THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 50, 12 June 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

Tlic first case opened in the British part of the building is one from the Admiralty containing a fine model of the Queen line-of-battle ship. The cost of this model is said to be about seven hundred pounds, and one or two men will be employed for the next fortnight in rigging it. This comes under the head of Class XTI. (managed by Major Moffatt), and is part of a beautiful series of models, lent by the Lords of the Admiralty, illustrative of the progress in the construction of naval architecture from the time of the Great Harry, 1514, to the iron-clad frigate the Warrior. There is to be another large model of tiie Warrior placed in the nave. Next to the Queen, linc-of-battle ship, will ho seen a fine model of the Forthuniberland, illustrating prospective progress—a splendid iron-cased frigate of f hat name being now under construction on a larger scale than even the present wonder of the day, the Warrior. The national Lifeboat Institution will exhibit some interesting models of boats for improving this humane branch of the naval service. The Commissioners of the Trinity House of the Northern Lights, Edinburgh, and of the Ballast Board, Dublin, will display some very interesting, handsome models of the danger beacons of our isles, many of them originating in the scientific zeal of the late Prince Consort. Models of ships for steam under as well as over the water ; gunboats and Heating batteries, penetrable and impenetrable ; ships for commerce and ships for war, will be shown in this section—in fact, naval architecture with all its appliances may bo hero studied by the most critical and scientific. A splendid model of Mr. Nathan Thompson’s system of boat building by machinery will also be displayed, showing a process by which we can obtain a boat ready for use, of any dimensions, turned out complete from the log of timber at a few - hoars’ notice. In a sub-class of Major Moflalt’s department may be studied an extensive range of every engine of destruction which the human mind Ims yet devised, from swords to great guns, from the old Brown Bess—more praiseworthy for carrying the queen of British weapons at its muzzle than for the accuracy of its aim with the projectiles of that date—down to the death-dealing, repeating weapons of Adams, Colt, Ac., and the breech-loading arms of Callisher, Terry, Storm, and others, with the long range rifles of'Enfield, Whitworth, and all those contending for the palm of excellence. Amongst the more formidable engines of destruction will bo found the Armstrong and Whitworth ono-hundred pounders, Blakeley’s five-hundred pounders, and the Mersey Steel Company’s sixhundred pounder. The trophy of great guns by Mr. Anderson, of the royal carriage department, will, doubtless, attract the close scrutiny of the scientific, being a development of the process of construction of the great Armstrong gun, with a microscopic iens arrangement. War in all its branches may be studied in an inspection of Colonel Sliafto Adair’s model of London, with its projected lines of defence for the great city, and also in the model of Fort Ton*, by Colonel Harness, with Captain Dceane’s details of the same fortification. In the industrial courts on the British side the arrangements do not appear to bo well advanced,

but it must not be overlooked that, although there are no indications of progress in the building, there are hundreds, indeed thousands, of persons busily engaged in all parts of the country in preparing for the Ist of May. Among the works preparing for exhibition,‘those to be exhibited under the head of “ precious metals” will bo very attractive. A silver shield, now nearly campleted. and which will be exhibited by Messrs. Hunt arid Eoskell, will be one of the principal objects in this class. This fine work is the Outram shield, designed as a record of the distinguished career of General Outram in India. The shield is forty inches in diameter, and is of oxydized silver. The centre boss is a spirited representation of that incident in General Outram’s career, when, with so much disinterestedness, lie gave up his command of his division to General Havelock at Lucknow. The two principal figures are on horseback, admirably mounted, and their features are preserved with great fidelity. Around these central figures stand a number'of British officers, and several natives still faithful to their oath and the service to which they belonged. This boss is surrounded by a border of rich damascened steel, enclosing medallion portraits of General Inglis, Sir Eobert Napier, K.C.8., Brigadier-General Neill, George Couper, C. 8., Sir Edward Lugard, K.C.8., Eev. G. fi. Badgei*, Major-General Storker, and the late Brigadier-General Jacob. The style of the decoration surrounding these portraits is a rich •Eastern arabesque, and its effect is pleasing in the extreme. The outer edge of the shield is formed of compartments representing some of the principal incidents in the career of General Outram. The earliest of these in point of date was the conquest of the Bheols, and their subsequent civilisation. In the compartments of the shield are groups of figures illustrating this portion of the life of General Outram. We next come to the scene of the war in Scinde, where the dying Indian chief confides to the care of the English general his son. Next is {hat defence of Hyclrabad for which the late General Napier bestowed upon Outram the name of the “ Bayard of India.” The incidents of the Persian war are next pourtrayed, and amongst others there is a very spirited group to represent the battle of Kooshab ; and lastly we have the great charge of the volunteer cavalry during the sepoy mutiny. In this charge General Outram is a principal figure, and he is represented as using with considerable eftect the thick stick which during the sepoy mutiny, it is said he always carried instead of a sword—his feelings towards the rebels being such that he considered a weapon of this kind quite good enough for the purpose of attacking them when weilded by brave men. The Kean testimonial, of the value of £2,000, will also bo shown by Messrs. Hunt and Eoskell. This is a noble service of plate for the dinner table, when dining a la Husse , and represents, in a magnificent central vase, two candelabra, four dessert stands, and two end groups, the the principal scenes in the dramas of Shakspearc, which were revived by Mr. Kean during his management of the Princess’ theatre. This, as well as the Outram shield, was designed, and moulded, and chased by and under the superintendence of Mr. 11. B. Armstead. The commissioners have received an intimation from the government at Washington that they do not intend to take any part in the Exhibition. The proposal to vote a small sum of money towards the expenses of the exhibition was overruled in the Congress, and immediately afterwards the commission which had been appointed to represent the United States was dissolved. Mr. Seward has written to the Commissioners stating that the Government at Washington had now nobody to represent the exhibitors of the United States, and he recommends to their favorable consideration such persons as may of their own accord have sent articles to England intended for exhibition. There are now in London upwards of 100 machines, and specimens of various branches of industry, but by one of the early decisions of the commissioners foreign goods cannot be admitted into the Exhibition without the sanction of the commission representing the particular country of which they arc agents. The persons who have at considerable expense sent forward their goods naturally feel much disappointment at the turn things have taken, and have applied for space for the exhibition of the goods. With the view of getting out of the difficulty a letter has been addressed to Mr. Adams, the American minister in London, requesting him to nominate some person or persons to act as the representatives of the United States, and through whom the required sanction may be given. It seems a roundabout sort of plan to adopt, but red tape must have its worshippers iu the matter of the Exhibition as in other departments. The Northern States have a Government, but no commission, and they cannot bo admitted ; the Southern States have a commission but no recognized Government, and they, too are excluded ; so that unless some bold step is taken, America will only be represented by British colonists. Nothing positively decisive with regard to the opening ceremony has yet been arranged beyond that the Prince of Wales will not be present. His absence, though much to bo regretted on this great occasion, appears now to be unavoidable, and it will rest with the five Eoyal Commissioners who are to be nominated to act for her Majesty on the Ist May to make up for this loss by invitations to illustrious personages from abroad. There is no doubt but that all tho most distinguished Presidents of Foreign Commissions will be invited, and that very many will come, including Prince Napoleon and the Crown Prince of Prussia. The ceremonial will be attended with everything calculated to give eclat to the event. All persons invited to take part in the proceedings will appear in full uniform, or court dress; and the commissioners will wear all their decorations and honors as at a full dress reception. The ceremony will commence at two o’clock, a much more convenient hour than was fixed for the exhibition of 1851. Considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed at the decision of tho Commissioners to reserve some twenty or thirty thousand seats for the holders of those season tickets who may be the earliest among the purchasers. They complain that no intimation of such an intention was given at the outset, and that it is unfair to those who may purchase at a later period that others should have an advantage over

them to which they were not entitled by any conditions announced at the time of purchase. The following letter, signed “Jules Piter. tei-cester-square, Hotel Sabloniere,” appeared in the Times a few days since, and has caused considerable amusement.—“ I am told to understand that you go to ask our Emperor to open your Exhibition. I hope in charity you will bring him into the building blindfolded, and so he shall save the miserable indignation we have suffered from looking at your horrid building. Hi! Hi! We mock ourselves at you when we see from the park the big dome built on boards and half hid by the big shed. Oh the ugly brik and frightful sheds to call all Europe to see! Why you boast so much ? If you only say we build the shed, then no one laugh. Even the little boy the guide he say ‘ dam ugly !”’ The Times, referring to this letter, says—“ That the exterior is very ugly, no one denies, nor ever attempted to deny. But, on the other hand, it must not bo forgotten that if anything beyond bricks and mortar in their plainest forms had been attempted with a structure covering upwards of twenty acres, it would have cost nearly £1,000,000 instead of £350,000. and would have prevented our doing what no other country in the world has ever succeeded in doing, viz., making our exhibitions pay. If M. J ules Piter had waited till he saw what was a fine interior, he might have ‘saved his indignation’ and bestowed it much more worthily upon his countrymen, who, by their collosal wooden box reaching from the ground to the roof, in the very best part of the building, have contrived to ruin it most effectually. It is said that much of the hanging space on the boardings nailed across the upper galleries is wanted for the exhibition of instantaneous photographs of a horse-life size! But it is very generally rumored, though with what truth we cannot say, that these life sized photographs are, after all, only obtained by the very common process known to all photographers, of copying an ordinary photograph with magnifying lenses till the life-size is obtained. Yet no matter lor what purpose these partitions were erected, the strongest remonstrances against suffering them to remain have gone in from other foreign courts, some of which are much darkened by them. The Eoyal Commissioners have already succeeded in reducing the topmast screen by 2ft. 6in., and still requires a reduction of 3ft. more. It is uncertain whether or not they will obtain this last concession, though even if they do, it will bo but a slight abatement of the whole disfigurement. Among the attractions of the Exhibition will be the beautiful and characteristic jewellery of Queen Ash-Hotep, whose husband was a king of the 17th dynasty of Egypt (eighteenth century n.c.) Her tomb was discovered at Gournah, by 11. Marriette in 1859. Her body was covered with objects in gold and silver, mostly unique, and all of great interest —as a diadem of massive gold incrusted with precious stones, and elaborately cased with the heads of sphinxes, so beautifully wrought that the v.rceus, or basilisk, upon the forehead of each is perfect. A cartouche gives the titles of the King Amosis. The whole is bound together with a cord of repousse gold, wrought like a tress.