NEW ZEALAND GRAPHIC CHRISTMAS NUMBER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 257, 5 November 1897, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND GRAPHIC CHRISTMAS NUMBER.

POST BY THE OJgGOING ©^ (Leaving on Saturday Next, the 3<)k\

A SPLENDID ISSUE,

PICTORIAL MAP.

In announcing the publication . the Christmas Number of the 'Ne ZeaJand Graphic,' there is no aece* sity to do more than' simply ''^ public attention to the fact that thf now deservedly famous annual ca_? now be procured. ™ The public are excellent judges of a good thing and of its worth, so thj the very obvious excellencies and artistic merits of the Christina. ! Graphic are certainly not likely to [escape attention or to fail to com. mand admiration.

In point of artistic merit, in p^ .of printing, in point of paper, and indeed in all the details which tend to the production of perfection, th. number now under review excels. % shall therefore make no attempt to extravagantly praise the various fij, 'pictures, but merely mention a few iof the subjects believing, as we do. that the quantity and quality of th_ ! -work are eloquent enough in their jown cause without the questionable assistance of puffery. The whole-page engravings and ! half-tones which have been made a feature in the number this ye&j i comprise a series by Mr Kenneth Watkins on "the Forest Kings of Jfe w [Zealand.

No artist in this colony does the i native bush such justice as Mr Wat, Ikins —he seems to catch the Terj i spirit of the forest and its mighty I denizens. The principal pidm, ishows the felling of a giant kauri, while another and rather small.. 'picture represents the really stnpeni dons spectacle of a 'fall' oh one of •the bush rivers after a winter flood iwhen the logs are tearing down to !the sea. :■

! Those who know the grandeur! !of the sight when the logs fall inr thundering confusion over some roar-: Ing bush cataract will easily imagine; that so clever an artist as Mr Wat_ kins has produced therefrom a* spirited drawing. Trout Fishing is dealt with in & large picture by Mr Bob Hawcridge,; -who is also responsible for tie ea* graving In a New Zealand Orchard,'' which will, we think, perhaps be the| favourite plate in the number. It is. the fruit season, and a winsome lassie1 of sweet sixteen is standing on ai ladder placed against a welHadea. tree, plucking the fruit and laughingdown at the inevitable youthful! adorer, who stands gazing up at her while a very characteristic specimen* of the New Zealand younger sister looks on sympathetically. .

Mr Walter Wright, whose lengthy, visit to the European Art Schools has' so noticeably affected his -work, illustrates a brightly written article* on 'Life and Luck on the Gumfields.'i and that famous explorer and guide,* Malcolm Ross, contributes j, RAMBLES ON THE PJ__MA_ffi__B____SJ in which he clearly shows that hel. has loft none of his charm as a write.* and none of his power of producing) lovely photographs of Alpine scenery. 'The First Hoisting of the British] Flag* at Akaroa' furnishes Kenneth. Watkms with a subject snch,ashisi soul loves, and such as he.does to perfection. His fine full-page picture* showing thisceremony, the Maoris squatting1 round, and the ''* maipes: firing the salute, which is answered1 from ships seen in the bay, is supplemented by a series of photographs! of historic interest;. Pay Day at the Waihi Mine, and ttaj Tairua Gorge are dealt with in larga pictures by Mr Kerry, who has madehis name in pictures of this class.: As we have said, it is not our nn tention to mention or describe every: picture, and the beauties of the ♦SOURCE OE THE AVON—A NEWJ ZEALAND VINEYARD,' - I and the profusion of other fine engravings may be left with confidence! to public appreciation. The letterpress is full, and comprises two prize stories. 'Dr. Brunton's Marvellous Operation,' a cleverly imagined and exciting story, by Mr Burford, of Auckland, and *A BUSH CREMATION,' a really admirable bush yam. TJ» dramatic interest and eharacterist-O New Zealand atmosphere of the 'Bush Cremation' will commend itself to allj and it will be generally admitted that two such stories by New Zealand authors have not previously been published. ' But the most novel and the most important feature is , THE COLOURED SUPPLEMENT, j In this the proprietors have struck! out an entirely new line. A LARGE PICTORIAL MAP, j beautifully executed, printed in se^ al colours, and covered with nume**** ous picturettes showing the seem 6 beauty or natural resources of the ois-< trict or country. It shows at a gw™ what are the characteristics of eaca, particular portion of the colony, an* it will unquestionably do more_ w; clear away the ignorance of J>e" Zealand which prevails to so large an extent amongst our friends across the sea than thousands of letters ana descriptions would do. Nothing pHter for sending away to friends cam be imagined, and this attraction alone willl certainly command for the !*m Zealand Christmas Graphic' a recorsale.