THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 446, 29 October 1880, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

[By " Gnetra."—Continued.]

South Australia—a tiny model—Fizz— King Casey—bad taste —sitting on Her Majesty—circus manners—silk v. paper—dress—novel hair oil—season tickets — genius — sericulture — furs, etc.

One of the best-arranged courts in the Exhibition is that owned by South Australia. Not only are the mineral and vegetable products of the colony displayed in their most attractive forms, but visitors are imbv.ed with a fair idea of life in the

South Australian bush by means of a mosi

realistic bit of scenery, specially painted for the purpose bj Messrs Little and Grist, of this city. The scene represents a mountain landscape, with a waterfall in the foreground, and on each side of the splashing cascade are arranged examples of the fauna of the colony—from the fresh-water turtle to the biggest kangaroo

—while close by, with a life-like specimen of a pot magpie perched upon the roof, is a few simile of a buehman's hut. The, whole, as I have said, forms one of the most interesting exhibits in the place.

Amongst the prettiest exhibits is surely Joseph Bros.' electro magnetically worked

model of a quartz-crushing machine. This fussy little mite—probably half-a-mouse's power, and certainly of such delicate make that any two-months' old baby could demolish the whole, and probably swallow

ialf without a resultant stomach-acho—

pounds away at nothing, but gives all beholders an admirable idea of the great monsters of reality to wLose beneficient

work so many of our richest men owe their fortunes.

Dr L. L. Smith, a rather celebrated individual in these parts, exhibits several varieties of colonial champagne, amongst which I noticed a "brand entitled '• Cie.ne de Buosie." Appropriate title, certainly ! They a first pnfce in Sydney. I am told that King Casey in proud of the fountain. It appears that he had no little to do with allotting the Commission If he had anything to do with the design then should the straitest of etraitwaistcoats enfold his manly form for the future. If ever Portland cemont suffered indignity it is in this instance.

Close by the eastern entrance of the main building and occupying a large amount of valuable space, are a number of articles in Venetian glass. Never would these atrocities gain notice at my hands were it not to protest against their presence in a building supposed to bo devoted to art and taste. Theirs is intense tawdriness and ugliness. Here, surely, do extremes meet, and close by much that delights the eye we find these wretched centuplicates of bad originals, evidently sent in by some ultra-commercial vulgarian, with a keen eye to business.

But lam delighted to find that thoae who merely wished to mako our Exhibition a stalking-horse, behind which they could pursue ,the game of Bhop.keeping , , are baulked in their intentions by a very sensible regulation forbidding exhibitors to allow articles to be removed. If it were not for this, a large percentage of the goods would be noti esl in a week or two, for coin and coin alone is the object of the majority of the minor exhibitors. I like Messrs. Gosnell and Co., ''Hair Bruah and Toothpaste Manufacturers to the Queen." To show their loyalty they provide chairs furnished with seats, on which are painted elaborate portraits of Her Majesty. So that their deserving firm actually ask you to eit down on royalty. Messrs. Gosnell and Co. must lake us for democrats of the first water indeed.

Some of the models of steamers,notably of the Britannia and City of Berlin,running from Liverpool to America, and of the Orient, now shortly expected in Melbourne are very fine specimens of what can be done in this lino ; and talking of steamers, reminds me of what I heard to-day concerning the manners and customs of those estimable individuals who, being-engaged in equestrian and acrobatic performances taking place under canvas, are known by the generic name of "circus people." I'm told that it is the praiseworthy habit of these gentry, male and female, on seating themselves at the cabin-table at dinnertime, to proceed at once with the already laid dessert, thus mastering the details of almonds and raisins, walnuts and prunes, prior to the appearance of the soup. When I travel again I fancy I shall carefully avoid these modern centaurs.

I rather liked the criticism pneecd by a lady of our best society, who, seeing the picture in the French court of "Jezebel devoured by dogs," and listening to the horrified comments of her thin-skinned companion, shocked the latter into hysterics by coolly remarking—"Terrible, my dear? Not at all. You should see me with the mosquitoes in the summer."

A favorite contrast of mine ie between two show cnsea in the main hall. Tho one contains Messrs Moubray, Rowan and Hicks' exhibits, consisting of the finest brocaded silks, velvets, and costumes generally ; the other is filled with robes quite as elegant in appearance—at any rate at a little distance—but made entirely of paper. To me the latter, albeit of no intrinsic value compared with the costly products of Lyons and Genoa, are vastly more interesting and ingenious. But here the ladies, for once, do not agree with me, for to one spectator near the paper dresees, you will see twenty absorbed in the silks. And yet these same darlings go into ecstacies over diamonds which I know to be paste, even although exhibited as Brazilians of the first water.

By the way, did it ever strike you, oh reader! what terrible catastrophes, what revolutions of states, kingdoms, and empires, might transpire during the period necessary for two ladies to fully—mind f u ]]y_discus3 the merits of a third lady's apparel. The sex, I feel sure, would like to read a certain scrip twral prophecy, not as '"There shall be new heavens and a new earth," but there shall be new dresses and new bonnets , " Then would they cheerfully die martyrs—to a woman,~ putting their faith in the milliner of the

future. But this is a digression

Captious critics have sharply animadverted on the fact that the Hon. Mr Vale kept his hat on while walking in the procession on opening day, and have even gone so far as to hint at radically democrative principle—or rather want of principle—as the reason. Let me i hasten to relieve the hon. gentleman from any such

imputation. The frozen truth, as Mark Twain says, is that Mr Vale, dressing;in a great hurry on the morning of the opening day, mistook a bottle of gum for one containing oil, and, hastily applying the

iquid, did not discover his mistake until

he endeavored to raise hie boaver at the sound of the National Anthem. Hβ eventually had to soak his head, intellect and all, in lukewarm water before he got rid of its covering.

Onr discharged civil servants, whose ! numbers aro rising from scores to hundreds, intend to petition the Government for season tickets, on the very feasible argument that tis the cost of the Eshibi-

lion Inn been one of the prime reasons for tl-.eir dismissal, they at all events should have free access to the show they have helped to make.

I heiir.l a good thing said in the big building yenterrlay. A, himself a rather prolific but not over-popular writer, was speaking of and censuring B for trying to soil certain surplus books of hie, by taking orders for them in the Exhibition. " Ah," said C, "do you know how you should distribute your books ? " " How ? " asked A, innocently enough. "By the great 4 trunk ' line, as none ' buttermnn 1 of your genius can," was the reply. This is nearly as Hevcre as the epigram on poor Defries, who came down from Sydney a few months ago to play Hnmlot for one night only. Said Vitriol, after the iirst act-

11 Was Hamlet mad V I shouldn't like to say it, But Riirely Defries is to try and play it. »Les3 chaff and more wheat Certainly. [Regarding tho exhibits. Do you know 'anything about sericulture ? Ide not, bu* I was rather struck by a pyramidal showcase in the New South Wales Court, containing a number of cocoons and a quantity of silk exhibited by Mr Affleck, •of Albury. It is not alone tho taking manner in which the exhibit is displayed, but the sabject of sericulture generally, which interests me. In a future letter I shall probably bore you, my dear readers, with a little more hereanent. Amongst all our products there ia none which is capable of more pleasing treatment than the furs of our indigenous animals. Recognising this fact, Messrs J. Schofield and Co. show a fine assortment of native tkins, very tastefully arranged, and numbering amongst them the following varieties, viz., opossum opossum rat, kangaroo, brush kangaroo] kangaroo rat, wallaby, paddy melon, the echidna, or porcupine ant-eater, native bear, flying squirrel, water rat, tiger cat, and many others whose names I. cannot call to mind. Even amongst those I hive enumerated there are many which I, new chura, never saw before, and doubt if I ever shall see on the living animal, -/ Stay! there is one skin onlitted but very universally known. It is that of felis domestlcus, the " harmless, necessary cat" of every day life. I had no idea, until to day, that the fur of our Tabbies and Toms would work up into such a bit of velvet as Sohocfield and Co. exhibit. To work my saleon rifle ; henceforth you serve a ,do«ble purpose ! I shall gain not only si umber, but rugs, by your use.