, was also thronged, and an exquisite
plaque from the latter place, in imitation of the
Limoges enamel, • and representing a scene from
Dante, deservedly attracted great approbation. At
the tropical end of the building, where the bark of
the mammoth tree has been erected, there was of
course a great crowd to gaze upon that colossal spe-
cimen of Transatlantic vegetation. This tree, in com-
parison with which the great Adonsonias of
Cape Verd seem dwarfed to mere saplings,
is from California, about 230 miles from San
Franc'seo and fifteen from the diggings of
Murphy's Camp. AboutBo of them have been there
found towering high over all around diem, and
each are known to the gold-diggers by some pecu-
liar name more or less appropriate. There is the
" Miners' Cabin," 300 feet high and 80 in circum-
ference, and the "Pioneers' cabin," which has been
half blown down, but still rears a monstrous jagged
stump, 150 feet into the air. The "Three Sisters,"
the most perfect in the grove, grow from one root,
and are upwards of 300 feet high each. The "Old
Bachelor" is a forlorn-looking vegetable, standing
quite alone, with a rough and ragged-looking bark.
The " Father of the Grove," as he is called, was
'blown down, it is supposed, in some great hurri-
cane many years ago,' and now "lies supine, ex-
tending many a rood." The height of this mon-
strous tree was no less than 450 feet, and down its
trunk, which is hollow, a man can ride on horse-
back, it is said, for more than 100 ft. Near this gi-
gantic trunk grows the " Old Maid," with a " beg-
garly array" of withered leaves, and her head, unlike
any other tree in the grove, entirely bare and bowed,
as if with grief. There is also the " Hermit," 320 ft.
high; the "Green Mountain," 350 ft.; and the "Sia-
mese Twins," which have one colossal trunk nearly 60
feet diameter, but separate at some 50 feet above
the earth, and then tower high into the air. The
bark of the tree which is now at the Crystal Palace-
was called the "Mother of the Freres`." Its full
height was 363 feet, diameter at base 31 feet; judg-
ing by its concentric rings botanists fix its age at
4,000 years—an almost fabulous antiquity for a
tree which was so lately green and flourish-
ing. According to this estimate it must have been
growing when Nineveh was a mere collection of
tents, and ere the captive Jews had begun their
labour on the Pyramids. The bark which is now
erected at Norwood was cut from the tree in pieces
eight feet long : each was marked and numbered as
it came off, so that the whole is now fastened toge-
ther precisely as it stood for centuries on the slopes
of the Sierra Nevada. The thickness of the bark is
18 inches, and the weight of the 90 feet erected at
the Palace nearly 60 tons._ -

The very curious and hideous mud-fish, from the
river Gambia, which was kept in an aquarium at
this end of the Palace, has behaved quite characte-
ristically since his arrival in this country. 6ome
time ago he escaped from his tank, and wandered
none knew whither. The other day, however, while
cleaning out the large flower fountain at the north
end of the building, the mud-fish was found at the
bottom, grown twice as large, having passed his
leisure time since his escape in devouring the im-
mense quantity of gold and silver fish with which
the fountain was stocked.

Neither wino nor malt liquors 'were sold in the
Palace during the hours of afternoon sarvice. This
arrangement appeared not a little to surpriFe and
disappoint the public, and, if one might judge from
expressions now and then let fall, seemed to give
rise to anytbiag but a pious turn of thought among
those who from the counters moved thirsty away.
The picture gallery and the gardens were much
visited, especially that part of the latter where Mr.
Peters has established his archery ground, and where
a crowd of ardent young boatmen contended all day
long for the honour of shooting nearest to the tar-
get. The practice was not bad, the extensive slop-
ing bank of earth on which the targets stood being
repeatedly struck.
The Crystal Palace Company's band and the band
of the Coldstream Guards were in attendance
throughout the day, and performed a carefully se-
lected programme with their usual taste and skill.
The conduct of all among the immense crowd of
visitors appeared, as far as we could see or hear, to
be unexceptionable.

DEATH OF A MisEtt.—A few days ago the body of an
old man named Partridge, a rag and bone collector, was
discovered on a heap of filth in a room in one of the
back streets of Exeter. The deceased was in the habit
-e prowling about the city and collecting bones and
' , -,e, and he has been seen to eat the most disgusting
garmbe, ' 'in the streets. He lived alone in a room
morsels fru. ,
',ad with rags, filth, and vermin. He had
which was fill..
ss a few days before his death, and
complained of law. ~orted to intoxicating liquors, of
-,
had, strange to say, 'per his death a savings-bank
re.
which he drank freely. Ai.. neared that he had a
book was found, from which it or.am: he had also lent
large sum of money in the bank ;
o
151. to his landlady, besides sums of Mch '_e Y t other
persons. His death was evidently caused by sOf,neglect,
dirty habits, and insufficiency of food. ' '

Easter festivities have been unsparingly provided for
turfites. Upwards of half-a-dozen meetings will take
place in the course of next week, and the "clashing" of
some of them must prove destructive of sport. Should
the Warwick Race Committee ever be determined to
send' Mr. Merry to Coventry, they could not banish him
to a locality where he is likely to be more prosperous.
To judge from the programme which he has issued for
Monday and Tuesday be seems still to command the
.upport of owners and trainers of horAes ; and, despite
the grumbling about "unauthorised nominations," the
Midland stables are likely to be numerously re•
presented at Coventry. At Newmarket there will be
a meeting of the good old legitimate character,
and the old stagers are longing for their quiet strolls or
gentle canters over the Heath.

At head-quarters it is expaated that some important
movements will be made with reference to the Two
Thousand and Derby horses ; I will keep eyes and ears
open and faithfully report progress to the readers of The
Sun. Ia accordance with my usual custom I shall de-
spatch my notes from Newmarket for publication in The
Sun of Monday.

Mr. Johnson will be the ruling authority in the
North, and will be found at both Durham and Catterick,
directing the business in his quiet, steady, matter-of-fact
manner. I shall merely remark, with reference to Mon-
day's racing, that I fancy either The Assayer or
Corra Linn will win the Durham Handicap, and
that Weathercock, Tom Thumb, and Theory look "well
in" on paper for the Coventry Handicap.
Speculation still drags its slow length along. Not
even the opposition which early in the week was arrayed
against Vedette, and the support which has been con-
ceded to Kent, have imparted any briskness to the
betting. Leamington and Blink Bonny are wonderfully
firm in the market for their respective engagements.
I regret to state that Mr. Stephen Walker, well
known on the turf as the owner of Winkfield and other
horses, died suddenly on Thursday night, at his house,
High-street, Marylebone.
Apia it