THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 12, 19 December 1862, Page 3

THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

(From the Otago Daily Times.)

On Saturday the Committee of thelndustrial Exhibition were busily occupied all day in receiving and arranging contributions. From the number and bulk of the articles received, it was abundantly evident that the space at the disposal of the committee would prove to be insufficient for the display of all. Not that nearly all had arrived on Saturday, for many important articles had not come to hand, although promised aud positively reckoned on. The Exhibition bids fair to be of a most varied and miscellaneous character, comprising as it will specimens of the productions of almost every country under the sun. To give anything like an idea of what it is to he would, of course, be almost impossible in its present state of forwardness; but we think we may safely predict that it will be exceedingly attractive as a sight, even although, by reason of the haste with which it has been got up, it should prove defective in many points as an exposition of the industry of New Zealand. Of course the gold of the Province will he represented, and for this purpose the idea of the Victorian ' { Gold Pyramid," which made such a sensation at the Great Exhibition in London has been adopted, and, we may add, improved upon. In the London Ehxibition an immense gilt pyramid was erected, which was made exactly of the size that all the gold obtained in Victoria would be if cast into one lump of that shape. This idea was good, but the pyramid shape had no special significance with regard to gold. But there is another form which has gold crystallizes in the form of an octohedron, and it is proposed, therefore, to exhibit a gold octohedron, which will represent what all the gold yet procured in Otago would look like, if, by any means, it could be put together and made to" crystallize. This will he the most conspicuous object in the Exhibition, and around it will be disposed samples of gold from the various fields. Another interesting feature will be a colleciion of geological specimens, exhibited by Dr Hector. Some beautiful specimens of native woods will also, we expect, be inspected with great interest. It is not our desire to anticipate the interest of the Exhibition, and, we therefore, refrain from any particular notice of such of the articles as we had the opportunity of seeing on Saturday. There is one thing, however, that we cannot pass without remark, and that is the exceedingly small number of exhibitors of wool. The same remark will apply to building materials. Both of these important branches may be said to be almost unrepresented. It would almost seem as if the flockowners of Otago were ashamed of their growth of wool, and as if the brickmakers made such rubbish that thej' thought it best to keep it out of sight. Such may not bejthe case, and, if not, it is to be hoped that more samples will yet be sent in before the Exhibition opens.