THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 922, 8 June 1877, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

THE CONVEESAZIOXB AT THE MUSEUM. The Board of Governors determined upon commemorating the opening of the College by a conversazione in the New Museum building aad adjacent rooms last evening. No better or more suitable place could have been selected, the room being admirably adapted for the display of the various objects of art, and also from its size capable of accommodating the very large number of visitors who attended without the least discomfort. To attempt to give anything like a detailed description of the collection of articles exhibited is impossible. They were so varied and so numerous that it would take three or four lengthy notices to do them justice. If therefore we give but the barest outline of the exhibition, it. must be understood that it is for the reason that space will not permit our doing that justice to the merits of the articles collected that they deserve. As on a former occasion—but in a more extended sense —one wondered on looking around where the varied articles, ranging as they did through all the various branches of art, had been collected. It speaks volumes in favour of the culture of

the residents of a young community like this that we should be enabled to bring together so highly creditable a display as that of last evening. The committee in whose hands the arrangements have been placed deserve very great praise indeed for the admirable manner in which they discharged their very onerous duty. The comfort of the visitors was studied in every respect, and the display of the almost overwhelming number of articles which poured in upon them was managed with much taste and discretion.

From the main entrance facing Antigua street to the footpath, a temporary vestibule had been constructed, which, was brilliantly lighted with gas, and ornamented with garlands of evergreens and lines of pot plants. The rooms fronting on the passage from the entrance were appropriated, one to the ladies and one for a refreshment room. An inner one was specially fitted up for the use of his Excellency. The floor of the large room was devoted to specimens of ceramic ware, &c. Here also were some of Professor Bickerton's ingenious instruments, a detailed notice of which will be found under the head of the scientific department. Around the walls were hung some pictures, but the greater majority of these were exhibited in the gallery. Here were rare prints, oil paintings, watercolors, &c, in almost endless profusion, the entire wall space being occupied with them. In the large room off the staircase Professor Bickerton had, perhaps, the most interesting collection in the Exhibition. This was the scientific department, and a really magnificent show was made. Every branch of science was represented, and the deep interest felt was shown by the crowded state of the room throughout the evening. His Excellency the Governor, with the Hon. C. C. Bowen and Captain Maling, arrived shortly after 8 p.m., and was received by the chairman of the Board and several of the College Governors. A guard of honor, furnished by the Christchurch Artillery, was in attendance at the main entrance. "We now purpose briefly glancing at the various salient points of the Exhibition, and first we come to THE FINE ART CERAMIC AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT. In the entrance hall near the staircase, and lining the walls of the passage to the refreshment and ladies' rooms are a number of fine engravings of celebrated pictures, mainly from the well-known Houghton collection. Here, also, is the large pen and ink picture by Mr Wrigg of various objects, which attracted a great deal of attention during the evening. Passing through the doors we enter the new large room of the Museum. A large number of beautiful pot plants and mosses, supplied by Duncan and Son, were placed on each side of the main and side avenues of the room, and also round the chimney piece in the centre, which had a very pretty effect. On the left hand side of the door the first noticeable item was a representation of the Swiss Alps, with the animals and birds of the region in life-like attitudes. By an ingenious contrivance, the mountains had been built up so as to give a very striking picture, and the animals and birds were scattered in various parts. They comprised a pair of whitetailed eagles, a pair of chamois, a pair of capercailzie, and a specimen of marmot. As a contrast, on the opposite side, was placed a representation of a scene in the Eocky Mountains. The scene represented was a group of grizzly bears in front of their cave with their prey —a prong-horned antelope. Leaving this and advancing up the main avenue of the room, we note to the left a glass case, in which is the crozier of the Primate of New Zealand and the pastoral staff re« cently presented to the Bishop of Christchurch. The cases in rear and next to this are filled with some beautiful specimens of porcelain and Dresden china. The two cases still further up the room contain the collection of specimens of the ceramic art, including some beautiful specimens of biscuit china presented to the Museum by Mr G-eorge Gould. Here also is a case containing a collection illustrative of the manufacture of porcelain as carried on at the works of Messrs Copeland and Son, also presented by Mr Greorge Gould. These are very interesting as illustrating the different stages of progress in the art. Near here also is a case containing some very fine specimens of delft ware, and opposite is a beautiful collection of majolica vases, plates, &c. On the walls here, we may note a very beautiful collection of photographs by Mr N. K. Cherrill, amongst which are some exquisite little bits of woodland scenery. Here also is a very fine collection of photographs of Raphael's cartoons, exhibited by Mr Justice Johnston, which are well worthy of minute inspection. Beyond these again are a number of plates of Hogarth's most celebrated pictures. At the end of the room there were a large number of pictures, amongst which we may notice especially, a fine one of the Duke of Wellington from a photograph by Mayall, and a gem, "The Rainbow," by Constable. Both of these were exhibited by his Honor Mr Justice Johnston. Beyond these again is a series of historical portraits, comprising, amongst others, very fine ones of Charles 1., Hampden, the Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra. In the gallery opposite the door on either side are cases containing some exquisitely painted miniatures on ivory, and a splendid collection of facsimiles of gems and crystals. Beyond these again are cases of Indian and Chinese curios, chessmen, idols, &c. Next, we come to a case over which many of the fairer portion of the visitors paused last evening and took longing looks. These contained some exquisitely delicate lace articles, Indian jewellery, and featlie:.' capes and collars. A very fine collection of seals, medallions, and medals, from Wyon and Sons, the celebrated London engravers, next claims attention, and Ave pass on, after examining it, to the next case, where a splendid and unique collection of the typography of the seventeenth century is exhibited, together with some Boman bronzes and ivory carvings. Here we notice a very fine specimen of wood carving in the shape of an alto-relievo of the sixteenth century. The subject is " Vulcan's Workshop," and it is treated in a most masterly and finished manner. It is exhibited by Mr C. Mountfort. At the end are a number of little gems of oil paintings, amongst others two exhibited by Mr Cherrill, "Southampton," by Danby, and " Sunset after a squally day," by H. Moore. Colonial artists are not unrepresented, the works of Peele, G-ully, Hoyte, Chevalier, and others appearing on the walls. As we have said, the number of pictures exhibited is exceedingly great, so that beyond bare mention we have no space to give more. Leaving the gallery and passiug out on to the landing we come next to THE SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT. The success of the evening was, as we have said, great, but, if possible the success was greatest in the department of science. Under the able superintendence of Professor £ickev«

ton, there was shown last night, an array of scientific apparatus of which many a community far longer established than this might justly have been proud. We greatly doubt if one-tenth of the visitors who passed through the spacious apartments, filled with the outward and visible signs of scientific investigation, had the smallest idea of the I act that so large an array of instruments ever existed in New Zealand, much less that they could be brought into actual operation in the manner shown during the evening. For the benefit of those of our readers who were not able to hear the lucid explanations of the various instruments and experiments given during the evening by Professor Bickerton, we propose to give a short account of some of the most interesting results obtained, though we cannot pretend to give by any means a full description. First in interest if not in importance, we must mention the very beautiful pendulum experiment by which the rotation of the earth on its axis was rendered visible to all who chose to look at it. This experiment was shown by Professor Bickerton in a novel and singularly effective manner : Two pendulums about forty feet in length, consistingof a very fine steel wire, with a" bob" at the end of each weighing some twelve pounds or more, were set swinging in a direction truly north and south, at the same instant of time. In order to accomplish this feat, each pendulum was tied back to the full extent of its swing by means of a fine silk thread ; these threads were made to rest on fine wires connected with a powerful battery, by the action of which, when put in connection with them, they became red hot, and so, burning the threads, liberated the two pendulums at the same instant of time. Each pendulum carried _at its foot a fine steel pointer, and this, crossing a little wall of flour at each swing, cut down a small quantity of* the white powder, thereby indicating by how much the earth had moved in the course of the swing. The apparatus was so adjusted that about two inches of flour were cut down in ten minutes. Another experiment in the same room of equal or even greater interest was that of weighing the earth. Our readers know how to weigh a loaf of bread (some of them to their cost, be it said), but a few of them might be puzzled by a request to weigh the earth and all that therein is. The process by which this wonderful result was worked out by Professor Bickerton was so much more complicated and intricate in its details than the last experiment that we fear we cannot convey a just notion of it. An iron ball, weighing about four hundred pounds, was made to approach a very delicately suspended small ball, whereby the larger attracted the smaller by the force of gravitation. The small ball was attached to a long arm, suspended by a single filament of silk, its motion being communicated thereby to a small mirror, on which a. beam of light from the electric lamp was made to play. The motion being thus magnified, it could be assessed with considerable accuracy. The amount of motion detected was about onetenth to one-twentieth of an inch. This amount being worked out by Professor Bickerton, gives, taking it at a mean, the weight of the earth as about say 6,069,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons. The calculation is somewhat complicated, but the result is correct. Passing upstairs into the Department of Science the visitor, on entering, was at once struck with the costly nature and infinite variety of the apparatus shown. Conspicuous for its height and the elegance of its finish, a magnificent telescope by J. H. Dallmeyer was one of the first things to arrest attention. This instrument is of very fine quality, the object-glass being about 4in. in diameter, sft. focus. It is mounted as a portable equatorial, with circles divided into seconds, so that any star, however minute, can be found at once, whether visible to the eye or not. Groin gup to have a nearer inspection of the great telescope, the visitor's attention was arrested by a display of curious -looking machines, like small telescopes, but horizontal. These instruments were spectroscopes. In connection with the use of these instruments, some of the greatest discoveries of modern times have been made. Light, when it falls on a glass prism, is, as every schoolboy knows, cut up into various beautiful colors —blue, red, and yellow—with all the various intermediate tints. "When this effect is viewed under proper circumstances, in an instrument made for the purpose, it is found that besides the simple colours there are certain very curious bands or dark marks formed, and these bands, while at all times the same for the same kind of light, are different for every different kind of light employed. By comparison and study of the results obtained with these instruments, astronomers have come to the conclusion that the sun, moon, and stars arc not, as was formerly supposed, made of cheese, but arc formed of solid metallic and mineral substances with which we are well acquainted in this earth. The spectroscope was used during the evening in showing the lines caused in the combustion of silver under the influence of an electric spark. Heat, light, and electricity _ are so mixed up together in the scientific; mind, that the one can hardly be studied without the other two putting in an appearance somewhere in connection. We found a great many very beautiful experiments in connection with electricity going on ; one which created great mirth consisted of the visitors receiving slight shocks, in a manner singularly ingenious and novel. In this experiment the shock was experienced by dipping the fingers into some water in a basin, one terminal of the battery being in connection with the water, and the other with a zinc plate ingeniously hidden under the carpet. The results obtained were very funny, and in some cases unexpected. The experiment was labelled " Electricity is Life ; one touch will prove the fact." On the centre table, extending the entire length of the room, was an array of microscopes that would do credit to a society meeting in London. There were over forty instruments, and all of them were set to show some object of interest or beauty. Some with the Polariscope attachment gave the greatest delight to the visitors, the splendid colors shown in some of them being unrivalled in their clearness and beauty. At the end of the room on a table extending its entire width was a collection of lamps and candles; in other words a collection of apparatus to illustrate the history of artificial illumination, beginning with the original rush li<'hf, and ending with some very delicate instruments which are to he brought to bear some day on the Christchurchgas. The intermediate .-tages of this collection were verv interesting. At one side of this collection, on tin.' wall, a very complete collection of meteorological instruments was shown ; these are under the charge of Mr Stansell, the Government observer. Among them a standard barometer, lent by Mr Cherrill, made by jtfegretti and Zambra, of such accuracy as to

I read to 1-1000th of an inch ; then on a board fixed to the wall a whole battery, so to speak, of thermometers, with wet and dry bulbs, and in a small artificial garden, the arrangements for talcing solar and terrestial radiation, mounted on a pole the anemometer, or wind guage, only wanted a little more draught than there was in the room to set it going. We hare spoken of the means taken to weigh the earth; when a smaller object has to be weighed it may be put in scales; when the object is very minute, and its weight is needed very accurately, scales of a special construction arc needed. A very delicate pair were shown in a glass case, where they arc kepi free from dust and draught, they will register 1-1000th of a grain weight. Near this was a machine for turning mechanical power into electricity. This is done by causing electromagnets to revolve in front of permanent magnets, whereby electricity is developed in them. A modification of this instrument, made by Siemens, is used at the North Foreland lighthouse in England, where a light is shown equal to 14,000 candles, at a cost of eighteen pence per hour. Next to this is a wheel, mounted in a manner, which, in the middle ages, might have been suggestive of St. Catharine, but which is only intended for the harmless purpose of demonstrating the persistence of vision, or the retention of the image on the retina of the eye. The wheel is made to revolve with tremendous speed, and then, in the flashing of the electric light, its spokes appear as if perfectly fixed and motionless. A mirror near to this giving an enlarged view of the person looking into it, was the cause of much fun, especially among the ladies. A splendid collection of heat instruments filled the side table almost from end to end ; there were not many of them in action, as it would have been a simple impossibility to have all the apparatus at work at one time. Connected witli heat was a little furnace exhibited by Mr Cherrill, the object of which was to obtain an intense temperature in a very small space. This furnace, worked by a gas jet, will melt gold with ease ; it is used for burning in enamel photographs, the process for making which is illustrated in various stages. The advance of photography as an art science was well illustrated in many directions, in one instance by two very good pictures shown by Mr Cherrill printed in the press, at the rate' of fifty copies an hour. A little improvement here, and we shall be able to give our readers photographs along with the letterpress, a result which must follow in less than ten years from now. Amongst novelties in the scientific world, a splendid air pump by Eudge, of Bath, was well worth consideration. This pump is so ingeniously constructed that as the vacuum becomes more perfect, the pumping becomes lighter instead of heavier, as in the old instruments. In the Maori House Mr Seager had a wonderful collection of magic lanterns, from the first original lantern, devised by Friar Bacon in 1230, to the latest improvements in 1876. In the course of the evening Mr Seager showed some exceedingly beautiful slides, illustrating various scenes on the Continent of Europe and elsewhere. These were all photographs, and most beautifully executed. We have not gone through one half of the wonders that were shown, but space forbids our entering further into detail. The visitors to the conversazione last night have much to thank Professor Bickerton for, in having provided them such an intellectual treat. But the Professor has done more than this, we hope, by his evening's work. We hope he has inspired in some minds at least a desire to know more of these things, and, if he has so done, we are sure that the objects of the exhibition, so far as the scientific apparatus is concerned, have been attained, for without a desire for knowledge men do not learn. During the evening music was given at intervals, under the direction of Mr R. Parker and Mr Simms. Altogether the conversazione may be pronounced a thorough success in every respect, and the whole of the large assemblage enjoyed such a treat as has rarely, if ever, been afforded in Christchurch before. As already intimated, the exhibition will remain open to the public for eight days, and Are only hope that a large number of the general public will take advantage of the opportunity thus afforded.