The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-13 00:00:00

ASTLEYS.

The holiday entertainments at this ever popular
establishment commenced last evening with a spec-
tacle, entitled, The Godolphin Arabian; or, the Race
Horse of the Desert. This is one of the most
gorgeous and effective pieces which Mr. Batty
.has
presented to the public. It opens with a beautiful
representation of the Desert of Arabia, and the scene
representing the desert is particularly striking from
its truthfulness, and furnishes the beholder with a
very clear idea of the peculiar burning appearance of
the desert. The next striking scene—for it is the
scenery of the piece which constitutes its chief at-
traction—is that of the great Oasis and sacred water
of Zimzim. In this scene the gradual rising
of the sun upon the desert is beautifully
managed, as is the appearance of the wild simoom
which follows. The effect of the dreaded simoom is
presented on the stage, and with it closes the first act
of the spectacle. The scene of the second act is laid
in France, the time being that of the reign of
Louis XV. The act opens with the palace, terrace,
gardens, and fountains at Versailles, being a most
effective scene. The fountain—a real one—would do
credit to the gardens of a real palace. In the crowded
theatre, heated as it of course was, the very sound of
the water was cooling and refreshing. The second
concludes with a very excellent representation of
the fair of St. Germain, with its multitude of visitors.
In the third act, the scene is laid in England, in the
year 1732, and is very effective, concluding with a
grand equestrian tableau. The piece has been dra-

matised by Moncrieff from Eugene Sue's romance,
" L'Arabian Godolphin, ou L'Histoire d'un Cheval."
The first act is interspersed with portions of Felicien
David's popula asy mphonic ode oriental, "Le
Desert." The whole piece is put upon the stage
in a style which reflects the highest credit on
the management. The dresses are magnificent,
After the spectacle came Mons. Tournare's celebrated
troop of French equestrians. The performance of
these artistes is wonderful, for its intrepidity and
daring, and highly pleasing from its elegance. They
perform upon their own horses, brought expressly
from France, attended by their own grooms. This
engagement must have been made at an enormous
expense to Mr. Batty, but we feel confident that the
result will amply realise his expectations. Madame
Louise is the most elegant horsewoman we have ever
seen, and the command which Madame Klatt has ac-
quired over her steed is astonishing, and, as the play-
bills say, may be termed the ne plus ultra of the eques-
trian art. Every one ought to visit Astley's. For
elegant amusement and delightful recreation it stands
now almost without a rival. 'The house last night
was overflowing.'

are sure to escape being drenched. The mantle of the
immortal Simpson has fallen upon Mr. Widdicomb,
for many years the Master of the Ring at Astley's,
who is a very efficient Master of the Ceremonies.

ROYAL ADELAIDE GALLERY.
With very great pleasure we mingled with an
exceedingly numerous company last evening, in this
most interesting Institution, after its recent much•
regretted interruption. As it is the first of the kind
established, we believe, in the world, and has always
been considered by us with especial regard, and we are
sure that the prospect which last night's attendance,
philosophical exhibition, lectures and lighter enter-
tainments open for a return of patronage and a long
career of success, must be hailed with gratification,
by all who wish instruction to be made attractive,
science popular, and refined amusements multiplied
and presented in the most inviting form to the public.
The decorations of the Gallery are, in many
respects, superior to the former embellishments, and
the lighting, by night especially, is far more agree-
able now, than we know of in any other building of
the same size. The chandeliers are of novel design
and peculiar elegance, and whilst the effect of the
light is brilliant, it is not dazzling or oppressive. A
new and exceedingly pretty theatre for ballets has
beeen erected in a situation to place the artistes in clear
and conspicuous view to every part of the house.
The avowed intention, however, of the new mana-
gers, is to make the Institution that for which it was
originally designed, a " Gallery of Practical Science"
—not exclusively, indeed, but to a great degree, mo-
dified only by the expediency of varying the in-
struction of the graver kind with musical and other
entertainments of a high order. Amongst the most
important of the scientific lectures of yesterday were
those of Mr. Phillips on his inventions—`'The
Ship Preserver," and the "Fire Annihilator." Of
these the principles are simple, and the apparatus not
complicated. The model in ie Gallery is a cylinder
having pipes for the water to escape, and is connected
with two smaller cylinders in which carbonic acid
gas is generated. The pressure of the gas causes
the water to rise in the pipes, and to fly up to a
height proportionate to the pressure. The power
which can thus be obtained is very great, and seems
well worthy of trial on a scale of greater magni-
tude, and for a practical purpose. The in-
ventor considers that it would be highly useful in the
pumping out of ships, and from the immense quantity
of water which can be thrown out in a short space of
time, it is even supposed that a ship could be kept so
dry that an ordinary leak might be reached and
stopped. Its use in cases of fire will also be evident.
From the rapidity with which carbonic acid gas can
be generated under this process the inventor has it
also applied for the " exterminating" of fire. This is
simply by the introduction of a stream of carbonic
gas into any apartment which may be in flames, and
of course, the action of the gas is instantly to ex-
tinguish the conflagration. The trial of this new
mode of putting out fire was highly successful. The
inventor (Mr. Phillips) generates his gas in both
processes by mixing charcoal, nitre, and sulphate of
lime, which are ignited by a drop of sulphuric acid.
At an opportunity of greater leisure, the im-
portance of these inventions may justify a more
careful detail. The explanations by Mr. Scott, of
the habits and structure of the electrical eels, are
highly interesting, and not the less so from the fact
tthheamt it has
they
beenhaovweinego tloonhgislivsekdilfiun this place, and
management of
have so thriven under his care as to increase in length
from twenty-two inches to four feet, and from a girth
of not more than three inches to more than six. They
are also the only specimens now alive in Europe.
The promenade concerts, under the very able ma-
nagement of Mr. Sedgwick, elicited much applause.
Several of the solos were encored, and the infant
ballet, in which the performers are the Misses
Frampton, Miss Palser. and Master Forrest, merited
the loudly expressed admiration of the visitors. The
entertainments concluded with a new and beautiful
series of dissolving views, not surpassed by any
which we had previously seen and were warmly
praised.

NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS AT THE
EGYPTIAN-HALL, PICCADILLY.
Eleven native Canadian Indians of the 0-jib-way
Ode-au-wau, and Mis-sis-sages.tribes, are now exhi-
biting at the Egyptian-hall, Piccadilly. The party
consists of ten males and one female, and their ages
vary from 3to 40. They are a finer set of men than
the Indians who were exhibiting there last season.
One of the warriors is 6 feet 3 inches in height, and
two of the others are more than 6 feet. It appears
they have been induced to come over by the flattering
accounts given of England by the Ojibways who
were here last year. Tire exhibition opened this day
at two o'clock, with a grand Indian council, at which
the whole party attended in full costume. The inter-
preter then delivered, in very good English, a short
lecture on the manners, customs, and religion of the
Canadian Indian tribes, after which followed the
Dance of Wabunnoog, or Sun Worshippers. The
chief then exhibited the manner of using the blow-
gun, and placing one of the Indian boys at one end
of the room with an apple on his head, the chief sent
three arrows into the apple from the blow-gun with-
out touching the boy. This feat was much applauded.
Then came the War Song and Dance, and the Pipe
Dance, followed by the ceremony of Burying the
Hatchet and Smoking the Calmet, or Pipe of Peace.
This last was a very imposing ceremony. There is
another performance at eight in the evening, which
varies somewhat from the morning performances, in-
asmuch, as in the evening, there is exhibited a fac-
simile of the scalping. The Indian costumes, orna-
ments, and arms, which they have brought with them,
are of the most curious description, and the exhibition
is one which cannot fail to become popular. The
performances were very well attended.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDA MORNING, MAY l3, 1845.

all inferior machinery—must ever be the great autocrat
(of the mechanical world. How wide are its provinces—
how extensive its fields of enterprise—how numerous
its subjects, and how diversified their aims! Over the
ocean and the estuary, across the inland sea and the
mountain lake, along the sinuous river and the placid
stream, it passes in majestic sweep like the vapour-tailed
comet athwart the planetary domains, dispensing bles-
sings in its course, and gifts yet unrecognised by the
recipients of its bounty. The merchant and the tra-
veller, the naturalist and the voluntary exile, the philan-
thropist and the ambassador of heaven, are borne with
speed and safety to the scenes of their respective labours.
Man meets man, interchanging the works of their hands
or the produce of the soil. Antipodes, who have hitherto
been planted with foot opposite to foot, now stand in
parallel intercourse and craniological proximity. The
white man and the black, the serf and the freeman, the
liberated slave and his repentant master, commune on
each other's sufferings and aspirations, and prepare for
that reign of peace which is gradually evolving from
the mysterious cloud that now overhangs the nations.
Nor are its labours less marvellous and less benevolent
within the more limited range of our daily interests and
observation. Here it stands at the mine head disem-
bowelling the earth of dits treasures—there delivering it
from its superfluous waters, or depriving it of its dele-
terious or explosive atmosphere. Here it has fixed its
abocl.e in the factory, giving life and motion to the va-
rious combinations of art which prepare for our use the
necessaries and luxuries of life—there it takes its loco-
motive flight along our pathways of iron, shortening
time and space, and uniting in one brotherhood the
most distant and dissevered members of the common-
wealth. Wherever, indeed, its throne is reared it exer-
cises a beneficent sovereignty, feeding aad clothing man,
subjugating the material world to his use, and summon-
ing all his intellectual powers to make new demands
upon its liberality, and draw new prizes from its trea-
sure house."

After such beautiful writing and such scientific
demolitions of long- cherished delusions, who would
have expected that the whole disquisition should have
ended in Non-intrusion and Maynooth ? No magic
ever produced such an unexpected change ; but Sir
Isaac Newton, after astonishing the world by his dis-
coveries, spent the remainder of his life in the vain
attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Apocalypse,
and fortune delights in humbling the mighty :
Valet ima summis
Mutare et insignem attenuat dens,
Obscura promens; hinc apicem.rapax
Fortuna cum stridore acuto
Sustulit; hic posuisse gaudet."
We subjoin the conclusion of the article as confir-
mation of the poet's worts :
" The transition from the supremacy of knowledge
to :the decline of its power, and from ecclesiastical to
civil rule, is one of the most extraordinary phases of
modern times. As science has become more valuable to
the State, she has, in the same proportion, sunk in in-
fluence and esteem; and as religion has become more
pure and simple, she has, even in a higher ratio, been
shorn cf her inherent and inalienable rights. An oli-
garchy of wealth has replaced the nobler oligarchy of
knowledge, and a conclave of statesmen has usurped
the hierarchy of the Church. To compensate for mis-
government, or to quell turbulence, or, perchance, to
purchase a temporary quiet, error, intellectually de-
basing and spiritually fatal, is about to be fostered and
endowed, and that system of faith which claims a sove-
reignty over things temporal as well as eternal, is to be
sustained by those very men who have denied to a Pro-
testant Church its spiritual jurisdiction, and whose
hands are yet scarred with its destruction. If, in their
thirst for power, hostile factions shall combine in sup-
port of an idolatrous creed, while Protestant truth en-
joys but a partial toleration, it is time that the host of
evangelism should be marshalled for the combat. The
shadow of the coming conflict is already cast before us:
Revelation has predicted the collision, and woe be to
those who are blind to its indications, or who shrink
from the stern duties which they impose."
This Number contains an impartial review of
the writings of Charles Dickens; a useful Essay on
the Improvement of Land ; a graphic description of
Prince Polignac and the French Carlists, in which
Maynooth again figures ; and concludes with the
" Past and Present Policy of England towards Ire-
land," where, of course, Maynooth appears in most
conspicuous characters. Of that we do not complain,
it is in its proper place, but we complain that
able writers should mislead their readers by forcing
certain dogmas upon them at every turn, and lower
themselves in public estimation by imitating the mer-
cenary poets who sing the praises of Macassar oil.