The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-30 00:00:00

TAINMENT.

Mr. Albert Smith, by his various comic writings,
and also in no small degree by his social qualities,
has achieved a very general popularity ; it was, there-
fore, natural that the announcement of an entertain •
meat to be sustained by himself in propria persona
should attract a crowded audience. After illustrating
in his amusing works many ludicrous phases of Eng-
lish social life, Mr. Albert Smith, in a happy mo-
ment, bethought himself of a new field for his pen,
and started off to the East (at least as much of it as
he could hop, skip, and jump over, in a very brief
tour) to make acquaintance with, and possibly to
quiz, the Orientals. Some results of his visit have
recently been embodied in a volume which is not only
amusing, but useful. On Tuesday evening he gave, at
Willie's Rooms, some gleanings from his experiences
in the shape of a descriptive discourse, inter-
spersed with songs, and illustrated by scenic views.
He calls his entertainment "The Overland Mail,"
and he supposes himself to start from Suez, on the
return journey to England. Of course his monologue
is a mere touch-and-go affair, seizing a few salient
points, and putting his brief experiences in the best
point of view to raise a laugh. Mr. Albert Smith,
we need not say, is very droll on the oddities of his
travelling companions. To avoid being boxed up in
a fly with several " overland babies," he betakes him-
self to the back of a dromedary, and records his
painful reminiscences of that uneasy mode of travel
in a capital comic song. We then have a graphic
description of the external aspect of Cairo, and the
internal comfort and thoroughly English character of
Shepherd's Hotel. Here be meets with an original
oddity, whom he nicknames " undecided Mr. Parker."
This personage, who is pleasantly afflicted with an
inability to make up his mind to anything, was
hit off by Mr. Albert Smith with considerable power
of comic impersonation. After this, we have a
passage up the Nile in a kandjia, or Nile-boat, and
Mr. Albert Smith here throws down the gauntlet to
enthusiastic writers on Nile travelling, by giving a
groteKluely humorous description of the desagremens
of this mode of travelling. We are sorry to say, too,
that his Pyramids and his Sphynx do not quite come up
to the high mark of the poets. Tne remainder of the
entertainment consists of descriptions of Alexandria,
Malta, and the journey homeward to Boulogne, all
touched off in the same humorous strain. The in-
terspersed songs are clever and were well sung, espe-
cially " The Matrimonial Mother," " The Boat on
the Nile," the song of the sailor with his tin
fiddle,
and a patter song, "The fast man." The scenic illus-
trations are beautifully painted by Mr. Wm. Beverley.
Some of them are really fire pictures, especially that
called "The Kandjia," "The Street
" Malta," and " The Port of Sucz. Mr. Albert
Smith rattled off his descriptive and vocal portion of
the entertainment with ease and point, and the tra-
velling characters introduced were cleverly embodied.
He was much applauded throughout. Tne entertain-
ment is announced for repetition on Monday next.

GRAY'S INN. MAY 29.—At a numerous meeting of
the benchers and others in the hall of this society this day,
the following students for the bar were declared to have dis-
tinguished themselves in the voluntary examination for ho-
nours in the law of real and personal property and convey-
ancing, in the hall of this society, on Thursday and Friday
last, and were classed in the following order :-1. Mr. Na-
thaniel Lindley, Middle Temple. 2. Mr. John Whitcombe,
Middle Temple. 3. Mr. Joseph Graham, Middle Temple;
Mr. William Crawford, Middle Temple ; and Mr. Henry
Kingsmill, Lincoln's Inn— sequales. 4. Mr. Edward Steers,
Inner Temple. 5. Mr. James Marshall, Gray's Inn; and
Mr. William Freeman, Lincoln's Inn—mquales. 6. Mr.
James Bridge Davidson, Lincoln's Inn ; and Mr. William
Llewellyn Te ry, Inner Temple—xquales. 7. Mr. Thomas
Freeman Morse, Lincoln's Inn. Mr. Lindley received the
Lecturers' prize, consisting of a set of "Vesey's Reports (20
vols). Mr. W. D. Lewis has been again appointed the, so-
ciety's lecturer.
A VETERAN.—We regret to announce the death o
one of the most distinguished officers of the French army
f
General Count de Vittre, Grand Officer of the Legionunt de
,?
Honour, &c. Charles de Raity de Villeneuve,..
Count
Vittre, was descended from an old and noble family of Poi-
tou, was the comrade of the Emperor at the Military School,
and took a glorious part in the carn.Pan of Russia, where
he was severely wounded. He alsodeirsetinhgeuishhaedd huinindseerlfhiisn
the Spanish expedition in 1823, where
orders General Changarnier, the Duke de h
Countimnt,h d
endseul%Nrln:iatmAtree.
Carrel, who, on account of histvalour4geanyeeral
)7! eof the Bayard of the 9th cenur
was uncle to M. Hugues de co
writer of Paris.— Galigne! f- :ASI en apu
distinguishedr. political.—Last night these
E
VAUXHALL--THE Jo6Aes
LIU
gardens were opened with
ing a mas
for the season whic as a prehliminary
enis about
entertainment to the p
to take place. The gardens are in good order, and the ar-
rangements, under the superintendence of the well- known
lessee of former seasons, Mr. Wardell, all that the frequenters
of the place can desire. As was stated in the bills, " all the
resources
te
of the far-famed establishment " were made avail-
able, and certainly there was no want of the necessary at-
tractions to induce the company to enter, and plenty to pro-
tract their stay when they had entered, the gates. The
walks and avenues were brilliantly illuminated ; every ac-
commodation was given for dancing, and for eating and
drinking. Three excellent bands were in attendance, the
incessant music of the instruments of which kept the com-
pany in continuous movement. For some hours the merri-
ment and frolic were kept up by hundreds of persons in cos-
tumes of all ages and countries, and in costumes not referrable
to any age or clime. There were many groups from Epsom,
who seemed determined to prolong the " Derby " day by the
addition of several hours from its successor. No signs of
exhaustion were perceptible in the votaries of pleasure, and
it was not till the " professionals " were completely worn out
that the patrons of the place retired. The whole went off in
good style.
VISIT OF THE DUCHESS or KENT TO THE HIGH..
LANDS. -We learn that her Royal Highness the Duchess of
Rent is expected to arrive at the Castle of Abergeldie, in
this county (a lease of which she has taken) about the end of
June. When her Majesty arrives at Balmond, her Royal
Highness will be in the immediate ueigbourhood of her august
daughter.—Aberdeen Journal.
COLOSSEUM.—Among the numerous visitors to the
Colosseum, Regent's Park, on Tuesday, were the ambassador
from the Prince of Nepaul and suite.
CHESTER AN HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.--Traffic for
the Week ended May 26, 1850: C. C. - and 1. Main Line,
2,685/, Is. Bd. ; Mold, 2s. Od. ; Steam-boats, 2161.
11s. Od. ; Total, 8,02 E/. 14s. Bd.