NEW ZEALAND GRAPHIC CHRISTMAS NUMBER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 260, 9 November 1897, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND GRAPHIC CHRISTMAS NUMBER.

■pn^T BY THE OUTGOING ENGLISH; " MAIL C(l*eaving on Saturday Next, the 30th)

A SPLENDID ISSUE

PICTORIAL MAP

In announcing the jrabßcataen of the Christmas Number of the New Zealand Graphic,' there is no necessity to do more than simply dray ; public attention to the fact that this i £ow deservedly famous annual can I bow be procured. m The public are excellent judges of '■a rood thing and of its worth, bo that the very obvious excellencies and artistic merits of the Christmas : Graphic are certainly not likely to escape attention or to fail to com- ' mand admiration. . . In point of artistic merit, m point •of printing, in point of paper, and i indeed in all the details which tend to the production of perfection, the number now under review excels. We shall therefore make no attempt to extravagantly praise the various fine 'pictures, but merely mention a few !of the subjects believing, as we do, • that the quantity and quality of the i work are eloquent enough in their jown cause without the questionable; I assistance of puffery. The whole-page engravings and half-tones which have been made a ■feature in the number this year co^rLe a series by Mr Kenneth 1 Watkins on tke Forest Kings oi 2vew i .Zealand. ~ I No artist in this colony does the \\ native bosh such justice as Mr Watkins—he seems to catch the very spirit of the forest and its mighty i .denizens. The principal picture I shows the felling of a giant kauri 'while another and rather smaller 'picture represents the really stupendous spectacle of a 'fall' on one of the bush rivers after a winter flood I When the logs are tearing down to i the sea. , i Those who know the grandeur lof the sight when the logs fall in thundering confusion over some roar- ; ing bush cataract will easily wnagme 'that so clever an artist as Mr Wat--1 kins has produced therefrom a I spirited drawing. . Trout Fishing is dealt with in a I large picture by Mr Bob Hawcridge, who is also responsible for the engraving In a New Zealand Orchard, i which will, we think, perhaps be the ! favourite plate in the number. It is* the fruit season, and a winsome lassie lof sweet sixteen is standing on a ! ladder placed against a well-laden ! -tree, plucking" the fruit and laug-hing i down at the inevitable youthful adorer, who stands gazing up at her while a very characteristic specimen of the New Zealand younger sister j looks on sympathetically. Mr Walter Wright, whose lengthy visit to the European Art Schools has so noticeably affected his work, I illustrates a brightly written article on 'Life and Luck on the Gumfields,' ! and that famous explorer and guide, Malcolm Boss, contributes EAMBLES ON THE EEMASKABLES. in which he clearly shows that he j has lost none of his charm as a writer 1 and none of his power of producing j lovely photographs of Alpine scenery. 'The First Hoisting of the British Flag at Akaroa'. furnishes Kenneth ] Watkins with a subject such as his ! soul loves, and such as he does to per- | fection. His fine full-page picture j showing thiscerenaony, the Maoris squatting round, and the marines firing the salute, which is answered I from ships seen in the bay, is supple- ! mented by a series of photographs of historic interest. Pay Day at the Waihi Mane and the < ! Tairua Gorge are dealt with in lai^e pictures by Mr Kerry, who has made his name in pictures of this class. i As we have said, it is not our intention to mention or describe every picture, and tie beauties of the ♦SOURCE OF THE AVON—A NEW ZEALAND VINEYARD,' 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. Branton's Marvellous Operation,' a cleverly imagined and exciting story, by Mr Burford, of Auckland, and 'A BUSH CEEMATION,' a really admirable bush yarn- The dramatic interest and characteristic New Zealand atmosphere of the 'Bush Cremation' will commend itself to all, and it ■will be g-enerally admitted that i 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. In this the proprietors have . struck out an entirely new line. A LARGE PICTORIAL MAP, beautifully executed, printed in sereral colours, and covered with numerous picturettes showing the scenic beauty or natural resources of the district or country. It shows at a glance what are the characteristics of each particular portion of the colony, and it will unquestionably do more to clear away the ignorance of New Zealand which prevails to so large an extent amongst our friends across the sea than thousands of lettera and descriptions would do. Nothing better for sending away to friends can be imagined, and this attraction alone willl certainly command for the 'New Zealand Christmas Graphic' a record sale.