A NOVEL DISPLAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1003, 28 February 1883, Page 4

A NO VEL DISPLAY.

The Wellington correspondent of the Christchurch ' Telegraph says :—•“ The exhibition of “ daylight fireworks ” given on board the Japanese man-o’-war was a very remarkable one. 1 What took place was ■ this First, from a small mortar on the forecastle, was fired: almost vertically into the air a “ shell,”’ which, 1 on reaching its greatest eleva’tion, burst ."Into a compact cloud of bright yellow-smoke. From this cloud there’ slowly descended a largo figure,: apparently of thin coloured paper, which; sailed slowly and-obliquely downwards! .until it reached the water, fully a .quarter" of a* mile from the .starting' point. Those figures were marvellous; works of ingenuity. One was a life-; sized woman in a gorgeous dress of pink : and ; green, who floated through the air, bowing and waving her hands in the most affable manner to the delighted spectators. Another was a monster 'yellow cock, with vivid scarlet comb and flowing tail/:the bird : being in ance about the size of a small cow. Its movements' 'were! so natural- that "the .-people almost expected; W hoar it crow whendt sailed down; In another case a f*-horse and his,/rider” careered majestically past in mid-air, and then n large shark in brilliant blue, ami silver swam in the most natural manner, the motions of tail and tins being,marvellously realistic. A gigantic yellow hen, a superb pink ami white tulip rising from a green flower-pot, a large red and gre-. n lamp, tluee balloons, and a parachute, : three globes—Respectively red, white, .and'bine, and other devices were disclosed on the siictessive bursting of the shells; but perhaps the prettiest display of all was given by one which, on bursting, .loft-a solid looking sphere of peculiarly deep yellow smoke which threw out in all directions long golden chains, Reach terminated by a biilliant golden ball. This was exceedingly fine and striking in the sunshine. The evening display, though extremely pretty, was less remarkable in its , noyelty. What rockets were sent np were very mild,, the Japanese pyrotechnic strength evidently lying, in .their shells. Some of these were Strikingly beautiful, the symnietripally-circnlar shape taken by the contents of the exploded shells was singularly exact, and/the golden rain, the crimson and gold / stars,, the ruby wheels, the feathers, and other devices excited genuine and well deserved admiration.'