Star.
London, England, 1817-08-06 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA.

The Wizard, as represented on Monday evening
last, has undergone some judicious curtailments--
The Operetta of My (Jade followed with its usual
eclat, and the entertainments of the evening concluded
with the Burletta of Blida:, an Opera which, if we
were to judge by the success that crowned its recep-
tion, seems destined to he a favourite at this Theatre.
Mr. PZARatAsr, as Apollo, was the hero of the scene.
His performance of this character will be sufficient to
raise his reputation to a degree much above medio-
crity. His manner is natural and pleasing, and his
voile and action harmonize with peculiar correctness.
His first air on Olympus was excellently performed,
and was deservedly catered, as was also the favourite
song '• Pray Goody please to moderate." Polrs.Gstove
%vas a very good old Dlry,il. Miss KitLLY was quite
At home in Arysa. Miss SuireNson appeared in the
character of Daphne. 'ibis was her third appearance
on any stage, and, judging frotn her quarrel with
117rita, she certainly promises much comic excellence.
She has every external requisite ft.r comedy—a laugh.
ing eye—a cheerful pleasing countenance, and a
graceful figure—if she bare mind in proportion,
and industry to exert its attributes, and above all,
steadiness to guard its brilliant purity, she cannot
fail to attain a high eminence in her profession.
The musical merits of this Opera are too well
known to need any commentary. It was altogether
an agreeable entertainment, and was received with
unqualified approbation. The house was crowded.
Among the company, during last week, we have no-
ticed the following. with large parties :

The Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Crofton, Marquis Clinl-
mondeln-, the Marquis of Ileadfort, the Duchess of Richmond,
Countesses 'Meng:ll and Caernarvon, the Duvrairerly Somers,
Ladles Castlestewart, blorrlds W yoyord, Dashwood King,
Browulow, Walpole, Dryden, Rancliffe, and Kennedy, the
Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Spanish Minister, the Pori
of 'Torrington, Lords Petersham, Guildford, kancllffe, and
Berwick, Sir Henry Dashwood, the Hun. Mrs. Vanneck, Mrs.
Bebb, Mrs. Alston, Mrs. A. Stanhope, Mr. Robert Allen, Mrs.
M. Hoare, General Pigott, General Gordon, Mrs. Hanbury
Tracy, Mrs. Marryat, Colonel Hamilton, Lady Hort, ice.

The ship Two Friends sailed on Friday night from
Portsmouth, with upwards of 100 volunteer Officers
to join the Independent cause in South America.
Many of them are natives and residents of Ports-
mouth, Portsea, and Gosport. A facility was af-
forded to young men desirous of serving in this
cause, from General NIENMES, the Agent of the Re.
public of Venezuela, having arrived at Portsmouth
in the course of the week. Those gone have served
in all daises, army, navy, and marines. The ship
hay 10,000 stand of arms, and 10,000 cutlasses on
board. She is cleared out for St. Thomas's.

On Thursday arrived at the Motherbank, and is
under quarantine. the transport Ellice, having of
board original documentary papers, correspondence,
and whet. curious MSS. relative to the STUART fa.
roily, presented by his Holiness the POPE to his Royal
Highness the PRINCE REGENT; with several cases of
statuary, and other valuable relics, presented by the
States of Rome to the Prime RECENT and the Bri-
tish Government. Lieutenant HEAD (Flag Lieute-
nant to Sir CHARLES PeNnosa) is come home in the
l Mice, specially charged with their care. She lett
Civita Vecchia on the 24th of Jane. When the El-
lice left Malta (on the 24th of May) the following
was the disposition cf the squadron under Sir CHARLES
Psonost s—The Atstox, 74. (flag ship), Captain.
CooDe, cruizing on the coast of Italy ; the Taoes,
Captain D. Dt•su.ts, on her passage from Marseilles ,
to Constantinople, with Mr. Ltsrom, the British Am-
bassador, and family. on board : MYaMIDON, Cap-
tain GAMEIER, cruizing among the Greek Nand: ; '
ERNE, Captain R. SPENCER, refitting at Malta ; SA.
/ELUTE, Captain Minnow, at Civita Vecchia, but.
going to revisit the Bubary Powers, and thence to
Gibraltar; and the WASP, Captain WOOLDRIDGE,
Icarrying on the communication between Malta,
Smyrna, and the lonian islands. The Ellice left
Gibraltar on the 18th ult.; the transports Caldecot
Castle and Isabella arrived thereon the previous day,
in twenty.three days from Portsmouth, with troops.
'Vile Ellice has brought home 2:8 invalided soldiers
from the 10th, 14th, 81st, 75th, Royal Artillery,
and Sappers, serving in the Mediterranean.
By a recent order from the Admiralty, there is now
fitting at Plymouth Dock-yard, ,a machine in all re-
spects similar to a part of the gun-deck of a man of
war. having quarters for three pieces of ordnance,
and which, when completed, is intended to be placed
in the rear of the Marine Barracks, for the purpose of
exercising the whole division of Marines at that port
in the necessary mamouvres of great guns for sea ser-
vice ; and as the different parties are deemed suffi-
ciently skilled in this exercise, they are to fire with shot
at a mark hom the battery at Devil'a Point. Lieu-
tenant WOOLRIDGE, of the Royal Marine Artillery, is
appointed to this particular service.
A Beacon, 53 feet high, is now erecting on the
Carr Rock, at the entrance of the Frith of Forth.
.From the smallness of the Rock, it has been found
impossible to erect any building upon it of sufficient
height to be above the reach even of very weighty
seas, which would at once be fatal to the elect and
apparatus of a light-house. The building is there.
fore to be covered with a large bell, in the form of a
cupola ; this bell is to be tolled night and day, to
warn mariners of impending danger. But as the
beacon is too small, and is othersviie inadequate for
the habitation of a man, it is acne of the least inte-
resting parts of this design, to devise how this effect
is to be produced, without the regular attendance of
a person to wind up the machinery of the bell appa-
ratus. This is provided for in the following mangier:
Ip the centre of the building there is a kind of cham-
ber or cavity, into which the tidal waters are admit-
ted, by mans of a small conduit or perforation in
the walls, and as the tide rises on the exterior of the
building, it also rises in the chamber, and elevates a
metallic float or tank, which is connected with a rod
communicating with the train of machinery to which
the perpendicular rise of the tide gives motion ; and
in this manner the large bell is tolled. A weight is
also at the same time raised, and as the tank or flat
is elevated to the height of neap tides. to which the
train of machinery is calculated. when the tide has
flowed to its height, the weight begins to operate by
its tendency to descend. and it keeps the machine hi
motion till the flood returns again to lift the float and
raise the weight, or, in other words, to wind up the
machine. In this manner the bell is to be tolled
without intcratiuiom