Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-11-08
VISIT TO THE CRYSTAL PAL ACE BY MOONLIGHT.
FROM THE LONDON TIMES.

FROM THE LONDON TIMES
To those who have the interior during the day time
filed with thousands Of spectators and agtated by all the
buse Of sight seeing, difficult realize the aspect which
the presents when the crowds have departed when
the gates closed and the police have taken under their
entire control that collection Of the trophies Of human
industry One scarcely comprehend the strength Of that
confidence in the law and in the security Of property which
reconcies fifteen thousand e1hibers gathered from every
civilized country in the world, speaking different languages.
and brought up under different forms 10 trust
the valued evidences Of their skill their wealth. or their
enterprise night after night body of about fifty police
men, paid little above the ordinary wages Of labor and
ed against dangers from without with weapon for
mdabIe than baton. Russian jeweler the only per.
have heard Of showing any uneasiGess in the
ce of this confidence. He wanted be convinced that his
diamonds were sae and accordingly he sppe0or order
to visit them by night His request granted, and be
had practical test of the wachul taken of his
property Standing in front Of bis glass case and satisfying
himself that all safe, he happened to round and
there to his establishment he found that he had constable
either elbow experimenting bis movements and by
disposed from their looks to take bis honesty for granted
We visited the Crystal Palace two nights ago. but in less
scepca spirit than the Russian eweler, and for different
purpose We wished to the aspect of the interior under
the influence Of fine clear moonlight to observe how each
object Of interest varied in expression when looked through
medium to contrast with the hustle and hronging
element Of the day the effects Of silence solitude and dark
ness Let the reader accompany survey and share
IN the impressions Wnlcn produced Entering by the south
ransep, shortly before 10 o'clock, the moon nearly
full shining through its srched and transparent roof
sanding in deep shadow MscDowas Eve seem among
other Objects upon the ls looking bo.-.f.l in f.
from the surrounding obscuy In the centre every thing
plainly revealed the pnnacles Of the crystal fountain
appeared tipped with silver and in the basin below the ribs
and ashba overhead and the sky beyond hem and por
tons Of the adjacent galleries. and the occasional simDer Of
gaslghis, all reflected with marvellous dsncness
The jets Of the fountain longer Played and the stiffness Of
all around unbroken An air Of solemn repoe pervaded
the the very statues seemed from the
element Of tho day, and sumber pesceaby their pedes
tails Some enveloped in white coverings which in the
doubtful light gave them sufficiently ghosy appearance
others remained unprotected from the chilling night s and
braved exposure to cod they have already hope
cessfuly done to criticism At point Of intersection be-
tween the and uansept vignius under the fare Of
lamp from the China compartment bndished the knife
with which be had sacrificed his daughter At another
and under similar dspensation Of light from Persia,
er leaned spon his sword and appeared 10 be calculating
the number Of people that had passed him during the day.
OF Turkey and Egypt could only the entrance The
faint glitter Of Damascus blades and Of brocsded musns and
tppings All beyond buried in darkness and mystery
The shades Of right too fell heavily upon Greece, Spain
and Italy, though behind them through the open gdes
CLEANS Of unexplained light rising. The zinc
Of the Queen rested in grateful obscury, and Lemon
neres jewel had cautiously been stripped of its atrac
tons On the metal pipes Of Du Crocquets organ some
struggling moonbeams played though without evoking any
sound The colossal group Of Cain and his family looked
we'll in gloom which seemd suited his Of guilt
qualified by the Of human Affection. So it was oil
down the The shadows Of night which fell
heavily points, strangely relieved at intervals
BY g which carried the eye forward intervening objects
to those Immediately around H. Instead Of looking at those
which lay nearest attention directed distant and
out Of the way sPo brought into prominence by the light