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Leader (1850-1860), 19th March 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 374, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      Liicretias of the boxes or insulted by the Malpases of the coulisse ? Among the evils that actors and actresses of known merit atid good repute meet with , as far as we can see , at the wicked world ' s hands , are sympathy and patronage . Both these guerdons are * from the cynic ' s point , of view , bad enough ; but ordinary folks in business can ^ t live without either . The cold shade may , it is true , be cast upon players by managers ^ and the world may know them not ; but the open field once gained , we never saw the happy holder of " the spark divine" who could not secure " the world ' s esteem" as well as the fame securing plaudits , if deserved .

      A new comedy of small power , but displaying Mr . and Mrs . Charles Mathews to much advantage , in Louis XV . costumes of great beauty , was produced here on Monday evening . It was , we must confess , a dreary affair , as will happen when a good deal of boisterous fun behind the footlights fails to infect the audience before them . Mrs . Mathews as Nanette Didier , the court milliner , who becomes a Countess despite the machinations of the haute noblesse , was energetic and occasionally effective . Mr . Mathews ( tlie author ) v in providing situations and good things for his better-half , had left himself so little to do , that lie could not add materially to

      the slight ' effect , produced . In Mr . TV . Broughs " Nothing to "Wear , " an old farce with a new face , the couple were more successful . The unction wherewith our old favourite always assumes and slips through the pecuniary difficulties set down for himy and the barbarian delight with which the British public welcome him as the representative of anybody " harsl-up , " assured , before the rise of the curtain , the success of -an after-piece , in which the philosophy and humours of pawning , or " popping" are the subjects treated . All the jolly laughs , and alh or nearly all , the genuine applause off the evening were elicited by , and liberally bestowed upon this trifle . .

      LTCET 7 M THEATRE , If proof were wanting that Mr . and Mrs . Barney Williams were very clever folks , we should point to the bills of . tjie Lyceum , in which , they figure from top to bottom every night in six , ten , or a dozen characters , it is immaterial which , but unlike the partridge of the gourmet , seem never to pall upon the appetites of their admirers . Week after week this g _ oes on . " New pieces for the illustration of the Barney Williamses are weekly produced ; and as the theatre is open , and its expenses must be paid , we feel siire audiences must come from somewhere . But without entering upon the speculation , how , whence , and why , let us say that the new and

      original comedietta , "Law for Ladies , " the novelty of the present . yweek , is as a dramatic composition beneath contempt . It is of the order of entertainment which Mr . Love , the Polyphonist ; Mr . Slowinan , the Improvisatore ; Mr . Brunt on , the comic vocalist , and all that pleasant lace of folks term ,, with humility and propriety , ft , " monopolylogue /' or , piece wherein an awful deal of talk is done by one person . The ! " polylogist" of the Lyceum house is Mrs . ¦ Williams , who , as an American maiden of eighteen , has an objection either to remaining single , under the provisions of her father ' s will , until she attain the mature age of thirty , or to forfeiting certain 30 , 000 dollars . Having fallen in love with a moat gentlemanly young lawyer ( for whom Mr , G . Murray seems to have studied from an

      Anglo-CJathoUo curate , or Mr . " Wigan , of the Olympic )* she , by . his aid , and the assumption , of a variety of disguises , so works upon tho nerves of her guardian , Graspall ( Mr . Barrett ) , as to induce his resignation of the trust . In the character of a German organgrinder , as a silly romp , as a bleating liobbedehoy , and especially as a . Yankee girl of superior smartness from "T ' other side of Jordan , " Mva , Williams ehowed all her versatility of talent ; and having secured our own applause in a comic song entitled as above , mid set , after the fashion of tho revivalists , to a variation of an old hymn tune , $ her ; a " s may be imagined , had mo difficulty in winning it by wholesale from tho general company , who have less often than ourselves the pleasure of attending the theatre under notice .

      MR , MASON JONES' ORATIONS . We had tho plensure , on Tuesday , of hearing an Irish orator . Mr , T . Mason Jones * of Trinity College , Dublin , who lectured by heart at WilJis ' a-rooms , on tho fruitful tltcnie of " Curran and the Irish Bar , " has a deep rlqli voice , a ploasing brogue , an impressive face , and a store of information upon his interesting subject . Ho told , in a nice manner , an interesting round of facts , illustrating the lives , the joys and tho sorrows of Erakine , Plunkott , Shiol , O'Oonnell , ^ mrnett , Fitzgerald , and Wolfe Tone , And , to conclude , we never loss rogrettod a couple of hours devotod to o , seance of the kind . On Tuesday Mr , Jones speaks on Grattan and tho Irish jfrwliamont ) « ud we shall , if possible be thoro to hoar liim .

      EXPLORATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA . At a meeting of the Roygl Geographical Society this week , Sir Roderick Murchison hi the chair > a paper was read , entitled " Explorations in South Australia , by Messrs . Babbage , Warburton , Stuart , and others , communicated by the Right Hon . Sir E . B . Lytton , her Majesty ' s Secretary for the Colonies . " The accounts of the above-mentioned explorations were embodied in several voluminous documents , extracts from which were read . The discoveries of Mr . Babbage weie confined chiefly to the tract between Lakes Gairdner and Torrens ; he , however , followed to the western shore of the latter lake to about lat . 30 deg . S . where it terminates , and proceeded

      north-, ward , meeting with a lake which he named Gregory . Major Warburton examined the south-west shores of Lake Gairdner , returned by Coeyana ( near Sbieaky Bay ) on the west , and then pursued an easterly direction to Port Augusta ; starting from that place northwards in search of Babbage he followed his track to Lake Gregory , where they met . Mr . Stuart , the companion of Captain Sturt , in Ms memorable expedition to tie Central Desert in 1845 , started with only one white and a black nian , five horses , and a scanty supply of provisions , from Elizabeth Camp ( 3 . 1 10 deg . S . ) , proceeded northerly to lat . 29 20 deg ., where he crossed a large gum creek m which , fish " were seen , and continued in a north-west

      direction \ passing several other gum creeks , taking their rise in the long range flamed ^ by Governor Sir .. It . M ' Donnell , Stuart Range ; their range extends in a northwest direction , broken more or less here and there , but still forming a continuous water-parting from along the west shore-of Lake Torrens to lat . 28 deg . S ., and long . 133 deg . E . He then struck a westerly course , for forty miles over a good country , with plenty of grass , turning then south-westerly , afterwards southerly , to Denial Bay , on the coast , and ) thence to Port Augusta , pursuing throughout a zigrzag course . . Mr . Stuart penetrated in a straight line 240 miles to the west of Mr . Babbage ' s camp at the EUzabethi having traversed by various routes

      nearly four degrees of longitude and three of latitude north of that position , it would be difficult to overrate the importance of these-discoveries , as it seems probable , to quote the words of Governor M'Donnell , that at least from 12 , 000 to 18 , 000 square miles of country-, available hereafter for pastoral , . purposes , have been opened up by Mr . Stuart ' s explorations . One result of all these explorations . is , that the shape of Lake Torrens has been entirely changed ; instead of preserving a horse-shoe form , as . was supposed , it is found to be divided into several detached lakes . The reading of the paper was followed by a very

      animated discussion , in which the Chairman , Captain Sturtj the Bishop of Saunders , Mr . Crawfurd , and professor Owen , took part . The last speaker directed attention to the paucity of information in the department of natural history in such explorations , which he attributed to the fact that the major part of the animals were of nocturnal habits ; consequently search for them should be made during the night . Professor Owen also alluded to the peculiar provision in the Australian type , which enabled them in seasons of drought to convey their young to distant waterholes .

      Untitled Article

      London Missionart Sooiett . —On Tuesday a pubiicrneeting of the Society was held in the Egyptian Hall , Mansion House , for the purpose of promoting the extension of Missionary efforts in the Chinese empire , The Lord Ma , yor presided , supported by the Earl of Shaftesbury and other gentlemen and clergymen . R es olutions in support of the objects of the meeting were proposed and unanimously agreed to , and the meeting separated , after a vote of thanks to tho Lord Mayor , '

      Photographs om the MooN . rr-Ari article has appeared in a very serious foreign contemporary to the following effect . — ' ? Suppose that a successful attempt were made to obtain a surface for the photographic picture perfectly free from irregularities capable of distorting the most imperceptible linos of a photograph . Suppose , also , that on this surface a photograph of the moon were taken "with every precaution ) if this picture wore examined under a very powerful microscope tho most minute details would become visible , and if tho instrument

      possessed sufficiently high magnifying powor you would be able to see living beings , if there are any roaidingin that luminary . This is one of tho applications of photography to astronomy } and it has been said that an Italian savant , after trying for six years to obtain this result , has succeeded , and has recently boon able to obtain pictures of the moon on whioh figures of naked anlnmlaart * depictod , one spoclos of cyvhloh bore a great resemblance to human beings ., ... . . It is certain that ) important discoveries jnay bo arrived at by this means ; the groat difficulty being to find a substance on whioh 1 ) 0 talto the-picturo , tho surface of whioh shall be so perfectly oven as to receive the luminous image without In the slightest dogrco distorting its most minute details . —Photographic Netvs .

      Untitled Article

      Novei . Parisian Speculation . ^ - A cor respondent describes anew butchers' establishment at the corner of the Rue Trbnchet and the Rue Neuvodes-Mathurins . " Upwards of 30 metres in length . » & is entirely filled up with white marble on supports of porphyry . The counter is also of white marble on silver caryatides . A fountain of water , six feet in diameter , plays in the centre of tlie shop , and vases of flowers and shrubs are disposed about witn a certain , degree of taste . ¦¦ Thirty-nine persons are employed in tho establishment , which ofl ' ors ca morning for sale 20 oxen , 20 cnlvcs and CO sheep . Tho great novel feature of this establishment is that while professing to sell cheaper than any other shop in Paris it delivers with each parcel of meat a ticlcot which entitles tho buver to a share in tlie profits at

      theondiof the month . It is reported that tlmtty fathers of families are now forqing their appotnos to eat enormous quantities of meat , in tho idea that thoy are thereby laying up portions for their daughters . I have not sufficiently verified tho calculations upon which tho new system is based to be able < P 9 t v whether large customers will pay nothing aim gee something to , boot- ^ but this roault is expected . Napoi-eon and nxs Guns , — -Al ' aris let toy says :- — " The French Emperor continues to be nsslduyuB m his attendance at Vincennoa , following the experiments that go on there with tho utmost interest . The other day , it is sai . l , ho passocl novoral hours in witnessing sonio skilled firing at marlts -, anil wno " it was concluded , snid to tho officers in commanu , Ah , I see you are ready . ' Tho observation , it w declared , was uttered almost unconsciously ,,

      though addrossod more to tho speaker '? own tnouguw than to tho porsons around . Tho impression convoyed , by tho words was , that war hud boon ueoiauu upon i and this opinion , it is doctored , is pro » y generally entertained in tho army . "

      Untitled Article

      37 ^ THE LEADER . [ No . 469 , March 1 $ , 1859 .

      Untitled Article

      ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI TUTION . ¦ On Thursday the annual meeting of the friends and . supporters of this truly national and philanthropic institution , was held at the London Tavern Sir John S . Pakington , Bart ., M . P ., iirst Lord of the Admiralty , in the chair . The meeting was influentially and most numerously attended . Mr .. Lewis , the Secretary ,, read the annual report which stated that the society now possessed eigheydne Life-boat establishments , thorouglily equipped in every way ; fifteen of which had been added during the last twelvemonths . The liferboats of the institution had been instrumental in saving one hundred and six persons during the past year . They had also been off on twenty-nine occasions to the assistance of vessels showing signals of distress . It appears , from the report of the Board of Trade * presented to parliament , that the number of shipwrecks on the coasts of the United Kingdom during the past year ^ has been nearly the same as that of the previous year— . 1 , 170 in all—from which 343 lives had unhappily perished . It ; was , however , gratifying to find that the total number of lives ' saved from shipwrecks , by life-boats and other moans , on our coasts . during the same period , was

      1 , 555 . The total number of persons saved from shipwreck since the first establishment of the National Life-boat institution , and for rescuing whom , the committee had granted honorary and pecuniary rewards , was 10 , 902 . The lives of 427 persons iron sixty-four wrecks on the coasts of the British Isles had been rescued during the past year , through the instrumentality of the life-boats of the institution , and of other means ; in acknowledgment for which services , one gold medal , twenty-three silver medals , thirty-seven other" honorary distinctions , and 952 / . had been voted . Since the formation

      of the institution it had expended on life-boat establishments 28 , 061 / ., arid had voted ¦¦ eighty-one gold and 629 silver medals for distinguished services for saving life , besides pecuniary awards , amounting together to 11 , 6517 . From the financial statement it appears that the institution had expended , on new life-boat carriages and boat-houses and their equipments , 8 , 051 / . 4 s . lid ., and 1 , 203 / . 18 s . 5 d . for exercising the crews of its life-boats ; . making . altogether a total of 9 , 255 / . 3 s . 4 d . This great and national v / ork had , however , only been accomplished by the society incurring further liabilities to the extent of 3 , 047 / . With so sacred an object in view as the rescue of our fellow creatures from an appalling death by shipwreck , it might be supposed that the National Life-boat Institution had claims

      which would come home to the heart of every one in this great maritime country . The report concluded by earnestly soliciting the support of all those who are able to render it . The report having been adopted , various resolutions pledging the meeting to renewed exertions on behalf of the benevolent objects of the institution having been carried , the proceedings terminated With the usual complimentary vote of thanks to the chairman .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 19, 1859, page 374, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2286/page/22/