p. 45

313.

[most correct mind," &c. They sang the usual
negro melodies. They also produced a burlesque
opera, entitled "The Virginia G'hal," ar-
ranged for the stage by Mr. Kavanagh - given in
the broad negro dialect and dress - The Pat,
Riot Teddy us, Mr. G. Holman; Devil's Heel
(whose hoofs have been worn down by bass
singing), Mr. Kavanagh; Pompey, Mr. Weaver;
Caesar, Mr. Harrigton; Quashee, Mr. D. Kelly;
clem, Mr. F. Solomon; Tarline (a romanti
girl), Mrs. H. Phillips; Aunt Deb, Mad. Bu
rette; Lucinda, Signora Nicelai; Dinah (a
good-looking woman of color), Mrs. McCormick.
This troupe continued through June to perform
burlesque operas, mostly parodies upon operas,
such as "son-am-Bul-Ole," "The Black Dia-
bolo," and, occasionally, "The Loan of a
Lover," "The Swiss Cottage," &c. They had
good voices, and, in their minstrelsy, har-
monized very well. Of their success we know
but little; we opine that it was soupe maigre.
We were only in the house a night or so. The
weather was hot.

General Welch & Co.' s Cirscus and National
Theatre opened for the season of 1848 and 1849
on Monday, October 23d, 1848. Stage Manager
and Equestrian Director, Mr. Joseph Foster;
Ring Director, Mr. Horace Nicholls; Clown to
the Circle, Mr. John May. The entire interior
had been brilliantly re-furnished, and the
splendid decorations relieved and aided by the
effects of chaste French white and burnished
gold. A new drapery curtain, fringed by a
gorgeous trimming and ornamented by a classic
medallion representing a court lady and her
pointers proceeding to an equestrian tour, in the
reign of Louis Quatorze, was designed and
painted by Mr. John Wiser, principal artist of
the establishment. The bill said:

"The entrance of the public will be saluted
with the 'National Anthem of America,' by a
full and competent orchestra led by Mr. Alex-
ander Jamieson, leader and composer of the
theatre. The first appearance of the four as-
tonishing brothers from Europe, with the ad-
ditional aid of that wonder of wonders, the
Elfin Sprite. The audience will receive the
first salutation of the ladies and gentlemen of
the equestrian corps in a grand pagant caval-
cade, parade and gallepade, with rich costumes
of splendid quality and novel cut, aided by new
and characteristic music. Their chargers will
be caparisoned with golden housings and new
mountings of antique design. The evolutions
will be new and fanciful, with rapid military
manoeuvres and steeple chase leaps, &c. The
equestrian performances will be as follows: -
Horsemanship by that active and elegant
artiste, Master T. Neville, who will be aided
by that undaunted and always welcome clown,
John May. After which Hercules S. Lee, the
strongest man ever presented to the public.
His exercises are startling. The beautiful pas-
toral equestrian scene on two trained ponies,
entitled "Damon and Phillida," to be rode by
Mr. and Mrs. Howard. The Grecian games of
the arena, or ground and lofty gymnastics, by
the whole troupe. The four acrobats from all
the principal theatres in Europe, Lavater Lee,
H. C. Lee, W. Walker, S. Walker, and also Le
Petite Saqui Lee, who will appear in the novel
and original scenes and feats: First, a display
of unique acrobatic groupings, to be executed
by the above mentioned great artistes, with
the wonderful addition in the person of a child,
termed by all the Courts of Europe the modern
Elfin Sprite. A performance named by the
Parisians "Les Jeux du Gymnase," comprising
many of the finest classic effects of the Academie
Royale. Mr. Lavater Lee, the astounding
equilibrist, will present a perfomance at once
new and extraordinary, who solely sustains
himself on the neck of a single galss bottle.
Every attitude that grace has made known to
the world of art and science will be presented.

Mr. W. Walker, on the corde volante, is truly
new in feats and astounding. Concluding with
the tourbillon of one hundred turns in the
air."

The two Lies were great in "The mighty
feats of Atlas." Their amazing execution with
one, two and three immense globes, thrown by
their feet upwards, across, passing and re-
passing with the utmost rapidity, is impossible
to describe so as to delineate its effects to the
eye.

Mr. Cadwalader, as the Chariotter of Rome,
driving four horses, was clever. There were
new feats by master Neville, the Rivers family
and E. Derious. Miss Mary Ann Wells per-
formed a beautiful castanet dance on the pony,
called "The Pet of the Circle." And there
was immense trampoline vaulting by the whole
of this immense corps of ring performers.

On this evening was presented, for the first
time here, a romatic spectacle, founded on the
traditions of the Hartz Mountains, entitled
"The Black Rider and the Terrific Steed."
Invented by J. Fester, and to be played in one
act only. New scenery, dresses and properties,
by the artists of the theatre. The overture
composed by Ferdinand Rieman; leader, Alex-
ander Jamieson. Prince Frederick of Hesse
Darnstadt, mr. H. Lewis; Colonel Branberg,
Mr. Vanstavoren; Bassin Bubble, (of the
Hussars,) Mr. Charles Foster; Major Leopold,
Mr. G. F. Browne; conrad, (a sergeant,) Mr.
Quayle; Sergeant Mynheer, Mr. G. Stone;
Adrian, Mr. Kelley; Claude, Mr. Macklin;
Robers, Messrs. Weaver, Wagstaff and Brad-
shaw; Mounted Soldiery, Messrs. Pool, Stewart,
Field, Freeman, Nixon, Cox, Smith, Robins,
La Force, Ronnwater, &c.; The Black Spectre,
Mr. Marchael; Lady Rosara Rodenstien, Miss
Mary Duff; Sotara, (a confidante,) Mrs. Myers;
Edgar, an infant son of Rodenstein, Master
Rivers. There were many terrific melo-dra-
matic effects in this piece. One especially was
the pursuit of the traitor, Leopold, ever the
blasted heath by the Spectral Horse and Black
Hussar, with a grand explosion of the castle.
At the denouement some fine tableaux militaires
were exhibited. This piece, with the stereo-
typed ring performance, had a run into No-
vember, when "St. George and the Dragon"
was given.

Every Saturday afternoon a performance was
given for the juveniles, at half-past two o'clock,
for their especial amusement, in which suitable
performances were given. A ballet, called
"The Old and Young," with funny pantomimi-
cal effects. Le Petite Eugene Lee, "the
eighth wonder of the world," appeared, and
trompoline flights were given by a band of
juvenile performers. All the ladies and gentle-
men of the company appeared in a gorgeous
cavalcade, called "The Warriors Return from
Battle; or, Welcome Home." There were all
the usual performances of the ring, riding and
vaulting, ending with a laughable extrava-
ganza ballet, called "The Six Simpletons; or,
The Family of Fools," in which the petite
Les, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Nicholls, Mrs. Pal-
mer, mesrs. S. Walker, Lee, &c., appeared.

The night performances were the same ring
feats, but sometimes varied in name, but simi-
lar. With the equestrian drama of "The Ter-
ror of the Road; or, The Flying Highwayman
of 1796" - Harry Hulter, (the terror of the road,)
Mr. Charles Foster; Natty Noose, (of thieving
propensities,) Mr. Marchael; Farmer Bruin,
(fond on money, but not of strangers,) Mr.
Cartlitch, a very clever performer of the old

school, of the London theatres; Hobnail, (a
plowboy) Mr. G. Stone; mary (the maniac
gipsey of the heath,) Miss Mary Duff; Mrs.
Bruin, Mrs. Slickney; dorothy Bruin, Miss Bur-
nett; Sybil Drawcard, Mrs. Palmer. This piece
was an old English one localized for this coun-
try. Although the views were taken by John
Wiser on the spot, yet the bill programme spoke
of "Hounslow" and its distant views.

Wednesday, Nov. 22d, Herr Cline made his
first appearance in six years; he appeared on
the tight rope for one night only.

Sam. Lathrop, the New York clown, made
his first appearance now in the ring, in his
budget of comicalities. John May, the clown,
had received a severe personal injury, and had
to be withdrawn for some time.

The drama of the "Road Terror" continued
to terrify the public for some time.

On Thanksgiving day, Nov. 23d, a day and
night performance was given.

Friday evening, Nov. 24th, a new national
spectacle was presented of some ingenuity, ap-
pealing to love of country, called "The Tri-
umphs of Rough and Ready; or, The Past, Pre-
sent, and the Future," with a magnificent alle-
gory and moving panorama, descriptive of the
honorable achievements of the valiant and de-
voted soldiers of liberty! The paintings by the
native artist, John Wiser; machinery by Mc-
Clung; costumes by M. Johnson. Gen. Taylor,
Mr. Joseph Foster; Gen. Worth, Mr. Weaver;
Capt. May, Mr. Bayly; Josiah Duzenbury,
Mr. Charles Foster; Bridget Sullivan, Mr. Ben-
nie; Capt. Walker, Mr. Young; Old Time, Mr.
Cartlitch; major Browne, mr. G. Browne; Capt.
Ridgely, Mr. Wharton; Capt. Duncan, Mr.
Quayle; New York, Mr. G. Stone; Pennsylva-
nia, Mr. Peters; Delaware, Mr. Wiley; Tennes-
see, Mr. Johnson; Florida, Mr. Millman, etc.;
Goddess of Liberty, Miss Duff, and a very pretty
one she made; the Goddesses by Mesdames My-
ers, Wilks and Miss Eberle.

Some of the scenery was very beautiful and
effective, such as "Fort Browne by Moonlight,"
the silvery rays playing on the waters of the
Rio Grande; "Taylor's Dream" was a well ima-
gined allegory and very effective; the Goddess
of Liberty and her attendant deities enshrouded
him in the glorious flag of freedom; the mists
of their visions were seen to fall over him, and
were accompanied by his glories and his brave
army's triumphs in an admirably painted mov-
ing panorama, descriptive of the battles of Palo
Alto, Resaca de la Palma and Buena Vista.
The White House was seen enveloped in fu-
turity.

These national dramas, so much in consonan-
cy with our present history of tribulations and
glories, might well be revived in the same spi-
rit, not with ridiculous plots and incidents, but
in good music, language and appropriate paint-
ings, as pleasing, moral and patriotic enter-
tainments for our youth.

Nov. 28th, "The Real Bedouin Arabs; or
Wild sons of the Desert." Six in number were
engaged, viz: - Mahomet, Abraham, Alla,
Haime, Mustapha and J. Ranoud, all from the
desert of Sahara, Arabia.

"Notice to the Public. _ It is very seldom that
one of the real wild children of the desert can
be seen in this country, and hence they are a
curiosity alone, to say nothing of their per-
formances. They are real Bedouin Arabs, and
the manager challenges contradiction."

The performances of the Bedouin Arabs were
remarkable. Mustapha threw a somerset from
the floor over two canvases elevated six feet]