THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 179, 12 June 1862, Page 5

THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1862.

The' Canterbury Press has the following carefully prepared account of the progress made as regards the Great Exhibition, and of the figure the Australian Colonies and New Zealaud are likely to present at the World's Fair.

" Both domes are now fully painted and gilded, and we regret to say that their appearance is even more unsatisfactory than we had anticipated; and we can scarcely check the indulgence in the very uncharitable with thnt the heavy gales which prevailed during the laat week had not been satisfied with demolishing some hundreds of squares of glass iv tbem, but had levelled the domes to the ground. No person can look at those huge creations without feeling proud of the energy and the skill which have triumphed over every constructive difficulty, and without deeply regretting that jhey were not employed to another or more useful purpose. It was anticipated that a great amount of vibration would take place in these domes during heavy gales, but the result ofthe last week has shown thnt that are as rigid and as unyielding as it is possible for a building to be. During the height of the gale on Saturday last, Mr. Ash ton went to the top of the scaffold, and while the glass was fading around him on all hands; he very carefully tested the main supports, but failed to - discover any deflection or movement in them. The glass was blowu out by the wind on the inside of the building, passing upwards, the putty not having sufficiently hardened to offer' resistance to the pressure. With the view of diminishing the force of the wind from the interior, the outer side of the louvre boards will be entirely covered over. The work of removing the timber scaffolds is now going on very briskly, and hundreds of planks and heavy pieces of timber are sent each day headlong down the "shoots" which Mr. Ashton has devised to facilitate the lowering of these materials. The decoration of the domes is finished, the upper part being blue and gold, and the ribs are chequered in a similar style to the arched principals of the nave. The northern courts are still incomplete, and the gallery on the one side of the refreshment room is not finished. The French and English contractors have obtained possession of a portion of the arcade on the ground floor, and have commenced the sale of articles of food and drink. The arrangements for supplying the greater crowds of visitors are progressing rapidly. Allsop's ale and Reid's stout will be delivered to the consumer by atmospheric pressure,, acting on the inside of the barrels, and forcing the contents along the pipe 3 for distribution, as the distance which it will have to travel is much greater than is at the command of ordinary pumps or beer engines. Science will not alone be called in aid in the distribution cf malt liquors, but also in the manufacture of coffee. Tlie laws of hydrostatics will be invoked for the purification of* the thousands of gallons of tea aud coffee which will be drunk. Twelve enormous urns, manufactured upon Mr. Loysell's patent, will produce 150,000 cups of coffee in twelve hours, should they be-required, and twelve smaller and highly ornamented urns, placed on the counters, will be employed in the distribution of these beverages. Each of these distributing vessels will be fittel with a float in the inside, to the top ot which a flag will be attached, and its height will serve as an indication of the quantity of fluid which they contain. The tea and coffee will, when served, be bright and clear, excellent in flavor, and in this respect a decided improvement on these descriptions of beverages usually provided for the public."' The goods of exhibitors are not coming in so rapidly as could be desired, and with theirusual procrastination the exhibitors will no doubt defer sending- their goods until the last day, or-very near to the limit fixed by the commissioner, viz., tbe 31st of the present month. In the western annexe progress has been made with the foundations for many of the heavy pieces of machinery, and in the nave and transept a commencement has been made with the foundation of some of the heavier trophies, which will be placed in these parts of the building. The season tickets continue to sell freely. The tree which was preserved with such difficulty in the centre of the south side of the English court, has been cut down. It was found impossible to keep it, as it stood in the midst of the space allotted to Sheffield, and the constant watering it would have required in summer would have rusted the steel goods around it most injuriously. The Empress of the Seas, which was burnt off Port Philip, we have learned by later advices had no exhibition goods on board ; but the Orient, which has been damaged by fire, has on board 85 packages of South Australian goods, including wine, flour, barley, native woods, jams, copper and other ores, malachite, slates, oil paintings, photographs, and shells. Other vessels are also on their way from the" same settlement with mixed cargoes of native produce for the Exhibition, such as soap, wool, and dried plants - The colonies will be amply represented. The province of Nelson, New Zealand, has shipped a valuable collection of coal specimens, cloth, wool, gold, timber, hops, photographic views, and samples of furniture made from native woods, the very names of which would make the fortune of advertising upholsterers. Red Manuka chairs, Totara couches, and Titree tables, to say nothing of any other productions, ought really to create a new sensation. Tasmania is determined to be well represented in the forthcoming display, and she has, therefore, not only shipped some fine specimens of anthracite coal and iron ores, with topazes, polished marbles, furs, skins, fine fleeces of wool, and models of native fruit, but she is about to erect a trophy in the building, a column nearly 100 feet high, made of native woods, crowned with the flag of the colony, and surrounded at the base with ornamental woods, worked up into models of whaleboats and whaling apparatus. This column will have a winding staircase inside, and will doubtless be a leading feature of the Exhibition.

The young Australian colony of Queensland has shipped a large collection of cotton, maize, wheat, coal, copper, wine, wood, tallow, oil, ancl honey, models of ships, stuffed animals, birds, and preserved insects, blocks of marble, native woods, and photographs, with dresses made from native wool and cotton, and a number of aboriginal ornaments and implements.

A fine art display comes from New South Wales ; oil paintings, water-color drawings, photographs, works in the precious metals, pottery, specimens of fancy book-binding, music-printing, aud cabinet and leather work- The textile fabrics will include native cloths and lace ; and the minerals, coal, copper ore, iron,"gold and fossils.' There will also be a quantity of agricultural produce; native woods and wines, samples of sugar, wool, tallow, hides, and preserved beef, soap, candles, and blacking. The intention is evidently to show what the colony can do in all it 3 industrial departments. The "New Zealand Court" will be of great interest. A catalogue of the articles has been published, and shows, amongst other items of native growth and manufacture, buckets made by -maohinery, candles and soap, dried fruits, flax, mats, rope made from New Zealand flax, furniture of excellent workmanship, furniture woods of various kinds and great beauty. There were also weighty specimens of Coromandel gold, coal from Drury and from Waikato, coffee and cotton from the South Sea Islands, with which Auckland has established a regular trade, copper ores from various localities in the colony, sulphur from White Island, marble from Wangarie, wool, stuffed birds of New Zealand, kauri gum, b osides various other articles illustrative of the natural history aad products of New Zealaud. The art ofthe painter, too, has been enlisted in the service; the New Zealand flora has been gracefully illustrated in a water-color drawing by Mrs. Fox; Mr. Heapy will add to his established reputation as an artist, by his pictures of the White Island volcano, and of the boiling springs of Te Tarata in the Lake District, "and as a man of science by his geological map of Auckland. Mr. A. Martin contributes an admirable view of a portion of Manukau harbor, and Mr. Crombie furnishes photographs of the " heads of the people," the representative men of New Zealand, as they appeared in the elective chamber ofthe General Assembly in the Parliaments of 1860 and 1861.

Nothing positively decisive - with regard to the opening ceremony has yet been arranged, except that the Prince of Wales will not be present. * It will rest with the five royal commissioners who are to be nominated to act for her Majesty on the Ist of May, to make up for this loss by invitations to illustrious personages from abroad. There is no doubt but that all the most distinguished presidents of foreign commissions will be invited, and that very many will come, including Prince Napoleon and the Crown Prince of Prussia. It would be premature just now to mention other names, though we think there is very little doubt that the efforts ofthe commissioners will secure a most distinguished assemblage from all parts of Europe. There appears to be such a general and almost unanimous wisli on the part ofthe season ticket holders than there should be reserved seats at the opening to be given to the holders, according to the order of priority in which the tickets were purchased, that it has been decided to adopt this'course.

We are sorry to say that the combination which all the railwas's north of the Thames were about to enter into to avoid running excursion trains for the opening, or making any reduction of fare until after the middle of June, lias been agreed to by the companies. The greed displayed by English lines in this respect appears doubly odious when contrasted with the liberality shown by the managers of continental railways, who have made the most important reductions both for good^ and passengers to and from the International Exhibition.

A penitent thief has forwarded fifteen postage stamps to a shopkeeper In Sheffield, from whom he stole some cigars several years since.—English Paper.