THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 237, 6 October 1880, Page 4

THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION

[Correspondent of N.Z. 7'imes] TIIE NEW ZEALAND COURT Is situated beaveon the South Australian and Queensland courts It consists of o lotHi- narrow strip, having a frontago to tho main nvenuo of 33ft , nnd a length of 250 ft. Before proceeding to speak of the exhibits, it may be stated that the Courfc is closed ia on the two long sides by dividing 1 walls, Borne 20ft. in height, tho adjoining neighbors having adopted a similar plan. These partitions are, in the New Zealand Court, papered and tinted on light cream color, relieved by a liondsorjQ9 moulding running along the the top, picked out; with brighter hues. Half way up fehs court, and again near the far end, the partiiions are pierced by arohed openings 10ft. 7in. wide, allowing free ingress or egress by common paßsages of that width running through the neighborhood. The court is well lighted by a continuous series of windows above tho level of the partitions spoken of, and meeting the roof, which is of naked iron, a fact which disagreeably invites attention, whether the day be hot or cold. After wandering through acres of show-cases and cultured products of innumerable factories and workshops, tbe eye resls with pleasure upon the tall palms which characteristically mark the entrance to the New Zealand Court. Entering through these, immediately on the right nnd left are seen the beautiful full model, of the Union {?.S. Company's steamers Wakatipu and Rotomabana, a iother appropriate position, seeing that to reach New Z a land one has to patronise one or the other of the boats belonging to this enterpriaing company. Facing the entrance ia a good sized case containing tbe valuable collections of reef and alluvial gold exhibited by the Colonial Museum at Wellington, and by the Bank of New Zealand; and, further on to the right are the certain choice exhibits of the Guthrie and Larnacb Woodenware Factories Company, Dunedin. One of these is ,a magnificent specimen of good joinery in the shape of a hall door and framework, made of several kinds of New Zealand woods, cleverly put together, so that one is at a loss which to admire most, the ekilfulneae of the workmanship or tbe tastefulness of the design. Another of tbe company's exhibits is a grand looking console table, with marble top, and massive mirror, but the best exhibit of the company ia a beautiful cabinet, perhaps tbe finest thing of the kind in the whole Exhibition. It is formed of 8508 pieces of choice New Zealand woods — namely, ritnu, figtree, pepper tree, plain iotara, nnd totara knot, manuka, mic-a-mic, mottled kauri, goai, broadleaf burr, silver pine, pocaki, and rewa-rewa, beautifully blended together. The cabinet, which is of large size, is in excellent (aste, and is a marvel of good workmanship. In close proximity to the last-named exhibits is a very handsome table of peculiar construction, and exhibited by Mr. J. Bernasconi, of Wellington. It is a wonderful piece of inlaid work, and for finish and workmanship could hardly be excelled even in the old country. It is valued at £200. Near to this is another 'handsome piece of furniture — a large sideboard of elaborate design, made by Mr. Nicholson, also of Wellington. There are also several other exhibits of inlaid tables and other fancy articles of furniture. Messrs. A.

and T. Buvt, of Dunpdin, adjoin Outhrio and Larnach. They hoid a large urea of ground which, however, is fully occupied by their numerouß exhibits, comprising an improved refrigerator and other utensils used by brewer?, a varioty of pumps, composi tion and lead pipiug and similar gear, alao an excellent assortment of chandeliers and bracket*. They also exhibit, under the head of sanitary appliances, a very good form of cabinet washstands, double and single,jStted up allready for laying in hot and cold supply and waste pipes. On the left hand Bide after entering the Court, beyond the gold specimens, is a large show-case containing a great variety of beautiful muffs, tippets, and other articles, prepared and exhibited by Mr. W. H. Li^rdefc, of Wellington, which, as choice samples of the taxerdermist's art and of an interesting novel industry, are worthy of all praise. In the vicinity of this, near the wall, is a long dais, a few inches higher than tho main floor, and carpeted, on which are displayed a few special objects of furniture such as the grand side-board, made of New Zealand woods, by Mr. W. Nicholson, of Wellington ; the mantelpiece shown by Messrs. Stewart and Co., of the same city ; door of red pine sent by Messrs. Halley, and Ewing ; and the polished inside house doors, one of kauri and the other of pine, exhibited by Messrs. Waddell, M'Leod, and Weir, also of Wellington ; as also some other exhibits of a similar character. At the back of this arrangement attached to the wall, the Union Steamship Company exhibit a very handsome emblematic shield, specially prepared for this Exhibition; also a chart, showing the various routes embraced in the Company's operations, and a collection of perfectly finished half models of steamers, belonging to to the Company, and others turned out from the yards of Messrs Denny Bros., Glasgow. Further on, and opposite Messrs. Burt's stand, the Mosgiel Woollen Factory make a brave show of tweeds, travelling rugs, blankets, &c, the high character for excellence of material J and workmanship which the Company has now obtained, being fully sustained by the quality of the goods included in the present exhibit. So far as the New Zealand Court is concerned Mosgiel has no rival, there being no exhibit on this occasion from the Kaiapoi Manufacturing Company. The position of the Court, so far briefly sketched, may, for the sake cf distinction, be termed the first division, if being divided from the other portions by a passage connecting with the courts on either side. Crossing this passage the visitor has immediately in front of him the gold trophy, a large octahedron of (seemingly) solid gold, measuring 12ft. along each angle and 18ft. across, a small slice being taken off the lower point to allow of its resting on a maßsive stand G^-ft- high. The trophy — the height of which, including stand, is 2Gft. — represents the total quantity of the precious metal exported from New Zealand, namely— 32o tons. Originally, the local committees of Hokitika and Greymouth proposed to have each atrophy representing the gold exported from the respective districts ; but the New Zealand Commissioners decided to have one trophy instead for tbe whole colony. As it stands, the trophy is unique and effective, and a decided improvement upon the eternal pyramidal form which such trophies generally assume. Near this trophy stands a large model of Lyttelton harbour, sent by the local Harbour Board,

which is of itself a splendid exhibit of New Zealand. The next large objoct which invites comment is a vnst slab of kauri, 12ft in length, by sft. Bin. n width, exhibited by the Hokianga Sawmill Company, through then agents, Messfs. Stewart and Co., of "Wellington. This slab has been set table fashion on legs* and highly polished, and upon it are placed a variety of small exhibits of polished timber. Beyond this is a grand timber trophy composed of representative exhibits of the choice and valuable woods of the colony. A very interesting exhibit is sent by the Auckland Harbor Board, namely, two large pieces, one of jarrah and one of totara, to show the comparative value of these two woods in their capability to resist the ravages of the teredo navalis* The superiority of the totara for pile purposes is manifest. Experience has shown there is no Australian timber capable of resisting the action of this worm longer than a few years, being usually destroyed in from 5 to 10 yeara; while tofcara piles have been found perfectly sound after 11 years service. The remaining portion of this division of the court is devoted to cereals. Capacious cases, with sloping glass fronts, are fitted on each side of the court, and show-cases on stands occupy the centre space. Tho display of the various descriptions of grain and seeds is very good, and forms a capital illustration of the rapidly increasing agricultural wealth of New Zealand. In this group the exhibits are chiefly from the Middle Island, Canterbury of course being in the front rank, headed by Peter Cunningham, E. H» Banks, George King and Co., Royse, Stead and Co., Duncan and Son, and other well-known exhibitors. Otago is also very well represented, especially the Southland portion, including the Lake District, noticeable among gthese being exhibits from the Western Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Fleming, Gray and Co., Robert Gil mour, and Pißutel and Co> Some good samples of grain have been sent by J. Vile, Masterton, and Mr. James Capper, of Wellington, sends a novelty in the form of a sample of potato flour. There are also some good samples of barley and malt, exhibited by J. and E. Paul and J. Arkell, of Marlborough, Harley and Sons, of Nelson, Manning, Cuddon, and others, of Christchurch, Jas. Wilson and Co. and Marshall and Copeland, of Dunedin, also a fine sample of hops, shown by Thomas Harley of Nelson. Of oourse, an exhibition of New Zealand products would be incomplete without flax — accordingly there is o flax tropby, the chief contributors towards its composition being Mr Charles Fulton, of Blenheim, Mr Hugh Cameron and Local Committee, of Hokitika, the Colonial Museum, and Mr Charles Chinnery, of Canterbury. In connection with flax are a number of exhibits Of dreSaed fibre and cordage, &c— a notable exhibit of twines and cordage being Bent by Mr Thomas Bevan, of Foxton. The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association have en exhibit of dressed fibre from European flax grown in Canterbury, and plough lines manufactured from the same description of flax* This exhibit is valuable as illustrating the suitability of the coil and climate of New Zealand for the growth of European flax, with the view to the opening up of new industries, such aa the manufacture of fibre, and also lioßeed oil cake. While on the subject of flax, tnpntion may b 9 made of two exhibitß of what ia technically called half stuff, and gooda manufactured therefrom. f)olh exhibits are from Chmtchurcb. The half stuff is made chiefly from flax waste. By reducing the flax waste to a' pulpy condition, and then, subjecting a layer of it to powerful hydraulic pressure, 8 coarse kind of mill-board is produced, useful for many purposes. The papier-mache exhibited by Mr Stßnsell is prepared in another way, the pulp, after somewhat different treatment, being mixed with glue and resin, and pressed into moulds of any desired form, when it becomes ex(r'emely hard, and ia capable of receiving r high finish. In this part of the court are pieced the pottery exhibits By all accounts, this industry promises to become n very important one in tbe colony, and tbe samples sent to this Exhibition will certainly bear favorable comparison with others cf the same clesa in other courts. Messrs Wripjlit and Vincent, of Hamilton, Auckland, have cent come fine specimens of their work in the sbspe of several vssee, a' church font, water bottles, &c. ; and a number of articles of eartbenWare, are exhibited by Mr W. Plant, of the Thames. Both Canterbury and Ofcago are well represented in this class. Austin, Kirk and Com phny, of Christcburcb, have a fine display, consisting of ordinary pottery Ware of all kinds, sanitary appliances, in the shape of drain pipee, stench traps, filters, &c , end ornamental specimens of fire-clay goods, such as flbral groups, and a case of brooches, pjjndanls, rings and photo frames. These ornaroeutalspecimens are beautifully executed, and are quite works of art. Some' very good samples of tprru cotta work era shown by Mr Condliffa of the Malvern Hills; and Ford and Qgden, of the samo locality, exhibit glazed stoneware pipes, and some varieties of orr amenta) find other bricks. The exhibit of Messrs Reeveß and Co, of the Foyal Milton Pottery Works, Otfigo, is remarkably good. It consists of about 500 pieces, comprising dinner and tea services, cups and saucers, dishes and jugs, teapots, jelly pots, tobacco jars, spittoons, candlesticks, lavatory ware, door knobs, door plates, &p, &c. Some new features have been introduced in the raaou'acture of these poods, and they offer a great variety of shape and color. The exhibits occupy a very handsome show case, specially constructed for the purpose by the New Zealand Wooden Ware Factory Company, of Dunedin, and are thoroughly worthy of careful inspection. Mr Richard Capstick, of Dunedin, is also an exhibitor in this class, his exhibit consisting of sets of jugs, vases, spill cups, teapots, candlesticks, &c» Near the pottery is a space occupied by the Oamaru Stone Company. The exhibit of this company consists of an obelisk, and several samples of Oamaru atone, to ehoff its capabilities for"build-

jug and ornamental purpoE S. The obelisk being of uroat sizo ana weight (about three tons), has been placed ia the "rounds outside the Exhibition buildings, while (ho column and the other camples aro grouped together in the court. In the same neighborhood aro placed tho Natural history Gad raineralogicul collections. First in order is a case containing Some interesting natural history exhibits, forwarded by Professor Parker, of the Otago Museum. Then come the large and .very valuable collections contributed by Dr Von Hanet. One of these collections, being n selection from the Canterbury Museum, illustrates the ethnology of New Zealand, tiud another ia illustrative of pre-hialorio races, beyond the Australian coloniee. There aro also three complete skeletons of tnoas ; these will doubtless be viewed with great intereßt by many visitors. The foregoing exhibits just named occupy central stands. Placed round the walls are cases containing the extenßive collection of mineral specimens from the New Zealand Geological Survey Department, tho geological mapß of the same department being suspended from the walls. Apart from this collection there are a number of other Bpfcltjaens of the hidden minerals of New Zealand, chiefly from Otogo and Nelson. Coal is represented by exhibits from the Bay of Islands, from the Bruoner and Coal Pit Heath Companies at Greymouth, from the Kaitangata Coal Company, and other exhibits. An interesting exhilii cf shale is shown by the lessees of the Orepuki Coal Reserve, Southland. This sample o/ shale is from a lode in a coal-bed of great pxtent, and over 18ft in thicknes?. The seam of shale, which is sft thick, has been traced for about 30 chains, and judging from the samples analysed it would appear to be of good quality, and likely to prove ol great, value; the yield being stated to be 45 gallons of crude oil to the ton. It has also been favorably reported on for fas purposes. The clothing exhibits consist chiefly of boots and shoe?, the principal exhibitors in this line being tbe firms of Lightb&nl, Allan & Co., W. NichoUs and Son, G. Hyde, and W, Harris, all of Christchurch. Mrs M. Black, of Wellington exhibits locally made hosiery and football suits* and L. Rotber, of t)dnedin, sends a number of specimens of Dunedin-manufsctured socks, stockings, and other kinds of woollen underclothing. Amongst the miscellaneous exhibits there is an apparatus of an entirely novel character, which is likely to attract a good deal of notice. It is an invention of Mr J. E. Hayes, of Wei. lington, and is called an "Electric Office Indicator**' All that is required is for the banker, merchant, or other occupant of the room to press a small plate affixed to bis table, and the word " Engaged" instantly . appears in a frame attached to the outer side of the door. When disengaged tho plate is pressed the other way, and the blank space now presented indicates that any visitor who may chance to be awaiting an interview, is at litcrly to enter the office. There is a large model of the apparatus exhibited, and ona of tbe indicators is fitted to the door of the Executive Commissionßr's office. There is a large exhibition ot pictures in oil and water-colors, which are hung on the walls of the Court, adding thereby a good deal to the general effect. There are also a great number of very excellent photographs of all descriptions, as well as maps and charts. To make room for these, extra screens have been put up at various points along the court. At the top of the New Zealand Court, two small rooms have been partitioned off, each occupying a corner, one forming an office for the Executive or Resident Commissioner, the other for the Secretary. The annexe entrance is between these two offices, down a small flight of steps. The walls of tho annexe are formed of the panels of the Maori carved house which was sent over by tho New Zealand Government for exhibition at Sydney, and subsequently forwarded on to Melbourne. There being no convenient spot in tho exhibition grounds available for its erection in its entirety, the panels of the house have been turned to good account in the manner abovementioned, and the effect is excellent. In the annexe aro placed a number of articles which it would have been inconvenient to have had in the main Court, such as agricultural implements, machinery, and large rough exhibits of minerals, &c, Messrs Reid and Gray's ploughs are much admired. New Zealand has very little .to show in the way of full-sized machinery exhibits. There are, however, several interesting mechanical models. Among these may bo specified the model of a wave-power machine by Mr. Hargreaves of Nelson. • There has been a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed at the bad asphalte paving laid down in the approaches to the exhibition, and it certainly is anything but good. "Itis an ill wind that blows nobody good," and the fact just stated serves to bring into strong contrast the specimens of Mr. Charles O'Neill's patent Caithness concrete flagging, which have been laid down in the approach to the vestibule forming the grand entrance to the Exhibition.