The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-27 00:00:00

VICTORIA THEATRE.

The Victoria theatre re-opened last evening, after
a short recess, during which the theatre has been
renovated and the corps dramatigue reinforced. The
pieces chosen for the opening night were La Catarina,
a new version of Auber's opera, Les Diaznans de la
Couronne, in which Miss Vincent sustained the cha-
racter with great spirit, and was much applauded.
The operetta of No! in which Mr. Binge, from Drury-
lane, made his first bow to a Victoria audience, and a
new burlesque from the pen of Laman Blanchard,
entitled Jack and the Bean Stalk, with Miss Vincent
as the renowned Jack. This burlesque is one of
those glorious bits of fun for the production of which
Blanchard is so celebrated. It is a regular
" screamer," and, however much gentlemen who do
the legitimate drama may be inclined to sneer at those
who only make people laugh, yet it is these last, after
all, who win, and they may reply to the sneerers in
the words of Lulli to M. de Louvois, in answer to a
similar reproach—" You would be but too happy to
do the same if you could." The getting up of all the
pieces was admirable, and if he goes on as he has
begun, we doubt not but that Mr. Osbaldiston will
have a prosperous season. The house was crowded.
lOWAY INDIAN ENCAMPMENT,

LORD'S CRICKET-GROUND.
Yesterday the loway Indians, who have been
exhibiting for some weeks past at the Egyptian Hall,
Piccadilly, encamped at Lord's Cricket-ground, for
the purpose of exhibiting their sports in the open air.
They arrived in the ground at two o'clock, when the
squaws pitched the wigwams after the native Indian
fashion, and lit a fire in the centre of each. A caul-
dron containing their food was then suspended over
the fire in one of the wigwams for the purpose of
being cooked, and the Indians ascended a stage erected
in the grounds, and performed several of their national
dances to native music. The cauldron was subse-
quently brought on the stage with much ceremony,
and the Medicine-man, having poured a portion of
its contents on the ground (after the classical
manner of making a libation), the Indians
seated themselves around the cauldron, and
with much ceremony partook of its contents. Mr.
Catlin, who was in attendance, explained that this
ceremony was a religious one, which always was ob-
served by the Indians in making a fresh encampment.
They then performed the Eagle dance, the most ani-
mated part of the war dance. Targets were then
erected in the ground, and they exhibited feats of
archery, using, however, light and embarbed arrows
for fear of accidents. After the archery the ball play
commenced. This was a most lively, amusing scene.
The ball, which resembles an ordinary tennis-ball, is
struck by Indian rackets, and as the loways struck
the ball and ran after it over the grounds; the ani-
mated appearance of these Sons of the Forests con-
trasted strangely with their ordinary grave and
solemn demeanour. The game itself bears a strong
resemblance to the Irish game of hurling. At
six o'clock the Indians left the ground for the
Egyptian Hall. These sports are, we understand,
to be repeated every day this week. This is the
first Indian encampment ever formed in England,
and, as an exemplification of the manners of the
red men, with whom the works of Cooper have made
us so familiar, the exhibition is certainly one of the
most interesting in London. The company was
numerous and fashionable, and seemed much inte-
rested and delighted.

We greatly regret to hear that there is no probabi-
lity of the usual annual furloughs being granted this
year. The army is so weak, and its duties so numerous,
that all are required to be present. But the disturbed
state of our relations with Prance, and the still dubious
state of Ireland, are said to be the chief causes that fur-
loughs are not to be granted this winter.—. Naval and
Military Gazette.