THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 450, 12 November 1880, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

By Cosmopolitan.

New South Wales—Dangers of the Deep— Swallow and Ariell's Hymeneal Altar— Bride-cake, and Orange-blossoms— Swallowing the- Alphabet—Plum-pud-ding—Golden Syrup—New occupation for the heathen Chinee—Pianoforte Recitals—ißsthetic Victoria. The flaneur gyrating about the Colonial Courts cannot fail to be struck by the evidences of mineral weakh displayed by New South Wales. If tho noble metals are not so abundant as in Victoria, the useful ones, which after all constitute the sources of permanent wealth to a country, are superabundant, and what ia of more consequence still, the show of bottled sunshine, i.e., coal, tells that in close proximity, is tho wherewithal to work these potentialities of untold wealth. We have often seen in Italy, evidences of the existence of ore in abundance ; but from the absence of coal to work it, this endowment ia of little value. What may be tho final outcome, only a peep into futurity could reveal. Perhaps when Macaulay'a future New Zealander muses on the mine of London Bridge, it will be known. But; meanwhile, we say with Horace, shut the Book of Fate 1 be happy while wo may, and enjoy the good that a bountiful Providence has already bestowed. The arts too, flourish in New South Wales ; for instance, goldsmith's iind silversmith's woik, scientific apparatus 3, machinery, rmu , textile fabric?, all find n ! place in their exhibits. New Soulb Wai or \ is n;>t monhi'iid. Whoever iIK/ughi: r,o ? i Tho dinners of the (lo&v Aro I'i.iliy • illustrated in tlio Exhibition. lisrr: and j there svo cumo npoD. a i&f£c- barid;.soi£r.t

case holding; only a placard, bearing an inscription tellingf that the intended exhibits were lost in the Sorata, or in Eric the Red; ami in tbe American court there is a school globe exhibited, bearing the information that it is the only exhibit saved from the ship Eric the Red.

Immediately' opposite Minton's lovely " crockery-ware," at the commencement of the Main Avenue, or Nave, placed I.A. is a handsome architectural structure, with four wings pointing to the four quartern of the earth. Wo at first thought it was the "hymonoal altar," we remember reading about in books and our surmise was strengthened by the sight of a wondrous bride-cake, we don't knew how many feet high, in angle. Or has it an allegorical meaning? we asked ourselves. Are these four white fairy structures bedecked with conjugal emblems, " invocation to 10ve, ,, odes in bridecake, or epithalamiums in sugar and plums ; typifying that the four quarters of the earth rest on an elementary continuance of occasions for bride-cake, and white satin slippers ? What a delight to all young ladies are these lovely white pyramidal structures of interwoven floral design and orange blossoms! And what a standing reproach to all mouldy bachelors for the next six months 1 Many turn their heads tho other way: the churls! But mark the shy glances of t'other parties 1 All Peria at the gates of Paradise ! Charles Lamb wrote a dissertation on Roast Pig.

We should very much liked to have had his ideas on bride-cake, inspired by those magnificent ones exhibited in Messrs Swallow and Ariell's superb structure. However, there they are, and thrre they rest: a standing provocation to marriage bells, and a standing menace to the con. tumacious. " He that shuts out love Shall be himself shut out, and lie Howling in utter darkness." Messrs. Swallow and Ariell must; be necromancers, for they have designed a way of swallowing the alphabet, to which Heading without tears is as nothing. You can have a pound of Alphabet—6so letters to the pound.—in delicate biscuit-light material, and when the child has formed endless combinations easy words, he can as a reward, swallow his alphabet literally j To ttiis is added a zoological series, and a Funny Folks series, in all edible material; or you can play a game of dominoes, and then eat them. But the variety of buiscuits is endless, there are leaflets, charms, queen's drops, and ladiea' fingers. Who would not buy the last-named.

But apart from nil the varieties of the cake species, and tho fancy biscuits of Ariel-like structure, the most serious things are the plum puddings! The loneliest habitant of a log-hut, or western doming under canvas, can, for a mere trifle, achieve plum pudding on Christmas-day. They will keep indefinitely, require only boiling, and can be had from one chilling upwardw.

We mean at Christmas to spend a sovereign on eight at 2s 6d.,and distribute them with lordly generosity. Think of Christinas without plum pudding! It was Charles Dickens who said Christinas was a humbug. He meant Christinas without the Christmassy feeling ; and who can achieve it v/itliout plum pudding ? The difficulty is solved, no j'oung housewife nsed fear a sticky pudding on that day. You can, my young Materfamilias> have one ready made, that will require nothing but the application of hot water. Such are the triumphs of gastronomic

science!