Our Contributions.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 466, 11 January 1881, Page 2

Our Contributions.

THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION,

(By Garnet Walcii.)

National Bank's exhibits—A broad grin— Christmas and our expectations—The gloomy future—Beauty and fashion— Those fearful hats—The Exhibition as a grand show—Departure of the Austrian Strauss band—Exhibition flower show— Opening of Exhibition on Xmas Day.

The National Bank's exhibit of auriferous ores, gold dust, gold bars, gold cakes, and golden glories generally, together with curious fossil fruit and wood, principally from the Reform Gold Mines, lladdon, situated as it is in a very prominent position in front of the orchestraattracts a largo number of spectators, who wonder at the yellow wealth, and speculate as to how much could be deported at one time by any average individual Not that there is the slightest chance of any such trial of strength taking p'aue,seeing that the exhibit is under charge of a special guardian, and a massive iron safe is ready to receive the treasure at nighttime ; the said treasure being, by the way, most mockingly labelled as follows : "This safe must not be moved."

I have seen many broad grins in my life —the pit of a metropolitan theatre on Boxing Night, the lion's den at the Royal Park, the monkey's cage at the same place, the House of Assembly when Sir John O'Sliannassy makes a joke, the picture of the devil when seized by St Dunstan's redhot tongs ; all these are good opportunities for studying the withdrawal of the lips and exhibition of the teeth, which comes under the meaning of the verb intransitive " to grin." But of all the grins ever grinned since the days when our ancestors set the fashion in their prehistoric forests, commend me to the set of molars and canines shown by Messrs Sim-, inons and Dwyer, our Collins street den tists, in their curious exhibit in the main Exhibition building. The exhibit consists of a figure copied from a well-known picture representing , a Continental priest in the act of enjoying a more than heaity laugh, and the effect of suddenly coining upon the life-like face at one's elbow is really startling. Apart from its suggestivenes3 to all who havo arrived at the age mentioned in Scripture (Keel, xii, 3), when " the grinders cease because they are few,» the figure is really worthy of notice as a well-executed piece of modelling.

I heard an excited group the other day arguing about tho " originality " or otherwise of certain exhibits. As a matter of fact, there are not many articles entered at the Melbourne or any other exhibition which can fairly lay claim to the Few of us, indeed, even think or utter really original idea from jacket-time to sliroud-dny. We. liv« our petty livee between inverted commas, the world itself a hnckuoyed quotation from an original volume with whose contents we are, nlas ! but partially acquainted.

The weather and tho occasion, namely, Christinas and its holidays, arc again crowding the streets of Melbourne with visitors. Since tho Cup, carnival business of every description lias fallen off until those who gain thoir living by ordinary industry and trade began to think it waa aimost time to, put <ip the shutters.but now they are raising their hands heavenwards and say, with all seriousness—" Thank tho powers that he : another reprieve." They say reprieve, and unquestionably mean what they say, for it is undoubtedly the general belief that when the excitetnen of the holiday season is over, and our visitors depart to their respective places of abode, Melbourne will lapse into something less than dulness if not into general insolvency. But it is useless repining over what could not be altered. As the Oriental proverb goes " what ia to be, will be," therefore I will leave all croaking as to the future and deal with the present. As I said before, Melbourne is rapidly filling with our country cousins, and our intercolonial visitors. Our shop windows, especially those of linen drapers and fancy shops arc crowded with novelties of every description from a patent corkscrew to the last mow thing in hats, known as tho " Fell off the Bus," and" Tarn O'Shanters. , ' It is wonderful to me how really pretty girls will disfigure themselves for tho sake of beinof in fashion, as instanced in the present cut, of what was once known as a gown, now called a costume. It is only a few days since that, meeting a ladylike good-looking girl, I blushed at the sight of what was supposed to be her outer covering. lam neither a bashful nor a young man, but is waa so like tho tights that naughty dancing and variety singing girls wear on the stage. To those who doubt me, all I say is, go to the Melbourne Exhibition, don't waste your time iv Ihe Picture Gallery of the French Court but wander among the throng and see the living beauties and their style.

Speaking of tlie. Exhibition, I have said over and over again that it is a grand show, but somehow, it seems to me that grand shows don't pay. I hope in the course of next four or five weeks to see the attendance double itself, for the entertainment provided is worthy of the increase. I may also mention that the exhibits are daily improving and quickly coming to perfection. The grand organ is now complete : the German, Austrian, and American Courts are within an ace of completion ; the gardens are in full bloom ; the catering is much better than it was a the young lady attendants are pretty, if not prettier than they were.

What more can we desire ? Why, music —and that is daily supplied by those most beautiful of the beautiful piano manipu lators—Mesdames Tasca and Charbonnet —with intervals of joyoue sparkling waltzes, marches, overtures, etc, from the brazen instruments of the Strauss and Caron bands, and solemnly grand old music extracted by the organist from that monument of skill, the Melbourne made organ, second to none south of the li ie, ami equal to most the other side of it. Speaking of the music, reminds me that we shall shortly lose the presence of the Strauss band, and that Melbourne will, unless for its policemen, iinifonnless. and that all those that know the Austrians will miss the companionship of as bright good-hearted and jolly a set of follows as ever visited the colony. They sail for New South Wales on or about the 29th inst. Good luck go with them.

Anothor of those (ns> the ladies term them) delightful ilowcr shows has beon held in the nave of the Exhibition, and certainly I. even m one of the sterner sex, must admit that it was a grand and glorious sight, one well calculated to do as it did, animate and generally brighten up the faces of the fair visitors, and, in fact strip them of their placid mask of fashion and bring fortli the true rich womanly feeling and admiration of all that ia naturally beautiful. It is well that such gatherings should be encouraged, they rub off the lacquer of convential lifo. In this show the ferns wero remarkable both for beauty and numbers.

It is with great pleasure that I notice that it is the intention of the commissioners to open the Exhibition on Christmas Day from two o'clock until seven o'clock p.m. This will be a great boon to visitors, who will no doubt avail themselves of the opportunity in large

numbers,

A few days ago a man consented, for 50frs, to ascend in a balloon—inflated by heated air, and perform on a trapeze suspended from the car. Ho commenced at the height of 600 yds, lost hold, and fell into a field, where he made an enormous hole, rebounded, and was picked up in fragments and placed in a sheet. A poor lamplighter in descending his ladder in the outskirts of the city, in early morning, had his foot caught in one of the rungs ; he lay head downwards for two hours, when he was discovered, insensible ; ho was conveyed to the hospital, where his foot, enormously swollen, had to be amputated. A horse with a cart full of straw forms for wreaths of immortelles, ran away, frightened by the straw taking fire from the lantern. It was an extraordinary sight to witness this new kind of Flying Dutchman, the driver and two women screaming for help. An innovation in announcing fashionable arrivals—that of giving the number of the gloves, and sizes of the boots Yf'om —if a lady be in the case.